PUMPKINS & AUTUMN FARM FUN

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Vollmer Farm is a Certified Organic Farm, and is a working farm producing strawberries, blueberries,  vegetables, and pumpkins!  (The Vollmers have been farming here for five generations; previously the family farmed tobacco but switched over to organic strawberry and berry farming in the early 1980's, before most people had even heard of organic farming.)  Your visit to the farm supports LOCAL AGRICULTURE and gives your children the gift of an easy-going, fun-filled, day on the Farm.

Vollmer Farm Fall 2016 Season:
October 1st through October 30th
Open EVERY Weekend
Saturday: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Check for updated 2016 hours; as of 9/8/2016 TBD

See the Vollmer Farm Photo Gallery

Vollmer Farm Back Forty Activities
(Admission to the Back Forty Includes:)

Hay Ride: A great, old-fashioned, tractor-pulled hay ride takes you from the front of Vollmer Farm back to all of the fun activities in the "Back Forty" (The hay ride is covered-wagon-style - so nicely shaded from the sun.  As you go through the woods look up and enjoy the moving nature show put on by the shadows of the leaves on the fabric roof)

2 Playgrounds with lots of fun playground equipment:  slides, see-saws, wooden climbing structures that look like a choo-choo train, a jeep, a pirate ship; a giant sand-box with sand-box toys; swings, rubber tires for climbing and balancing... and lots more!

Great Pumpkin Jump:  Everyone LOVES the Great Pumpkin Jump
at Vollmer Farm!  We could have bounced ALL DAY!  (But there are too many other fun things to do at Vollmer Farm -- read on below!)

Animated image courtesy of Vollmer Farm

The Great Pumpkin Jump is like nothing we have EVER experienced; something like a giant bouncy house, without walls or a roof.  The Great Pumpkin Jump is a 40 foot x 70 foot in-ground jumping pillow (filled with air) that is a fabulous fun and fitness activity for ALL ages!   According to the Vollmer Farm website, "Jumping Pillows have been popular for years in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and have been gaining popularity in campgrounds and farms across North America. The Great Pumpkin Jump is the largest pillow in North Carolina; we hope you'll agree it's fabulous!"

Puzzle Corn Maze: Get the family together for an adventure as you make your way through the cornfield maze together.
 

Vollmer Farms Udder Run Barrel Train - Each Cow has it's name painted on the Cow Car.
Image courtesy of Vollmer Farm website

Udder Run Barrel Train -- The Udder Run barrel Train ride is a thrill for children and adults.  The "train" cars look like cows (adorable!), and the train is pulled by a tractor, around and around, here and there, up and down hills and around in circles.   (Each cow car has the cow's name painted onto the cow car.  Cow Cars alternate in larger (fits adults) and smaller child-size cars.  Just about the cutest ride ever.  When the friendly tractor driver goes in a circle, the riders smile and giggle and wave at one another in a happy circle of fun, then zip back up and down gentle hills.  A gentle but thrilling ride!

No Left Turn Rope Maze:  The only rule is -- guess what?  NO left turns!

Duck Races -- Pump water, set your rubber ducky in a lane and see if your duck is the fastest!

Vollmer Rat Racers (kid-sized hamster tunnels!)
Image courtesy of Vollmer Farm website

Rat Racers -- Like Hamster Ball/Wheels, but for kids!  Kids get into the large tunnels, and push, crawl, roll around like kid-size hamsters.  Lots of laughter and fun all around!

Tot Rocket Zip Line -- Kids LOVE this person-powered ride.  Pop your child into the rocket seat, give the rocket a push and the rocket car takes off, zipping along the zip line and back again.  This is one of those, "Again, Again!" rides -- but then so is everything at Vollmer Farm!

Farm Animals -- Visit and feed the goats, and watch them climb to the top of the goat ramp; feed the ducks; we enjoyed visiting a baby cow.
 

