Back in my childhood, I remember becoming really excited when a certain something happened in early October. I would feel some type of way when we would pull into the parking lot of our local Albertson’s and see scores of bright orange pumpkins lining the front middle of the store between the two entrances. It mattered to me because, one, it meant Halloween was near, and, two, it was just a welcome sight because it was out of the norm.

When I was a kid, it was always a welcome sight to see the pumpkins outside of the grocery store. On Sunday, my kids played in the Safeway pumpkin patch.

Although most years we were also privileged enough to visit a pumpkin patch at Green Bluff, we always purchased our carving pumpkins at the grocery store. The hunt was always on to find that perfect gourd that was among all the other pumpkins sprawled out on the pavement. Oh, how I loved it.

These days, grocery stores still sell pumpkins outside their front doors but a couple things are different. First, why would these places even consider waiting until the actual month of the holiday to roll out their pumpkins? Now, much like the irrational rush to push Christmas products months in advance, the supermarket pumpkin patches pop up weeks before October arrives.

Second, the variety of pumpkin has exploded from the orange ones to a cornucopia of all shapes, sizes, and colors. White pumpkins, green pumpkins, multi-colored pumpkins, wart-covered pumpkins, and everything else you can think of abound in these displays. To each their own, I guess?

Beau holds a white pumpkin at the Safeway pumpkin patch. They come in all different colors these days.

I let Sloan and Beau play in the Safeway “pumpkin patch” the other day. Except for them trying to pick up pumpkins way too big for them, it was innocent and cheap fun. In fact, it is the perfect way to allow one parent to run inside and do the shopping in peace while the other parent monitors the children frolicking among the squashes, cardboard boxes, and imported hay bales.

Nothing like some cheap entertainment at a makeshift grocery store pumpkin patch.

Grocery store pumpkin patches are pretty cool. Although I would be content with the displays opening in October and the selection being solely orange, I can deal with their evolving nature. Don’t Blink.