Sunday Drives: Pumpkins, Country Roads and Friendly Faces at Smith Family Farm

<p><em>Two visits to a Brentwood farm brought fresh strawberries, pumpkins on the vine, live music—and a recommendation for my next drive.</em></p> <p>The drive out to Smith Family Farm reminded me of my Delta drives. As I headed toward Brentwood, the dry fields and stretches of farmland gave the trip that familiar rural feeling. By the time I reached the farm, I was ready to get out and explore.</p> <p>I went twice—Friday afternoon and Saturday—to film for an upcoming YouTube video. That gave me a chance to experience both the quieter weekday afternoon and the more active weekend, when food trucks, vendors and families added another layer to the visit.</p> <p>Both were worth the drive.</p> <p>This week’s Sunday Drive happened on a Friday and a Saturday. The pumpkins didn’t seem to mind.</p> <p><em>Start at the Produce Stand</em></p> <p>My first stop was the roadside produce stand, before heading back to the pumpkin patch.</p> <p>It’s a charming place. Lavender hangs from the ceiling, vintage Coca-Cola and other tin signs decorate the space, and scarecrows and characters appear throughout. There’s plenty to look at before you even get to the produce.</p> <p>And there’s much more than pumpkins: peppers, peaches, apples, strawberries, seasonal produce and knickknacks. Some people were buying wheelbarrows full of pumpkins. I made a smaller purchase—a little basket of strawberries for about five dollars.</p> <p>They were excellent. Fresh, sweet and full of flavor. A good start to an afternoon on the farm.</p> <p>From the stand, I followed the long gravel drive back to the main visitor area. The crushed gravel was smooth, and the parking lot was large. I arrived around one o’clock on Friday and found a space easily. It was calm enough to take my time, film and talk with people along the way.</p> <p><em>A Calf on the Welcome Committee</em></p> <p>After paying admission, I received a ticket to keep for my pumpkin on the way out. I paid $16 on Friday and $17 on Saturday, with one pumpkin included each time. Bring cash or a check—the farm doesn’t accept card payments.</p> <p>The entrance takes you along a path bordered by white ranch fencing, past a small pasture with cows. On my visit, there was a calf that was especially cute. Before I had even reached the pumpkin patch, I was already stopping to look around.</p> <p>A little farther in, the path opens to a junction. Go right for the pumpkin patch. Go left for the barns, animals, games and activities.</p> <p>I headed toward the pumpkins.</p> <p><em>Pumpkins Growing Where They Belong</em></p> <p>The pumpkin patch is big, with room to wander and look for the one you want to take home. Pumpkins grow on the vines, and you can choose yours right out in the field.</p> <p>That setting was one of my favorite things about Smith Family Farm. You’re walking through a working farm, surrounded by growing fields, sunflowers and tall corn, with views toward Mount Diablo.</p> <p>The corn maze took me between stalks that rose well above my head. Once inside, I really felt tucked into the field.</p> <p>Throughout the patch, there were places to stop for pictures: scarecrows, harvest characters, face cutouts for kids, and benches with pumpkins or sunflowers behind them. Families could spend plenty of time just wandering, choosing pumpkins and taking photos.</p> <p>But the farm itself was what stayed with me—the space, the fields and the feeling of being out in the countryside.</p> <p><em>Follow the Music</em></p> <p>Back at the junction, I explored the activities side of the farm.</p> <p>There were barns and animal areas, with a pony, chickens, geese and peacocks to see, along with the cows near the entrance. Harvest displays filled the grounds. An old flatbed pickup was loaded with pumpkins and characters, looking as though it had just come in from the fields.</p> <p>There were games, including cornhole, and more places to take family pictures. In the barn’s educational area, visitors could learn about plants and how pumpkins grow. There were seedlings to take home and plant, giving kids something to carry on after the visit.