WNY Heroes, Mercy Flight to Participate in armed forces weekend
The Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence will kick off its 23rd annual Fall Festival this weekend (10 a.m. to dusk Saturday and Sunday) with a special armed forces weekend in collaboration with
WNYHeroes Inc. The regular admission fee will be waived for active duty and retired military, police or fire department personnel who present proper identification to WNY Heroes representatives at the gate. These attendees will also be permitted to bring one guest for free.
MercyFlight, which provides emergency medical care via air and ground transportation, will be on site with Beulah, the organization's educational BO-105 helicopter. Festivalgoers can take photos near Beulah and learn more about Mercy Flight's lifesaving, nonprofit mission (and maybe win a prize or two!) at the Mercy Flight booth.
As with every year at this annual fall attraction tradition, there's something for everyone, including amusement rides; hayrides; corn maze; the pumpkins and mum patch; pumpkin cannon; shooting gallery; homemade doughnuts, pies, cookies and pastries; Halloween decorations and special events, such as the World Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, the Trebuchet Contest and
Oinktoberfest, New York State's BBQ Cook-off.
The Fall Festival runs weekends through Oct. 28, in addition to Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 8). The Great Pumpkin Farm is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to dusk from Monday, Sept. 17, through Wednesday, Oct. 31 (Halloween closing time is 5 p.m.) There is no admission on weekdays, except on Columbus Day. The Pumpkin Palace is open and features Halloween decorations, a bakery and candy store as well as the Witches Brew Bar & Cafe. Guests can purchase pumpkins, cornstalks, gourds and cider. There's also a petting zoo, hay maze and playground. Group tours are also conducted during the week.
Admission to the Fall Festival is $8 per person (children ages 2 and under admitted free). Discounted tickets are available at all Buffalo and Rochester Wegmans.
The Great Pumpkin Farm is located at 11199 Main St., Clarence.
