The Pumpkin Patch Effect

Every autumn, as you scroll through your social media feeds, you're bound to see them: girls in brown rain boots, oversized cream or beige sweaters, and sometimes a denim skirt, posing beside plump orange pumpkins. You’ve seen it, I've seen it. Maybe they're holding a cup of apple cider or carrying a little basket, surrounded by the familiar colors of fall. The pumpkin patch has become something of a seasonal social media staple. Between Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, visiting a pumpkin patch has become much more than simply picking out a pumpkin with your family. It's about capturing the perfect autumn photograph, sharing your experience, and participating in a trend that seems to return every year.

Pumpkin patches are hardly the only seasonal tradition to experience this transformation. From apple picking and Christmas markets to cherry blossom festivals, social media has helped turn ordinary seasonal outings into highly anticipated experiences, complete with their own aesthetics and trends. But what happens when a traditional seasonal activity becomes a social media phenomenon? Can all that online attention actually benefit the businesses behind it?

For local farms, the answer could be yes. Social media offers smaller agricultural businesses an opportunity to reach audiences they might otherwise struggle to attract. According to the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, 87% of surveyed agritourism operators use social media pages as a marketing tool, making it the most commonly used marketing method among respondents. A single Instagram post or popular TikTok can introduce a local farm to thousands of potential visitors. More visitors can mean increased ticket sales, pumpkin purchases, food sales, and other seasonal spending.

Beyond the financial benefits, social media may also play a part in keeping seasonal traditions relevant. Pumpkin picking, apple harvesting, hayrides, and pumpkin carving have been enjoyed for generations, but platforms like TikTok and Instagram give younger audiences new ways to discover and participate in these activities. When people share their visits, they encourage friends and followers to create similar experiences of their own. Perhaps social media isn't replacing these traditions so much as giving them a new audience. I, for one, came from a family who had never visited a pumpkin patch. It wasn't until the trend appeared on my For You page that I even considered going. 

However, these seasonal trends aren't exempt from the criticisms of most social media trends. One recurring criticism online is the idea of being "performative": posting online to impress an audience or signal a desired identity, while the experience itself falls on the backburner. The pumpkin patch visit, complete with its carefully selected outfit and obligatory photographs, has become an example of this conversation. Are people going because they genuinely enjoy the tradition, or because autumn doesn't feel complete without documenting it? And as pumpkin patches become increasingly popular with social media destinations, some farms may feel pressure to prioritize visually appealing attractions and photo opportunities. Does this feel more like a celebration of the aesthetic rather than of the tradition itself?

This conversation also extends to the growing commercialization of seasonal activities. Some visitors have questioned why what once felt like a simple afternoon outing now comes with admission fees and additional expenses. While not all pumpkin patches were historically free, California agricultural reporting in 2022 highlighted how farms were increasingly charging admission or raising prices as operating costs climbed. University of California, Davis, agritourism coordinator Rachael Callahan explained that hosting visitors requires considerable staff resources and work to ensure their safety and enjoyment. Inflation, labor, fuel, and other farming expenses also contribute to the cost of running these attractions.

So, is social media helping or hurting autumn traditions? With all this information, you could argue either way. While online trends can encourage consumerism and change the way people experience seasonal activities, they can also introduce younger generations to traditions, support local businesses, and inspire people to participate in their communities. The pumpkin patch effect can be an example of how social media can reshape an experience without necessarily taking away its meaning. After all, there's nothing wrong with wanting the perfect autumn photograph, as long as we remember to enjoy autumn itself.