A trip to Sykes Family Farm in Elkton, Florida wasn’t cheap, but it was a fun way to spend a cooler-than-usual, perfectly sunny, post-Halloween, last-weekend-of-the-season Saturday afternoon with three granddaughters.
Seventeen bucks person was okay, I guess, with a few bucks off for my senior citizen ticket and a freebie for the two-year-old. A few St. John’s county sheriff’s deputies were on hand to guide us into the parking area, which was already full fifteen minutes after opening.
- We started at the two huge inflatable bounce pads filled with energetic kids.
- A good-sized turkey wasn’t very happy that it was November, but he was a good sport and posed by the fence for pictures.
- A corn pit? What’s a corn pit? The girls loved the circular bin filled with dried corn. Who wouldn’t like to be buried under corn and make corn angels?
- The hayride was okay. The tractor took us out through the sorghum fields and and acres of sunflowers. Longer than many I’ve experienced.
- The food was pretty reasonable. Our lunch was three orders of fried mozzarella sticks, a hamburger, pepper and onion smothered hot dog, a bag of Fritos, and some bottle of water. Thirty bucks.
- Rows of picnic tables adjacent to the food vendors was next to giant connect-four, plinko, and tetris tumble games. The kids loved these. (We’re going to try to find some online.)
- Next, we went to the bubble barn. Sticks with ropes dipped into suds produced impressive giant bubbles drifting across the field. So much fun!
- A ride on the “cow train” was a string of cars pulled by a small John Deere tractor. Thrilling for the littles!
- We gave the girls a choice: something from the store or face-painting. the two youngers chose a stuffed unicorn wearing a Sykes Farm T-shirt. The older opted for very nicely done purple pixie face-painting.
- We climbed on a spider web, slid down some dark irrigation tubes, pumped water for duck races down half-pipe PVC, and passed on the corn maze, pumpkin painting, and take-home sunflower.
At just about every activity, the operator offered the kids candy. It’s the last weekend; lots to get rid of! We accepted, but pocketed it for later. Face painting, pumpkin painting, and s’mores cost extra. Cash only, but a few ATMs were onsite.
I asked the guy at the drink booth how things were going. He said it was a slow day so far. They had only been rained out one day in October, so it was a good year.
The event was supported by several corporate sponsors. I’ll bet this is their biggest money-making event of the year.
And I’ll bet they do very well.
Waite for it... 