Out Standing In the Field
Farm fun for the whole fam
by Katherine Poole
photograph by Corey Lowenstein
Pumpkins, corn cribs, mazes, hayrides, and farm animals … It’s fall, y’all, and local farms have carved out a cornucopia of fun for everyone. We’ve rounded up a list of farms offering a variety of activities for all ages to make planning a day (or night) trip a cinch.
Fam-tastic
Load up the kids for some pumpkin-patching, corn-cribbing, cotton-picking family fun. Pan for gems and slip down the 80-foot giant slide at Hill Ridge Fall Pumpkin and Harvest Festival. Climb the farm tower fort or ride the barrel train at Naylor Family Farm. Pick cotton, take a hayride, and shop the country market at Farmer Ganyard’s Fall Harvest Festival at Upchurch Farm. Make a night of it at Millstone Creek Orchards for Hayride and Movie Night under the stars.
A-maze-ing
Test your luck, pluck, and ability to get un-stuck at one of the many nearby corn mazes. Ken’s Korny Corn Maze is N.C.’s longest running with 2 ½ miles of paths over six acres. McKee’s Cedar Creek Farms, described as an “aerial billboard” for passing planes, boasts one of the largest corn mazes in the state. It covers more than 12 acres with four miles of labyrinth paths. All of the area corn mazes are designed with families in mind and have escape plans in place for any lost souls
Spook-tacular
For those seeking spine-tingling chills with their thrills, check out one of these local haunts. During the month of October, the Boyette Family Farm mutates into the Clayton Fear Farm: Family-friendly daytime attractions focus on the happy of Halloween; fiend-friendly nighttime amusements include seven haunted attractions with horror features sparing no blood, guts, or chainsaws. Meantime, Phillips Farm of Cary dares visitors to cross its Field of Lost Souls in one piece or catch the show at Big Top Terror: There will be clowns. We’ll just leave it at that.
See websites for full lists of attractions,
hours of operation, and admission prices.
