If you're looking for a unique, luxurious, and relaxing outdoor experience in the DMV, look no…read morefurther than The Paca Picnic! The ladies of DMVDoes social group had the pleasure of partnering with them for a Sunday Funday, and it was hands down one of the most memorable experiences we've ever had. It's bring your own food and drink. From the moment we arrived, everything felt intentional and beautifully curated. They reserved their largest and most scenic pasture just for us nestled in nature and surrounded by the sweetest alpacas. It felt like a private oasis! The picnic setup was absolutely stunning: And included Whimsical alpaca plates, Fine glassware, Modern flatware and linen napkins and Vintage market umbrellas that gave the space a dreamy, editorial vibe . The experience also included Low boho tables, layered blankets, and plush cushions made it perfect for lounging, connecting, and enjoying good company. They even included chilled ice buckets, Bluetooth speakers, and alpaca treats to complete the experience. This wasn't your typical picnic -- it was an elevated experience, ideal for birthdays, date nights, kids' playdates, girls' outings, or just because! Huge thanks to Abraham, our incredible host, for the warm hospitality.We can't wait to come back. Highly recommend!

Absolutely loved this! My husband and I had a 9A picnic with the alpacas and it was absolutely…read moreperfect! The customer service is wonderful, and everyone was friendly. A perfect way to de-compress and just relax. Highly recommend this experience

Brought the family back here for the festival of lights. First I would recommend buying the…read moretickets online as they are cheaper online than at the gate. It's a great drive through light show that allows you to stay warm and cozy in the car. The ticket is for the vehicle and allows you to enter any time during your entry day. It's a 2-2.5 mile drive with light displays on the left, right and overhead. They also have hayrides if you want to brave the cold. A fun and inexpensive holiday event for the whole family.

I love Watkins park and the turkey trot/festival of lights was amazing and took the park to the…read morenext level for me. I've never ran through the park at night and with the lights it was truly magical. I can't wait to attend next year and many years to come !

I visited Montpelier Farms in Upper Marlboro on a Tuesday midday with a friend and brought my dog…read morealong for a little adventure. It was super easy to get tickets, and we had a blast with all the activities. I really enjoyed everything from the tractor trailer hayride to swinging a rope to catch the fake bull horns, playing basketball, bowling, and of course, going through the corn maze and sliding down the tube slide. My dog loved the fresh air and the walk around the farm. The hot cider with a donut on top was a sweet treat, even if I had to dodge a few bees. It's not far from D.C., and I'll definitely be returning next year. You don't need kids to enjoy it--it's perfect for anyone with an inner child, friends looking for a fun outing, or even a day out with your pets. Plus, it was very affordable. Highly recommend!

This spot was cute and conveniently closer to home, which I appreciated. I understand that the…read morecondition of the tulips wasn't within their control, but I did wish there had been a bit more to do in the area. That said, I was still able to pick some beautiful, healthy tulips. For context, we visited on the last Friday before the season ended. The service has been consistently good--this was my second time visiting the farm. They also had fresh strawberry donuts, which were a pleasant surprise and absolutely delicious. As for pricing, the ticket included 5 tulips, which felt fair, but I do think all entry tickets should come with tulips. The website, however, was confusing. My friends purchased "double" tickets, and the way it was listed led us to believe something different, so they ended up buying more tickets than needed. The options were labeled 2, 4, 6, etc., which caused the confusion. It would've been clearer if it explicitly stated "Double (2 people)," "Double (4 people)," and so on. They definitely need to improve that for a smoother experience.

I've done 2 events with Mary and she does not disappoint! The kids loved the pony rides and petting…read morezoo. They worked with our theme and have very reasonable rates!

I am writing to formally express my disappointment and concern regarding the experience we had with…read moreyour company. We scheduled a petting zoo event with you back in April for our program in August, and despite having this confirmed well in advance, your team failed to show up for the event. This was not only unprofessional but also inconsiderate, as our children and families were greatly looking forward to this special experience. When I spoke with the owner regarding the issue, I found her response to be nonchalant, passive aggressive, and lacking any genuine concern for the disruption caused. As a business, reliability and professionalism are critical--especially when working with children and families. Unfortunately, your handling of this situation left us with a very negative impression, and I feel it's important to share this feedback so that no other organization has to experience the same. I hope you will take this matter seriously and reflect on how your company can handle scheduling and communication more responsibly in the future. J.Walker Center Director

