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 It was a beautiful day, and visitors were in
abundance all around the play area at the farm, in the pick-your-own
pumpkin fields and the large shopping space inside the retail barn.
Each year, the farm day is a special day with unique opportunities
for food offered by local food trucks, including Nuthatch Hill with
its excellent barbecue and a Brew 66 selling cold beverages.
Each year Gail's does something new at the patch. Typically these
are new opportunities to have fun as a family or learn more about
the farm and all it has to offer. This year, the new additions were
fun and games for everyone.
A new tug-o-war rope was set up with large knots tied
about four feet from the middle of the rope on each side. The robe
was threaded through an eye on a post. The first team to pull the
other team's knot to that eye was the winner.
Another fun game for kids from six to 60 and beyond was Mini
hillbilly basketball. The game involved tossing the ball into a
basketball hoop mounted to a grain wagon, then retrieving it from
the grain dump on the wagon's side.
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These two new fun games are available throughout the pumpkin
season at Gail's, along with the bumpy slide, the live animals, including
chickens and goats, and of course, all the kittens on the farm.
Special for Fall Farm day was live music offered by local musician Jeff Cordes.
For those shopping for fall, the farm offers gourds, pumpkins for carving or
baking, mums, home-grown popcorn, apples, Amish-made fruit butter and jams,
apple cider, baked goods, and honey from the Sasse Apiary.
Around the play area, families were enjoying themselves, and the only use of
cell phones appeared to be to take memorable photos of a wonderful day at play.
Gail's Pumpkin Patch will be open through the end of October.
The hours are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 5
p.m. Saturday hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The patch is closed on Tuesdays.
The patch is located north off Illinois State Route 10 in the rural Beason area.
For more information, call 217-447-3409, visit the website at
www.gailspumpkinpatch.com or
email gail@gailspumpkinpatch.com.
[Nila Smith/Karen Hargis] |
