The nights are drawing in and the days are getting colder, but there is something cosy and comforting about rich autumnal colours, and Mrs Dowson's Farm Park embraces them in abundance during their pumpkin festival.

A giant plastic pumpkin greets you on arrival at the popular ice cream farm, as well as an array of pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, colours and varieties in a neatly assembled pallet crate display next to the teepee entrance, which make for some great early photo opportunities.

On entry you are given your pumpkin vouchers that will be exchanged at the pumpkin picking patch. But there is a whole farm to explore beforehand, and no matter how many times you have been you will make new discoveries, or happily return to familiar activities, much like my youngest son, who would have spent all afternoon in the giant sandpit if we had let him, despite the nip in the October air.

We arrived just in time to see the cows being milked, an educational aspect of the farm which explains the process of making their delicious ice creams (which currently includes pumpkin and treacle toffee flavours!), but we didn't see much of it as my eldest couldn't stand the agricultural smell.

So instead we worked our way towards the pumpkin patch, via the rabbits and guinea pigs where the children were able to pet one of the animals. We saw sheep and donkeys in the paddocks and watched the wallabies hopping around Wallaby Walk.

But on this occasion the animals were not the main reason for our visit. It was all about the pumpkins, and there were so many to choose from - just as there are pumpkin patches at this time of year, but Mrs Dowson's sets itself apart with its attention to detail, from friendly meet and greeters to its three acres of homegrown pumpkins and 12 additional rare imported varieties, with one per ticket included in the £10 entry fee, which includes access to the farm. You are not limited to one pumpkin per person, but additional pumpkins cost extra. And take a bag if you think you'll need one as pumpkin sacks are available but are £1 each.

No festival would be complete without a stage, and on it are three singing pumpkins with a small Halloween themed repertoire that includes the Ghostbusters - my childrens' current favourite, so that went down particularly well.

We chose a fine day, and there is a wood-chipped track to work your way around, but wellies or walking boots would still be advisable for negotiating the various pumpkin patches as it is quite muddy underfoot. Winter woollies are recommended too if the wind whips in off the neighbouring Pennines, which it did. Nevertheless, we still rounded off the trip with ice cream.