Yesterday, we took advantage of Columbus Day, and went with friends to the Butler's Orchard Pumpkin Festival. As you can see below, the kids had a great time. It was your typical animal feeding, pony riding, corn maze running, rubber ducky racing, burlap sliding good time. Our first order of business when we arrived was to eat, and we assumed that the food stand serving hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers was our only option. But, in fact, there was a whole other location serving up a number of veggie options, including vegan chili.
Having a sunny day for the first time in forever (OK, 4-5 days?) didn't hurt either.
The only part of the festival that gave me pause was the admission fee. $11 per person (including kids) made for a pretty expensive day. More than that, it was a big enough cost that it left me wondering: was I getting my money's worth here? If we had come back on any old day of fruit picking, the slides, rubber duckies (which, I was the undefeated racing champion) and other games would have been there to play with for free.
I suppose this sort of event has taken on a similar role as the farmer's market down the street. Traditionally, a farmer's market is a good way to save money, but around here, they are actually more expensive than the super market across the street. Instead, you're paying for the privilege of buying from a local source. With a festival like this, you're paying a premium to keep the sort of farm friendly fun alive in the DC area. And you know, I think I'm OK with that.
Anyway, the important part is we had a great time. I suppose it's also good that we didn't end up losing anyone in the corn maze.
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