How lucky are we to be in full-on fall? All the seasons shine beautifully in gorgeous Whatcom County, but there’s something extra special about autumn—with its turning leaves, apple trees bursting with fruit, pumpkins galore, and so much more. Check out WhatcomTalk’s list of area fall festivities.
Be sure to note COVID guidelines and call with any questions before heading out.
Stoney Ridge
Stoney Ridge Farm, 2092 VanDyk Road in Everson is open in October from noon to 5 p.m. Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. School tours are taking place on the mornings of Friday, October 15 and 22. Please call the farm for more information and to schedule a tour.
WECU is proud to be the title sponsor for this year’s Stoney Ridge Farm Fall Festival, taking place October 9, 16, and 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The good old fashioned family fun includes a corn maze, pumpkin patch, mini donuts, and apple picking.
The first 100 WECU members to show their debit or credit card will receive free admission. And make sure to keep an eye out for hidden WECU logos throughout the farm, which can be redeemed for prizes at the WECU booth.
Cicchitti’s pizza truck will be on the farm on Saturdays.
An admission price of $3 per person includes parking, entry, wagon rides, the corn maze, farm animal displays, and the opportunity for you to take as many pictures as you can. No pets are allowed, except service animals.
The coffee shop will be open, with mini cider doughnuts and pumpkin doughnuts, as well as warm apple cider. Be sure to grab some Jonagold apples to snack on while you search for your perfect pumpkins or choose from an array already picked for you.
Fall and Christmas decorations and crafts will be available, as well, including lots of squash, gourds and ornamentals to decorate with.
Only cash or checks are accepted, no credit or debit cards, and a WECU ATM will be available on October 9, 15 and 23, which is fee-free for any credit union member. For more information, call 360-966-3919 or visit Stoney Ridge Farm’s Facebook page.
Bellewood Farms
Celebrate the apple harvest and all things fall at Bellewood Farms, 6140 Guide Meridian Road, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, throughout October.
Enjoy a free apple bin train ride (runs daily until 4 p.m) through the orchard and find your way out of the corn maze. Fresh cider donuts and kettle corn are available, and a field full of pumpkins are for sale. Enjoy fresh cider, caramel apples, and farm fresh apple pie.
Adults can check out the recently updated distillery tasting room and enjoy free sips of farm-to-bottle spirits made with Bellewood apples and pears.
Bellewood Farms will hold is annual Ciderfest on November 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with cider tastings from local cideries, a homebrew competition, a community carboy fill, live music by Sweater Weather Stringband, bonfires, food, a best fall sweater competition, raffle prizes, and more. Tickets are available now via Eventbrite.
For more information, call 360-318-7720 or visit Bellewood Farms’ website or Facebook page.
Cramer’s Western Town
Dan Cramer’s 10-acre farm at 956 Van Dyk Road belonged to Dan’s grandmother who traveled to Whatcom County in 1900 from North Dakota by horse and wagon.
Surrounded by mountain views, Cramer’s Western Town dates back to 1979. Dan wanted to create something unique for people to come and enjoy the animals and farm atmosphere.
Cramer’s Western Town offers free parking, pony rides, the fun zone (activities for small children, such as a hay jump, duck pump races, a pool of corn to play in, and more), barrel train rides pulled by an antique tractor, a draft horse ride, trolley rides to the pumpkin patch, a barn hay maze, and farm animals of all types—plus plenty of photo opportunities.
Weekdays, Dan says, are used for school field trips and, aside from October, he accommodates weddings, company picnics, and other gatherings. A party barn is available to rent.
“We aim to give people a farm experience, and we always try to have baby animals for the pumpkin patch,” Dan says. “Right now, we have baby pigs and a baby miniature donkey.”
Fun fact: scenes in the 2012 movie “The Mountain Runners” were filmed at the venue.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Admission is $3 and is free for kids younger than 2. For more information, call 360-510-7466, or visit dancramerswesterntown.com or Facebook.
Hal’s Pumpkin Patch
Hal’s Pumpkin Patch, 5249 Imhoff Road in Ferndale, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through November 1. Cash, credit cards, and checks are accepted. Call 360-389-8378 for details.
Willetta Farm
Willetta Farm, 1945 E. Badger Road in Everson, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays, through October.
Pick your favorite pumpkin from the patch for carving or decorating. They offer pumpkin sales, baked goods, beverages (including hot apple cider) and homemade crafts. They will have horse drawn wagon rides and animal viewing.
Call 360-220-9336 for more information or visit the Willetta Farms Facebook page.
Bellingham Farmers Market
Bellingham Farmers Market, Depot Market Square, 1100 Railroad Ave., hosts a Pumpkin Hunt from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. on October 30. Pumpkins will be placed around the farmers market with a tag attached. These pumpkins are free! They encourage folks to take the pumpkins home, decorate or carve them, and tag the event on social media @bhamfarmersmkt. Please limit one pumpkin per family. Costumes are encouraged. More details on Facebook.
Fairhaven Chicken Festival (Editor’s note: Cancelled due to weather but rescheduled for June 18, 2022)
Fairhaven’s inaugural Chicken Festival will be held on Saturday, October 16, from noon until about 5 p.m. on the Village Green, hosted by the Fairhaven Association. For more information about this new community event, see our previous WhatcomTalk story.
Featured photo courtesy Bellewood Farms
