For kids, maintaining composure in the lead-up to Halloween can be just as unbearable as trying not to eat the whole advent calendar on December first. I say “for kids” mainly as a misdirect to hide the fact that, as I’m a grown man, with no kids, I’m finding it hard to maintain my composure in the lead-up to Halloween. Thankfully these spooky, fresh-air activities are like a ghostly balm on my impatience as I wait for the calendar to run down. Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch A mainstay of the best autumn events in Surrey, the Hazelmere patch returns with a you-pick pumpkin area, a mini corn maze, a playground area and a wagon ride. Oh, and not to be outdone, there’s plenty of opportunity to interact with the friendly locals of the farm (goats, pigs, peacocks). Food trucks will be on the scene, so stay for lunch and make a…
By Catherine Dunwoody Hop in your vehicles for a lazy, autumn drive through Langley in BC’s Fraser Valley to discover the prettiest pumpkin patches and most amazing mazes – of corn that is. The fall season in all its colourful glory makes for a lovely road trip, so load up the car with the family and make a day of it. Your first stop, near the Canadian border, is the city of Langley, where you’ll want to pull over to visit Eagle Acres. For the past 20 years this family-owned farm has grown to a whopping 20 acres of pumpkin patches growing 15 varieties, and 5 acres of animal displays in the barns and outside in pens – ideal for inquisitive city kids. The Pumpkin Patch is open daily from October 1 – 31, with covered hayrides out to the pumpkin patch to find that perfect Halloween jack-o-lantern, and included…
By Tim Pawsey Most travelers are familiar with Abbotsford viewed from a busy stretch along Highway One, but even a few minutes detour off the road in either direction can lead to hours of entertainment fit for the whole family. Abbotsford is also easily accessible from Washington directly through the Sumas-Huntingdon Border Crossing. Coming from Vancouver, take exit 92 South and follow Clearbrook and Vye Roads to discover Maan Farms, a multi-faceted, small scale theme park that puts on a different, happy face according to the season. In fact, there’s so much to do that families often come here for a good part of the day. Drive up to the large parking lot and you might be greeted by a display of pumpkins or a cornucopian show of mouth-watering fruits and vegetables. However, there’s more than meets the eye at this spacious farm market, where, while Mom and Dad are tasting…
By Alexis Baran In BC, over 15 varieties of apples are harvested each year by the bushel; and you can pick 5 of them right from the trees yourself at Taves Family Farms in Abbotsford. More than just an apple farm, the Taves have turned the land into a seasonal playground and each year they invite families from the west coast and beyond to enjoy their corn maze, tractor trail, bee hive demonstrations, pony rides, and other activities. It all started with an immigrant farmer who came to Canada after his land was seized in his home country during World War II. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, John Taves, an immigrant from Ukraine, purchased a plot of logged land that was little more than grass and stumps in Abbotsford BC. John’s grandson, Loren, recalls helping his family clear the land as a child: “I remember as a 5-year-old…