United Community Center brings pumpkin patch fun to local preschool students

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- 300 Milwaukee preschool students went home with pumpkins Wednesday, Oct. 27, to carve into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween following a pumpkin patch event put on by the United Community Center (UCC).

The students from the United Community Center are reportedly learning about the life cycle of the pumpkin in class, so school staff decided to bring the farm experience right to them for a fun day of outdoor events.

Officials say the event, for the UCC K3 and K4 students, had hay bales, corn stalks, apples and of course, pumpkins on the UCC playground.

"In a normal year we'd be able to go out to a physical pumpkin patch and take a field trip," said Tim Balke, Director of Early Childhood at United Community Center. "This year with transportation issues and general safety and guidelines with Covid, we decided to bring that experience as best we could to our center and to the students."

The Milwaukee Police Department's Mounted Patrol also stopped by the center this morning.

Preschool students were able to meet with the officers and visit the horses.