This fall, enjoy harvest season at a local farm where you can peek at the pigs, gawk at the geese, or even harvest a bushel for yourself. From agriculture to agri-tainment, you can take your city slickers to one of these nearby spots to get down on the farm. Keep reading for our favorite places to make like Farmer Brown.

Mountain Fresh Creamery & Glo-Crest Dairy Farm, Clermont

Suzy N. via Yelp

Farm tours begin at Glo-Crest Dairy and they are “udderly” cool! On your farm tour, you will be able to see the baby calves in the nursery, witness the cows being milked in the milking parlor, milk “Janie” (the pretend cow), learn about cows and how the ones at Glo-Crest are treated like the ladies they are, explore exhibits in a dairy facility, and learn about the benefits of dairy in your diet. From there, travel 2 miles to Mountain Fresh Creamery, learn all about the bottling process that takes place when the milk leaves the dairy, and sample whole milk and chocolate milk, as well as have an opportunity to try fresh ice cream with a coupon to use that day at “The Silo.”

Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m.; Farm tours start at 10 a.m.

6615 Cleveland Hwy.
Clermont
770-983-1666
Online: mountainfreshcreamery.com

Hardman Farm State Historic Site - Sautee Nacoochee

Elisse W. via Yelp

This is a heritage farm, which means that you'll find guided walking tours of the 19th-century home of Captain James Nichols, Calvin Hunnicutt, and former Gov. Lamartine Hardman. There is also a gazebo-topped Indian Mound, and you can mosey through the spring house and former horse barn on the site. As the site of a former dairy, you can also learn—but not witness, as it's no longer an operating dairy—about how milk was processed and transported. 

Mon.-Sun. from 10 a.m.-3 p.m

143 GA-17 Sautee Nacoochee 706-878-1077 Online: gastatparks.org

Jaemor Farms, Alto

Richard R. via Yelp

Go to Jaemor for the huge farm market, pumpkin patch, corn maze, and special events. This fifth-gen family farm has bakery treats you'll be dreaming about for weeks, including fried pies and homemade ice cream made from the season's bounty. 

Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.

5340 Cornelia Hwy.
Alto
770-869-3999



Cooper Creek, Calhoun

iStock

If you missed the Sunflower Festival this summer, don't worry. The corn maze in the fall, and pig races, gem mining, and kid-delighting activities year-round mean that you'll find plenty to do at this farm, created especially for kids and families. While you might not learn a lot about crop rotation at this one, you'll have a blast shooting the pumpkin cannon.

1514 Reeves Station Rd. SW
Calhoun
706-280-5592
Online: coopercreekfarm.com

Southern Belle Farm, McDonough

Keitisha A. via Yelp

Southern Belle Farm is total storybook farm. You'll find a big silo, a bright red barn, plus a giant jumping pillow, cow train, pedal carts, and over 30 other activities offered on this 330-acre family farm.

1658 Turner Church Rd.
McDonough
770-288-2582
Online: southernbellefarm.com

Lane Southern Orchards, Fort Valley

Emma W. via Yelp

Enjoy homemade peach ice cream and grab a rocking chair on the porch while the kids play on a farm-themed playground with real tractors. Stroll through a huge indoor roadside market filled with farm fresh peaches, pecans, strawberries and apples when in season, as well as other fresh seasonal produce, gourmet treats, local wines and craft beers. Enjoy breakfast or lunch at the Peachtree Café or take a seasonal field trip to the Farm.

Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

50 Lane Rd.
Fort Valley
478-825-3362
Online: lanesouthernorchards.com

Berry Patch Farm, Woodstock

iStock

Pick your own blueberries in June to pumpkins in the Fall, and cut your own Christmas tree at Berry Patch Farms. While you're there, be sure to enjoy a picnic and hayride, and a visit to the barnyard to see the baby animals.

786 Arnold Mill Rd.
Woodstock
770-926-0561
Online: berrypatchfarms.net

Featured image via iStock.

