Getting into the fall spirit? Why not check out these local pumpkin patches and orchards?

Don't forget to call before you go.

Black Bart's Pumpkin Patch

Located at 9381 W. Wise Road, west of Decatur between Warrensburg and Latham off Illinois 121. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Both pick in the field and already gathered pumpkin patches, corn maze, straw or hay bale maze, prepicked produce, free haunted house, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, petting zoo. Admission to corn maze: 75 cents. Pumpkins are 40 cents per pound. Quarter machine to feed goats. Open through Oct. 31 Payment: Cash, check. Call 672-8287 or e-mail msjohner@hotmail.com.

Buxton Garden Farm

Located 3 miles west of Sullivan or 3½ miles east of Bethany on Illinois 121. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Roadside market spring, summer and fall, with seeds, plants, flower and vegetables and fresh produce. Corn mazes and hayrides on weekends. 200 varieties from 80 acres, you pick or we pick pumpkins - some may weigh 150 pounds and colors include all shades of orange, yellow, red, white and blue, with shapes from flat to round and big to small. Also available: squash, gourds, Indian corn, apples, cider, 125 varieties of mums (7,000-plus) including 3-foot-by-3-foot mums, and a variety of fall items. Buxton's Pumpkin Chuckin Contest, Oct. 18: guests invited to build and bring their own Pumpkin Chucker. Nighttime corn maze offered from 6:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1; $8 adults/$6 children/free for those 5 and under; bring a flashlight. Call 728-7993 or visit www.buxtonsgardenfarm.com for information.

Country Bumpkin Pumpkin Patch

Located east of Kansas; follow the signs. Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Open during week with reservation. Free admission. Entire patch has a hillbilly theme, including 18-hole hillbilly golf, eight mazes, plus a petting zoo, toddler play area and straw maze. Arm bands available for fall mazes and Hillbilly Golf. Food concessions in red barn. Wagon rides, hillbilly carnival games and Bumpkin Express require additional tickets: 2 and under, free; age 3 to 5, $4; and age 6 to adult, $8. Pumpkins, hot dogs, soda and snacks available. Columbus Day, hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with $6 armband and live music. Christian Music Day, Oct. 12. To schedule special hours for group visits during the week, call owners Thad and Cathy Brimner, 946-4279, 273-4099 or 948-0401 or visit www.countrybumpkin.net.

Gail's Pumpkin Patch

Located at 1709 2000th Ave., Beason. Follow signs. Open 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Oct. 31 You-pick or we-pick pumpkins, gourds, ornamental corn, popcorn, honey, crafts, straw bales, baked goods, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms. Crops are usually available in October. Payment: Cash, check. Call: 447-3409 or e-mail gail@gailspumpkinpatch.com.

Great Pumpkin Patch

Located 2 miles south, one-half mile west of Arthur, off the Cadwell Road. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Admission: $5 adults, $3 age 60 and older, $2 children age 6 to 12 and free for age 5 and younger. More than 300 varieties of pumpkins, winter squash and gourds. Among the featured sights to see are Noah's Ark, League of Concurbits Nations, Wall O' Squash, Mount Lagenaria, A-Z of Squash, mazes, one-room school house, barnyard of farm animals, you-pick patches, rack wagon rides and "Exploring the Patch" museum exhibit. Available are 8,000 garden chrysanthemums, asters, flowering kale, pansies, other fall plants. Bridle Gift Shop has jams, jellies and gift items. 2-Mile Sweet Shop offers pumpkin ice cream and more. Homestead Bakery has made-from-scratch breads, cakes, cookies, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pies and more. Indian corn, corn stalks and straw bales for fall decorating are available. Owners are Bruce and Mary Beth Condill. Call 543-2394 or visit www.the200acres.com for information.

