Papa's Pumpkin Patch and Papa's Polar Patch

02/10/2025

Since our modest beginning in 1983, the founding tenets here at Papa's Pumpkin Patch have been to give back and pay it forward. Papa's really is a community pumpkin patch and as many of you know, our annual fall festival runs on the kindness of our guests and generosity of our volunteers. This season we recognize the many organizations we were able to contribute to, with gratitude for their help in “making the magic” at Papa's and for our community at large. Each of these groups listed represent friends and neighbors doing the good work to make Bismarck-Mandan better, with shared funds either helping to directly pay for their activities or allowing them to pay it forward to other groups associated with their mission. Thank you to all!

31:8 Project
BHS Demon Volleyball
BHS Girls Wrestling
BHS Hockey Boosters
BHS Softball
Big Muddy Crossfit
Bismarck Cancer Center
Bismarck Legacy Hockey Boosters
Bismarck Hockey Club
Bismarck Lions Club
Bismarck Public Schools Foundation
Bismarck Rotary Club
Bismarck Special Olympics
Bismarck United Church of Christ
Bismarck-Mandan Retired Teachers Association
Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals
Boy Scout Troop #6
Boy Scout Troop #123
Boy Scout Troop #425
Boy Scout Troop #1002
Brave the Shave
Breakaway Basketball
Catholic Home School Educators
Center for Opportunity
Center Space Leasing
Central Dakota Humane Society
CHS Centahnas
CHS Fastpitch
CHS Girls Hockey
CHS Girls Tennis
Cystic Fibrosis of ND
Dacotah Mandan Lions
Dance Force Academy
Dauenhauers Pony & Hay Rides
Doctors Without Borders
Dollars for Scholars
Dream Center
Easter Seals Goodwill of ND
Farm Rescue
First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck
First Presbyterian Church of Mandan
Fraternal Order of Police
Fundworx
Furry Friends Rockin' Rescue
Girl Scout Service Area
Girl Scout Troop #38020
Girl Scout Troop #80019
Giving Hearts Day
Great Plains Food Bank
Holte Community & Group Volunteers
Legacy/Bismarck Girls Hockey
LHS Boys Soccer
LHS Boys Swim and Dive
LHS Fastpitch Softball
LHS Girls Soccer
LHS Girls Swim and Dive
LHS Girls Varsity Basketball
LHS Honor Society
LHS Student Council
LHS Tennis Boosters
LHS Volleyball
Mandan FFA Chapter
Ministry on the Margins
Missouri Slope Areawide United Way
MHS Band Boosters
MHS Boys Swim & Dive
MHS Gymnastics
MHS DECA
MHS Kachinas
ND FFA
ND Leadership Seminar
ND Society of Professional Engineers
NDSU Nursing NSA at Sanford
North Star 4H
Northern Plains Dance
RDO Equipment
Ronald McDonald House
Sanford Radiology
Sigma Delta Kappa
Steppin Up Dance
Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation
Tri City Home Educators
U of Mary SOTA
United Way Day of Caring
Wachter Middle School Drama Club
Wachter Middle School Science Olympiad
Western ND Honor Flight

10/29/2024

It's pumpkin carving time! Rick Robinson, a long time friend and volunteer at Papa's Pumpkin Patch, shares his pumpkin carving tips at Studio 701.

BISMARCK, ND (KXNET) — It’s time to carve those pumpkins on your front porch for Halloween. Rick Robinson gives tips to bring out the inner personality of each pumpkin. “Give them…

10/28/2024

Way to go, Brynlee and Addy! We're proud of you.

10/20/2024

* CLOSED FOR THE SEASON * A beautiful ending to a wonderful season here at Papa’s 🍂 a huge THANK YOU to everyone who makes Papa’s Pumpkin Patch possible. From local growers who help keep the pumpkin patch stocked to volunteers from over 60 local organizations to many others working behind the scenes to keep it all running smoothly, and most importantly, to YOU, our guests who bring their own joy and light to our annual harvest celebration. We welcomed tens of thousands of visitors this year, and we get to see directly how wonderful our guests are, like the relief when someone realizes their lost wallet or cell phone or child’s hearing aid was found and turned in to us by another guest; the delight created by many folks who leave their extra change or tickets at checkout so we can pay it forward; the stories we get to hear from folks who remember coming to the Patch as kids and now are bringing their own. For all of you who brought your own bit of magic to Papa’s Pumpkin Patch this year, thank you 🧡

10/19/2024

One last day! 😮
Come out and play! 🧡
Today, Saturday, October 19 is the FINAL DAY of our 41st season here at Papa's Pumpkin Patch. We'll be open 12-7 pm with all activities and concessions running.

