Disclaimer: although we were very kindly gifted tickets this year for a PR visit, this is our 6th year in a row visiting Cattows Farm – we really do love it so much! I’ve also put most of my photos at the end of this post, so I’m not sharing too many spoilers for anyone who doesn’t want them, but they’re there if you do want a sneaky peek or to put anyone at ease who may be nervous about the experience.

This was our 6th year at Cattows Farm, with it getting noticeably bigger each year.

We always head to the farm as soon as October arrives, but after hearing stories of sell-out pumpkins and long car queues last year, you can see why they decided to change things up.

Have the changes been worth it? 100%, definitely, it was just incredible!

Here’s our review…

Booking Halloween Farm

One of the initial complaints when Cattows Farm first announced Halloween Farm 2021 was that there was an entry fee of £2pp or £3pp at weekends, despite never having had that before. You book a morning or afternoon slot, which is great to help limit numbers and queues, and ensures everyone gets to enjoy the day. Once you’ve booked your slot, you can stay as long as you like.

You can also pay an optional £10 in advance to guarantee pumpkins (which you then can use as a deposit for your pumpkins), and then add on the brand new Fantasy Land on top (more about that later).

Although, for some this was confusing and a big change, for the changes they’ve made and the amount of investment they’ve made on this event, as well as the extra staff and use of the facilities, it really is a great price to pay.

You are heading to a full experience, which is well organised, packed with activities and entertainment, as well as the extra facilities (toilets, food vans, car park attendants, staff, covered outdoor teepee etc) to cater for the extra visitors – they really had transformed the whole of Cattows Farm to make it a day out to remember.

Booking online is highly recommended as many dates have sold out already (as of October 3rd).

Arrival and entry

The postcode for Cattows Farm Halloween Farm is LE67 2DT, where you are guided into a large field by car parking attendants. There are plenty of wheelbarrows available here.

We picked up a wheelbarrow and headed to the hut at the entrance to scan our tickets – even if you have tickets, you still have to queue up here to get in and collect your Fantasy Land passes.

Pumpkins

We went straight to pick our pumpkins, following the pumpkin signs along. It is quite a walk, but there are photo opportunities to stop at along the way, before going through the inflatable orange pumpkin to get to the field. I’d collect your wheelbarrow by the carpark as there aren’t any available by the field.

The exit from the pumpkin field is at the opposite end of the field, so once you’ve picked up your pumpkins, you follow the fence around the outside of the field to make it back to pay for your pumpkins.

It is quite a walk, so a pushchair or wheelchair that is suitable for grass/mud is advisable for those who are less mobile.

There really are thousands of pumpkins in the field, Lily had a fantastic time searching for the ‘perfect’ ones!

The barn has been converted for the pumpkin sales, with some fun photo opportunities for everyone to enjoy in the queue to pay. Even on a Sunday afternoon, the queue went down quickly – and you can pay by cash or card at different tills too. Lily loved posing behind the photo boards and climbing on the seasonal seats!

You can also take your pumpkins back to the car – you’re given a card to show the security at the gate that you’ve paid for them.

Photo opportunities

Along the walk to the pumpkin patch, there are so many areas set up for photos, including their annual ‘How Tall This Fall’ board, pumpkin wall, vans and tractors with pumpkins and even beds of pumpkins too – if you’re looking for places for fun pumpkin photos, this is definitely your place!

Halloween Fantasy Land

Oh. My. Word. – as if Cattows Farm couldn’t get any better for Halloween, it just has – the brand new Halloween Fantasy Land is just FANG-TASTIC!!! We had absolutely no idea what to expect, but it just blew us away!

My little girl is age 6 and was in her absolute element – there were kids younger and older than her who were all loving it too.

I’m going to avoid giving any spoilers, but for those who want to know a bit more about what to expect, read on…

The Fantasy Land is based on the fields opposite the restaurant/farm shop area. They have laid matting down across the field, hopefully helping those who are in wheelchairs or pushchairs being able to reach it easier than on the mud – as well as making it a bit less muddy here.

