Picking Out a Pumpkin, A Family Tradition in Bixby

Thursday, October 7th 1999, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Fall is in the air and that means Halloween is just around the corner. Children are getting anxious to pick out a pumpkin. The News on Six caught up with some youngsters who had their pick from thousands of pumpkins Thursday at the Bixby pumpkin patch.

It's pumpkin time in Bixby. Carmichael's Produce orders around 150,000 pumpkins for the fall season, mainly for the kids. "My daddy and mom are looking for a fat pumpkin," said three-year-old Grif. Grif and thousands of other children will crawl along the pumpkins, jumping, balancing, and maybe even slipping here and there. "I enjoy seeing the kids climb on the pumpkins and feed the goats,â€ said Don Carmichael, the owner of Carmichael's Produce. â€œThey make it seem that pumpkins are like a sandpile. They just intrigue the kids." Carmichael has had a pumpkin patch for 22 years. He says he has hundreds of different types of pumpkins, some specifically for pumpkin pie, others just for decoration, but the majority are for the kids.

Another big attraction is the petting zoo. The animals don't seem to mind being poked and prodded by the children. Carmichael says they're used to it. Some of the animals have been around since the childrenâ€™s parents were coming here. "We've got parents who came out here as kids, are coming out and bringing their kids. It's kind of a tradition for a lot of people."

Before the day is gone, wheelbarrows are full of each childâ€™s favorite pumpkin.
And no matter how old or young you are, there's always a pumpkin just your size.