Field Trips
Fall School Classroom Field Trips
A Day of Learning and Fun on the Farm
By reservation only: Online Reservations Opening Soon!
Part of our mission at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard is to provide education about agriculture through entertainment. The land that is now Vala’s Pumpkin Patch has been a working farm for over 100 years, and we’ve kept the traditon alive by growing all our own pumpkins and apples. When school children visit Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, we want them to have fun running through the pumpkin fields, picking apples fresh off the trees, and seeing real tractors, but our greatest hope is that they will leave with a better understanding of agriculture and an appreciation for farms.
Use Our School Field Trips Online Reservation Form
Teachers: Read about the 2 types of Field Trips below and decide which one fits your objectives. Select the date and time you wish to book. Some time slots may be sold out. See options by selecting a specific date and viewing the availability. Before checking out you will be asked to estimate the number of children, staff, and parents/adults attending. We understand that this is just an estimate and that parents may pay separately from the school.
You may wish to order school lunches online, also. The cost is $6.95 per lunch (hot dog, chips, applesauce and drink). You may also order these at a later date or call the reservation office to add this to your reservation. Please order at least 48 hours in advance.
There is a lot to learn at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, allow 2 to 3 hours for your visit!
Field Trips FAQS
Upon arrival one teacher should check in at the Admissions Barn window, pay, and receive the stickers for admission. Please have the other teachers and volunteers unload the children and have them wait near the entrance, but out of the parking lot. A Vala’s staff member will be helping to direct the children to a safe area to wait. After checking in have everyone put on the Vala’s Pumpkin Patch sticker. Everyone must be wearing a sticker to pass through the admissions gate. Each child will receive a bag for their pumpkin.
Bypass the event day check-in by picking up the admission stickers and pumpkin bags before you arrive for your scheduled field trip. Call or email at least 48 hours in advance to let us know you are coming to pick up your admission stickers and we will have everything ready for you. Bring your purchase order, cash, credit card, or school check. When you arrive on the day of your field trip, with your stickers on, unload, check in with a greeter at the front entrance, and proceed as a group through the admission gates. The stickers serve as your admission ticket. If you have some last minute add-ons or late arrivals, such as parents with siblings, they can pay on their own at the Admissions Barn and join the group at a designated time or place. If you need a refund for any child or adult who was not able to attend, simply return the unused stickers to the reservation office BEFORE you enter the farm and our staff will change the purchase order or send a refund to the school. All refunds must be processed on the day of your field trip.
School groups may stay until 3:30 pm. Some groups stay for lunch and other groups stay 2 to 3 hours. The hayrack ride to the pumpkin field is self guided and takes about 30-45 minutes. The hayrack ride to the orchard takes about an hour with a short lesson upon arrival. The rest of your time is yours to explore the farm!