Camp Helen State Park Pumpkin Patch and Native Plant Sale Sep 28 - Oct 31

Camp Helen State Park Pumpkin Patch and Native Plant Sale The Friends of Camp Helen’s 9th Annual Pumpkin Patch officially opens Saturday, September 28 at 9am and will remain open daily from 9am-4pm throughout October.

For the first time ever, customers can purchase native plants such as dune sunflowers, Indian blanket flowers, Blazing Stars, Milkweed, Butterfly Bush, and Muhly Grass, in addition to pumpkins, an assortment of gourds, and Camp Helen branded merchandise.

With all the growth in the area, the Friends of Camp Helen CSO believes in the importance of educating the public about the natural resources and wildlife that make up the unique ecosystem surrounding Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in the Northern Hemisphere. Each Saturday, from 11-3 kids and their families can learn more about the park and how to take care of the resources from environmental community partners, including Panama City Beach Turtle Watch, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, Shorebird program, Bay County Audubon, Beach Mosquito, Bay Breeze Bait and Tackle, master gardeners, Gulf World Marine Institute, Emerald & Forgotten Coast Adventures, and more!

Every Saturday will also feature games, glitter tattoos, and a QR code led scavenger hunt throughout the park to learn about the history at Camp Helen. Gelato Love food truck is returning Saturdays and Sundays in the patch. Park admission is $4 per car and $2 per pedestrian/bicycle. Get a day use pass online now.

All activities are FREE and all proceeds from pumpkins, plants, and merchandise benefit the Friends of Camp Helen for park improvements and community events. For the most up to date information, follow the Friends of Camp Helen on Facebook and Instagram.

Camp Helen State Park
23937 Panama City Beach Parkway
Panama City Beach, Florida 32413

The park is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and by Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in Florida. The 180-acre park is for day use only. Activities include swimming, beachcombing, nature study, hiking, and both freshwater and saltwater fishing. Prehistoric middens and mounds indicate that humans inhabited the area more than 4,000 years ago. From 1945 until 1987, Camp Helen was a company resort for the employees of an Alabama textile mill known as Avondale Mills. Some of those buildings have now been restored.

The Friends of Camp Helen State Park is a Citizens Support Organization dedicated to preserving, maintaining, and improving this park through volunteer projects, community events and fundraising. Some of our most recent projects include: The Americana Concert series, Movies & More, Fall Festival, Pumpkin Patch, International Coastal Clean-up, and park improvements. As our community grows it becomes more and more important to protect this treasure. Please consider joining the Friends, volunteering, or making a donation.