Absolutely Unprofessional and Unreliable -- Do Not Trust This Company With Your Event…read more I hired this petting zoo company twice for my daughter's birthday parties -- and both times were an absolute disaster. The first time (my daughter's 1st birthday), I had booked well in advance, paid the deposit, and confirmed the specific animals we wanted -- including a pony I paid extra for. On the day of the party, they were a no-show. I called them in a panic, only to be told they forgot to add me to their schedule. Hours later, the owner showed up with fewer animals than promised -- and no pony. We asked for a fair discount due to the lateness and missing animals, but the owner was incredibly unwilling to take responsibility and only reduced the price by a minimal amount. While the kids enjoyed the animals that did show up, the stress they caused was unforgettable. Against my better judgment, I gave them a second chance for my daughter's 2nd birthday. That was a huge mistake. On the day of the event, they canceled last minute, claiming they were stuck in traffic and chose to go to another event instead of ours. I was devastated. After numerous calls, I finally reached their assistant, who kindly offered to come out herself with a few animals. But when she arrived, she told us her manager refused to let her unload the animals until we paid the full balance -- despite the cancellation, the smaller selection of animals, and once again no pony. This company is completely unreliable, disorganized, and worst of all -- unapologetically unprofessional. The owner refuses to take accountability for her repeated mistakes, shows no flexibility or empathy, and prioritizes money over integrity. Save yourself the heartbreak and look elsewhere -- your child's special day deserves better.

From the owner: We are a petting zoo on wheels. We bring animals, birds, and reptiles to you for any occasion. We…read moreare mobile. We do not have a physical location for you to visit.

High Standards Equestrian Center (formerly Hideaway Horse Center) provides summer camp sessions…read morethrough the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Camp Program for children ages 6-16. The camps are one week sessions (held June-August) for a maximum of six weeks. For Prince George's County residents the cost is $325 per week - non residents pay $390 per week. The summer camp program is advertised as a "horseback riding camp" but the children are only given 15 minutes of actual riding time in the mornings and if time permits, the same in the afternoon. For the cost per camper, I would expect more riding time. The children observe vet and dentist visits once a week and are able to paint the horses and play Jeopardy but again, for the cost of the camp, the stable should provide more hands on riding lesson time. With the lack of riding time that is provided, the Park and Planning Summer Guide should advertise the High Standards Equestrian Center's summer camp program as a, "petting zoo," at best. Another concern that I have is that the campers do the exact same thing every session. There is no advancement for campers that stay longer than one week. In essence, if children stay in the program for the entire 6 weeks, they are repeating the same things that they learned in week one every week - regardless of knowledge gained. The program never changes its weekly routine and doesn't provide advancement opportunities for campers that have mastered what was learned in week one. Lastly, but most important, the stable volunteers don't have the patience and training that is required to be summer camp counselors that represent the Maryland Park and Planning summer camp program. There were several occasions that a stable volunteer/employee used profanity when addressing my child (and at least two other children that I am aware of.) When the stable owner was made aware of the volunteer's verbal tirades, her response was, "Oh, he must be getting tired." That was an extremely unacceptable and unprofessional response. I would expect more from the establishments owner. I don't care how, "tired" your staff is - using profanity is never acceptable when working with young children in a summer camp setting. If the High Standards Equestrian Center volunteers/employees don't have the experience and training to be able to handle the responsibilities that go along with being summer camp counselors that represent the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Camp Program, the stable shouldn't be allowed to have camp sessions at their establishment. I am very disappointed with this particular summer camp program and the staff/volunteers at the High Standards Equestrian Center. I am giving them a below average rating and would not recommend this program to anyone that has expectations of a good, quality horseback riding summer camp program. However, this review does not, in any way, reflect the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Camp Program as a whole, it is specifically and solely directed to the services (or lack thereof) and treatment that my child received directly from the High Standards Equestrian Center staff and volunteers while attending the 2017 summer camp session in Brandywine, Maryland. *Please see the reviews that they received while under the name Hideaway Horse Center. The claims of animal abuse and statements of horses being removed from the stable by the county's animal control office are quite disturbing.

I've been keeping a look out for a new barn for my daughter and I to join since moving to Maryland…read morefrom Virginia. This barn isn't that far from where I currently am and the facility appears very well done. I enjoy riding Western and primarily trail riding, whereas my daughter has enjoyed the show jumping and youth team divisions. This barn looked like it would be a perfect match having both trails and English instructors. However, I'd heard rumors from some horse people in the area about boarding here and then quickly moving on to other boarding barns after getting to know management. Others mentioned riding with April and never seeing progress despite tons of effort being put in. I tried to be indifferent as to what I'd heard but honestly, this barn is not the place for us. Management puts on a good show at first but the barn is very clicky and there's way too much drama and gossip that goes around the barn and its crew. Definitely not the type of crowd that I want my daughter to be around, having someone smile to your face and then immediately talk about you behind your back. Then you find out that while trails are confirmed to exist, it's very rare management will take you out to show them unless you happen to be their BFF. You're on your own with that one, which seems to me like a safety hazard. Overall, it seems to me that you're either in or out with this crowd, meaning that if you're not a teacher's pet, you're a threat. I prefer to have more character in a barn if I am to join one. As an aside, I also wasn't impressed with the main pastures that have the horses as there's no shelter anywhere except for the barn. The gelding field has some trees and isn't as bad when the entire field is opened up, but the mare field is practically a field of dirt under the sun with next to no shade. We were looking here in the fall, so I can't imagine what it must be like in the summer. And as for the 'border paddocks,' a single horse is isolated in a small, narrow paddock on a daily basis. Last I checked, horses are social creatures. I would not board my horse here if I got another one, nor would I recommend this barn for either boarding nor riding with. I will continue my search elsewhere. UPDATE in response to Miss Salta's response: Thank you for taking the time to respond to me as I do appreciate that. However I do not appreciate when people try to put words in my mouth or try to twist around what I've said. I'm not quite sure why you're trying to blame some other people from the past for an experience that I've had with your current facility.

