Hanley Farm in the Fall - Build Your Own Scarecrow Festival

The Scarecrow Festival at Hanley Farm is an annual tradition for so many families in the Rogue Valley, but this was my sister and my families first time attending and what a blast it was!   First thing we tackled was building our scarecrow.  It was so cool because they have all the supplies for you.  You get assigned an table where you have the stick to build on and a pile of hay to work with and then you go and pick out your clothes and accessories.

Olivia trying our scarecrow's hat on for size.

Drawing a face on our scarecrow.

Stuffing his head.

Our finished products.  Take note of my nephews scarecrows tiny legs! :)

When you are done with your scarecrow you can either take him home with you or you can enter it into the contest that we all get to vote on.  We opted to take ours home.  Next we headed on over to the pumpkin coloring area.  The kids chose whichever size pumpkin they wanted and then they were able to decorate the pumpkin how they wanted to.

Following the pumpkin painting we had the kids do the apple bobbing.  Don't worry there is not a huge petri dish bucket of water that all of the kids are dunking their faces into!  The volunteers use an apple corer and then they tie the apples to a string so that they are suspended in the air.  What a kick!  We could not stop laughing watching the kids trying to get a bite out of the apples.  It made me want to play at home because the kids sat there trying for at least 10 minutes and of course our two oldest made it into a competition to see who could get a bite first.  Really, really fun!

After apple bobbing we explored the farm a little and went and checked out the chicken coop, the peacock and some of the artifacts they have around.  We would really like to go back some time and tour the house and walk around the grounds a little because there is so much wonderful history to be taken in.

  

They do have food available so we took the opportunity to get the kids some hot dogs and my sister and I had the barbecue chicken sandwich with homemade coleslaw.  It was oh so yummy, I highly suggest the house made pickled cucumber and onions too!  You won't be disappointed.  One tip if you are trying to have fun on a budget, you can bring your own food, which is really nice.  Bring a blanket, sit under the trees and enjoy your lunch!

Feeding the chickens

We finished our day with the hayride.  We took a bumpy road tour of the grounds, which added to the whole charm of it.  We had a wonderfully, sweet gentleman that filled us in on the history of the farm and grounds.

Our driver

Our kids enjoyed the hayride.  Trevor is such a nut!

Entrance to the walking garden

Our host

I do want to say all the volunteers were so helpful and nice.  They really are a great group of people always there to answer any questions or lend a helping hand.

All in all it was a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon.  If you want to go they have it for two days.  Saturday & Sunday, October 8th & 9th, 2016 11am-4pm

And if you want to continue the fun.  Hanley Farm and the Southern Oregon Historical Society are also hosting The Boogeyman's Brid:  A Haunted Field Mystery running, Saturday & Sunday, October 15th & 16th, 2016, 7-9pm and Sunday (dates are tentative).

If you want to enjoy more great Fall Festivities and Halloween events head over to our website:

www.whattodoinsouthernoregon.com under Family and Community

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Seven Oaks Farm Pumpkin Patch with Preschool

Seven Oaks Farm is always a destination for us every fall.  This year we went with preschool which made it extra special.  Right off the bat we got our crew together and got on the wagon to head out to their private pumpkin patch that the general public doesn't get to visit.

What is really neat about Seven Oaks Pumpkin Patch is that they plant all varieties together and our children got to pick whichever pumpkin they wanted.

Beautiful blue sky day at Seven Oaks.

Of course Olivia picked the a nice, big, classic orange pumpkin.  Olivia was kind of weirded out by the heirloom varieties, silly girl.

Olivia and her buddy Kellen pumpkin hunting.

Of course she picked the biggest one she could carry.

On the way back to the market area our drivers stopped and threw pumpkins to their cows.  Who knew that cows like pumpkins, they tore right in to them and started eating.

The cow enjoying her treat.

When we got to the kids area of the farm, they were given apples to feed the goats.  Olivia was just tickled that she was able to feed them!

Baby goats enjoying their apples.

There is also, a little play area with a playhouse, a dark maze and playground toys for them to run around and get out some of that neverending energy that children seem to have.

The dark maze.

During the week you can avoid the crowds and visit the goats and enjoy the play area, along with visit their public pumpkin patch.  If you want to enjoy their Harvest Days, they have a wagon ride around their sunflower patch, pony rides that support Crater High School along with crafts and activities like pumpkin painting, face painting, cookie decorating and lot's more.  

If you want to go they are located at 5504 Rogue Valley Hwy, Central Point and are open Wednesdays-Sunday, 10am-5pm and their Harvest Days Festival is Saturdays & Sundays, 10am-5pm.

For more fall festivities, haunted houses and Halloween fun:  www.whattodoinsouthernoregon.com

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Whites Country Farm Harvest Festival Fun

Whites Country Farm is one of those quaint little farms that make you feel like you are in the middle of the country while really, it is just minutes from the center of town. We really love going here because the crowds aren't as crazy as the larger farms, making it easier to get around and we can keep an eye on our three year old while she explores in the exhuberant way she does, without getting in other peoples ways.  Of course they have lots of fun activities for the kids to do like the pumpkin ring toss and corn maze.  Olivia had a lot of fun trying the pumpkin ring toss even though she didn't win, she felt like a winner just being able to play.

Olivia was excited that she made it (she walked up and put the ring on)!

Ilias' favorite activity is always the corn maze and Whites doesn't disappoint.  He and Olivia had a great time getting "lost", there were a lot of dead ends, which just adds more to the challenge for the kids.  Since we were the only ones there, we played a little chase, putting smiles on their faces.

After the corn maze we took a little walk to the pumpkin patches.  They have a good variety of pumpkins, perfect for carving.  During their Harvest Festival, they offer pumpkin painting for the kids, for the  pumpkins you have picked from the patch or purchased at the farmstand.

 During their Harvest Festival they do offer hayrides in a cute little wagon.  There is something about a good ol' fashioned hayride that makes you feel like it's a simpler time.  The kids always get a kick out of it and I guess I should say that we all do!

When you get finished with all of the festival activities you don't want to miss shopping in their little store. They have some great little, nostalgic handmade toys and other wares.  They also have locally sourced produce that is organic when they can get it.

 Tiny cars made from recycled soda cans.

If you want to go, Whites Country Farm is located at 3939 W Mains St, Medford.  They are open everyday 9am-6pm and will be the Harvest Festival will be open every weekend through the end of October 10am-5pm.  They also will be selling Christmas Trees this year, so keep a look out!

For all of the great Fall Festivities along with the  Halloween Fun, Pumpkin Patches and Haunted Houses visit our website for all of the details!

​ The two-acre corn maze.