Storm Austen is to be followed by Storm Boelo

Pumpkin picking ahead of the Halloween season has become a staple in Britain over the last decade, and nowhere in the region is as popular Farmer Copleys Pumpkin Festival.

Based in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, people travel from miles around (including South Yorkshire) to the celebration of all things autumnal every year.

Fair ground rides, kids for children, many Instagrammable photo opportunities, tractor rides and of course, the star of the show, the pumpkin picking all make for a great family day out.

This year, the Pumpkin Festival is bigger than ever, with more than 300,000 homegrown pumpkins across more than 40 varieties growing across Ravensknowle Farm.

However, those who had tickets for this weekend (Saturday 24 and Sunday 25) are set to miss out after the anticipated arrival of Storm Boelo forced the much-loved event to take safety precautions and cancel tickets.

placeholder image — Farmer Copley’s Pumpkin Festival

The Festival remained open on Friday (October 23), while the last entry on Saturday (October 24) will be 2pm and it will close completely at 4pm. On Sunday, October 25, the Festival will be completely closed.

In a statement on Facebook, Farmer Copleys said: “Due to the forecast high winds, we’ve had to make a few changes to Pumpkin Festival this weekend to keep everyone safe

“Friday: Open as planned until 9pm, including Morgan Wallen Tribute UK.

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“Saturday: Last entry will be 2pm and the festival will fully close at 4pm. Any bookings after 2pm will be cancelled.

“Sunday: Closed all day.

“If your booking is cancelled, it will be converted into a gift voucher valid for 12 months, which can be used for another Pumpkin Festival date, Fireworks on the Farm, or any of our seasonal events throughout the year.