Shepherd’s Cross Pumpkin Festival began last week and will be continuing through Halloween. Located in Claremore, just short of an hour’s drive outside of Tulsa, the family-friendly pumpkin patch offers a wide selection of pumpkins at good prices.
In addition to selling pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, colors and patterns, Shepherd’s Cross has free activities scattered throughout their farm for families to enjoy. As the name suggests, it is a Christian business, so most of the quaint farm’s aspects had a Bible theme as well.
Rather than featuring a traditional corn maze, hay bales were fashioned into a maze at the far end of the pumpkin field. A game in the style of “pin the tail on the donkey” had players “pin” the Armor of God—the sword of truth, shield of faith, cloak of invisibility and whatnot—on a painting of a farmer.
The Bible Garden was a botanical garden with plaques describing plant species alongside their appearance in biblical passages, and the animal petting area showcased information about how those animals were used in biblical times. (I did not observe any sacrificed goats.)
A couple unique displays at Shepherd’s Cross included the covered wagon, in which guests could pose for photos using pioneer accessories, and the farm history section of the barn. This area showed the processes of making wool into usable material, spinning cotton and processing crops. Taking a spiral staircase up from that room offered a picturesque view from the barn’s upper level.