—Shelley Massey

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Sip apple cider. Set up your scarecrow. Take a bumbling hayride. Get lost in a corn maze. Fall calls for fun family festivals that celebrate the best of the season. From apple mania in Lincoln Square to a Native American harvest pow wow in Naperville, we have you covered for the best places to get an awesome taste of autumn. Read on to find out why you’ll fall for these festivals.

photo: White77 via Pixabay 

Cornucopia Fall Fest at Eugene Field
This isn’t your typical day at the park, but rather one filled with pony rides, pumpkins, a petting zoo, plenty of bouncy toys and arts & crafts vendors. If tummies start rumbling, don’t worry! Food trucks will be rolling by throughout the day.

Sep. 12; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. & 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: Free
5100 N. Ridgeway Ave., Albany Park
Online: eugenefieldpac.com

lincoln-square-apple-fest
photo: Lincoln Square Apple Fest

Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest
Apples stand as everyone’s favorite fall fruit, and this 34th annual Lincoln Square festival celebrates them all, from Akanes to Zestas. Dozens of vendors will be selling apples in all shapes and forms — apple cider, candy apples, apple pie, apple strudel — as well as handcrafted items. There is also a kid zone full of children’s activities and live music throughout the day at the Leland Avenue Kid Zone.

Oct. 2 & 3; 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $5 suggested donation
Lincoln Ave., between Lawrence & Eastwood, Lincoln Square
Online: lincolnsquare.org

Harvest Festival at North Park Village Nature Center
This beloved forest in the city celebrates the harvest by focusing on the animals that begin to prepare for the long winter ahead after gathering their fall goodies. Do nature-centric crafts, stroll the farmers market, watch the scarecrow building contest, listen to storytellers and jam out to live music. If you’re looking for a slice of peace, the nature preserve offers trails that wind through woodland, wetland, prairie and savanna.

Oct. 12 & 13; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Cost: Free
NPV, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd., North Side
Online: chicagoparkdistrict.com

photo: Antigone_gone via Pixabay

Kick-Off to Oktoberfest
Pack a picnic and head to Heritage Farm for a traditional German Biergarten complete with German music, pretzels, refreshments, local craft beer and soda.

Sep. 4; 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Cost: $5/person
201 S. Plum Grove Rd., Schaumburg
Online: parkfun.com

Shades of Autumn Festival
You’ll definitely need more than one weekend to visit the Shades of Autumn Fall Festival. Bring the fam as many times as you want because it’s pretty much going on all fall long. Take a little drive for more than 25 family-friendly attractions. Of course, you have the traditional hayrides, pumpkin picking and petting zoo. But, the little ones are also going to be wowed by the famous pumpkin cannon, hamster track, semi-truck slide, trikes for tikes, scrumptious apple cider donuts and so much more.

Sep. 7-Oct. 27; Sat. & Sun. in Sep., Fri-Sun. in Oct.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Open Columbus Day
Cost: $15/ages 3-64, $10/ages 65 & up, free for ages 2 & under
Stade’s Farm & Market, 3709 W. Miller Rd., McHenry
Online: stadesfarmandmarket.com

photo: Free-Photos via Pixabay

Harvest Bonfire at Heritage Farm
Help celebrate our fall harvest time by taking a wagon ride through Spring Valley’s Heritage Farm, and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire.

Sep. 14; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Cost: $7/person; free for ages 3 & under
201 S. Plum Grove Rd., Schaumburg
Online: parkfun.com

Harvest Pow Wow at Naper Settlement
Gain insight into the Native American heritage as you celebrate the harvest with dancing, cultural demonstrations, children’s games, craft and food vendors and more.

Sep. 21 & 22; Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. & Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $12/adult, $7/ages 3-12, free for ages 3 & under
Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
Online: harvestpowwow.com

photo: Long Grove Apple Festival

Long Grove Apple Festival
Expect bushels of fun at Historic Downtown Long Grove’s 26th annual Apple Festival. Take in the beautiful fall outdoor ambiance of the charming village and participate in the many activities offered, including free live music, apple pie-eating contests and more.

