The Berry Farm has been bringing a change of season to Miami for six decades with its annual Harvest Festival.
The festival runs from Sept. 23 to Nov. 13, featuring a scenic pumpkin patch that many couples, families and friends enjoy using as a backdrop for holiday photos.
With Halloween fast approaching, this year's festival also features several spooky events including a haunted hayride and corn maze and trick-or-treating for kids up to 12 years old.
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Owner Karl Wiegandt says he is excited to bring the magic of fall to Miami once again this year.
"We really don't have seasons, like when the leaves change," said South Florida resident Wilson Quintero. "So when places like this actually do something that caters to the seasons, it helps us feel like we are still included all the way down south where we don't really have that."
Quintero has been coming to The Berry Farm since his wife was pregnant with his son. Now, three years later, the Quintero family is back with their son and his new little sister, who is celebrating her first birthday.
"We got one perfect picture so far and now round two, three, four, five and six are coming," Wilson said as he pointed towards the several photo spots around the pumpkin patch.
SOFLO SPOTS
Wiegandt, a third-generation farmer, comes from a family that began growing tomatoes on their now more than 30-acre South Florida farm.
While The Berry Farm still grows tomatoes to this day, he says they continue to adapt to the wants and needs of its visitors, and now grow all kinds of produce — including pumpkins.
"The great thing about pumpkins is they are like a snowflake," says Wiegandt. "There are no two pumpkins that ever look the same."
The picturesque pumpkin patch at The Berry Farm features pumpkins of all colors, shapes, and sizes, and many of them were grown right here in South Florida.
"This year was our first growing pumpkins down here," Wiegandt added. "Most of these pumpkins are ours, but because it was a test and experiment, we are starting to run out."
In addition to the locally grown pumpkins, there are some that come from friend growers up in Indiana, Michigan, and the Carolinas.
"It is hard to grow pumpkins during the summertime down here because pumpkins don't love super hot, hot, hot, hot nights," Wiegandt said.
Wiegandt explained that although growing pumpkins in South Florida is a challenge, he is grateful for the amount he and his team were successful in growing this year.
The Berry Farm also has a farmer's market that's open seven days a week where they sell a wide variety of produce grown right on the farm.
"We grow everything from onions to cucumbers, to pickles, to squash, to peppers, to tomatoes to all the herbs and all the lettuces," Wiegandt said. "With a $20 bill, you can pretty much buy everything you need for the week for vegetables."
Wiegandt is excited to bring more visitors to his farm to embrace the fall season and continue the legacy his family started more than 60 years ago in Redland.
"We want visitors to come and renew their spirits, renew their energy, have a good time, and get away from the buzz of the city," Wiegandt said.
