Pumpkin picking has become a popular activity for many people on the run up to Halloween – but many people have called it a ‘scam’ after finding out what it really entails
Pumpkin picking has become a popular activity in the run up to Halloween – but many are slamming the ‘rip off’ event as it’s not what it seems.
A sure way to get yourself in the mood for autumn and the spooky season is carving a scary face into a pumpkin and lighting it on October 31. The activity leading to this, pumpkin picking, is something we have adopted from America over the years.
However people are only just realising what actually happens when you go and ‘pick’ your pumpkin from your local farm.
While you may see various photos and videos online of people going and choosing their perfect one, many have took to social media, to share their rage at the ‘aesthetic’ tradition, as one woman penned on X: Pumpkin picking is the biggest scam going. Discovered last year it’s just a load of pumpkins from Aldi, chucked on a muddy field, for 10 times the price. Never again.”
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People are saying their first experience will be their last, as another wrote: “We’ve just paid £5 per person for the privilege of picking a pumpkin up off some grass…and then paying extra for it?! My first ‘pumpkin picking’ experience and it may be my last.”
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However some argue it can be a fun activity for young children, with rides and festive themed attractions, others can’t cough up the money to visit the ‘fake’ patches. “Absolutely cannot get over the fact people in the UK/Ireland *pay* to go to fake pumpkin patches which are literally just fields of mud where someone has just dumped some supermarket pumpkins on the ground,” another X user posted.
“Tell you what is an absolute scam, pumpkin picking. Most of those places are buying in job lots of cheap pumpkins for 17p each, lash them in a field then flog them for £4. Traipsing round in mud up to your nuts in worm guts just to pretend pick something, absolutely not thanks,” a fourth said.
So while it may make for a fun post on Instagram, many are skipping the pumpkin patch and buying them from their local supermarkets instead. Aldi are selling extra large pumpkins for £2.39, while a large is just £1.59. Tesco’s regular pumpkins are just 79p, and Asda’s large pumpkins are £1.65.
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