VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Viral CNY pumpkin patch brings families and followers together
ALEXA LAMALFA: As the air gets cooler and the leaves begin to fall, it’s the perfect time to go pumpkin picking. If you’re looking for a simple, fun and authentic farm experience, that’s what you’re gonna get at Tim’s Pumpkin Patch here in Syracuse.
LAMALFA: At 15-years-old, Tim Leubner has one dream: to own his own pumpkin stand. In 1986, he turned his dream into what we now know as Tim’s Pumpkin Patch and his daughters created a social media platform with 30,000 followers.
LAMALFA: Visitor Julia Bossis shares how social media influenced her.
JULIA BOSSIS: “My friends saw it on social media all the drinks and the fun things that were going viral, so we really wanted to come.”
LAMALFA: Visitor Jack Wasserman says.
JACK WASSERMAN: “This place, it’s like the Disneyland of pumpkin patches.”
LAMALFA: I’m here at Tim’s Pumpkin Patch that’s been around since 1986 and I found my perfect pumpkin. There’s so many people that travel all over to come to this very pumpkin patch because they can create so many fall memories.
COLLEEN CONNOR: “I come every year. I drive from Marmalade, Massachusetts to come down here because I grew up here and it has to happen. My kids have to see this place.”
LAMALFA: Friends Colleen Connor and Marie Thornton have a speical connection to Tim’s.
MARIE THORNTON: “We’ve been friends since 1-years-old. She moved away now, but we meet here.”
LAMALFA: There’s so much to do and every year there’s something new.
CONNOR: “Honestly I don’t know if Central New York knows how awesome this place is. You go away and realize this doesn’t exist in other places.”
LAMALFA: There are cars lined up to go to Tim’s to celebrate the fall season. Alexa LaMalfa, NCC News.
MARIETTA, N.Y. (NCC News) — At 15 years old Tim Leubner had one dream: to grow pumpkins and start his own local stand. In 1986, his dreams came true when he started Tim’s Pumpkin Patch in Marietta.
Tim’s daughters took his legacy one step further and turned a CNY fall staple, into a viral destination where people have traveled from all over the country to visit. Their Instagram page has 34,400 followers and their TikTok has 28,400 followers.
“My friends saw it on social media, the drinks and the fun things that were going viral, so we really wanted to come,” said Julia Bossis, a Tim’s visitor.
Their social media content reaches thousands of people, and their most popular TikTok video has 2.8 million views and it’s about a corn maze. Once a video goes viral, it brings more attention to the account, which could be beneficial for their business. Tim’s daughters use current trends and marketing strategies to reach a wider audience, with most of their content focusing on the fall aesthetic and the seasonal drinks they offer.
Since they use trending sounds on TikTok, their content will reach an audience bigger than their followers from CNY. Trending audios on social media give content creators a way to make their content relatable and digestible. They use these trends to show off Tim’s and give people a reason to want to visit, even if they are not from Marietta.
Most of the comments on their content are users not from New York wishing they could travel to visit Tim’s. Their content is also consistent across Instagram and TikTok, which is more appealing for both new and old followers and establishes a brand image for the pumpkin patch.
Positive comments about Tim’s aren’t just on social media, many visitors rave about what makes this place different than the rest.
“This place, it’s like the Disneyland of pumpkin patches,” said Jack Wasserman, a Tim’s visitor.
Tim’s has been the go-to spot for many families, and it’s even a annual reunion spot for two best friends. Colleen Connor and Marie Thornton are best friends both from Syracuse who meet up at Tim’s with their families every year. Connor and Thornton have been best friends since they were 1-year-olds and after Colleen moved away to Massachusetts, it became harder to see each other. They decided to bring their families together to come to Tim’s every year and it became a special place for them.
“I come here every year. I drive from Massachusetts to come down here because I grew up here, and it has to happen. My kids have to see this place,” said Connor.
“There’s no other place, I mean there’s no other place like Tim’s Pumpkin Patch, there isn’t. I send people from all over to come here. It’s grown so much, it’s so different, every year there’s something new,” said Connor.
“Honestly, I don’t know if Central New York knows how awesome this is. You go away and realize this doesn’t exist in other places,” said Connor.
There are price changes to enter the farm during the week and on the weekends. It is $4 during the week for everyone. It is $6 for adults and $5 for kids under sixteen on the weekends. It’s important to note that you do not have to pay admission if you are only visiting the bakery or purchasing the pumpkins the Tim’s staff has already picked. Most of the activities are offered seven days a week, with the exception of tractor wagon rides, and apple cannons.