Sep. 21-23; Fri., noon-11 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 10 p.m.-6 p.m.
Cost: $5/person; free for ages 12 & under
308 Old McHenry Rd., Long Grove
Online: visitlonggrove.com

photo: Homewood Fall Fest

Homewood Fall Fest
Homewood is getting geared up for their favorite fall time fest. From scrumptious cuisine prepared by local eateries to horse-drawn wagons, and pumpkin patches to pony rides, there’s something for the whole family to sink their teeth into.

Sep. 28; 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Cost: Free
Martin Ave., from Hickory to Ridge Roads, Homewood
Online: village.homewood.il.us

Fall Fest at Rehm Park & Oak Park Conservatory
Horse-drawn hayrides, games and a pumpkin patch make this festival one of the best in the near west ‘burbs. Kids can hop aboard the hand-cranked Rehm Trains, enjoy yummy fall favorites from local food vendors or take part in a Fall Scavenger Hunt, which invites families to explore fall landscapes by looking for items outdoors.

Sep. 29; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Cost: Free
Rehm Park, 515 Garfield St., Oak Park
Online: pdop.org

Harvest Days at Garfield Farm

Head back to the 1840’s at the Garfield Farm & Tavern Museum’s Harvest Days. This only historically intact Illinois prairie farmstead and former teamsters’ inn now serves as a family-friendly 1840s living history farm and inn museum. Learn more about the farm’s harvesting days in the 19th century via demonstrations of farm and household skills, period music and old fashioned treats.

Oct. 6; 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: $6/adults; $3/ages 12 & under
Garfield Farm, Illinois 38/Garfield Rd., LaFox
Online: garfieldfarm.org



St. Charles Scarecrow Fest
Over 50 handcrafted scarecrows compete for the best in show at this unique fall fest. You can even make a scarecrow of your very own to protect and defend your garden. The arts and crafts show, petting zoo and carnival extend the fun, making for a full day of autumn merriment.

Oct. 11-13; Fri. & Sat., 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Route 64 & the Fox River, St. Charles
Online: scarecrowfest.com

photo: Cantigny Park

Fall Festival at Cantigny Park
Roam this 500-acre park as it puts on its very best fall colors. At the annual Fall Festival, you’ll enjoy music, games, hayrides, a petting zoo and more. Stop by Bertie’s, the coffee shop adjacent to the onsite First Division military history museum for a taste of autumn with a cup of hot cider or hot chocolate.

Oct. 12; 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Cost: Free with $5/car parking
Cantigny Park, 1 S. 151 Winfield Rd., Wheaton
Online: cantigny.org

— Maria Chambers & Amy Bizzarri

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Ashburn, Va is primarily know as the the home of Redskin Park, where the Washington Redskins football team plays, but it has a lesser known reputation for its family-friendly zoo, park, museum and other activities that don’t involve a pigskin or forty-yard line. If you’re vacationing in the DC area, a visit to Ashburn, 30 miles outside of DC, offers a full day of kid-centric fun.

Ashburn families know they’ve got it made with plenty of gorgeous public lands to hike, heritage farms to experience and animal encounters galore. The jewel of Loudon County keeps parents and their brood happy from sunrise to sunset — and when night comes, global cuisine and killer frozen custard awaits.

To highlight everything that Ashburn has to offer, we’ve scoured the streets to find the best activities for parents and children of all ages. Whether you’re a local or a first-time visitor, here are our ideas and suggestions for the best places in Ashburn for families and kids.

Heritage Farm Museum

This quaint museum shares the history of Virginia farming, and kids will be thrilled by the opportunity to ride pedal tractors. But the real fun is on their “farm days,” which feature everything from the apple festival to milking a real cow. There are also monthly Parents’ Night Out, each with a different theme.

