Wolf Oak Acres Harvest Festival Opens in Oneida (Utica Blog)

Wolf Oak Acres Corn Maze and Harvest Festival, Oneida NY

Central NY’s Largest Harvest Festival Opens

If you attend one harvest festival this fall, you had better make it Wolf Oak Acres’. This past weekend marked the opening for CNY’s Largest Corn Maze and Harvest Festival in Oneida – running from September 17th to October 30th. The festival is operated off of land owned and operated by Katrina and Russell Blanchard. Visitors on opening day were pleasantly surprised with the number of activities available to adults and children, including pedal karts, pig races, slingshots, a jumping pillow for the kids, and even a 5 acre maze (half the size of previous years, but with a more challenging trail). Wolf Oak Acres is bountiful in the number of activities and events available.

Plenty of refreshments were also available to patrons. One guest even proclaimed the hot apple cider – topped with whipped cream, peanuts, and caramel sauce – to be “the best apple cider around.”

Throughout the day visitors toured the grounds, even the lake just outside the Blanchard house, though it does not feel odd to the family. “This weekend was just a joy – watching all the kids catching trout & bass in the pond during the fishing derbies,” Katrina Blanchard said. “The therapy dogs were swimming & playing fetch in the water. Kids were finding arrowheads while walking our maze. Tons were taking pictures of their kids in front of 8′ tall sunflowers & zinnias. How can you beat that?”

Opening weekend was also “Special Needs Weekend,” and the festival provided a resource fair and therapy animals for any visitors with special needs. What sets Wolf Oak Acres apart from other harvest festivals is their continual work in building a festival that everyone can attend. One of the many underlying themes of the festival is special needs awareness, and according to Katrina Blanchard, this weekend allowed the general public to learn more about local non-profits and their facilities. If anything, they wanted to save families from countless hours of phone tag to track down the right non-profit for them; and families were able to do it in a fun and safe setting.

The Blanchard family has been commended by visitors for their participation in special needs awareness in the CNY area. One e-mail even thanked the farm and staff for opening the door for special needs communications, as well as providing a setting in which their special needs son could be at ease and able to participate.

The family originally bought the land in 2001, with the intention of building a family home. When that was completed in 2007, the family then sought out ways to open their home to the public. “This business (also) allows us to be open during our favorite season … and share a little piece of heaven,” Says Katrina Blanchard. “It also gives us the chance to educate schools and their students on the importance of farms to fork, conservation, agriculture, history, archeology, and much more – which we incorporate into all of our field trip adventures.” Wolf Oak Acres is one of the few farms in the area to still offer school field trips.

There were close to 400 visitors this weekend, and the Blanchard family expects the number to more than double by next weekend; and why not? Standard fall activities include hot air balloon rides, hay rides, Friday Family Movie Nights (starting in October), and live entertainment from local artists. In the following weeks, the festival will feature Farm Days (Sept. 24th & 25th), Sportsman’s Weekend (Oct. 1st & 2nd), the Hot Air Balloon/Pride of NY Wine and Food (Oct. 7th & 10th), Scout and School Weekend (Oct. 15th & 16th), Farm Olympics (Oct. 22nd & 23rd), and of course, Halloween, where there will be trick or treating, costumes, and arts and crafts (Oct. 29th & 30th).

What the Blanchards are especially excited about this year is the Hot Air Balloon/Pride of NY Wine and Food portion of the festival. In the first year of operation, back in 2007, there was only one pilot for the hot air balloons. But each year the number has increased drastically, and this year visitors can expect 21 pilots on the farm, and all food, wine and crafts are based out of New York State.

The farm is located at 6470 Creek Road in Oneida, and open on weekends, from 10am to 5pm. Come October, the farm will also be open Fridays from 4pm to 10pm for Flashlight Maze and Family Movie Night. The farm will also be open during the week by appointment, only. General admission is $7.50 (max of $35 per immediate family). Children under three get in for free, and discounts are available for group trips. Visit their website at www.wolfoakacres.com/page/page/5819241.htm

–Amanda Taylor is a Contributor to The Free George. Photos by Amanda Taylor.

The Free George is the online magazine and visitors’ guide of Upstate NY, covering things from Albany to Lake Placid, including Saratoga, the Lake George region and the Adirondacks. Check out our City Blogs section for our extended coverage areas as well. 

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