By JoAnn Moran
A classic family-oriented farm and nature festival, The Fall Family Festival at Indian Rock Nature Preserve, returns for its fifth year this Saturday.
“The weather is looking great for Saturday, so we really look forward to seeing familiar and new faces. It’s a fun-filled day,” said Lauren Prior, the Nature Preserve’s volunteer coordinator.
The animal barns are open for visitation, there’s hay rides, pumpkin picking, apple cider making and themed activities throughout the whole preserve,” she said.
Since the Family Fall Festival began in 2018 it has seen up to 1,000 visitors when the weather cooperates, she added as she raked the last bunch of leaves onto a large pile near the outline for the hayride queue.
“Playing in our large leaf pile is definitely a favorite for kids,” she said. The leaf pile, corn hole and photo stands are a few in a collection of lawn games in front of the main barn at the festival.
Among the activities at this year’s Fall Family Festiva is a visit to the wigwam, sheep and Tom the Turkey. | Photos ELCCT and JoAnn Moran
“It’s not just a fall festival, it’s an educational experience. We want families to bond with nature and learn a little bit too.” said Fern Vaughn the festival coordinator.
Vaughn is also the program coordinator for the organization’s Barnes Nature Center on Shrub Road. She oversees engaging visitors in nature-based activities. (Her son, Tom, runs the pewter smith activity at the festival, too.)
“We also like to educate people not just on the farm, but with our two Native American wigwams,” she said.
The thatched domed huts, traditional to some North American Tribal peoples, are the first stop on the festival’s popular scenic hayride that brings attendees on a 20-minute ride around the lake.
Activities at the wigwams include storytelling and traditional corn husk doll making.
“The wigwams are a way to teach about the indigenous people that lived here and hunted on the property,” Vaughn said.
Indian Rock Nature Preserve is on the 280 acres of ancestral lands utilized by the Tunxis people, a tribe of First Americans the original land stewards that frequented this land to hunt and gather resources.
The preserve is named after Indian Rock, a historic rock formation purportedly used as shelter by the tribe and early colonial settlers as they traveled the hunting trail which is now Route 69.
Kaitlyn White, operations assistant, said “My favorite part about the Fall Family Festival is watching families and friends appreciate the outdoors and fall festivities, it’s going to be such a great day — full of fun!” she said as she was cajoled Tom the Turkey with raspberries.
The apple press, leaf pile and sheep offer kid friendly fun. | Photos JoAnn Moran and ELCCT
Indian Rock is one of several preserves in Bristol overseen by Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut (ELCCT), a Bristol based organization founded in 1969 offers a diversity of hands-on experiential nature programs for schools groups, families and the public.
The Fall Family Festival begins on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m., at Indian Rock Nature Preserve, 501 Wolcott Rd. The rain date for this event is Sunday, Oct. 20.
Tickets for the event are $30 per family carload. (Be among the first two to share this article on Facebook and win a free family pass from TBE.)
For more information about the Fall Family Festival or other ELCCT programs visit www.elcct.org, call 860-583-1234 or email Fern Vaughn at fvaughn@elcct.org.
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