The Great Pumpkin rises again at Cestari Pumpkin Festival

Francis Chester's broad smile welcomes visitors to his central Shenandoah Valley Cestari Farm in Churchville, Va. Dressed in faded green overalls and flannel shirt, this country lawyer and sheep farmer enjoys the people who turn out for his annual Pumpkin Festival which runs this weekend, October 15-16, and next weekend, October 22-23, from 9 am-6 pm.

Like an effervescent host, Chester's booming voice can be heard welcoming young and old alike as he guides visitors around the farm. Whether it's wagon rides to the field to pick your own pumpkin from the patch, the corn maze, taking part in the petting zoo, sheep-go-round and pony rides, or any of the other activities, Pumpkin Fest offers something for everyone.

There are games for the kids along with a haunted barn for those who dare to enter and, on Saturday, October 29, Spooky River Rides will be offered from 6-10 pm.

If you're going to the Cestari Farms Pumpkin Festival, it runs from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday the next two weekends.

Cestar Farm
3581 Churchville Avenue
Churchville, Virginia 24421
Rt. 250 west of Staunton
Phone: (540) 337-7292 or (540) 337-7270
Website: www.cestariltd.com

Autumn in the Shenandoah Valley: 9th Annual Pumpkin Fest in Churchville

So your kids want a pumpkin and you would like some apples for fall baking? Instead of buying them in the grocery store, make a day of it with the kids at Cestari Farm's Annual Pumpkin Fest in Augusta County. The weekends of Oct. 13-14 and Oct. 20-21 will find locals and those from outside the area joining in the fun of a real, live sheep farm.

What can you expect to find at the Pumpkin Fest?

- Pumpkin Patch: A ride on the hay wagon will get you to the pumpkin patch where you can pick your own big fat orange pumpkin for jack-o-lanterns or pies. Or, if you don't want to peruse the patch, you can purchase an already-picked pumpkin at the barn.

- Pumpkin Games: Pumpkin Chucking, Pumpkin Rolling

- Corn Maze: Roam the maze and see if you can get lost in the pathways that wind through the cornstalks. As a child I used to love to run down the rows of cornstalks on my grandparents' farm; not I can roam through them in a quest to find the way out.

- The Haunted Barn: Ooooo ... three levels of "spookiness" -- mild, medium, and "real scary" -- are waiting for anyone willing to test their fortitude against the ghosts of the barn. Designed by the ShenanArts players, a local drama company, it is sure to be a treat for all.

- Games: Musical straw bales, costume contests

- Feed the Sheep: This is, after all, a working sheep farm that produces wool products. Some of the sheep will be in a pen area for youngsters to feed.

- Homemade food including apple dumplings, pastries, more

All of this in a setting that is God's country otherwise known as Augusta County ... mountains in the background, red barn and fields of corn and pumpkins. Come see the fall mountains and enjoy Pumpkin Fest in the Valley!