Gail’s Pumpkin Patch enjoys largest turn out ever for Fall Farm Day

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[September 21, 2018]    This past Sunday was Fall Farm Day at Gail’s Pumpkin Patch in rural Beason. It was a great day to get out and enjoy the offerings of the patch. While the temperatures were high, the sun was shining brightly with bright white puffy clouds in the sky and a gentle breeze that made the higher temperatures feel not so oppressive.

The day began at noon, and from the first minute to the last the patch was extremely busy. Owner’s David and Gail Sasse said that they were confident this was the largest turn out in the history of the special fall event. Gail noted that never had she seen people parking along the road at the patch. The large parking area on the south side of the machine shed converted to retail store was full almost constantly and the cars kept coming!

And, all around the play area it was bustling. Wagons were being filled with retail items, pumpkins, mums and more.

Inside the barn popcorn and cider were popular along with the Caramel Apple Sundae.

Outside the new roller slide was popular with kids and it was fun to watch them go bump-bump-bumping from the top to the bottom. Some enjoyed riding down the slide in the traditional manner, and a few got a big kick out of lying on their stomachs and going down head first!

Another hugely popular attraction this year was the horse drawn wagon rides circling the pumpkin field. Two draft horses, both sweet as could be, pulled a large wagon filled with riders for a nice long ride. Riders enjoyed the experience of the ride, and also got to see the massive number of pumpkins ready to be picked out in the patch.

The rides were offered by Wild Winds Carriage Company with owner Jason Erickson driving the wagon. Keri Erickson and other helpers stayed on the ground collecting tickets, visiting with those who waited in line for the next ride, and taking pictures of all the happy riders for their own use down the road.

In the wagon, riders enjoyed a fun and a little bit bumpy road. On one particular ride, it was fun to see two little girls who got on the wagon as strangers, but by the time the ride was over they had declared themselves as “best friends.” They made plans to go get their faces painted as soon as they got off the wagon, and spent the last few feet of the ride holding hands like best friends do.



The popcorn wagon was also seen hauling full loads of visitors to the popcorn fields. The ride itself was free to all. Once in the field, riders had the choice of just checking out the field, taking selfies in the corn field, or actually picking off ears of popcorn that they would purchase when they got back to the shop.

In the shed turned retail area, a special section was set up for kids. The pumpkin painting was a very popular activity as children filled the seats at the tables and applied their artistic talents to mini pumpkins. There was also face painting and a make-and-take craft project.

In the center of that area, tables were set up where guests who took advantage of the food offerings by Nuthatch Hill BBQ could sit and enjoy their meal. There was also plenty of seating outside for eating lunch, enjoying cider, or just taking a rest while watching the kiddos enjoy the many outdoor activities.

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Also this year, the patch offered live entertainment. Jeff Cordes and his guitar entertained guests on the north side of the building.

Again there was plenty of seating for folks to just sit, relax, and enjoy the show.

 

Another popular feature at the farm is the opportunity to measure yourself. This is an annual event for some families, as kids line up around the giant yard stick on the front porch of the shop so moms and dads can snap pictures. Later, when they would go home, kids and parents could compare the new picture to the one taken last year, and see just how much the kids have grown and changed over the last year.

Of course a visit to Gail’s would not be complete without enjoying the animals. The patch offers goats for the children to enjoy, a pet rabbit, and of course the kittens. Kids rushed to grab up the little fur balls, and the kittens seemed very willing to be held and loved by every child in the barn.

Fall Farm Day at Gail’s was certainly a raging success this year, and while the hours of being constantly busy may have been tiring, you could not have found two happier people anywhere on the farm, than Gail and Dave.

The pumpkin patch will be open through the end of October. There are tons of pumpkins and gourds available for purchase along with mums, honey, cider, apples grown on the farm, and a huge selection of indoor and outdoor fall decorations, as well as other neat pumpkin related items such as sippy cups, coloring books, and of course, Halloween themed clothing and costumes.

Every year the Sasses work to offer new things and make the patch a fun family place to visit throughout the fall season. If you’ve never been to Gail’s, this should be the year, and if you have been, don’t assume that once is enough, because there is always something new for you to see and do!

[Nila Smith]

 

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