Family fun at Silveyville Pumpkin Farm
DIXON » Looking for a fall adventure close to home?
Try Silveyville Pumpkin and Christmas Tree Farm in Dixon, which opened for the season Friday afternoon.
Just off the beaten path at 6248 Silveyville Road, masses of pumpkins and scarecrows welcome visitors to the property, which has been around since 1979. The patch was created around 2000.
Pass through the entrance — wearing face masks, of course — and indulge in the wonders of autumn.
There’s a U-Pick pumpkin patch with all manner of gourds, including specialty ones.
Scarecrows — many wearing face masks and clad in a variety of work gear, from policing to ranch workers — peek from tree branches, wave from behind corn stalks and essentially greet visitors at nearly every tent and farm offering.
As country music danced over the airwaves, kids scrambled over socially-distanced hay bales and wandered the various pumpkinand Christmas tree-lined lanes.
Over at the blacksmith’s tent, boys and girls lined up to watch a demonstration of, well, blacksmithing.
After gaining the children’s attention, the blacksmith carefully placed a cool lump of coal into a little boy’s hand. An awestruck chorus of “whoa” met the action.
“What do you think I’m making?” he asked at one point, bringing out a burning, flattened horseshoe from the fire, hammering the ends and returning it to the flames.
“Why won’t you tell us?” a group of the girls asked.
“Because it’s a secret,” he responded, eventually revealing a heart-shaped hook.
A group of moms observed patiently, enjoying getting their kids outdoors to a place where they can learn, roam and have fun.
“It’s just a good meet-up for all of us,” shared Shawn Venable of Winters. “We come every year.”
Despite the warm temperature and the face masks that made it hotter, Venable still described the visit as enjoyable.
“It’s fun and it’s something new,” she said.
New this year at the farm is a QR Code Farm to Fork Tour. Scan the giant QR code with your smartphone camera and watch an educational video. Meanwhile, checkout the informational placards that tell you where pumpkin pie comes from.
There’s a hanging poster for each ingredient, which includes pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, salt and spices.
Meanwhile, there’s hand sanitizing stations and lots of places to rest, from benches to hay bales, and a little store that sells ice cold beverages.
As well, animals galore are at home on the property and they’re all extremely adorable. Hens, roosters and chicks pepper the farm, and a duck pond features a flock of friendly fowl.
Listen for the bleating and you’ll find a pair of cute Nigerian Dwarf Goats that may be motivated to drop their snacks and come say hello.
Fairfield sisters Everly and Kadence Lake, ages 2 and 6 respectively, were giving it a try.
The tan and white cuties bumped up to the fence line to meet their new friends, their tiny tails wagging, eager to play. As Kadence stood mesmerized, Everly took turns running after flocks of chickens, leading mom, Kristi, to run after her.
“She’s fast,” Kristi said, chasing after her again.
As her husband enjoyed a hunting trip, Kristi also took the girls outdoors.
“We’re just out and about,” she advised, adding that it wasn’t the family’s first time at Silveyville.
“We’ve actually cut down a Christmas tree,” she said.
There’s a little something for everyone at the farm, which will move from pumpkins to Christmas trees in about a month. Grab family and friends and make a day of it, with lunch or even just some ice cream nearby to cap the fun.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, closed Mondays, and noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays. Admission is free.
For more information, visit www.silveyvilletreefarm.com/pumpkin-farm/ or call 678-1823.
Contact reporter Kim Fu at (707) 451-1836.