The Fall Festival at Auerfarm, just over the border from West Hartford, will include farm fun and competitions.

A variety of fall festival events will be held at Auerfarm. Submitted photo

Submitted

Families are invited to celebrate the beginning of autumn at the annual Fall Festival at the 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm in Bloomfield on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Everyone can meet the animals, tour the gardens, go on a hayride, visit 4-H and Scout displays, listen to live music, and check out local businesses and community organizations.

The Farmer’s Attic Tag Sale will be back again this year. Entries are being accepted for the garden produce contest or scarecrow contest. More than 2,000 people attend the event every year.

Admission is free, however donations are greatly appreciated. Tickets will be available for purchase for food, bounce houses, games, and crafts.

The farm fun continues on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24, from 6 – 9 p.m. with the all new Haunted Farm event! With spooky surprises like the Haunted Hay Barn, Halloween Maze, and Witches’ Stories in the Sugar House. A classic horror movie, Children of the Corn will be continuously projected in the farm’s outdoor pavilion. The evening programs are geared to teenagers, so families with younger children are invited to come to Auerfarm from 4-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Attendees are encouraged to learn more about the Mushroom Barn renovation and preservation campaign to save the 100-year-old structure that is listed on the National Historic Register due to its unusual shape, purpose and building materials. Auerfarm needs to raise $98,000 by the end of October in order to replace the roof, stabilize the structure and make it weather resistant before winter.

The 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm is a private, non-profit education center located at 158 Auer Farm Rd. just minutes from Hartford, off Route 185 in Bloomfield.  This 120-acre farm provides valuable hands-on and Farm to School experiences to more than 10,000 children throughout the year. Seasonal programs are offered to school classes, community groups, and the public in the Center’s animal barn, gardens, farmland and orchards. Winner of the 2015 Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce’s annual Non-Profit Award based on its outstanding contributions to the community. Visit www.auerfarm.org for more information.