ABOUT US
The entrepreneur spirit began early for Ken Vierra. As a sixteen-year old high school student, Ken began selling pumpkins off the back of this truck in San Jose, California in 1966. On weekends, he would drive to a designated parking lot and sell all day long and each night he would return to “the barn” to fill his truck again to set up the next day. Little did Ken know he would follow the steps of his mother Shirley, who was the “Pumpkin Lady” in the Santa Clara Valley.
Ken flourished with his small business, so he moved his “patch” to 41st Avenue where the current McDonald’s is located, next to Long’s Drug Store. However, as the avenue developed, he slowly moved down the road, first to the current location of Outdoor World, then to the corner of 41st and Jade Street.
In the 70’s, Ken started a family and his daughter, Ondine, joined the patch––well, played in the pumpkin patch, learning from her father and grandmother, the special ways of pumpkins.
As the business grew, they added a new pumpkin patch on Mission Street, where his father, Pep watched over the patch.
In November of 1977 he met Nancy and they married in 1982. Together, they took the patch, which was nothing more than pumpkins sitting on the ground, and turned it into an “amusement” destination where families would pick and decorate pumpkins. They reached out to the local schools and invited groups to learn about farming while creating a festive event for families. Also that year, Ken expanded the holiday festivities, by selling Christmas trees.
In the late 80’s the pumpkin patch moved to a new location in Soquel Village. Ken and Nancy lived on Daubenbiss Avenue, so this allowed him to walk to work, which would become a big plus as his vision began to fail due to his diabetes.
In the 90’s, the pumpkin patch had become known for it’s talking witch, the alien and other assorted animated props. The current favorite is the engaging Frankenstein. Ken continued to put in long hours, loving his work with the community and creating a loyal group of return customers that would visit each year. Many brought pictures of their children who were now young adults, showing how they had come back each year––the patch had become a family event. He especially loved it when these “children” returned with their own kids. It made him feel old but it gave him a great sense of pride, creating something that he was a part of and remembered as a family holiday tradition.
In the late 90’s early 00’s Ken began to struggle more and more with his health. He was a Type 1 diabetic which took its toll on his body. Many customers did not realize that he was legally blind, yet despite his health issues, he remained on his feet all day, relying on staff to run the business while he “managed” them. It was very hard for him since he had always been hands-on.
In 2001, Ondine, who was a successful photographer in San Francisco, decided she wanted to get back in the business. At the Soquel Village patch, she joined her dad and took to the business immediately, having learned well from her grandmother in her teen years. Ken and Ondine worked together for a short time before circumstances dictated that she take over the Mission Street location. Pep passed away and it was decided that Ondine would take over that location and Ken would continue on in Soquel. Due to his health issues he was unable to spend much time on site, but he “ran” the business from home via phone. It always made him happy to hear that customers had come in asking about him.
Ken had a stroke in 2005 soon after the holiday season. He was a fighter and never gave up, as he fought hard against the debilitating disease, sadly, he passed away at home in April, 2006.
Nancy and Ondine have decided to continue the family business in Ken’s honor. Both the pumpkin patch and the Christmas tree lot will carry on. As we continue Ken’s legacy, his spirit lives on in both patches (Soquel Village and Mission Street) as families keep coming back year after year, sharing their fond memories of their own family traditions as well as Ken’s.
The family appreciates your patience and continued patronage. We will try to continue to make this a holiday destination for all of our friends and family in the community. We are honored to be a part of such a thriving and supportive community.