21668 Heritage Farm Ln
Sterling, VA 20164-9207
(571) 258-3800
heritagefarmmuseum.org

Leesburg Animal Park

This small animal park is a local favorite, and it’s no wonder — what kid wouldn’t love riding a pony or camel? Visitors can get up close and personal with llamas, monkeys, lemurs, parrots, giant tortoises, and more. They offer a wagon ride and a playground as well.

19270 James Monroe Hwy
Leesburg, VA 20175-9047
(703) 433-0002
leesburganimalpark.com

The Zone

Guaranteed fun for hours, the Zone features great ambiance and state-of-the-art gaming like laser tag and an arcade. Parents will love the food and the delicious drinks. Pro tip: On Tuesday nights, kids eat free with an adult purchase.

43811 Central Station Dr, Ste 100
Ashburn, VA 20147
(703) 724-9663
thezoneusa.com

Rebounderz Indoor Trampoline Arena

For days when the weather isn’t great (or even if it is!) your kids can get all their energy out at Rebounderz, which features wall-to-wall trampolines. Basketball, dodgeball, and a ninja warrior course give enough variety that kids won’t quickly lose interest.

22400 Davis Drive
Sterling, VA 20164
(703) 433-5867
rebounderz.com/location/sterling

SportRock Climbing Center

A local favorite for a fun day out and birthday parties alike, SportRock’s climbing facility offers a variety of climbing walls for various skill levels and fantastic staff.

45935 Maries Rd
Sterling, VA 20166
(571) 434-7625
sportrock.com

Claude Moore Park Recreation Center

Locals love Claude Moore Park, which not only provides the expected facilities of a rec center, but also a unique green space. Visitors love to stroll the wooded lanes, green meadows, and sparkling ponds. Kids will love the wild deer, ducks and other wildlife.

46105 Loudoun Park Ln
Sterling, VA 20164
(571) 258-3600
loudoun.gov/1285/Claude-Moore-Park

iFLY Indoor Skydiving – Loudoun

Surprise your kids with a unique day out at iFLY, where they can “skydive” indoors. Stand inside a special room where air blows up and makes you feel like you’re flying. Staff helps kids and adults learn how to maneuver in the air, making for a fun and challenging experience like no other.

20315 Commonwealth Center Dr
Ashburn, VA 20147-5957
(571) 446-4359
iflyworld.com/loudoun

Harpers Ferry Adventure Center

On the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, you’ll find Harpers Ferry Adventure Center, which offers tubing, whitewater rafting, zip lines, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, camping and more. Kids will have an epic time in the great outdoors and the whole family will love the friendly staff. Pro-tip: Call ahead to check on the water conditions; sometimes younger kids aren’t allowed out for safety reasons.

37410 Adventure Center Ln
Purcellville, VA 20132-1965
(540) 668-9007
harpersferryadventurecenter.com

The Best Upcoming Events for Kids in Ashburn

If you’re looking for events and activities, don’t miss our local Ashburn family events calendar, which has everything from story times to seasonal activities like apple picking, pumpkin patches, and Christmas tree farms.

The weather outside has been downright frightful. Keep those mittens and scarves at the ready and keep cozy this winter by visiting these entertaining and educating exhibits at the Districts finest and funnest museums. Funnest is totally a word, right? Venture out of your four walls and find fun with the kiddos today. Stay warm DC!

National Building Museum

The National Building Museum explores architecture through design, construction, and engineering. There are two distinct areas where children can experience the process first-hand. The Building Zone — geared towards kids 2 to 6 years of age — lets little ones stack and balance faux bricks, drive a miniaturized bulldozer, and romp around a “green” playhouse for up to 45 minutes (This area is included in the cost of admission, but you can opt to skip the other exhibits and pay just $3 per child). The other — Play Work Build — has foam blocks of varying sizes allowing adults and children alike to build and demolish their own creations.

