As autumn approaches and the chilly weather arrives, the Halloween festivities start to open up and roll out for the new year. The Pumpkin Spice Latte, fall cardigans, and apple scented candles begin to appear. One pumpkin patch that has been open since 1980 has a special place in all of Lancaster citizen’s hearts. That place is called Roca Berry Farm, and they just opened their gates on September 16th for the 43rd year. These are some inside scoops on Roca Farm and some things to think about when a perfect day to attend the farm approaches.
At Roca Berry Farm, there are two different types of pumpkin patches. There is the normal farm that includes family-friendly activities such as a corn maze, pumpkin picking, and games such as a cornhole. The other part of the farm is known as Roca Scary Farm. The Scary farm takes place at night and has spooky attractions that have real people in them called actors. The actors dress up as figures such as clowns or zombies and they work there almost every weekend during the season, scaring people. Roca Berry Farm has all kinds of daytime and nighttime activities.
“If you like being scared it’s a really fun fall environment and a really fun thing to do for the season,” Olivia Hussey said. “Roca’s the pumpkin patch I’ve gone to every year since like, fifth grade.”
Roca is something that some people have been going to for years, since early childhood. Some of those attractions include the Haunted Manor, the Psychopath, and the Haunted Hayride. These attractions have real people, hiding in corners and small, dark spaces to scare you. The actors wear makeup and frightening costumes to add to the horror factor.
“Waiting and hiding for people is fun at first,” Roca scarer, Anah Lee said. “You have all the adrenaline and stuff from people coming through.”
Being an actor at Roca for the scary bits can be a fun experience, according to Lee. She hides in the Psychopath, waiting for people to walk by, screaming at them and scaring them. There are many actors in the Psychopath, all dressed up as something different and horrifying to trigger adrenaline and cortisol, the chemicals the brain releases when scared.
Whether it’s eating a foot long corn dog or exploring the Psychopath, Roca Berry Farm is bound to be an exciting experience. Seasonal passes, passes that allow you to get into Roca for an unlimited amount of time during the season, cost $55. September weekend general tickets cost $16.95. The Scary Farm is only available on weekends starting at 5:00 p.m. Pricing for the Scary Farm goes for $26.50 with tax.
“It’s a really fun fall environment and a really fun thing to do for the season,” Hussey said. “In order to get into the seasonal mood.”
