2020 has brought about changes and cancelations to numerous events in Northern Michigan. In Harbor Springs, Pond Hill Farm has been working with its local health department to make sure their annual Fall Fest Weekends won’t be on the cancelation list.
For this season, Pond Hill Farm’s Fall Fest weekends will be a ticketed event in which all tickets are sold for $10 a person online ahead of time. This includes five activity tickets, admission to the fest for 2.5 hours and free parking. The fest includes special activities along with cider, donuts, wine and beer tasting, a cafe with outdoor Biergarten dining, a market and hiking trails. This system will allow Pond Hill Farm to be able to control the number of people on the property, give them the ability to contact trace in the event of a COVID-19 case and also provide a safe and enjoyable time for guests. Tickets are nonrefundable or transferable. The health department is requiring all people to be accounted for therefore guests of all ages must have a ticket.
Pond Hill owner Jimmy Spencer says, “We have been speaking with the health department to figure out how to ensure our annual Fall Fest weekends are as safe as possible for our guests and farm crew. Due to state mandates, we have been notified that we have to restrict the amount of people on property to 250 at a time including employees. This news has kept us up at night contemplating how we can make this work and also be able to continue to stay open. Fall is our busiest time of year and these restraints are really going to hurt. After weeks of deliberation, we have come to a decision that we aren’t at all happy about [having a ticketed event] but feel is the only feasible option to have these events.”
The dates for the fest weekends include Saturdays and Sundays from September 26–October 25. The available time slots are 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m., 1–3:30 p.m. and 4–6:30 p.m.
Pond Hill Farm will also be open from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekdays with no admission charge. Jimmy adds, “We intend to make cider and donuts, pumpkin bowling, pumpkin smashing and pumpkin ski ball available to guests at times during the weekdays. Activity tickets will be available the day of for purchase here at the farm. We cannot wait to share our farm with all of you as soon as we are able.”
Follow Pond Hill Farm on Facebook or visit the website for updates as they become available.
Tickets are now available here.
Activity tickets can be used for the following events:
- Pumpkin bowling: 1 ticket per roll
- Pumpkin smashing: 1–3 tickets depending on what you choose to smash
- Apple baseball and golf: 1 ticket = 3 apples
- Pumpkin Skeeball: 1 ticket per roll
- Pumpkin purchases: Tickets can be used to purchase pumpkins and are worth $1 each toward those purchases