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 day, weather-wise, as families took hayrides to a pumpkin patch and laughed at many of the pumpkin-faced characters along the way at the Forward Township farm.
  Patience Martin, 3, of Wilkinsburg, attempt­ed to pick up one of the larger pumpkins in the patch as her mother, Danielle Speer, watched with delight.
  “It’s nice,” Speer said about Triple B Farms. “It’s big. It has a lot of kid-friendly stuff. It’s really good. She’s loving it. She’s running around like crazy, really enjoying it.” Some of the attendees were wearing Steelers clothing and skipped watching Sunday’s tele­vised game against Detroit in order to make some new memories.
  Tammy Marks, 59, of Turtle Creek, was experiencing the festival for the first time with her date Eric Solomon, 57, of Squirrel Hill.
  Marks said one of the highlights of the trip was riding a horse named April and going on the hayride.
  Solomon picked out the couple’s pumpkin, and said he thought taking Marks to the farm instead of staying at home for the game would show her how sincere he is about their relation­ship.
  Marks said it worked.
  Other highlights for attendees Sunday, espe­cially for children, were the Big Blue Boo Barn, a haunted house of sorts; the Liberty and Squirrel Hill tube slides; and the Quack Shack, an area were children can interact with ducklings.
  Quack Shack manager Josiah Provan said he is working for the third year in that location, and also was amazed at the turnout despite Sunday’s game.
  “I’m surprised,” he said. “I thought most people around here would up and leave.” As the day wound down toward the 6 p.m. closing time, people did leave, but not before checking out the many treats at the farm’s bakery. That place was packed all day long with people wanting pumpkin pies, homemade fudge, apple-filled cookies and many other treats.
  New this year is an enormous Moonbounce obstacle course that ends in a 17-foot high slide. It is big enough even for adults. Other activities include a rope and corn maze, farm playground, pony rides and a fall decorating tent that features straw bales, cornstalks, Indian corn, squash and ears of popcorn.
  Farm owners said the festival closed on Halloween in previous years, but they wanted to give families at least one more day to experi­ence the fun at Triple B.
  Hayrides and festival activities are open Wednesdays through Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm market is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  The farm is located approximately15 miles south of Pittsburgh at 823 Berry Lane. For more information, call 724-258-3557 or visit the farm’s Web site at www.triplebfarms.com .