</p> <p>At the Orchard Stage, a musician was singing “Old MacDonald” and playful farm and Halloween songs. Hay bales provided places to sit and listen. It suited the setting: simple, cheerful music for families spending an afternoon together.</p> <p>I also walked through the replica Miwok village, another area for children to explore as they made their way around the grounds.</p> <p>There was enough to keep moving from one thing to the next, but I liked being able to stop whenever something caught my attention.</p> <p><em>Saturday Adds a Little More</em></p> <p>When I returned on Saturday, the farm was livelier.</p> <p>Food trucks were set up in the open area between the activities and the pumpkin patch, including a coffee truck. Beyond them, vendors had craft booths under the trees. One was demonstrating Dutch oven cooking over coals and offering samples.</p> <p>There was face painting, and a band performed in the gazebo, surrounded by pumpkins, cornstalks and fall decorations.</p> <p>Those weekend additions hadn’t been there during my Friday visit. With families, strollers and children moving between the food, music, animals and pumpkin patch, Saturday had more of a festival feeling.</p> <p>The country store and snack shack offered drinks and treats, and there were places to sit and take a break.</p> <p>Having experienced both days, I’d choose Friday for a quieter visit with more room to wander. Saturday is a good choice if you want the food trucks, vendors and extra activity.</p> <p><em>Another Recommendation Along the Way</em></p> <p>One of the nicest moments came from a conversation with a grandmother, her daughter and three children.</p> <p>They asked what I was filming, and I told them about SF Bay Weekend. It was their first visit to Smith Family Farm, too, and they were enjoying it.</p> <p>They had originally planned to visit Filoli in Woodside, where the grandmother was a member, but couldn’t get the booking they wanted. They came here instead and were happy they had.</p> <p>Then they gave me a recommendation: go explore Filoli.</p> <p>I appreciated their interest in what I was doing and their enthusiasm for both places. Those conversations have become one of my favorite parts of getting out for SF Bay Weekend. I leave with a story about the place I visited—and sometimes an idea for the next one.</p> <p>If Filoli is on your list, too, look for the Filoli Nightfall pick in this week’s <strong>Mike’s 10 for the Weekend</strong>.</p> <p><em>A Pumpkin for the Ride Home</em></p> <p>At the end of the visit, you take your chosen pumpkin to the exit and drop your admission ticket into the bucket.</p> <p>I left carrying a pale pumpkin, with footage for the video and another destination to explore.</p> <p>My verdict on Smith Family Farm is pretty straightforward: a really good, wholesome family outing. The people were friendly, the displays were charming, and there was plenty for children to do. I enjoyed the music, the animals and the chance to walk through the fields.</p> <p>And I’d make time for that produce stand. Those strawberries alone deserved a stop.</p> <p><em>My Smith Family Farm video is coming soon.</em></p> <p>## Before You Go</p> <p>- <strong>Where:</strong> Smith Family Farm, 4350 Sellers Avenue, Brentwood.<br>- <strong>Pumpkin Harvest season:</strong> September 26–November 1, open daily from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Entry closes at 4:30 p.m.; the farm recommends arriving by 4 p.m.<br>- <strong>Admission:</strong> $16 weekdays and $17 weekends, including one pumpkin of any size. Children under two enter free but do not receive a pumpkin ticket.<br>- <strong>Payment:</strong> <strong>Cash or check only.</strong><br>- <strong>Food:</strong> Weekend food trucks; country-store snacks and drinks daily. Outside food and nonalcoholic drinks are welcome.<br>- <strong>Handy to bring:</strong> A wagon for children, pumpkins or picnic supplies.<br>- <strong>Pets:</strong> Leave pets at home.<br>- <strong>Details:</strong> Check the <a href="https://<a href=">www.smithfamilyfarm.com/plan-your-visit"</a> style="color:#C0392B;text-decoration:underline;">farm’s visitor information</a> before heading out.</p> <p><em>It’s out there. Let’s go find it.</em></p>