Holly Fork Farm is a charming experience for those looking to leave the city behind and enjoy a bit…read moreof rural fun, particularly during their autumnal events. Went here recently with my parents to enjoy the nice day and get some fall activities in. It's nice that they let people 60+ in for free so my parents didn't have to pay, and my basic ticket was $10. The all-inclusive pass is $25 but frankly this isn't really worth getting except for families looking to use the children's attractions like the slide and bounce house. There were plenty of chickens wandering around, as well as ducks, pigs, and other assorted barnyard animals in various pens which were fun to see. The pumpkin launching thing was a blast though $10 for three small pumpkins to fire is pretty pricey. The apple cider donuts were expensive too, 2 for $5 for small donuts. Thankfully the short hayride experience was included in the admission. While this was a cute experience, I think the main draw is for families with young children who would make the most use of all the activities here or older folks who are able to enjoy it for free. Otherwise, there's not much for those in their 20's-40's to do, though I did enjoy the brief time with the pumpkin launcher. If you have kids, definitely come! Others might want to review their other options. --- Overall: 4.0 stars Pros: - Nice staff, very friendly and helpful. - Inviting family-friendly atmosphere. - Free for 60+, not too expensive for others if you skip the kid stuff. - Plenty of stuff for kids if you're here for that. Cons: - Everything is a bit of an abridged version of things you might find elsewhere: very short small hayride, small play areas for kids. - Nothing to do for those without kids, nothing like rope swings or wine tasting.

I stopped off here instead of college farm where we usually get pumpkins bc it's closer. It was…read morenice that the prices were on thre pumpkins. However. I had never gotten a rotten pumpkin, so I didn't think to inspect it thoroughly. Drove 45 minutes home & sat my $13 punkin down to decide on decorating. Bugs later appearing & when I flipped it over, I noticed it was rotten. Had to throw it outside. (I usually but Cinderella or Fairytale pumpkins bc I like the taste. I usually only put the cheap pumpkins outside.) Personally, I'll stick with college farm. This farm did seem to have a lot for children to keep entertained & sold clothes, fresh eggs, & other jams, etc. (For kids, I prefer Dardens. The owner loves to educate kids & allow them to touch everything. They have breast cancer pink pumpkins that they donate money to fight breast cancer. They also have great pies & smoked ham.)

Shelley is such an amazing and wonderful caretaker for her farm. We had the privilege of going to…read moresee her and the baby goats on our last road trip. It was the highlight of our trip!! Such personal 1:1 time and in such a loving atmosphere. We will be back soon!!

From the owner: Here at Riverwatch Farm, our beloved goats and free range chickens are part of our family. They are…read moreso much more than just milk machines, They are our pets, and we love them. While we respect the different philosophies and approaches to herd management, we choose to bottle raise our kids for a number of reasons such as the safety and friendliness of our kids, and the udder health of our does. Our herd is disease free, and tested annually. Biosecurity plays a big role in our practices here. We are committed to making sure that our herd remains a clean herd. We also offer farm tours and goat snuggling sessions.

This is an Amazing place. I bought pies from here to give to neighbors and friends for Thanksgiving…read moreand Christmas. Anything, purchased from here is Phenomenal! Celia Herron

THE BEST STRAWBERRY FARM EVER!! I came here for the first time with my mother in law and family and…read morewe picked beautiful fresh strawberries and absolutely beautiful and plus it is is big and beautiful and they have everything playground and goats and so peaceful and magical and love it so much and took home so many delicious strawberries made some jam and eating lots of them. I am coming back year every year and the staff are so kind caring and respectful and so sweet and wonderful people and plus they have little market to buy staff. Plus they are wonderful so kind and lovely and so sweet and and awesome place and everything is so awesome and wonderful and and everything looks brilliant and excellent and I appreciate them so much for all there hard work and devotion to the community others and the farmers for planting incredible fruit that are strawberries and so fresh and tasty and delicious and brings back memories for me when I younger picking strawberries with my favorite family. Thank you From Lauren

This is where I get all of my eggs and breakfast sausage. The sausage is the best. It's seasoned…read morejust like I remember the sausage we had growing up just after butchering a hog. They also have great hot Italian sausage. I'm not a big fan of Italian sausage, but tried a recipe with it and loved it. And of course, the eggs couldn't be fresher ,and it's great to be able to get chicken and the chicken parts I need to make bone broth -- like chicken feet! Oh! And the Thanksgiving turkey I got last year was so good. The soup I made from the carcass was the best EVER! I plan on ordering two turkeys for Thanksgiving this year since they only offer them once a year.

