CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — It’s officially fall in the Coastal Bend — but with the heat sticking around, local pumpkin patches are starting to feel the impact.

"Our problem is that the heat is not good for any of us, including the pumpkins,” said Norm Smith, pumpkin patch supervisor of Asbury United Methodist Church. Heat slows crowds at Coastal Bend pumpkin patches, but churches stay hopeful

Two churches Unitarian Universalist Church of Corpus Christi and Asbury United Methodist Church — both had one thing in common: empty pumpkin patches during the day and barely a crowd in sight.

"We haven't had as many people yet. We kind of surmised that because it's so warm, people aren't really getting into the mood for Halloween yet,” said Wrene Adams, a volunteer at the Unitarian Universalist Chu

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