Sweet fall aromas accompanied the crunch of fallen leaves as children screamed with glee in a corn maze and couples shared a pumpkin-flavored drink at Lucky Ladd Farms in Eagleville, Tennessee, where its annual Fall Harvest Festival is underway.
With temperatures finally cool enough to feel like fall, Lucky Ladd offers an ideal spot to soak in the season. This fall, the farm has even more to offer, such as its new barn, bakery and pumpkin-scaping.
“This is our first fall with our new barn open,” Morgan Hunton, Lucky Ladd’s program and events manager, said. “We did get hit by a tornado last year in May. So, we did a full expansion, and that’s been a lot of fun getting to see the response to the new farm market.”
This year marks the debut of Lucky Ladd’s “pumpkin-scaping” — landscaping with pumpkins — featuring displays such as the University of Tennessee Volunteers logo and a mural of Lucky Ladd Farms. Hunton said the farm also opened a new bakery for visitors to enjoy.
The various new attractions are already drawing visitors from beyond the local area.
Ashley Smith traveled from Seymour, Tennessee, to visit the Fall Harvest Festival with her husband and 2-year-old son.
“All the decorations and the way they used all these different pumpkins to make displays,” Smith said. “It was pretty cool to see that and get good pictures.”
Lucky Ladd Farms began hosting its Fall Harvest Festival in 2009 and has since become a staple autumn event for many Tennessee families.
The weekend of Oct. 11 drew upwards of 4,500 people per day, Hunton said.
“Everyone seems to be having a really good time,” Hunton said. “Fall is such a favorite time of year, so it’s a lot of fun to get to see the memories that people get to create while they’re here.”
Pumpkins fill nearly every corner of the farm, both for sale and part of decorative displays, creating colorful, autumnal scenes across the property.
Visitors can get lost in the corn maze, pick the perfect pumpkin, or grab a tasty seasonal treat.
“It’s a good way for people to get outside and make those memories,” Hunton said. “I grew up going to pumpkin patches with my family. It’s a tradition that people get to start, and we’re just glad to be a little part of it.”
Visitors can also grab a seasonal pick-me-up from the farm. The menu ranges from pumpkin spice lattes to apple cider donuts.
Smith said guests shouldn’t miss the apple cider slushie and donut combo, which costs about $6. The 16-ounce slushie comes topped with an apple cider donut upon purchase.
Lucky Ladd also offers its usual activities, including a petting zoo, aviary and walking trail, along with the festival attractions.
Smith said her favorite part was “doing the slide with [her] son, because he had a blast doing those.”
“We’re excited for them to come and visit and hope they create wonderful memories with their family that they’ll be able to cherish for a long time,” Hunton said.
Hunton hopes visitors leave the farm happy and eager to return.
The Fall Harvest Festival runs through Oct. 31 at 4306 Rocky Glade Rd in Eagleville.
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