Pumpkins in the Pines: SkyPark at Santa’s Village

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If you were a kid in the 90s in Southern California it was probably your dream to visit Santa’s Village. I know it was for both my husband and me. And, sadly, neither of us ever got to growing up. So, you can imagine our excitement when we were given the opportunity to take our family to visit “Pumpkins in the Pines” at SkyPark in Santa’s Village near Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino National Forest this weekend! And, the experience lived up to all of our expectations!

This place is AWESOME!

It was a full wonderland of holiday fun and goodness. Combining the best parts of the season it felt a little like the real nightmare before Christmas.

Fall was in full swing; as the entire village had been transformed into a huge fall festival and pumpkin patch. And unlike other places there wasn’t simply a designated area to look at pumpkins; they were all around and if you were to find the perfect pumpkin you could just pick it up and buy it. Or take it to a designated area to paint and take home with you.

Plus, with cool, crisp weather and the smell of fall in the air up in the mountains, it truly is an immersive fall experience that you cannot fake anywhere else. With some spooks and skeletons scattered around, this is the perfect way to feel the frivolous fun of Halloween without the gore and fear element. Yet, the slight foreshadowing of Christmas and the upcoming season lurked behind the gourds and ghosts adding to the anticipation of what’s coming. All in all, this place brought the magic of childhood and holidays to life!

Along with all the fun SkyPark normally has to offer, such as: pristine mountain bike paths (which seemed to be a huge draw for the crowds we saw), hiking trails, outdoor skating, ziplining, archery, axe throwing, adventure courses, and more, during Fall Saturdays and Sundays Oct. 1-31 visitors can also enjoy:

• Wacko the Magician at the Sky Pavilion (12PM, 2PM and 4PM)
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Puppet Show at the Sky Pavilion (1PM and 3PM)
• Arrow & Friends at Santa’s House (12PM and 2PM)
• Meet Santa at his house! (12:30PM, 1:30PM and 2:30PM)
• Village Light Show (Monster Mash) (5PM and 7PM)
• Monster Mash Skate Night (Oct. 29)
• Trick-or-Treating 3PM-5PM
• Pumpkin Painting in Santa’s Workshop (pumpkins available for purchase and can be selected from throughout the park)

Saturdays-only:

• NEW this year – Fantom Forest Spooky Hike from 6PM – 8PM. This is a family-friendly hike suitable for ages 5+ (Before 7, I think children as young as 3 or 4 would enjoy the hike as it is pretty tame and quite fun)

You might be familiar with the hiking trails by day, but did you know it houses a mysterious secret once the sun goes down? The Fantom Forest Spooky Hike was definitely a favorite activity for us (we would have definitely gone twice had time permitted). My kids don’t typically do scary, so we were sure to go between 6-7PM when it was more child friendly and it was the perfect amount of spook for my goblins. After 7 PM they upped the creepy factor just a bit, which sounded fun to myself and husband, but we will have to hold off a couple of years for that. The full effect with the foggy mist filling the gaps between the trees, along with music and lights it created the perfect feel to make a completely enjoyable haunted hike. And don’t let the phrase “hike” scare you, because the trail was easy and even stroller friendly. Make your Saturdays a little spookier this Fall.

The other highlight of our evening was the outdoor skating, which is included (along with rentals) with admission. My kids were thrilled by this and even my 2 year old was able to participate solo, thanks to the attachable skates they had for her. But skating under the stars and trees, with the lights and moon shining over us, and the music creating an atmosphere of entertainment, made it so we could’ve stayed there all night long. BTW, if you are looking for an activity Halloween Night, SkyPark will be hosting spooky skate night! Come dressed to impress!

Before visiting I had no idea that SkyPark would make a full day of fun. I assumed 4 hours would be sufficient to take everything in, but boy was I wrong. We merely scratched the surface of activities, attractions, exploring, playing and more— mental note for next time, give ourselves waaaaay more time!

So it’s official, the black cat is out of the bag— Pumpkins in the Pines: SkyPark at Santa’s Village is the place to be and you don’t want to miss out. You NEED A RESERVATION TO ENTER! Access to Pumpkins in the Pines is included with your admission to SkyPark, so click here to make your reservation today.

To learn more about the park, reserve your spot, buy tickets, or to get further information on any attractions, hours or the bike park check out www.skyparksantasvillage.com