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 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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