The Great Pumpkin Farm’s Fall Festival will celebrate its 23rd year as Western New York’s favorite fall destination when it opens on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. For seven consecutive weekends, the Fall Festival offers something for every age, including amusement rides; hayrides; corn maze; the pumpkins and mum patch; pumpkin cannon; shooting gallery; homemade donuts, pies, cookies and pastries; Halloween decorations and special events, such as the World Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, the Trebuchet Contest and Oinktoberfest, New York State’s BBQ Cook-off – and so much more!
This year, the Great Pumpkin Farm has once again declared opening weekend – Sept. 15 and 16 – to be Armed Forces Weekend, in collaboration with WNYHeroes, Inc. The regular admission fee will be waived for active duty and retired military, police or fire department personnel who present proper identification to WNYHeroes representatives at the gate; they will also be permitted to bring one guest for free. Throughout the seven weekends of the Fall Festival, WNYHeroes representatives will be on hand at an informational booth in the Event Center at the Great Pumpkin Farm.
MercyFlight, which provides emergency medical care via air and ground transportation, will be there with Beulah, the organization’s educational BO-105 helicopter. Festivalgoers can enjoy taking photos near Beulah and learn more about Mercy Flight’s lifesaving, non-profit mission (and maybe win a prize or two) at the Mercy Flight booth.
Additional entertainment for opening weekend includes Sylvia Fletcher & Friends Ventriloquism, Vinnie and Teddy, the ever-popular animatronic dinosaurs, who will roam the corn maze both days from noon until 4 p.m. looking for their prey, and the magic experience of Mike & Annie.
The Great Pumpkin Farm is located in Clarence. For more information, please visit https://www.greatpumpkinfarm.com.