I've been here a few times now and my toddler loves it every time. He especially loves the tractor…read moreyou can sit on (if you have a tractor loving kiddo)! This year, they had a great deal on Groupon, which comes with a tractor ride around the farm. There's plenty of animals to look at, from baby pigs, horses, donkeys, turkeys, goats, a camel, dogs, etc. Friendly staff, clean bathrooms (yup, you heard that right), and plenty of places to sit to snack. I've also seen a few families host birthday parties here!

My partner and I had an amazing time at this petting zoo…read more There were horses, goats (like 30!), baby piglets, mama cow and calf that was born just that week, rabbits, llamas, emus, peacocks, turtles, and more! The farmers were knowledgeable and friendly teens/young adults. They were very sweet to the children and ensured that all the kids could pet the baby goat born that week. The best part of our visit was being followed around by Dolly, a goat that roamed the premises, scavenging for leftover corn and dropped treats.

Wild Kid Acres is a wonderful place! The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the…read morevariety of animals made the visit exciting. Such a fun and memorable experience for my 2 1/2 year old grandson --highly recommend!

A 45-minute drive from Washington, D.C., Wild Kid Acres is a petting farm along the water in rural…read moreMaryland where kids can come close to farm animals for enjoyment, therapy and exercise. Opened during the pandemic after the owners returned from Cameroon, Wild Kid Acres is a 5-acre farm of rescue animals. When you arrive, you feel like you're driving into someone's private driveway. Don't fret. Follow the "Wild Kid Acre" sign to park and the owner will greet you like a member of his family. The front area has a Little Free Library, a small playground with a slide and a climbing wall and an area with picnic tables and small farm animals like goats and chickens. Once you get your fill of love from the goats and chickens, the owner will guide you to the other animals- two pigs, a horse, a mini horse and cows. They ask that you don't pet them on the head and some are very nervous being rescue animals. Other than that, they are very friendly and love being around children. People can book an hour appointment online and it cost $15 per adult and $10 per child. Wild Kid Acres also hosts therapy sessions and goat yoga. With plenty of outdoor space to spread out, it's the perfect pandemic activity. If you need food, drive ten minutes into downtown Edgewater or further north to Annapolis.

Their meats and vegetables were really good . I tried their blackberry cider amazing,service was…read moreexcellent very friendly

Who knew this hidden gem was so close to home. I was able to take all 5 (and one on the way) of my…read moreGrandkids to this family farm in Southern Maryland. On the property, we visited the petting zoo, did a kid's corn maze (along with a slide), took a hayride to the pumpkin patch and had the kids pick out their own pumpkins. They had a ball! The farm also has fresh vegetables, ciders, honey, jams, meat and other items available for purchase. The entry fee is $11 for those 2 and above which I think is reasonable. They also have ice cream(which they all loved), milkshakes, root beer floats and pulled pork sandwiches available for purchase. They have strawberry and blackberries for picking in the spring(will be back). The family was very friendly and informative. was friendly. My Grandkids had a ball. This is what I call good, clean fun.

Dana is a great source of information and she backs up her products with great customer service. We…read morelove our ducks we got from Moose Manor Farms.

This wonderful micro-farm specializes in small, compassionate production of heritage waterfowl…read moreraised on a 2 acre wooded lot. The chickens, ducks, geese and turkey roam freely and are fed chemical free food. Moose Manor is run by Dana, a friendly and knowledgeable duck expert also known as the "head hen herder". The farm also participates in conservation and breeding of a rare type of duck. I'm all quacked out on what the name of that duck line is at the moment. But super important work nonetheless. We have enjoyed the duck eggs, chicken eggs, and whole duck meat that we got from the farm. The quality and taste of the eggs and duck meat are much higher than that of the standard grocer fare. And for those adventuring into mini - homesteading, Moose Manor also sells hatching eggs, chicks, ducklings, and goslings. You can also learn backyard poultry raising and processing skills at her fall homesteading workshops. Moose Manor also hosts an annual seed swap and potluck for members of the farm mailing list. We were blown away by charm and friendliness of Dana that we have remained in touch regularly.