Leaves on the trees were starting to change color, giving Lambs Farm’s Fall on the Farm event Saturday in Libertyville an autumn feel.
Orange pumpkin touches added to the fall feel of children’s games, and youngsters could paint a pumpkin figure too as part of the paid admission.
Shaina Mugve and son Miles, 3, of Green Oaks, participated at a pumpkin painting craft station under the shade of an outdoor pavilion.
“I feel like even though it’s so hot this fall, we still had to get out and do this,” he said. “We came last year and it was nice, so we’re back.”
The Lambs Farm campus featured offerings such as barrel-train rides powered by a tractor, actual vintage tractor rides, fall crafts, farmyard visits and food, including cider donuts.
“We are so excited to welcome guests to Fall on the Farm to celebrate the Lambs Farm mission and the season,” said Marisa Rademaker, Lambs Farm associate director of marketing and communications. “There is something for everyone at this family-friendly event.”
According to its website, the mission of Lambs Farm, a non-profit organization, is to support people with developmental disabilities to lead happy, productive lives. All proceeds from the fall event supported adults served by the facility.
Gurnee siblings Charlotte, 3, and Leilani de la Paz, 6, took a barrel-train ride and made colorful sturdy jump ropes with a rustic rope turning tool that required using hands to turn the crank.
“I never got to do all this fun stuff as a kid, so I want to be able to do it with my girls and give them that opportunity to build memories together,” the girls’ mother Myra said.
The Lake County Farm Heritage Association had volunteers on hand who also answered questions about vintage vehicles and equipment parked for people to experience.
Scott Kaminski of the Grayslake area, driving the tractor of the barrel-train ride on behalf of the Lake County Farm Heritage Association, said children really love the Fall on the Farm experience.
“They just eat it up,” he said.
Riding a 1940s-era John Deere farm tractor were Joe Losser of Wildwood, one of the directors of the Lake County Farm Heritage Association, Sebastian Yee, 2, of Chicago, and Sebastian’s grandmother Sueof Grayslake.
After steering the tractor under Losser’s supervision, Sue Yee said, “It was a little nerve-wracking.”
Losser explained, “We’re trying to get kids to be able to see what it was like back in the day, the machinery that used to grow the food that we eat. Because a lot of the kids nowadays, if you ask them ‘Where does food come from?’ (they’ll respond), ‘Oh, the Jewel (grocery store).’ They have no idea.”
“Our idea is to try to spread the farm heritage … to know where food really comes from,” he said.
Upcoming events at Lambs Farm include Trick or Treat on the Farm on Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10.
