The pumpkin garden in Pignataro Maggiore: how it works

The pumpkin garden rendezvous is back with the sixth edition. The largest pumpkin patch in Europe is located in Italy, or rather in Campania and was born as a promise of love: every year many initiatives, dishes to taste and pumpkins to collect, carve, paint and bring back to the House.

An expanse of pumpkins to collect and then decorate and carve: it’s an American experience to savor in Italy by October 31, 2022. Europe’s largest pumpkin garden is located in Pignataro Maggiore in the province of Caserta and offers a pure fall experience for anyone with a soft spot for the most orange season of the year. To access it, all you need is a ticket, which can be purchased online.

Credits: Cristina Migliaccio

A picturesque idea, born as a promise of love. Europe’s largest pumpkin patch was founded by Emily Turino, with the support of her family. Each year this initiative is enriched with ideas and involves many people who travel for miles to live a rural experience. The pumpkin garden is now in its sixth edition, marked above all by Spookley, a square pumpkin that will make the little ones smile. But it’s not just an activity for children: the pumpkin garden aims at the heart of the eternal Peter Pan and wins over even the most skeptical.

The pumpkin garden: Campania’s pumpkin patch is the largest in Europe

You don’t have to wear a plaid shirt to enter the pumpkin garden, but we advise you to take full advantage of this experience by approaching the country style from the outfit. One look at the Instagram feed is enough to realize that this is a perfect experience for Autumn Addicted. Red carts come out of the barn, useful for picking up pumpkins in a huge garden where a colorful pick-up truck full of zucchini stands out.

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You can choose your own pumpkin (in the garden there are more than 90,000 pumpkins of 58 varieties), which will then be carved or decorated according to the workshop you choose when purchasing the ticket. And no: it’s not just for kids.

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What’s to do in the pumpkin patch? Once you enter and choose your pumpkin to carve or paint, you follow a path inside the current garden where a white house (inhabited by the Turino family) also appears. During the journey you can stop at the bar where you can taste typical products such as pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin bread (taste it, it’s very good), cookies, donuts pumpkin and much more. At the bar, on the other hand, there is a sweet and savory menu, from pumpkin gnocchi to pizza. You can visit the animal farm, populated by alpacas, rabbits, horses and donkeys. You can venture into the Corn Maze, which spans 7,000 square meters and is populated with rare colored corn cobs, known as gem corn. And those with a weakness for souvenirs can visit the shop.

The news of the sixth edition

For Americans, the pumpkin is a family tradition and came to Italy with the Turino family. How this particular pumpkin garden was born is tied to a promise of love. Some time ago, Fernando Turino promised his Elvira to create an all-American reality even here in Italy. So they chose to leave New England. They had three children: Emily, who continues their dream today, Raffaele and Antonio. They grew up with one foot in Italy and the other in Connecticut, where they picked their pumpkins to carve. Today, they carry on the tradition, involving all those who dream of breathing that American air a few steps from home.

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Each year, the pumpkin garden welcomes more than 30,000 visitors for an extremely short but intense period. This year, the barn welcomed the first onlookers on September 24, while the last lucky ones will be able to access it by October 31, 2022, at the perfect time for Halloween. The sixth edition offers some new features such as the 3D fresco created by Vito Mercurio, street artist and student of Kurt Wenner, as well as the rainbow of pumpkins in favor of diversity. A little corner of America but in Italy, where the pumpkin is celebrated.

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This year, the pumpkin patch welcomed Spookley, a square pumpkin whose story is told in the children’s book of the same name and in the Netflix cartoon. Emily Turino, about this choice, explained: “In our corner of America, we have adopted the famous pumpkin because it fights harassment and all forms of discrimination. The story of Spookley, marginalized for his form, teaches children the beauty of diversity and in the new store it will be possible to buy his books.” Tickets can be purchased on the website, where there is also a map to orient yourself in the garden.