Fall is finally here. The leaves are changing colors, the weather is getting crisper, and kids and adults alike are anxious to visit one of Nebraska's most cherished fall traditions: Vala's Pumpkin Patch! Located in Gretna, the pumpkin patch is easy to access from I-80, Hwy 370, Lincoln, Omaha... You name it! To save money (and avoid crowds) your best bet is to visit during the week when ticket prices are reduced. My family has also made it an annual tradition to visit on Halloween, in costume. Since that is the last day they're open, tickets are discounted even more and there has never been a crowd during the day. Plus all the pumpkins and other fall backdrops make for adorable pictures of your kiddos in their costumes! My kids try to hit almost every area of interest at Vala's, but if you're limited on time these are our Top 5 Picks of the Patch: 1) The Egg Scramble New to Vala's this year, the Egg Scramble is a family-friendly dodgeball-like eggstravaganza! A huge newly constructed two-story yellow barns hosts thousands of foam balls that can be shot out of numerous air-powered launchers, up vacuum machines, down ball drops, through automatic shooters, and more! The barn also has net climbers, an enclosed tornado slide, pulley bucket, and more! 2) Lost Pumpkin Mine We always go through the Lost Pumpkin Mine at last three times every visit. While it may look kind of spooky upon entering, it's not a scary attraction (it even states this on the outside.) we like this in particular because there is a lot to see, paths to walk, some dynamite you can help explode, and a blacklight spinning rock tumbler tunnel you go through in order to leave (there is an alternative exit). 3) Flying Stunt Dogs Across the covered bridge, past the train and near the peddle carts you'll notice an old "Town Hall" recreation. On Friday nights, Saturday's, and Sunday's you can sit and watch a special stunt show featuring Border Collies. There are various shows they perform and sometimes they can even be seen during the weekdays. Kids (and even myself!) are always amazed by what these dogs can do! At the end of most shows kids have the opportunity to throw a frisbee for the dogs to catch and/or pet one of the dogs. Added perk for parents, there are two bleachers of seating--one in complete shade! 4) Obstacle Course This is a new favorite of ours starting last year. Down by the corn maze entrance there is a nice wooden obstacle course for kids. There isn't anything too challenging and my boys go crazy competing in it! Okay, maybe not "crazy" because the employees are very good making sure everyone is being safe, not running etc., but I do love seeing the sibling rivalry come out in my boys. 5) Bonfire Nothing says fall like sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows with family and friends. At Vala's you have the opportunity to rent one of campfire sites. These can be rented started at 11am during the day, but of course we recommend renting one at night! There are lots of fun areas for kids to play and for adults to sit and relax during the day. Our favorite area is the Applewood Play Area over by the apple orchard and hayrack ride. It's a very nice playground and it's nicely shaded for adults to rest their feet while the kids continue to burn their endless energy. Other areas include a wooden pirate ship climber by the Piraye Cove restaurant, train climber over by the, you-guessed-it, train. A box box of corn to bury themselves in, a giant spider web climber, a cool kids-only hideout with slides, tractor sandbox with giant red slide, and much more. Other attractions we always hit are the hayrack ride, corn maze, jumping pillows, pedal tractors, trike race, giant slides, the various haunted houses, and much more. We also bring change with us so our kids can feed the goats and camel. I especially love that Vala's has hand sanitizer and hand washing stations ALL over the place!
Onto the food, oh the delectable, mouth-watering food... We always save up money over the summer so we can enjoy our favorite Vala's treats. For me, it's the kettle corn. My husband loves the giant turkey legs. My son loves the caramel apples, and my other son loves the onion rings at the Pirate Cove restaurant. And don't even get me started on the pies!!! There are plenty of places to stop for a snack, warm & cold beverages, full meals, more. During the weekday the options are less, but still offer a a good variety of options. You can also purchase a souvenir cup that gets you discounted refills very visit (every year!) The only "downfall" (I use that term very loosely) to visiting Vala's is that envitably it's going to cost you some money. But as I said before, we save money over the summer with the intention to enjoy our favorite aspects of the pumpkin patch. If you plan to visit a few times, their annual pass is a good option for you. Overall, it's definitely worth the trip. It's typically a full day trip for us and each year it's the our most cherished fall family tradition. I hope it can be yours too!
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Have you heard about the Teal Pumpkin Project movement? We are excited to participate this Halloween, helping to raise awareness of food allergies and promoting inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season. --- About the Teal Pumpkin Project --- Every child should be able to experience the joy and tradition of trick-or-treating on Halloween. But kids with food allergies are often left out of the fun, since most candy is off limits. FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project helps make sure all children will come home on Halloween night with something they can enjoy. It just takes one simple act: offering non-food treats, such as glow sticks or small toys, as an alternative to candy. Last year, households from all 50 states and 14 countries participated. This is a worldwide movement to create a safer, happier Halloween for all trick-or-treaters. --- How to Take Part --- 1) Provide non-food treats for trick-or-treaters. We are handing out Halloween themed rubber duckies and other small toys from Oriental Trading. 2) Place a teal pumpkin in front of your home. This indicates to passersby that you have non-food treats available. You can paint a teal pumpkin, or we opted to order this teal foam pumpkin from Oriental Trading. 3) Display a sign to explain the meaning of your teal pumpkin. FARE’s website has a variety of free printable signs, bag flyers, and more to help spread the word. Oriental Trading also has this cute lawn sign: Teal Pumpkin Project Information & Product Links Teal Pumpkin Project http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin-project#.V_BMT8Q8KnM Teal Pumpkin Project Downlaods http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin-project/download#.V_BMf8Q8KnM Lawn sign http://m.orientaltrading.com/teal-pumpkin-yard-sign-a2-13743366.fltr?Ntt=teal Foam pumpkin http://m.orientaltrading.com/foam-teal-pumpkin-a2-13743368.fltr?Ntt=teal Rubber Duckies http://m.orientaltrading.com/halloween-rubber-ducky-assortment-a2-13707505.fltr?prodCatId=550222 Halloween Novelty Toy Assortment http://m.orientaltrading.com/halloween-novelty-assortment-a2-5_877.fltr?prodCatId=550203%201237 --- ABOUT FARE --- Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) works on behalf of the 15 million Americans with food allergies, including all those at risk for life-threatening anaphylaxis. FARE's mission is to improve the quality of life and the health of individuals with food allergies, and to provide them hope through the promise of new treatments. The TEAL PUMPKIN PROJECT® and the Teal Pumpkin Project® logo are registered trademarks of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Information regarding the Teal Pumpkin Project has been referenced from http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin-project/ Disclaimer: Some products in this post were provided free of charge by the Oriental Trading company to provide my honest review. No other type of compensation was received. All ideas and opinions are my own. |
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