Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch near Columbia is celebrating 40 years of operation this weekend. Visitors will enjoy arts and crafts, vendors, and a hay bale maze, as well as the opportunity to purchase pumpkins, squash and gourds. Owner John Pierce says his operation has changed a lot since they opened in 1980.

“It’s a lot different now than when we first started. When we first started, it was just a pile of pumpkins down by the highway, and people would stop and buy them, or steal them, whatever. The next year we grew a few more, and it just kept growing and growing, until it reached this point. It’s a lot easier now than when we first started, because of the internet. People just Google our name or Google “pumpkins” and our name pops up in this area.”

Pierce’s Pumpkin Patch offers hundreds of varieties of pumpkins, gourds and squash in all sizes, with a country store featuring various fall decor. The celebration runs the entire weekend, from 8:00 a.m. Saturday until close on Sunday. Sales stop at 7:00 p.m. each night. Admission is free.