Happy Little Farmstead gears up for third annual Fall Festival with family, fun, food and farm animals
The Happy Little Farmstead reminds you to mark your calendars because their third annual Fall Festival is fast approaching.
On the weekend of Oct. 5 to 6, the local family-run farmstead is offering corn mazes, fresh food, and adorable farm animals that will get the whole family in the autumnal spirit.
Some festival activities geared towards children are tractor hayrides, fall crafts, climbing on hay structures, and even face painting. Adults can snap some Instagrammable fall photos, shop unique holiday gifts from vendors and enjoy tasty snacks from local food trucks.
Owners Lea and Alex Ardley started the Farmstead in 2020 when the couple returned to Lea’s family’s dairy farm due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Lea Ardley shared,
“We were finishing our studies online in Ottawa and decided that the country air would do us good,” she told Brockvilleist.
Lea’s parents made the difficult decision to retire from milking cows after 30 years in the business, and within a few months, the cows were gone and the barn was empty.
Ardley explained, “We spent two years transforming the old dairy barn into a fun and educational farm experience. In October 2022, we proudly opened our farm doors to the public. What started as a way to make the best of a challenging time has blossomed into Happy Little Farmstead.”
The very first festival coincided with the Grand Opening of the new farm and the couple was thrilled to welcome over 300 visitors that weekend, inspiring them to keep the tradition going for years to come. Ardley shared, “Last year, we expanded the event to include a corn maze, face painting, hay structures, local vendors, and a food truck, drawing in more than 800 attendees and we’re making it even bigger this year.”
In addition to the educational component, the farm continues to be a working agricultural farm. Ardley told Brockvilleist, “Our goal is to demonstrate that farm life comes with both the good and the hardships as we work with nature.”
The Ardleys want to thank the Spencerville community for their continued support over the past three years, “We’ve learned just how supportive small communities like ours can be, and we feel it’s important to give back and create spaces where people can come together.”
This year’s festival will be taking place between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m at 3418 Goodin Road in Spencerville. Tickets are $8 per visitor and children under two can enter for free. Tickets are available online.