Open: Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, 11 am-5 pm
Cost: $10/adults, $7/kids (3 and up)

401 F St., NW
202-272-2448
Online: nbm.org

Hirschorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Hirshorn Museum

The preschool set can fight the chill and take part in the Hirshorn’s library and art pop up program on any given Saturday this winter. It’s easy peasey to do too. Grab a parent’s hand and find a gallery cart full of fun kits with real finds. Each kit combines a special theme with adventures in reading, suggested artwork to view and real hands-on art materials to help little ones create their own masterpieces.

Cost: Free

Independence Ave., SW & 7th St., SW 
202-633-1000
Online: hirshorn.si.edu

College Park Aviation Museum

If the little ones in your brood love airplanes, the College Park Aviation Museum is a must-see. Ten full-sized airplanes fill the space—some let kids crawl in and play around, while others are hung high above your head. But before you hit the cockpit, make sure to grab a pilot’s jacket and helmet. Swing by the museum on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month for Peter Pan Club, a meet up for preschoolers that features aviation story time and craft workshops.

Cost: $4/adult; $2/kids

1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr. (College Park, Md)
301-864-6029
Online: collegeparkaviationmuseum.com

Playseum

From dress up, to grocery shopping, and a president’s corner, you might just have to spend the entire day here. With more than a dozen themed play areas, you and your tots won’t have time to get bored. Buy Playseum Dollars from the front desk so that the kiddos can use them to decorate a cookie, paint a ceramic plate, or create candy lip balm! And check out their weekly happenings, like Moms are Free Mondays and Five Dollar Fridays.

Cost: $9/person

7000 Wisconsin Ave. (Bethesda, Md)
(301) 807-8028
Online: playseum.com

National Portrait Gallery

National Portrait Gallery

Explore! With the National Portrait Gallery this winter. Tiny tots ages 18 months up to eight years will love the kid-friendly space designed just for them. The Explore! Exhibit will teach little ones about portraiture by asking them questions like, “What is a portrait?” “How does my face show emotions to other people? and “How do I see myself?” This is a place for noise, touching and all the things tiny hands and mouth like to do but can’t when in the usual portrait gallery.

Cost: Free
Eighth and F Sts., NW
Online: npg.si.edu

National Museum of the American Indian

On the third level of the National Museum of the American Indian, you’ll find the imagiNATIONS Activity Center, where kids learn how to interact with the environment around them. They’ll weave baskets from different material, see different types of houses made from wood or mud, and even learn to walk in snowshoes! Snuggle up in a cornerwith a book about Native cultures or make some noise with the percussion instruments scattered around.

Cost: Free

4th St. and Independence Ave., SW (L’Enfant Plaza)
202-633-1000
Online: nmai.si.edu

Children's Museum of Richmond

This museum may be a day trip away, but it’s totally worth it! Little ones stay busy playing with solar powered Sun Tubes, fixing a car, picking play-apples from an apple tree, and creating their own masterpieces in the Art Studio. When the weather is warm explore the Backyard, which features waterworks, a sandbox, and good ol’ green grass. Don’t forget to hop on the $2/ride carousel. Bonus: If you have older kids in your crew, split up with grown-ups and let them check out the Science Museum of Richmond that’s just next door.

Cost: $9

2626 West Broad St. (Richmond, Va)
804-474-7000
Online: c-mor.org

National Postal Museum

If you’ve never checked out the National Postal Museum (or didn’t even know it existed), you’re not alone–many locals overlook this NoMa gem for its flashier counterparts on the National Mall. But, for kids, this free Smithsonian Institution is a slam dunk since the museum encourages visitors to feel, climb into, sit in, and throw–yes, throw!–many of its exhibits. In addition to a ridiculously extensive stamp collection (little stamp lovers will be in heaven), read on to find out some of the museum’s other kid-approved features.

Cost: Free

2 Massachusetts Ave., NE (Union Station)
Hours: Daily, 10 am-5:30 pm
202-633-5555
Online: postalmuseum.si.edu

B&O Railroad Museum

Train loving kids will likely lose their marbles at this historic landmark. The museum invites little ones (and their grown-ups to see, touch, hear and explore one of the largest railroad collections in the country. For the under-eight set, the museum’sChoo Choo Blue Kid Zone is a must visit. On weekends there are story and activity times, and there’s always a train table or two for kiddos to tinker with.

