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Business & Tech

Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm Ready for Fall

Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm and Garden Center in South Barrington is preparing for its busiest time of year.

The haunted house is ready for scares, the corn stalk maze is mapped out and the animals are waiting to greet visitors.

After a lot of preparation, the stage is set for Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm and Garden Center's big Fall Festival in South Barrington.

Goebbert general manager Sue Murdock said she is hoping Mother Nature cooperates this year.

"We had 22 days of rain in October last year," Murdock said. "We ordered good weather this year—last year was tough."

Goebbert's Fall Festival is the busiest time of year for the center.

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"On average we get about 15,000 people visiting on any given weekend," Murdock said. "Columbus Day weekend is our busiest." 

Goebbert's also hosts 20,000 school children during the month of October to give them a lesson in farm life.

The Goebbert family purchased the 40 acres of land in South Barrington in 1972. Murdock says it all started when three of the Goebbert children helped grow pumpkins on the land and decided to sell them by the roadside.

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Murdock says it got so busy that the family patriarch, Jim Goebbert, decided to bring in animals, and the idea of the fall festival took root.

"It's expanded and grown every year," Murdock said.

New this year is a giant inflatable pillow for children to bounce on and a giraffe barn where children can walk up, get face-to-ace with the giant, gentle animals and feed them carrots.

"It's an experience like they've never had before," Murdock said. "The giraffes are such an attraction. We thought we would do something to make it a little easier for the children to see them."

Visitors can also take part in many of the traditional activities, such as meandering through the corn stalk maze, touring the eight-room, child-friendly haunted house, taking pony and camel rides, hopping on wagon rides through a corn stalk trail and cheering on the popular weekend pig races.

Animal Land is home to 55 different types of animals, including cows, goats and baby chicks and large array of exotic animals such as camels, kangaroos, llamas, zebras, tigers, bear cubs and lions. Many of the animals can be spoon-fed.

Back by popular demand is the mechanical pumpkin eating dinosaur who chomps and belches.

Jackie Phillips, a nanny for four different families, said she brings the children to Goebbert's at least once a week for all the fall festivities.

"We like the food and all the animals," Phillips said. "They love it. It's a lot of fun."

The Red Barn Cafe and Bakery is open seven days a week to serve up tastings of the fall's bounty. Apple pies and homemade fudge are made fresh daily. Old-fashioned kettle corn and roasted corn are made fresh every weekend.

However, the most popular item seems to be the apple cider donuts.

"We sold 15,000 dozen donuts last year," Murdock said.

Employees are also stocking the Fall Harvest Market's shelves with homegrown, fresh vegetables such as sweet corn and vine ripe tomatoes picked daily from the Goebbert's 200 acre farm in Hampshire. Murdock says the pumpkin crop looks pretty good this year, too.

The All About Fall Shop is open seven days a week and sells fall and Halloween home decor.

"People come out and experience the farm firsthand and learn where their food is grown," Murdock said. "We are so blessed to have this so close to the city. You don't have to drive hours away to get a feel for the farm."

Goebbert's Fall Festival located at 40 W Higgins Rd. and is open from Sept. 25 to Oct. 31. General admission is free to the farm. Animal Land costs $7 per person on Saturdays, Sundays and Columbus Day. It costs $4 per person Monday through Friday.

Ride tickets cost $4 each. For more information, go to www.pumpkinfarms.com.

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