Fans of fall weather looking to take advantage of the recent mild temperatures have quite a few options to consider. One of them is McWilliams Pumpkin Patch, 4007 County Road 6920 off of U.S. 160 west of West Plains. The pumpkin patch is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Weekday admission is $5 per person and includes access to the corn cabin, giant slide, tractor swings jumbo jumper, aviary, corn maze pedal carts and mini golf, as well as photo opportunities and a chance to meet the farm animals. Weekend admission of $13 includes all of the above, plus train rides, a giant tube slide, youth zip line, concessions and magic shows. For an extra $5, kids can enjoy pony rides or a feature new this year, a mechanical pumpkin that is an inflatable version of a mechanical bull. After a week of daytime temps in the 70s and 80s, high temperatures this weekend into the middle of next week are forecast by the National Weather Service in Springfield to be in the upper 50s and lower 60s.
