News

It's October, time to get into the Halloween spirit. Or haunted by them. But, whichever way you prefer, Dumont's own D'Angelo Farms is ready, with Halloween decorations, activities, and some good advice for buying pumpkins (which they have in good supply).

Even at the entrance, you can see that D'Angelo Farms has been set up for the Halloween season. And there are all sorts of activities for children, young and old.

Cries and screams come from inside the hay maze ($1 entrance fee). When this reporter suggested that the screams came from those who sneaked in, there was no denial. From all reports, however, almost everybody who went into the maze eventually came out.

There is also a giant teepee for the kids to play in, and enjoy the food from the snack bar. Candy, fresh popcorn, and home made ice cream (cup or cone, $2.50 for one scoop, $3.25 for two). This reporter couldn't resist trying the chocolate; a good, not overpowering, flavor, and a nice, creamy texture.

There were also rides.

For $3 a person, you can take a hay ride through the 30 acre farm. There is no extra charge for kissing.

For the equestrian set, there are two ponies for pony rides around J.D.'s Corral; Amber, to the right, and Donna, to the left. Yes, the amber one is Donna. This reporter can't figure it out either. $3 gets one trip around the corral, and $5 gets 4 trips.

For $5, those in favor of a more modern mode of transport can take an antique car ride around the farm.

Now, for this reporter, a big part of Halloween has always been making Jack O'Lanterns. Not the ubiquitous artsy carving kits (to this reporter, that feels like "paint by numbers"), but taking a grapefruit knife and carving away (watch this space for a feature on old-fashioned pumpkin carving tips).

According to Mary Bartels, one of owners, which pumpkin to buy is a matter of personal taste (but remember, if you want to actually TASTE the pumpkin, get a pie pumpkin, not a jack o'lantern pumpkin, which can be kind of woody tasting in a pie). If you just paint a face on the outside, or keep it as a pumpkin, a pumpkin bought now can last until Thanksgiving (unless the squirrels or deer get to it; keep it in a safe place, because critters DO find pumpkins to be pretty tasty). Inside, keep it in a cool place, away from the heat. Since pumpkins lie on their sides while growing, most pumpkins will have a gray spot; just put the face on the OTHER side. But watch out for soft spots; that's a sign of rot. If you want to do one of those "trace the picture" types of jack o'lanterns, try to get one that fits the picture you want. If you are a more creative type, look the at the pumpkin, and try to visualize the face that you will carve/paint on it. The reporter favors the long type, not just because of the faces, but because that puts the "hat" further away from the candle. But if you go to D'Angelo Farms, the staff is always friendly and helpful, and will help you pick the "platonic ideal" pumpkin.

D'Angelo Farms is located at 546 Washington Avenue in Dumont. They can be reached by phone at (201) 385-7788, and are open every day from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM. If you go, tell them you read about them in midbergen.com. You won't get any special treatment, but we can use the publicity.