If you are conscientious about how your food is raised, and want superior quality meats and cheese,…read morethen this is the place for you. I personally know the owners and they are extremly ethical and humane when it comes to their husbandry of their poultry, hogs and goats. They practice regenerative agriculture, rotate their animals on pasture and forestry and reseed with a variety of cover crops that addresses the needs of the soil. They supplement the natural forage present with non-GMO feed. When it comes to quality, you get what you pay for and the quality of their meats, eggs and cheese far exceeds that in the the grocery store. It is hard to narrow their meats down to a favorite, but ours is the pork loin, ribs, bacon, breakfast sausage links and their pork belly. I will stack their pork loin up with any in the world for flavor and tenderness. Their Chèvre melts in your mouth. I've never liked goat cheese due to the goaty taste and smell, but their cheese from their blue ribbon goats have absolutely no goaty smell or taste due to the cleanliness in their milk parlor. If you have doubts, contact Dennis for a personal tour and you will be happy you did.

Truly an outstanding facility. The employees are the best. This is a great place for children to…read morehave extremely fun outdoor activities, including horseback riding. These folks have been in business since 1960.

5-Star Review My daughter had a trail ride at Triple R Ranch…read moreand it was absolutely fantastic! Her guide, Ava, was wonderful--patient, encouraging, and great at making her feel comfortable the whole time. You can tell Ava really knows how to connect with kids and help them enjoy the experience. The ranch itself is beautiful and well-run. If you're looking for riding lessons or a memorable trail ride, this is the place! Highly recommend Triple R Ranch.

I am so glad we stopped by to see the love sign and head down to the farm stand. We bought apple…read morebutter, apple cider jelly and apple butter barbecue sauce. All of it was delicious. It is a beautiful farm and I can't wait to go back in the fall for cider.

The family, the farm, this whole place is a treasure and I can't wait to return!…read more I am always on the hunt for new and exciting things to do with my daughter and this place was brought to my attention by a coworker. They offer several special events throughout the year, adventure camps for kids of all ages, field trip opportunities and private parties. We attended a GLOWvember evening several weeks ago which was so much fun for our preschooler. We had never been to the farm, but Google maps and signs off the road led us to the right spot. There is ample parking on this private property and it was a short walk to the rear of the home where all activities take place. We were greeted right away by Shannon, and introduced to many of the animals on the property including a rotund pig, many goats and chickens. Shannon was a saint in guiding the children and offered them opportunities to interact with and care for the animals. Our daughter was smitten and followed Shannon like a shadow. She had activities ready for the kids to interact with the environment including a ladybug hunt and nature scavenger hunt. There is play equipment that was almost as inviting for me as it was for the kids. The night also included a bonfire with s'mores, outdoor independent play stations, family-friendly music & plenty of glowsticks. What I appreciate the most is that Shannon, a former sped teacher & special needs mom, has created a place where both neurotypical and neurodiverse children can work and play together in an engaging environment. What a blessing she is to this community!

This place is AMAZING!! It is so hard to find places for kids with special needs that aren't…read moreoverwhelmed with crowds and are able to enjoy themselves, but most importantly - be themselves. This place has is all: small numbers for attendance, LOTS of sensory, LOTS of fun, and a very decent price! It's tucked away on the Virginia / NC border. They have chickens, a pig, goats, and a cute cat! They have ziplines, climbing apparatuses, bubbles, water tables, truck pit, and more! We were there for 3 hours and my boys were in tears when we had to go home! Three hours went by so fast. This is the owner's home, but parking is definitely available. They also have a bathroom to use - it's the cleanest portable potty I've seen to date. Shannon - the owner, is so kind and congenial! She helped me with my son's when I had to take one to the bathroom. She treated my boys as if they were her very own. I highly recommend this place. You will not be disappointed! This is definitely the place for special needs kids. This was the first time, since we lived in Japan, that I was able to let my kids run and have fun, and I didn't have to worry.

