Old Baker Farm opens to public, plans events

Published 3:23 pm Monday, October 3, 2016

By STEPHEN DAWKINS / Staff Writer

HARPERSVILLE – Pumpkin harvest hours have begun at Old Baker Farm in Harpersville, and the farm’s festival weekend is coming soon.

Old Baker Farm, which is located at 184 Furrow Lane in Harpersville, will hold Western Cowboy Day on Oct. 8-9, Living History Day on Oct. 21, and Cotton Pickin’ Celebration on Oct. 22-23.

For Western Cowboy Day, the farm will be the site of “shootouts,” Western music and square dancing, hay wagon rides, a hay mountain and more, including the popular pumpkin patch, which is open to visitors throughout the season.

Children are encouraged to wear Western attire during Western Cowboy Day.

The farm will be on from 9 a.m. to dark on Oct. 8 and from 1 p.m. until dark on Oct. 9.

The gates close at 5 p.m. each day during the season.

Admission costs $10 per person, while children under 2 get in free. Cash and checks are accepted.

The admission fee includes a pumpkin and all events except food, arts and crafts, and horseback rides.

Educating students is the focus of Living History Day, which includes about 10 stations where students can learn from historians about the Civil War, and one station where students can learn about Native Americans, according to Pam Baker with Old Baker Farm.

“It’s very much done in the way a Civil War soldier would have done it,” Baker said about the stations, which form a small encampment near a log cabin at the farm. “We try to add something every year so we can keep people curious.”

Bristol Hannah, Kalyn Ervin and Kaytlynn Barron pick cotton at Old Baker Farm.

Bristol Hannah, Kalyn Ervin and Kaytlynn Barron pick cotton at Old Baker Farm.

Living History Day is open only to school groups of students in third through sixth grades.

Demonstrations include artillery firing, infantry manual of arms, learning and participating in some basic infantry marching drills, cavalry, signal corps, and old fashioned soap making.

Classes will learn about uniforms and equipment used by soldiers, what camp life and food were like, different flags of the war, and see and learn about earthworks forts by stepping into a full size replica earthworks fort.

Living History Day attendance costs $8 per person, which includes a hayride. Lunch is not included.

The Cotton Pickin’ Celebration and arts and crafts festival will follow Living History Day.

During the festival, the farm will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 22 and 23.

The cost to attend will be $10, with ages 2 and under free.

Pumpkin harvest hours began Sept. 24 and will continue through Oct. 31.

For more information about any of the events, visit OldBakerFarm.com.