Alaska's largest you-pick pumpkin farm, operating daily through October with festival atmosphere. The Fall Festival draws crowds; pumpkins are first-come, first-served at the tent. Reservations recommended for groups.
Ticket prices range $12.24-$87.15 including fees; pumpkins and individual activities charged separately
Rough cost for a family of four: about $48.00 in admission alone at the posted starting rate, before pumpkins, food, parking or any add-on listed above. Most families end up well north of that once they are through the gate.
Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm is Alaska’s largest you-pick pumpkin operation, and it earns that status with a full month of operation and a broad activity menu. But the size comes with a catch: on busy weekends, the pumpkin tent runs first-come, first-served, and the most popular sizes and colors disappear quickly.
The farm opens its Fall Festival on Saturday, September 26, then operates daily through October 31. Hours are uneven — Monday is only 9am to 5pm, but Tuesday through Saturday you get a full 9am to 9pm window. That matters if you work a standard Monday-to-Friday schedule: you have one weekday option (Friday evening) and weekends otherwise.
Admission ranges from $12.24 to $87.15 including fees, depending on the package and date. Those prices reflect multiple ticket tiers on the farm’s booking system. Pumpkins are first-come, first-served at the tent and charged separately. Hayrides, the corn maze, obstacle course, petting zoo access, and face painting may or may not be included in your package — the record does not itemize every option, so confirm before booking.
Rather than operating a static attraction, the farm runs themed festival weekends. That means the farm is not the same experience every visit: a particular weekend may emphasize live music, food vendors, or seasonal crafts. For locals, that is a reason to return; for visitors from out of state, it means checking the calendar to see what the week you are planning actually features.
The farm is built for high volume, which is good and bad. On a quiet weekday evening in early October, you may walk into calm fields. On a peak weekend in late September or mid-October, you are competing with dozens of other families for the best pumpkins. Arrive early in the day or on a weekday if you want selection.
The research notes mention that the farm is located on the famous Bodenburg Loop farm corridor in the Matanuska Valley — a region where Alaska’s midnight sun and glacial soil produce the oversized vegetables the state is famous for. That same combination gives you a pumpkin-growing window that is compressed compared to the Lower 48, and compressed further if you head north to Fairbanks.
Weather in late September is mild, but by late October, central Alaska is cooling fast. Layers and warm layers are practical, not paranoid.
September 26 through October 31, 2026. The farm opens for a Fall Festival on Saturday, September 26, then operates daily through the end of October. Monday 9am–5pm; Tuesday–Saturday 9am–9pm. The Monday-to-Friday window is significantly shorter if you need a full day, so plan for weekends when you can use the full span.
Three to four hours for a moderate visit (hayride, obstacle course, petting zoo, casual pumpkin browsing). Longer if you intend u-pick and food vendors.
The Fall Festival draws crowds — concentrated demand on opening Saturday, September 26, and sustained through weekends. Weekday evenings during the week may be quieter.
Not published. Assume standard farm parking; central Alaska in late September and October can see wet ground after rain.
You want predictability about pumpkin availability. The farm runs first-come, first-served at the pumpkin tent, which means peak-season weekends could see picked-over inventory.
Admission ranges $12.24 to $87.15 including fees, depending on which date and ticket type you book. Pumpkins and individual activities are charged separately. The ticketing page shows exact prices once you select a date.
No. Admission gets you into the farm and access to most attractions, but u-pick pumpkins, the corn maze, and some activities are separate charges.
The Fall Festival opens Saturday, September 26, 2026. After that, the farm operates daily: Monday 9am–5pm, Tuesday–Saturday 9am–9pm. The farm is family-run and may adjust hours, so confirm before visiting.
The farm is Alaska's largest you-pick operation, and on busy weekends, the most popular sizes and colors sell out quickly. Arriving early increases the odds of finding your ideal pumpkin.
September 26 – October 31, 2026. September 26 (Fall Festival), then operating through fall season. Hours: Mon 9am-5pm, Tues-Sat 9am-9pm (seasonal).
Admission starts at $12 per person. Ticket prices range $12.24-$87.15 including fees; pumpkins and individual activities charged separately
4350 S. Bodenburg Loop, Palmer, AK 99645, in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. It is one of 5 patches we track in Anchorage/Mat-Su Region.
We track 5 patches in Anchorage/Mat-Su Region, 1 of which are free to walk into. At $12 a head this one sits below the regional median of $15, undercutting 1 of the 2 paid patches we track here.
Its season runs about 36 days against a regional average of 25, so it is a notably longer window than most of its neighbours, which takes the pressure off picking a weekend.
What sets it apart locally: it has hayrides, a corn or crop maze, farm animals, which most Anchorage/Mat-Su Region patches on our list do not.
There are 3 other patches we track in Matanuska-Susitna Borough. All Anchorage/Mat-Su Region patches →
pppfarm.net
Checked August 2026.