Hello and happy Sunday! I hope everyone is having a great weekend, and a fabulous fall so far. Although I love each season equally (well… maybe not winter!) there’s just something extra special about this time of year. I’ll admit it… I’m a basic fall girl! There’s nothing I love more than bundling up in a cozy sweater, sipping a pumpkin spice latte, and doing all the fall activities. And luckily for me, Ontario has no shortage of fun fall experiences to enjoy! From picking your own apples to navigating corn mazes to admiring the changing leaves on a hike, there’s truly something for everyone. One of my favourite things to do in the fall is visit a pumpkin farm… and I happen to have an especially fun one to share with you today!
Located in the town of Milton, Springridge Farm is one of Halton Region’s most popular fun farms. The property was purchased by Leslie and Isobel Hughes in 1960, and it’s still in the family over 60 years later. Today their son and daughter-in-law, John and Laura, run the farm along with their children, Amy and Tom. The Hugheses are proud to carry on the traditions of their family, who have been fruit farming for six generations! Springridge offers everything you’d want in a fall farm: family-friendly activities and entertainment, an on-site bakery and café, a gift shop stocked with local goodies, and of course, pumpkins and gourds galore. Tania and I live close to Springridge so we’ve been here a few times, but never get tired of it! Last weekend, after a hike in the area, we decided to stop in for a quick visit.
If you’re still searching for the perfect Halloween pumpkin, you’ll have no problem finding one at Springridge! They have a vast assortment of pumpkins in all different shapes, sizes and colours, along with a huge selection of gourds. (Gourds are one of my favourite ways to decorate the house for fall… I literally put them everywhere!) Springridge sells their pumpkins for $10 each, or you can choose any three for $25.
The red Springridge Farm truck is a popular photo op at the farm, and they always do a great job decorating it for every season. I’ll admit I never thought of cabbages as decorative items, but check out how beautiful they look!
Families will love the Fun Farmyard, which has tons of rides and attractions for little ones. We didn’t visit the Farmyard (I think we’re just a tad too old) but I couldn’t resist snapping a photo of the antique tractors out front.
The 19th century post-and-beam barn houses the Springridge Market, which sells everything from farm-fresh produce and baked goods to charming gifts and farmhouse-style home decor.
Take my word for it: you simply can’t visit Springridge without picking up some goodies from their bakery! The Hugheses have a longstanding family tradition of not only farming, but baking: they still use their grandmother’s recipes to this day, some of which are more than 75 years old! I couldn’t resist grabbing my favourite treat: an apple cinnamon donut.
We were on our way to Thanksgiving dinner so we didn’t want to spoil our appetites, but if you’re looking for something more substantial, Springridge also sells soups, sandwiches and salads, which you can enjoy on their Pavilion Patio.
Springridge Farm is open every day (including weekends and holidays) from 9-5. Admission to the farm itself (including the market, bakery and gift shop) is free, but you’ll need to pay to enter the Fun Farmyard ($9 on weekdays and $15 on weekends and holidays.)
Springridge is open year-round, and there’s something new to enjoy during every season: from Christmas trees in December to freshly picked strawberries during the summer months. Tania and I are still deciding whether to finally give up our beloved artificial Christmas tree (which frankly, has seen better days) and switch to a real one this year. If we end up getting our tree at Springridge, I’ll be sure to share the photos here!
What are some of your favourite fall activities?