Guide: Pumpkin Fest At Siegel's Cottonwood Farm
By Lauren Wulf
Siegel's Cottonwood Farm
17250 Weber Road
Lockport, IL 60441
(815) 741-2693
www.OurPumpkinFarm.com
September 22 – October 31
10:00AM-6:00PM
Take $2 off with online coupon
$12
Weekends/Columbus Day: $14
Ages 2 and under: FREE
Pumpkin Fest kicks off September 22nd at Siegel's Cottonwood Farm. With over 20 unlimited attractions and free admission for kids under 2, there's a lot of affordable family fun happening on this farm.
Pumpkins!
Take a hayride out to the U-Pick Pumpkin Field and explore acres of pumpkins. Pick from thousands of unique pumpkins. Many pumpkins are even still on the vine, giving you the full pumpkin patch experience. The tractor pulled ride though the field lasts 15 minutes. You can hop on and off until you find your perfect pumpkin. Pumpkins are sold by the pound.
Food & Treats
Picking pumpkins works up quite the appetite. There's no shortage of delicious snacks here to help fill you up (and maybe get a sugar buzz!).
Kaity's Country Store & Fudge Shoppe: Located in Grandpa Frank's Barn step back in time as you enter the 1870's circa barns and shop homemade fresh or frozen pies, chocolates, homemade fresh fudge, jams, jellies or souvenir sports gear.
Kyle's Corn Crib Cafe: Open daily; this cafe features some quick snacks to go. Munch on pizza, smoked turkey legs, tacos, fresh apple crisps, kettle corn, pumpkin/apple pie slices and more.
Weekend Treats (only open on weekends): Cottonwood Cluckers Henhouse, Sassie Sue's Sweets, Grandpa's Kettle Corn, Funny Farm Cakes, Moontown Station, Zach's Smoke Shack, Siegel's Studs Root Bear Wagon
Cornfield Maze
Open every weekend, September 22-October 31st from 10a.m.-6p.m. you can wind your way through 5.5 miles of corn maze. Choose your desired paths and adventure through the miles of pathway. Take shorter or longer paths and explore at your own pace. Each year, the aerial view of the maze shows it's amazing shapes. This year the maze is themed, "Zombie Politics & John Deere Maze".
Petting Zoo
Aside from the pumpkins, the adorable animals pretty much steal the show (don't they always?). As you start with Aunt Bea and her calf, walk into the barn and wind your way through the Straw Maze. Look for the potbelly pigs, ponies, horses, mules and more. Don't forget to check out the goats with their very own penthouse suite on the roof.
Rides & Attractions
Pony Rides: Pony rides $4.00 each for children up to 60 pounds (Sorry, Dad no pony ride this time!)
Pumpkin Mine Kiddie Train: Kids can ride the train through the seven dwarf's Pumpkin Mine. Listen to the conductor sound his whistle while the Dwarf's mine for the perfect pumpkin. Little ones only - maximum weight limit of 50 pounds applies.
Ghost Town Rail Road: See the farm in style, take the Ghost Town Railroad from the station out to the Golden Gulch Gem Mine and back again. Kids and adults can ride the rails together.
Lauren Wulf, CBS Chicago
Lauren Wulf writes about living in Chicago on a budget on her website, A Poor Girl's Guide Chicago.