10/18/2024

*AFTERNOON UPDATE* The rain has returned this afternoon, forcing us to close some activities. WE WILL BE CLOSING THE PATCH AT 5 PM TODAY. Fingers crossed for clear skies on our last day tomorrow! 🤞 Happy Friday! A few little puddles at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch this morning but they’ll dry up, overall feeling grateful for the rain during this dry fall season. We are OPEN today and our FINAL DAY tomorrow with all activities running. See you soon at Papa’s! 🍁

10/17/2024

All aboard for our last Thankful Thursday here at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch! 🥳 Half price admission today in gratitude for a wonderful 41st season. We’re open 12-7 pm today, tomorrow Friday, and our final day Saturday with all activities and concessions open all three days. Come out for one last hay ride, zipline glide, mini golf swing, slingshot wing, and so much more! Plus our pumpkin fairies restocked the patch last night, ensuring plenty of color for your fall photos.

10/16/2024

Only FOUR more days left in our season! We’re open today and daily 12-7 pm until our last day on Saturday, October 19. For all the kids on school break, we will have all activities open and running Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 🥳 it’s your last chance to visit Papa’s Pumpkin Patch this season, we hope to see you soon!

10/15/2024

Big news! Our team member Vee has been carrying a little bundle of her own this season - and we had to use our pumpkin measuring rings to check on her growing baby bump 😋 Now we’re excited to announce the arrival of the newest member of the Papa’s Pumpkin Patch family, baby Vaughn, born Friday, October 11. Mom, dad, and baby are all doing well and settling in at home. 🧡

10/14/2024

Good morning and happy Monday! It’s the LAST WEEK of the season at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, our last day will be Saturday, October 19. We are open today and daily 12-7 pm. A big thank you to residents of Edgewood Mandan for coming out to celebrate the season with us! Papa’s is fall fun for the young and young at heart 🍁🧡

10/13/2024

Sunday Funday! Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is open 12-7 pm with all activities running. Did you know Papa’s carries 30+ varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds? Which is your favorite? We still have plenty of produce on hand, come celebrate the harvest during our LAST WEEK of the season. 🍂

10/12/2024

Ainsley loves pumpkins as much as we do! Sweetest li’l punkin’ in the patch ☺️ We’re down to the final week of our season here at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, open this weekend 12-7 pm with all activities open. Our last day will be next Saturday, October 19. Come celebrate the season with us! See you soon at Papa’s. 🍁

10/11/2024

Thank you KX News for this wonderful highlight of "Papa" Dave Pearce. In the story, Pearce reflected on his work and legacy: “What really matters is that a person has a purpose and I think another word for the purpose is to leave a legacy…to do something that matters and makes a difference or that leaves a marker. Or, maybe in a more real-life way, something that adds value for others, and I know without question that this place has done that.” 🧡

BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — He started in Cleveland, Ohio. Then, in 1968 he and his family moved to North Dakota and that’s when his father began farming near Minot. Although he doesn’t ha…

10/10/2024

It’s Thankful Thursday and we’re thankful for YOU making it a great pumpkin patch season so far. Half price admission all day today, and a reminder of only TEN DAYS left in our season 😭 our last day open will be Saturday, October 19. Make plans to come visit us soon! 🧡

10/09/2024

Happy Wednesday! It’s going to be a beautiful day, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is open 12-7 pm. A big thank you to McKinley and her pet tortoise Shelly for brightening our day with a visit! We see many pets at Papa’s but Shelly is one of a kind. 🐢

10/07/2024

Something BIG has arrived at Papa’s! 😮🎃 These Atlantic Giant pumpkins were grown by Tyler Hardy with daughters Addy and Brynlee in rural Bismarck. The orange one weighs 383 lbs and the yellow one a whopping 465 lbs! The pumpkins grew on the vine for 45 days. A BIG thank you to the Hardy family for their HUGE effort and sharing their GIANT harvest with us for all to enjoy! They are currently on display at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch. We’ll be open 12-7 pm today, come out and play! 🍂

10/06/2024

🎃✨Join us today at Papa's Pumpkin Patch and Papa's Polar Patch! 🎉 BAGA will be there with a booth for some fun pumpkin painting from 12:00pm to 6:00pm. Bring your family and friends for a day filled with creativity, laughter, and fall festivities! We can’t wait to see you there! 🍂🖌️🎨

10/06/2024

* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, OPEN 12-7 PM! * Whew, we made it thru a very windy Saturday with minimal damage. Skies appear calmer today and we’re happy to say we will be OPEN today, Sunday, 12-7 PM with all activities running. A little gnome tells us a few pumpkin munchkins have been busy restocking Papa’s patch with more gourds too 🎃 See you soon at Papa’s!