Hive Five Apiary & Bee Supply is the Best! I reached out to them about a situation I was in and…read moreneeded some help, Jeff was patient and helpful. I'm a hobbyist beekeeper on the West Coast, I was needing 30 deep wax frames sent to San Diego, Jeff and his wife were able to provide what I needed. I received the frames in just a few days and in great condition.

Jeff was really great to work with. He answered all our questions and was very informative about…read morehis business and his products. We did not leave empty handed.

Sooooo cute! And right in my backyard! Just off Seaboard road in the field beside Wave Church…read more Last year they planted later due to COViD. But this year they're open in late June. Peak blooms are in the next 4-5 days. Follow them on Instagram for up to date info on blooms and hours. Super friendly staff. $25 gets your group in and you can get 10 sunflowers. They'll give you a bucket but you can bring your own shears (or they have some to borrow) and they'll wrap them for you too in cool napkins for the drive home. Suggest if you have a long drive you bring some water for them. The sunflowers are beautiful and plentiful and there weren't that many bugs. Also - this is a large field of sunflowers so you can really spread out. It felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. We roamed for half an hour before we saw other people. They have a small boutique selling themed items all featuring their bee or sunflowers. Adult shirts are $25. The bee pins are $10. A sunflower coloring book with colored pencils is $13 or $10 for just the book. Etc etc. Love love love!!!!

Is a "pop up farm" a thing? Yelp has a category for "attraction farm"- I guess that fits!…read more Goldpetal is a beautiful maze of sunflowers. Not the "you'll get lost" kind of maze, more like a "you'll want to get lost" kind of maze. They opened on August 27th and reached max bloom on September 2nd. Their Facebook page indicates that you may only have another few days to catch this season's blooms. We went on a Thursday evening around 5:30 and only had a short line to get inside. The line was much longer when we were leaving around 7pm. It's $20 for 10 stems. That includes entry for up to 5 people. You can get an extra 10 stems for $10 and I think military gets an extra 5 just for showing their ID. You can't just go for the pictures, you've gotta pay. Dogs can come too- just make sure they are on a leash and you may want to bring water for them if you're planning a longer trip. They give you tips and the rules before you enter and supply you with a metal vase and cutters. I'd suggest bringing a basket instead of using their bucket though. After that the field is all yours. They have several different types of sunflowers. We got a little carried away and now I don't know what to do with all our flowers, not a bad problem to have. "By the time you're reading this it's probably too late." Cryptic, but if you're reading this after Labor Day weekend your best bet is to bookmark this for in your Summer 2021 collection and sign up for their mailing list on their website so you don't miss out next year!

We absolutely loved Jack and Pickles. Beautiful sunset views, wonderful breeze, and a cool…read moreconcept!! Plus the nicest most welcoming owners on the planet. We originally saw Jack and Pickles as we were walking on the dock around Smith Island - and it was closed. The next day we saw it was open and we peeked our head in and saw the cutest little place w an awesome view. They are open during the day and then they are open again from 6-9 and are byob. We came that night w a drink and sat on the deck and enjoyed sitting on the water. We left for dinner and came back after we ate. We sat on the deck until close enjoying a gorgeous sunset. The owners, Elley and Terry are just awesome people. They love the island life and want the best for the community. We really enjoyed talking to them. We didn't have kids with us, but it would be perfect to bring the kids along bc they have a ton of games and activities to keep busy. We can't wait to come back to Smith Island and when we are here we will def spend each night at Jack and Pickles.

From the owner: Welcome to the only island entertainment opened passed 6pm and the best spot for good vibes and…read moreisland leisure. Jack and Pickles Amusements has the shanty as the main hub for family entertainment and Jack and Pickles yard for children's entertainment. BYOB are welcomed in the shanty; enjoy your beverage and concessions while watching a beautiful Smith Island sunset on the bay. Tap into Gen X heaven with our arcade and game room, complete with over 700 classic Gen X videos games, and play our mini claw machines for guaranteed prizes. Add a bounce house to the play yard to complete your parties. Groups are encouraged! Birthdays, Bachelorette, Bachelor, Reunions, Wedding: Celebrate with us!! Day Passes start as low as $3 per person