You give your passes to the team at the entrance and then head straight into Trick or Treat Street. It is all indoors in a huge marquee, making it great for all weather conditions. It is quite dark and ‘spooky’ when you first go in, but I promise you that it is a very friendly street (photos at the end of this page if you want to check it out – or not if you want the surprise!).

Trick or Treat Street involves knocking on the doors along the decorated Halloween street, and meeting the amazing characters along the way, who may be able to give you a few treats too! They were all so friendly and enthusiastic – even the most nervous of kids were laughing with the characters.

You then head into the Plants vs Zombies area, which was just hilarious – basically involving throwing balls at the zombies walking among the giant inflatable plants – it was brilliant!

You’re then led back outdoors towards the maze, where you meet Dorothy and help her find her friends in the maze. Again, I’m avoiding the spoilers, but all the team were brilliant and so welcoming to everyone there.

Funfair

Another highlight for Lily was the funfair, including rides, bungee trampolines, hook a pumpkin (like the duck version but with pumpkins!) for prizes, and more – there really was something for everyone, and the staff there were so friendly.

The little rollercoaster train and the bungee trampolines were definitely her favourite – all the rides take cash or card too, so don’t panic if you’re out of cash!

Food and drink

Plenty of food and drink is available at Cattows Farm, from the main restaurant itself for meals and treats, to the farm shop and cafe, and extra event catering too. Booking in advance is advised for the newly-renovated cafe and tea room.

The team has also put on extra event catering, with donuts, chips, burgers and a coffee stand available too. They’ve set up a huge marquee for escaping the elements to enjoy your food under cover.

On top of that, there was also an ice cream van, which looked a popular spot for a sunny Sunday afternoon!

If you want to bring a picnic, there is plenty of outdoor seating.

Toilets

Toilets are available in the shed next to the tea room, with baby changing and disabled facilities. There are also extra portaloos set up for the event behind the catering area.

It is quite a distance from the pumpkin patch and car park to the toilets, so you may want to head straight there in case you need to go once you’ve made your way into the pumpkin area as it isn’t quick to get out from there – and the same for before you head into the Fantasy Halloween too 🙂

Accessibility

The pumpkin patch is in a field and the paths are muddy in busier areas, so we would suggest off-road wheelchairs or pushchairs if possible. It is also quite a long distance to walk around, with all the attractions well spread out, so we would suggest wheelchairs or pushchairs for those who are unable to walk long distances.

Some areas do have matting down, although these are uneven in places.

What to wear

Wellies! Even on a sunny afternoon, it was muddy, so I’d definitely recommend wearing wellies, although you are not able to wear muddy boots into the tearoom if you have booked there.

I’d also prepare for all weathers – we had rain, sun, wind and rainbows, so definitely needed the layers at one stage and then were back to our tshirts when it warmed up!

Conclusion

Halloween Farm at Cattows Farm just totally blew our minds. Everyone there was having an incredible time, and even though it was clearly busy, the team had worked hard to prepare for this, making sure everyone was well spread out and there was always something to do.

Lily had the absolute best day out, and you could easily spend all day at Halloween Farm, whether you are with friends, family, or even your dog! It was suitable for all ages and creepy enough to be fun but not scary – just enough to make you smile and enjoy your day out.

We cannot recommend this whole event enough and what a way to kick off Halloween season – thank you to all the staff at Cattows Farm for making this possible.

Yes, it has grown from a pumpkin patch where you can just pick up a pumpkin, but it really has transformed into an incredible Halloween experience which everyone can enjoy – bring on 2022!

For more information and tickets, click here

Related links

For other fun days out for Halloween in the East Midlands, please click here

Check out our review of the National Forest Adventure Farm Halloween Spooktacular here.

Check out our review of West Lodge Farm Park at Halloween here

Looking for outdoor clothing and essentials for kids? Check out our recommendations here

Spoiler alert: More photos from Halloween Farm 2021 below…

We’ve hidden these photos down here to not give away any spoilers to those who want a surprise. We hope they help anyone who wants an idea of what to expect or to help those who may be nervous to understand what to expect.

Any questions, please do just ask – I’d be happy to help!