See more great FALL FARM FUN photos at the Vollmer Farm Photo Gallery

Windmill Mountain - 100 Foot Underground Slide:  Go up to the top of the mountain/hill, hop on a burlap sack, and go for a thrilling ride down the slide, underground through the mountain, and right out the bottom where we slid along to a gentle stop.  Again!  Again!  (The Windmill Mountain Slide is great exercise for the kids as they run up and slide down over and over again.  LOVE IT!)

Corn Crib - Over 300 Bushels of Shelled Corn - (like a giant sand box (but even more fun:  Kids could spend hours in the Corn Crib -- like a giant sandbox, but filled with freshly shelled corn, rather than sand.  Kids make corn angels (like snow angels - except that it's corn); they dive; they swim through the corn; they bury their feet and legs in the corn; they moonwalk in the corn.  Truly the fun is endless!  Who knew swimming around in heaps of shelled corn could be so much fun!

Pumpkin Sling Shot:  See if you can hit the target -- a lovely, Great Pumpkin hanging high in the air, or other Halloween Themed targets, with a giant sling shot (and tennis balls).  During our last visit to the Farm, kids were cycling through, taking turns getting a shot at the Great Pumpkin target over and over again.  They just couldn't get enough of the target shots -- A great time was had by all, and we watched the camaraderie develop as the kids were complimenting one another on their terrific shots.  Again!  Again!

During your visit to Vollmer Farm, visit Uncle Russell's Snack Shack and Aunt Mary's Market and Ice Cream Shop for great Fall gifts, 8 flavors of ice cream made fresh on the farm and homemade waffle cones.  When you first arrive at Vollmer Farm, you will see Aunt Mary's Market and Ice Cream Shop, as well as a great big pumpkin patch where you can choose pumpkins still growing on the vine.  The Market offers really fun and lovely Halloween (and Christmas) decorations, toys, and treats.  We LOVED the fresh, homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream (made at Vollmer Farm).

Behind the Market there is a cool pumpkin house for Fall:  a wooden house structure, filled in with pumpkins of all sizes rather than walls.  The Hay Ride to the "Back Forty" leaves from here (behind Aunt Mary's Market).  Parking is available in front of the Market, with more parking available behind the Market.

Uncle Russell's Snack Shack is located in the Back Forty (fun zone!), and offers delicious barbecue, hot dogs, sweet potato chips, Pumpkin Coolers (lemonade in adorable orange pumpkin sippy containers), homemade cookies, and lots more.  YUM!  We enjoyed a fun lunch at the picnic tables in the shade next to the Snack Shack.

On Saturdays during the Fall Season, the Farm is open until 8:00pm (except closes at 5pm on Sundays). As the sun sets, you can gather around one of the bonfires, and enjoy roasting marshmallows (and hot chocolate!) from the Farm's Nibble Nook. 

2016 Saturday Night Movies at Vollmer Farm (included in price of Admission!)
Check the Vollmer Farm website for special events; on Saturday Nights they have movies under the stars (included in Admission).  Be sure to bring warm coats and blankets with you if you are planning to cap off the day with a fun outdoor movie at night on the Farm.  Sunny Fall days turn into lovely cool or chilly Fall nights!  (In prior years, Discount admission begins at 5pm (check Vollmer Farm website for up-to-date info). Bonfire and Sing-Along begin at 6pm; Family Movie begins at 6:30pm.  2016 outdoor-on-the-farm movies at Vollmer Farm will feature Oct. 1st The Good Dinosaur; Oct. 8th Cinderella; Oct. 15 Finding Dory;
Oct. 22 Jungle Book; Oct. 29 Charlotte's Web. 
See the 2016 Vollmer Farm Fall Saturday Night Movie Schedule.

Visit Vollmer Farms website for hours.

www.vollmerfarm.com
(919) 496-3076.

More Halloween & Fall Fun - Pumpkin Patches - Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, Carrboro, NC

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