AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Fishpaws Marketplace
Whether visiting the pumpkin patch, stuffing a scarecrow, finding their way through a straw maze, trying their luck at pumpkin bowling or just plain roaming Kinder Farm Park to check out the animals, kids thoroughly enjoyed attending Fall Fun Day…as did their parents.
Fall Fun Day was held last Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm and families were coming and going throughout the day on a pathway leading to and from the main parking lot, passing the barns and silos as they came and went.
The Fall Fun Day was a somewhat scaled down version of the annual Kinder Farm Park Harvest Fest held each October until interrupted by COVID. Still, it was a delightful way to spend an autumn afternoon.
Like most measures undertaken by the park over the past two years, the decision to hold a fall fun day grew out of a response to the pandemic.
“The first year of the pandemic we cancelled the fall event altogether,” said Ranger Samuel Ziff. “Last year we wanted to do something as a link to what we’d done in the past, but we kept it very small – just a pumpkin patch and some hayrides. This year we decided to bring the fall event back incrementally – to hold a smaller, more manageable event with some of the same elements as the harvest festival.”
Ziff added that the last harvest festival in 2019 had drawn 14,000 people which really strained resources. This year’s Fall Fun Day drew a crowd of between 3,000and 3,500 people which made things more comfortable and enjoyable.
Games for children were scattered throughout the grounds and were extremely popular. Pumpkin bowling was a favorite for young Michael Hamorsky. He managed to knock down all the bowling pins as family, friends and spectators cheered him on.
Smaller children seemed to prefer the Duck Pond game or the Frog Flipping game. As with the former harvest festival, all the games and food items required tickets.
Kinder Farm Park’s 4H Livestock Club’s enterprising members not only had some animals on display but had their own stand with a selection of beverages and snacks for sale.
Animal ambassadors from both KFP’s 4H Club and its Farm & Livestock Education Program could be seen here and there welcoming visitors. Sassy the goat and handler Lara Mackey enjoyed the Sunday sunshine and the company.
The barns and pens were open for folks to tour though many of their inhabitants preferred to be outside basking in the sun.
The Farm & Livestock Education Program barn is host to sheep and dairy cows but also to the Kinder Farm Park Goat Squad. The Goat Squad’s mission is to clear invasive plants at the park.
Instead of hanging out in the barns, both the sheep and goats had other ideas and took off for nearby pastures…
…to say nothing of the pig who seemed ambivalent to the entire affair…
…and, judging from the hen party, the chickens were getting on with their own business.
As the day wore on, some families could be seen leaving the park with scarecrows in tow that they’d made from materials in the scarecrow stuffing shed. The scarecrow below was the proud creation of Sydney Kish. She named him Rooster. Because Rooster was immense and awkward to maneuver, Colin Arndt volunteered to carry him for Sydney. Even so, the pair trailed behind other family members.
There was still much more to do and see, however, and adults enjoyed exploring the area near the Kinder Farm Park Historical Society farmhouse museum where a half a dozen vendors tents were set up. Country Critters Boarding & Training Facility, which is located nearby off Jumpers Hole Road, even brought along Debbie Morgan’s pup Clover who served as a kind of family-friendly mascot.
In addition to hayrides which took place around the edges of the park there was a craft making barn and club displays including well-crafted wooden items and “how to” demonstrations by the Chesapeake Wood Turners.
Volunteers Paul Paraocha, Johnny Riganati and Katum Sale from Severna Park High School accepted tickets and directed visitors into the spooky straw maze behind them.
Families seemed happy as they filtered out of Fall Fun Day, their children carrying balloons and cotton candy.
Luckily more fun fall events lay ahead. We list a few of them here.
Anne Arundel Community College Open House, October 20
Anne Arundel Community College will be holding an open house on its campus at 101 College Parkway in Arnold on Thursday, October 20 from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. The open house will provide potential students an opportunity to tour the campus, meet with faculty and students, and meet admissions and financial aid representatives.
Attendees can experience hands-on demonstrations, visit classrooms and labs and learn about AACC’s degrees, certificates, and skilled trades programs. To learn more, visit AACC Open House – Anne Arundel Community College. Reservations are recommended.
SHOPTOBERFEST with a TRICK or TREAT TWIST at PARK PLAZA
The Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce’s autumnal SHOP LOCAL event is back. This year’s SHOPTOBERFEST promises to be bigger than ever with dozens of exhibitors participating. As before, the Shop Local extravaganza will again have a Trick or Treat Twist with trick or treating at the various booths, a costume contest, music, entertainment, games and a photo booth. As in past years, exhibitors are encouraged to dress up and have plenty of treats on hand.
SHOPTOBERFEST, a free event, will take place at Park Plaza on Saturday, October 22 from 11 am to 3 pm. For information, visit Greater Severna Park and Arnold Chamber of Commerce (gspacc.com)
SEVERNA PARK COMMUNITY CENTER HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
Severna Park Community Center has planned a double-barreled Halloween event for Friday, October 28 from 5 to 9 pm. A free Trunk or Treat event is planned for the community center parking lot from 5 to 8 pm with costumes, crafts and games. Later on, participants will move into Boone Station Hall to watch Hocus Pocus and enjoy some movies. There will also be a performance by the Dance Center of Severna Park’s Star Elite dancers.
Simultaneously, an optional Spooky Splash for young children (infants to 6-year-olds) will be held in the center’s therapy pool from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Non-swimmers must be accompanied by an adult and there will be a fee of $10 for each swimmer. Registration is required for the Spooky Splash. For information on both events, visit THE SEVERNA PARK COMMUNITY CENTER – SPCC Home (spcommunitycenter.org)
A reminder: Jing Ying Institute’s Halloween Party is October 29
A reminder of another fun event we reported on in greater detail in last week’s column. Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi in Arnold will host it’s free annual, family-friendly, Halloween party on October 29 from 3 to 4:30 pm with a costume parade for people of all ages. For information, visit Best Martial Arts Program in Annapolis, Severna Park (jingying.org).
Around The Park Again is brought to you this week by Fishpaws Marketplace, 954 Ritchie Hwy. – a family-owned business that carries a great selection of fine wines, spirits and beers plus gourmet foods and specialty items perfect for that Halloween party or perhaps a football game tailgate party.
