The Fox Valley Park District’s Blackberry Farm in Aurora is celebrating fall with Pumpkin Weekends running through the end of October.
Activities at Pumpkin Weekends include a balloon artist, bounce house, train rides, a hay wagon, carousel and more, district officials said in a press release.
Kids can also play in the Corn Crib – a 700-gallon galvanized bin filled with corn – and fall-themed snacks and drinks will be available on site, officials said.
The event at the farm at 100 S. Barnes Road will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in October, as well as on Monday, Oct. 14.
Admission is $10 for everyone 1 year old and older, and all traditional attractions such as the train, carousel and hay wagon are open with unlimited rides included with admission, officials said.
Visitors can also purchase pumpkins to decorate for an additional $3 upon arrival.
Becky Harling, facility manager at Blackberry, said Pumpkin Weekends began before the pandemic and continues to draw strong crowds.
“Last year, we’d average about 1,200 to 1,500 visitors over a weekend,” she said. “When people come here, we have the park decorated for the fall season. The outside in the parking area has a harvesting theme and corn stalks, pumpkins and general decor. As people wander around the park and explore different areas we have different sites and themed areas opened.”
The press release from the park district noted that “popular destinations inside the park may carry different names, such as Halloweentown (Early Streets Museum), Huntoon Harvest House (Huntoon House), Tiny Tots Scarecrow Farm (Little Farmer’s Junction), Jack-O-Lantern Junction (Train Depot) and the Candy Corn Carousel.”
“Those are just added attractions that are included in people’s visits – just some add-ons,” Harling said. “Normally in the past we just focused on fall harvest and but fall incorporates a lot more than that. You’ve got Halloween events and other things than just leaves and corn stalks, and so we tried to have the themed areas reflect that.”
Harling added there will be a scavenger hunt throughout the park during Pumpkin Weekends.
“On Pumpkin Weekends we have five golden pumpkins hidden throughout the park and as guests enjoy their visit, people can look for the pumpkins and mark them off on the back of their map and then put it into a raffle box near our gift shop,” she said. “At the end of Pumpkin Weekends we’ll put one of those out and someone will win Blackberry season passes.”
Harling said she and staff feel “people are pretty satisfied with the product they receive here” adding that the public hasn’t asked for a lot of changes.
“I think you know when you are comparing us to other pumpkin venues in the area – we are the cheapest for the value that you get,” she said. “You get a lot for $10 in comparison with going a couple miles down the road and having to pay $30 or $40 for similar amenities. People have been pretty pleased with this being family-friendly and budget-conscious.”
Every Saturday and Sunday throughout Pumpkin Weekends features a different special activity, including a pumpkin carver from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 12, a face painter from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 13, trick-or-treat from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 19, Jeanie B! children’s concert at 1 p.m. Oct. 20, a balloon artist from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 26 and the
“World’s Tallest Scarecrow” from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 27.
For more information on Pumpkin Weekends, call Blackberry Farm at 630-892-1550 or go to www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org or the Blackberry Farm Facebook page.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.