Cost: $18/adults; $12/kids

901 W. Pratt St. (Baltimore)
410-752-2490
Online: borail.org/

National Museum of American History

The collection of Smithsonian museums are a treasure trove of exploration, but for hands-on, interactive fun make a bee-line for the National Museum of American History, which has features interactive learning experiences for newborns to middle schoolers. Wegman’s Wonderplace is designed for the youngest visitors (0 to 6) with plenty of opportunity to explore pint-sized versions of the Smithsonian’s most popular exhibits, from a kid-sized version of Julia’s kitchen to a smaller version of The Castle. Spark!Lab — for ages of 6 and 12 — lets visitors explore the invention process from start to finish.

Open: Daily, 10 am-5:30 pm
Cost: Free

14th St and Constitution Aves., NW
Online:
americanhistory.si.edu

Loudoun Heritage Farm Museums

This hidden gem (tucked in Claude Moore Park) offers a unique, historic experience. Kids can play with authentic artifacts, like the antique cash register in the Waxpool General Store or make-believe they are cooking dinner in Grandma’s Kitchen (complete with a rocking chair on the front porch). The Children’s Farm has a faux egg collecting station, a cow to milk, life-sized stuffed animals, a puppet theater, and a plethora of books about farms and animals.

Cost: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors/military, $3 for children 2-12

21668 Heritage Farm Ln. (Sterling, Va)
Online: loudounmuseum.com

National Museum of Natural History

For the 10 and under set, the exhibit space Q?rius (housed inside the Natural History museum) offers drawers brimming with curiosities. Your pint-sized explores will enjoy digging through drawers filled with rocks, minerals, insects and more. When your kids are done exploring the natural world, they can explore the cultures of the world in the same space! There are also drawers filled with clothing and dolls from other countries.

Cost: Free

10th Street and Constitution Aves., NW
Online: naturalhistory.si.edu

Port Discovery Children’s Museum

This museum often tops the "best of" in nationwide lists. And for good reason! The three-story climbing-maze-treehouse alone is worth the visit! Kids can explore a 1950s diner, an Egyptian tomb, an indoor soccer stadium (complete with a score board), The third Friday of every month is just $2 from 4 pm to close.

Cost: $14.95 general admission (2 and up)

35 Market Place (Baltimore, Md)
Online:
portdiscovery.org

Children’s Science Center

In case you haven’t heard, a whopping 50,000 square foot science museum is slated to open at Kincora in the Dulles in 2019. But in the meantime, you’ll find a scaled-down version aptly named “The Lab” in Fair Oaks Mall. Kids 2 and up can experience science through four distinct areas - the Experiment Bar, the Inspiration Hub, the Tinker Hub and the Discovery Zone. a water play area and more.

When: Open, 10:00 am-8:00 pm
Cost: $12 general admission; 2 and under are free

11948 Fair Oaks Mall (Fairfax, Va)
Online: childsci.org

Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum

This small, super-interactive museum features three floors and a roof top terrace full of fun for the 1 to 12 set. Some of the new exhibits include a real ambulance with lights and hands on tools to role play a rescue and a full size triceratops bone structure and a paleontology bone digging area. The roof-top terrace has a life-size checkers game, shade pavilion, and gardens.

Cost: $8; Free/kids under 2

16 W. Cork St. (Winchester, Va)
Online: discoverymuseum.net

Which museum does your tot like to hang out at? Tell us in the comments section below.

—Victoria Mason and Ayren Jackson-Cannady

Photos courtesy of Playseum via Facebook, Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Children’s Museum of Richmond via Facebook, National Building Museum via Facebook, College Park Aviation Museum via Facebook, Elvert Barnes via Creative Commons, B&O Railroad Museum via Facebook

 

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