For generations of St. Louis children, the Halloween season would be incomplete without a stop at beloved Rombachs Farm, where bright orange from hundreds of pumpkins of all sizes dots the landscape. Every day from the official season opening in late September until the close of Halloween, children and families wander the fields autumn sky, picking the perfect pumpkin to place on doorsteps, perhaps after carving it into a ghoulish face or painting it festive colors.
Although pumpkins have been offered at Rombachs only since around World War II, the Rombach family has been farming in the St. Louis area for 100 years, beginning in 1914 in Creve Coeur. At that time, Karl Rombach, the current owners’ grandfather, moved from Illinois, switching professions from baking to farming.
Nearly three decades later, in 1943, the family acquired the land in Chesterfield where the farm currently is located. At the time, the farm primarily produced cantaloupe, watermelons and sweet corn. “It started with my motherin- law, Rosemary Rombach, and her sister-in-law, Jeannie,” says Marcia Rombach, one of the farm’s owners. “They started with a vegetable stand, then introduced pumpkins in the ’50s.” Today’s 75-acre property remains under family ownership, with the third generation running the show.
The annual pumpkin crop started out small, Rombach says, and the farm didn’t officially switch gears from produce to pumpkins until the 1960s and 1970s, when an increasing number of school groups would visit. Members of the Rombach family gave the schoolchildren tours of the property, teaching them about growing produce and taking them to visit the pumpkin fields.
Today, there’s much more to do at the farm than pick a pumpkin. Activities are available for all ages and include hay rides, a wooden maze, face painting, pony rides, a kitschy haunted tunnel and a giant pumpkin pyramid, which has served as the backdrop for many a photo snapped on family outings. “It’s so festive in the fall, and the autumn colors are so fun,” Rombach says. “Unlike other holidays, there’s no pressure with Halloween. It’s more about having fun, and we offer so much here.”
And the fun isn’t just for the kids. Rombachs offers a country store stocked with plenty of goodies, including fresh produce and private label jams and jellies. On the weekends, visitors also can chow down on barbecue and enjoy drinks in the wine and beer garden. And during the summer months, there is sometimes a produce stand. “The last few years, we’ve done some tomatoes and zucchini,” Rombach says.
Although now surrounded by home and retail development, part of the charm of visiting Rombachs is the sense of visiting an actual working farm. “People like to come out and spend time here, partly because the farm has become something of the past for most people,” Rombach says.
WHAT// R ombachs Farm and Pumpkin Patch
WHEN// 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31
WHERE// 18639 Olive Street Road, Chesterfield
WHY// To hand pick pumpkins and enjoy Halloween-themed activities
Pictured: Bella, 5, at the pumpkin pyramid