The Great Pumpkin comes to SoCo

I think we may have officially made it, the neighborhood now has its own pumpkin patch. It just took root last week on the west side of Fenton, just south of Thayer.

It is being run by the MD-based Norman's Farm Market, who already have a couple vegetable stands in the area, one in Bethesda and the other in Chevy Chase. While ours in not a real vegetable stand -- it is mainly pumpkins and gourds -- they were selling onions, cucumbers, and potatoes when we visited.

Their prices seem pretty good. I know last year we stopped at the one in Chevy Chase either around Halloween or Christmas to pick up some goodies, but we left empty-handed. The prices were just too high for me, so we took a pass. And while I'm confident you could take a drive out Georgia Ave or Colesville to find cheaper pumpkins, this location - at least for me - could not be beat.

So we picked up a couple pumpkins for carving ($0.59 per pound), and then some smaller ones for decorations around the house. I assume we'll be back in the next couple weeks to make additional purchases.

I was told the stand will be open till Halloween and maybe even a little past. And then they're hoping to re-open in the spring since the location where they're located still does not have any kind of solid plan for development. We've heard about it being a mixed use site, but I think it is far from being permitted and who knows about financing.

Either way, I am glad this spot is not just a fenced off section of weeds and trash anymore. So stop on by for your Halloween needs. But don't think you're gonna outdo my carving; I am the master. And yes, I am talking pumpkin-carving trash. I don't have the ability to talk trash a lot anymore, so I have to take what I can get. I'll post my work closer to the big day.

And let's keep our fingers crossed that the Great Pumpkin makes a special SoCo visit on the 31st. I know I'll be out there waiting for him. I may not be sober, but I will be there.