What to Know
- Pumpkin patch owner says she can’t afford to stay.
- She wants to sell of 2.3 acres of land her to CVS Pharmacy, which would help with finances.
- Neighbors complained about the proposal earlier this year, so the sale of the land was denied.
A popular fall spot which draws tens of thousands of North Texans in search of the perfect pumpkin each year is facing an uncertain future.
The Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch on Cross Timbers Road may just be the perfect spot to be a kid. When owner Jan Balekian opened it 27 autumns ago, it was just a small stand. Now, the business attracts more than 150,000 people a year.
“A lot of kids who used to come are bringing their kids out now,” said Balekian.
Pumpkins aren’t the only attraction. There are bounce houses, hay bale mazes and dozens of hand-crafted characters from movies and cartoons, which Jan made herself. She says it all creates a family-friendly atmosphere.
“You see the kids year after year and you see them grow a foot,” she said. It's my passion, I guess."
But Balekian says this year, could be the last. She says she can’t afford to stay, unless she can sell a small part of her thirty acres to a national drug store chain. The proposed sale of 2.3 acres of land to CVS went before the town of Flower Mound back in the spring. Some neighbors complained, saying it would change the character of the neighborhood. So the sale was denied.
“I've provided a service to this town for so long,” she said. “And for me to ask for something in return that is basically going to happen anyhow is disappointing."
Balekian says the sale will go back before the town planning and zoning commission in November. In the meantime, the hunt for the perfect pumpkin will continue -- this year.
What the future holds -- is less certain.
“It's sad that it's come to this because this has become my life,” she said. “But maybe it's time to move on and open one someplace else."
