She’s Behind One of BHAM’s Most Beloved Pumpkin Patches
Meet Julie Swann, one of the women behind The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden, AL — a beloved fixture in the area for 20 years. (If you haven't visited yet, now's the time!) Image: Javacia Harris Bowser
For 20 years, Julie Swann and her sister Pauline have been the dynamic duo behind the The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden, Alabama (open now through November 2). Though Julie and her family take care of the farm’s animals and land year-round, the patch is open just one month a year. During that short time, the Great Pumpkin Patch usually welcomes about 25,000 people! More than a pumpkin patch, the farm also houses a country store, snack bar, pie house, playgrounds, and more.
A Leap of Faith
The Great Pumpkin Patch has been around since 1995. When the owners were ready to move on, Julie and Pauline stepped up and purchased the land.
“We both were in jobs we weren’t happy in, and it was kind of a leap of faith,” Julie tells us. “We grew up on a farm here in Hayden. We knew how to farm, and we knew what we would be getting into. However, it was more of a task in the beginning than what we originally anticipated. A lot needed to be repaired. But once we did that, it became the greatest thing.”
More to Offer
When the Great Pumpkin Patch first opened, it was one of a kind in Central Alabama. Since then, several other patches have popped up in the area. “Now we’re forced to keep up and add things,” Julie says. “That’s why we have things like the bungee. We even had an elephant here one year.”
So, what does the Great Pumpkin Patch offer to families? “We have the wagon ride to the field to pick a pumpkin, and then we have an inflatable park for the kids,” Julie explains. “We have this little toy playground, a petting zoo, a little train ride. We offer birthday parties. Down the hill, there’s a playground with swings and slides. And we have a giant jumping pumpkin.”
Despite no longer being the only pumpkin patch in the area, the Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden continues to thrive. Julie believes that allowing guests to bring pets certainly helps with their popularity. “I grew up with dogs, and I feel like a dog is a part of the family,” she says.
She believes that name recognition helps, too. “I think we’ve been here for a long time, and it’s really familiar to people,” she says. “And we have really good props for pictures!”
A Family Affair
As with any business, working with family has its ups and downs. “My sister is very hard-headed,” Julie shares. “But even though she makes me mad, she would do anything in the world for me. I know this beyond a shadow of doubt. So the good tremendously outweighs the bad.”
Some of Julie’s great-nieces and her great-nephew also work at the patch. Along with family, several other people, including local high school students, work at the patch preparing food, tending to the country store, working the Snack Bar and the Pie House, and more.
“I’m really grateful for the people who work for us year after year,” Julie says. “It’s been a good ride, and they’re a huge part of that.”
Julie’s Best Advice (We always ask!)
When asked about the best advice she’s ever received, Julie recalls a simple but powerful message from her father. “My dad died in 1994, but he would always say, ‘Kindness does not cost a thing.’ And that’s one thing that always sticks with me, especially in this day and age when people find it so hard to just be kind to each other,” Julie says. “So, that’s the best advice I would give to somebody.”
Julie Outside the Farm
Going to a pumpkin patch is on many people’s fall fun to-do list, but what’s on Julie’s? “I’d love to go to an Alabama football game,” she says. “But that’s out of the question during October.” Regardless, she will be watching the games on TV. “I can’t hold the remote while the game’s on,” she says, confessing that she gets very emotionally invested in what’s happening on the field.
When she’s not tending to the farm, Julie enjoys spending time at Smith Lake. She’s also an avid reader, counting James Patterson and Greg Iles as two of her favorite authors.
Thanks for chatting with us, Julie!
The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden, AL, is open now through November 2, 2025. For hours, tickets, and more information, visit greatpumpkinpatch.com.
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Javacia Harris Bowser
Javacia Harris Bowser is a Birmingham-based freelance writer and the founder of See Jane Write, an online community and coaching service for women who write. With over 20 years of journalism experience, Javacia has received awards from the National Federation of Press Women, Alabama Media Professionals, Alabama Press Association, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. When she’s not writing, she’s usually practicing Pilates, getting her 10K steps a day, or watching crime shows. Follow Javacia on Instagram @seejavaciawrite.