Local farm provides fall experiences on a budget

Ashley Morrison, The Anniston Star, Ala.
·2 min read

Oct. 17—Six-year-old Ellander "Ella" Cofield sped around a corner at Creekside Farm Saturday clutching a pumpkin in one hand and a swatch of cotton candy in the other.

"She's painted a pumpkin, so we have a souvenir to take home," her grandmother, Emmie Cofield, said.

Every Saturday in October, Creekside Farm has opened its grounds to a host of vendors, hay rides, face painting, pumpkin painting games, and a plant nursery with pumpkins for sale.

"It has been neat. It's really nice. And I really enjoyed it," Cofield said.

Amy Carter, who owns the Creekside Farm with her husband, said the pumpkin patch days were their way of giving back to the community.

"We try to do as much free stuff for the kids in the area as possible. We try to charge very minimum, and anything we do try to charge is very reasonable to make it an economic trip," Carter said.

While many of her competitors charge a hefty entrance fee of $15-25 dollars per person even for the little children, Carter's $5 entry fee for the adults only make it much more affordable for the average family of four to join in on the fun.

"We want kids to have the experience," Carter said.

Carter and her family opened the business two years ago and took on business partners when the business moved out to the new location at 4128 Choctaw Street. (Choctaw is off U.S. 431 in Saks, a little ways north of the intersection with Bynum-Leatherwood Road.)

The farm is able to keep prices low by passing along the fees to the vendors instead of the parents. Carter said the farm does make a small margin of profit on the pumpkins it sells, but most of the money it makes doesn't come from those attending events.

Spread over the grounds was also a variety of photographic props such as a tractor, hay bale stacks, and pumpkin decor. Carter said she understood photos were a big reason parents take their kids to these events.

"I've raised five kids, so I know if I was here, I'd be like, 'OK, take a picture right here. Sit by this tractor right here.' and I would look for opportunities," Carter said.

The last Saturday of October at Creekside Farm will be a big bash with Halloween decor, and the kids are encouraged to come out with their costumes. Miss JSU will judge a costume contest, Carter said.

Those who miss the last two Saturdays in October can still catch Creekside's next event days, December 10-11, as it will have a Christmas-themed event with Santa Claus, hot cocoa, and all the trimmings.