Green Shadows Farm

Located at 908 S. Illinois 121, south of Mount Zion (first farm on left). Pumpkin patch tours, maze, fall decorations, pumpkins (picked, not a patch), roadside market with apple cider, apple butter, fresh apples, tomatoes, honey, asparagus, broccoli, gherkins, peppers, squash and Indian corn, tomatoes (hydroponic year-round) sweet corn, asparagus, pumpkins (seasonal). Groups welcome. Call 864-3223 or e-mail stutzermd@aol.com for more information.

Grissom Lost Creek Orchard

Located 18 miles south of Charleston on Illinois 130. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Jan. 1. More than 100 varieties of apples on 70 acres: Fuji, gala, golden delicious, Jonathan, among others. Pumpkins, squash, honey, plums, various types of butters, fresh cider, fall decorative items such as bales of straw, petting zoo, hiking trails and two mazes also available. Call 923-3736 for more information.

Moran Orchard

Located 10½ miles south of Mattoon on Illinois 121. Open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 19 varieties of apples in season, also jams, butters, cider, honey, sorghum, pumpkins, fall decorations. Call 895-3408.

Okaw Valley Orchard

Located on Illinois 32 north of Sullivan, watch for signs. 15 apple varieties available at different times throughout season, pasteurized apple cider and cider slush, apple butter, applesauce, jellies and jams, caramel apples, fresh apple doughnuts, frozen apple dumplings, fresh fruit pies available. Large playground and picnic area. Bed and breakfast. Applefest on Saturday, Oct. 11, with music, vendors, crafts and children's talent contest at 9 a.m. Open 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 12:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday. To register, call 728-8269 or www.okawvalleyorchard.com, e-mail jennifer@okawvalleyorchard.com. RR 2, Box 124, Sullivan. Owners are Jim and Linda Bailey.

Onie's Acres

Located at County Road 4993 E. 550th Road, or 1 mile west and 2½ miles north of Moonshine. Look for signs. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays. Straw, pumpkins, gourds, mums, fall crafts, corn stalks for decorations. Visitors might spot wildlife including deer, birds and wild turkey in the woods surrounding the log cabin store. Sorghum making Oct. 18 and Nov. 1 (weather permitting). For information, call 932-2749 or visit www.oniesacres.com.

Pumpkin Works

Located on lower Terre Haute Road, 11 miles southeast of Paris. Monday-Thursday hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 23 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 27 to 30. Weekend hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 31. Free admission. Three hay rides, 11 mazes, private wiener roast fires, pumpkin sling shot, free activities for young children, haunted dungeon, fall decorative items, general store. Saturdays and Sundays: Pete's Cafe open with grilled porkburgers, hamburgers, hot dogs. You-pick or we-pick pumpkins, squash, gourds and Indian corn. No pets. 16th year. Call 275-3327 or visit www.pumpkinworks.com for information. Owners are Paul and Sherry Staley.

Pontious Farm Inc.

Located at 1958 Blueberry Lane, White Heath. Open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Pumpkins, Indian corn. For more information, call 762-7714, e-mail richardpontious@netscape.net-;or visit www.pontiousfarm.com.

Shady Crest Orchard

Located one-half mile south of Arthur, take Main Street south on the county line road to the orchard sign. Open 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday. New enclosed store building with deli with quality meat and cheese sliced to order, hand-dipped ice cream cones, fresh baked goods. Horse-drawn wagon rides on the farm by appointment only. Golden and red delicious, Jonathan apples and other varieties available. Also, apple butter, jams and jellies, honey, sorghum, maple syrup, popcorn, cider, gourmet barbecue sauce, hardy mums and asters in bloom and other fall ornamentals and pumpkins, fruit salsa, plus more products added continuously. Vegetables and squash also are available. Call 543-3099 for information.

Wagon Wheel Pumpkin Farm

From Clinton, take Illinois 10 east about 7 miles (follow signs). Open: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Variety of pumpkins, gourds, squash, broom corn and Indian corn; straw or hay bale maze, corn maze; pick-your-own apples; pumpkin patch already gathered from the field, child-sized haybale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, restrooms, picnic area. For more information, call 736-2470 or e-mail rbmartin@dishmail.net.