Pumpkin Smash Weekend Near Des Moines: Pumpkin Destruction at Center Grove Orchard, Nov. 7 and 8

Halloween's over, the porch pumpkins are going soft, and your kids still aren't done with fall. Center Grove Orchard in Cambridge has one weekend left, and it's the one where all the leftover pumpkins get smashed.

Saturday, Nov. 7 and Sunday, Nov. 8, 9am to 7pm

It's called Pumpkin Destruction. For two days, pumpkins fly, splatter and crumble, and there are games and contests too.

Pumpkin Destruction is included with regular admission, and so are the farm's attractions:

• The corn maze, the corn pool and the jumping pillows
• The Black Gold Super Slide and the CGO Express train
• The farm animals and the rest of the farmyard attractions

What it costs: $19.95 plus tax per person online, or $23.95 at the gate, for ages 3 and up. Kids 2 and under get in free. Fall Season Pass and Farm'all Pass holders get in on their pass.

Tickets aren't refundable, and this is the last weekend of the season, so check the forecast before you buy. The farm stays open in the rain, though a few attractions, like the jumping pillows, can close when they're wet. Leave the dog at home. Only service animals are allowed.

Center Grove Orchard is at 32835 610th Avenue in Cambridge. From I-35, take Exit 102 and go five miles east on Highway 210. It's about 20 minutes from Ames, 25 from Ankeny and 35 from downtown Des Moines. Tickets and updates are on the farm's Pumpkin Destruction page.

Center Grove Orchard
32835 610th Avenue, Cambridge, IA 50046 515-383-4354 Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kNYs4tCcwuinhCoi8