The Great Pumpkin Patch: A Harvest of Color, Creativity, & Curiosity
At The Great Pumpkin Patch, fifth-generation farmer Mac Condill invites visitors to slow down, wander, and rediscover a sense of curiosity—using pumpkins, squash, and gourds! Rooted in more than 165 years of family farming, the experience blends tradition with creativity at every turn.
Farm History
Mac Condill, the principal owner and operator of The Great Pumpkin Patch, is a fifth-generation farmer whose family history on the land stretches back to 1859, when his great-great-great-grandfather homesteaded the acreage they still farm today. His ancestors settled the land roughly six years before the arrival of the Arthur Amish community, and that tradition of small-scale, diversified farming still shapes the farm’s identity.
Mac’s mom, now in her eighties, grew up on a diversified family farm with livestock and grain. When the Midwest farm crisis of the 1980s forced many small farms to either “get big or get out,” the family chose a different path—pumpkins. Around that time, Mac had gone off to college, earning degrees in horticulture and agricultural business. Together, the family committed to a bold shift in how they farmed and opened their land to the public as a pumpkin patch.
Over the years, the farm has grown more than 400 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds—members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae—and now claims the world’s most diverse pumpkin patch. During the farm’s limited fall season, tens of thousands of visitors come out to experience this incredible diversity in creative, immersive, and unexpected ways. In fact, they recently appeared on Bloomberg TV’s national broadcast World’s Greatest!... as the World’s Greatest Pumpkin Patch!
Why He Grows
Mac’s passion began with a deep love of growing plants. With his horticulture background, he traveled widely, visiting botanical gardens in South Africa, Scotland, England, and across the U.S., including Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Along the way, he knew he wanted to return home and apply the skills and design ideas he’d learned, combining global inspiration with local soil. He’s always been enthralled with plant diversity. The idea of growing hundreds of varieties of pumpkins, squash, and gourds in the middle of cash-grain country was extremely compelling. Mac was convinced that central Illinois’ beautiful, rich prairie soils could grow far more than corn and soybeans.
Mac is also deeply connected to his farm’s location in the heart of Amish country, where small family farms, craftsmanship, and a slower, unplugged way of life still thrive. He loves the fall season—when the Cucurbitaceae family shines—and is fiercely committed to continuing his family farm’s legacy. Five generations farming the same land, growing specialty crops, operating as a family-run business, and sharing that passion and creativity with the public is a source of immense pride.
Though he has no formal training in art or design, creativity runs in the family. Their annual displays are playful, imaginative, and entirely one-of-a-kind. Mac never thought of himself as an artist—until he designed a “pumpkin tower” display for the White House in 2010, and stepped back to marvel at the beautiful artwork he’d created.
Favorite Things & Unique Attractions
Mac delights in surprising people with the sheer diversity of the Cucurbitaceae family. The season is brief—just six weeks to “create magic,” welcome guests, and wow them. Visitors encounter pumpkins and gourds in every imaginable shape, size, color, and use (from decorative to culinary), with varieties originating from every continent except Antarctica. Each has its own unique story.
Mac explains, “We're a place that opens people's minds to creativity.” Rather than overwhelming guests with complicated signage or formal education, the farm encourages wandering, observation, and personal discovery. It’s an old-fashioned but powerful way of learning. Every year brings new installations alongside refreshed favorites like the iconic “Wall of Squash.” Recent creations include a whimsical “Noah’s Ark of Curcurbits.” The farm celebrates diversity in all its forms, from the pumpkins to the community to the people who visit. As Mac puts it, “Magical equals creative and creative equals imagination, and imagination creates connection. Connection is experience and experience is what we offer.”
Future Plans
The family continues to expand the food and beverage options guests can enjoy during their visit, including pumpkin baked goods, pumpkin ice cream, and locally made apple cider. Mac and his wife love to travel and bring their experiences back to central Illinois, like planting some new crops to expand their seasonal offerings. They’ll definitely continue designing fresh displays for this upcoming fall—and beyond. With three kids representing the next generation, the story of this 165-year-old form is still unfolding, rooted in history but always growing forward.
CU on the Farm!
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