PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. – Get to know Calvert County’s rural community by spending a day on six working farms during the 19th annual Calvert County Farm Festival on Oct. 15 and 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Purchase pumpkins and other fall produce, take a hay ride, try a corn maze, sample wines and much more. The event, held rain or shine, promises to be a great family outing at six local farms:
Double Oak Farm at the American Chestnut Land Trust (Open Sunday only)
676 Double Oak Road, Prince Frederick
This one-acre farm owned and managed by the American Chestnut Land Trust and its volunteers uses perma-culture and environmentally friendly practices. Festival activities include tours, hands-on farm fun, produce and herb sales, beer and wine tasting and hay rides. Activities are free and donations are appreciated. For more information, call 410-414-3400 or visit www.ACLTweb.org
Fridays Creek Winery
3485 Chaneyville Road, Owings
Fridays Creek is home to picturesque vineyards and a restored barn housing wine production facilities, a tasting room and an art gallery. Activities include wine sales and tasting, grape samples and local artwork. There is a fee for wine tasting. For more information, cal 410-286-9463 or visit www.fridayscreek.com
Horsmon Farm
1865 Horsmon Farm Lane, St. Leonard
Peruse fall decorative products and local, all-natural meats. Enjoy hay rides, farm animals, a pumpkin patch and a corn box. Admission is $8. For more information, call 443-532-5761 or visit www.horsmonfarm.com
Perigeaux Vineyards and Winery
8650 Mackall Road, St. Leonard
This 30-acre farm includes eight acres of grapes along with peaches and cherries. Visitors enjoy the winery, tasting room and a barn with agricultural equipment. Farm Festival activities include wine tastings, live music, corn hole tournaments, grape crushing demonstrations, vineyard and winery tours and food vendors. There is a fee for wine tasting. For more information, call 410-586-2710 or visit www.perigeaux.com
Spider Hall Farm
3915 Hallowing Point Road, Prince Frederick
Visit this 362-acre working farm offering a variety of agri-tourism and agri-education attractions. Activities include an 8-acre corn maze, hay ride, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, pig races and hamster ball relays. Admission fee of $9; additional $5 fee for hamster ball and pumpkins sold separately by the pound. For more information, call 410-610-0094 or visit www.perigeaux.com
Swann Farms (Open Saturday only)
7740 Swan Lane, Owings
Pick your own strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries at this fruit and vegetable wholesale/retail farm. Come and enjoy the free pumpkin patch, hay rides and straw maze. For more information, call 443-904-2687 or visit www.swannfarms.com
The annual Calvert County Farm Festival is coordinated by the Calvert County Department of Economic Development and the Calvert County Agriculture Commission. The Agriculture Commission conducts the farm festival to educate residents about farming and to provide the public with an opportunity to interact with the farming community.
For more on the 2016 Calvert County Farm Festival, contact the Calvert County Department of Economic Development at 410-535-4583 or 301-855-1880; or via email at info@ecalvert.com.