Il Giardino delle Zucche - Pumpkin Patch

Europe's largest pumpkin patch

In Pignataro Maggiore, in the province of Caserta, a family farm transforms every autumn into Il Giardino delle Zucche, recognized as the largest pumpkin patch in Europe. The concept was born in 2017 from the vision of Emily Turino, an Italian-American from Pignataro Maggiore who wanted to bring a quintessential American tradition to the Campania region: walking into a field, choosing your own pumpkin from thousands available, and taking it home after carving or painting it. The farm's motto perfectly captures the project's spirit: sow memories, harvest emotions.

This is not a traditional festival, but a themed agricultural event with numbered editions. In 2026, it reaches its tenth edition, attracting tens of thousands of visitors every season from all over Campania and the rest of Italy. It has effectively become one of the most recognizable autumn events in the region.

How the visit works

The concept is simple: one pumpkin, a thousand experiences. You enter the field with a cart, choose your favorite pumpkin from a variety of shapes and shades, and then take it to the creative workshop stations to carve or paint it with the staff's assistance. The ticket, which is nominative and must be purchased online, typically includes:

• access to the garden and picking your own pumpkin in the field;
• a creative workshop of your choice, with materials and assistance included;
• admission to the autumn corn maze (Autumn Maze);
• themed photo installations designed for family portraits;
• the play area and free parking.

Booking is mandatory, and access to the workshops is permitted until one hour before closing. Children under one meter tall enter for free and can join their companions in the field, though they do not receive their own pumpkin or workshop access. The garden remains open in all weather conditions, and re-entry is not permitted once you leave.

Mazes, flowers, and street food

Over the years, the offerings have expanded well beyond pumpkin picking. Alongside the Autumn Maze, the Haunted Corn Maze has grown—a corn maze to be visited at night for a truly terrifying experience, reserved for an adult audience. Other additions include the Flower Patch with its yellow-orange marigold fields, areas dedicated to Thanksgiving and the end-of-season Tree Patch, the petting farm (alpacas, rabbits, Shetland ponies), agricultural games with mini-tractors and trampolines, and educational areas focused on connecting with the land.

The experience is completed by the Pumpkin Store and Pumpkin Street Food, where pumpkin takes center stage in dishes inspired by American cuisine. The project also promotes social causes, including anti-bullying campaigns hosted within the garden.

Summerween, the summer Halloween

Since 2025, the season has kicked off well in advance thanks to Summerween, dubbed Italy's largest summer Halloween event. On one July evening, the field is decorated with skeletons and ghosts, but instead of pumpkins, visitors pick and decorate watermelons, the summer cousins of the pumpkin. The program combines open-air cinema, astronomy lessons under the summer sky, children's games, live music, and entertainment, with street food featuring fried pumpkin flowers, roasted sweet corn, and s'mores prepared over a fire. It is also the occasion when pre-sales for the autumn edition are launched.

Emily Turino and the 2026 Oscar Green

In March 2026, Emily Turino won the Oscar Green award from Coldiretti in the communication category, with the ceremony held in Rome at Palazzo Rospigliosi. This recognition brought national attention to a model of multifunctional agriculture where the farm sells not just a product, but an experience built around the field and seasonality. Campania, as Coldiretti notes, is the third Italian region for the number of young people working in agriculture.

Pignataro Maggiore and the Caserta autumn

Pignataro Maggiore is located on the plains between Capua and the Volturno river, in a historically agricultural area of the province of Caserta, a short distance from major tourist hubs like the Royal Palace of Caserta and ancient Capua. Visiting Il Giardino delle Zucche is therefore a way to explore a lesser-known side of Campania, made of cultivated fields and family businesses, in a season—autumn—that remains mild and bright here until late November.