Frugal Family: Fabulous Fall Fun This Weekend

Fall provides many opportunities for family bonding. Yes, there are the traditional fairs and festivals in just about every county in the state, but there are other weekend events that aren’t so traditional and offer more than arts and crafts, funnel cake and a parade (although these are fun, too).

Take advantage of lowering winter gas prices to make a day trip out of an activity listed below. Wander through a corn maze, see how a real dairy farm operates or test your courage at The Haunted Barn—all at Cagle‘s Dairy Farm. Celebrate The Official Day Of A Cowboy or plan a campout at The Rock Ranch. Experience a Civil War battle with a real-life reenactment.

3 Locations, Lots of Activities:

Cagle’s Family Farm: 

362 Stringer Road, Canton, GA 30115: 770-345-5591: 

The entire family will enjoy Cagle’s Family Farm, a genuine working dairy farm. Feed a baby calf or see a cow being milked. Located just 1//2 hour North of Marietta in Canton, this wonderful farm offers tons of family activities including educational, seasonal farm and garden tours, a corn maze, hayrides and much more.

The Haunted Barn is open Oct. 5 through 27, 2012; Saturdays & Sundays 7 p.m. – midnight. Tickets to the Haunted Barn are $12, or purchase a combo to add the corn maze or other attractions.

2012 Fall Season Ticket Prices, through Nov 11:

Corn Maize $10.00 Friday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m - 6 p.m.

Ag-Venture Farm Tours $7.00 Saturday 10 a.m - 4 p.m. 
Sunday 10 a.m - 4 p.m.

Bonfire Hayrides $7.00 Friday 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. 
Saturday 6 p.m.  - 10 p.m.

Haunted Barn (Oct 5th - Oct 27th Only) $12.00 Friday 7 p.m. - midnight
Saturday 7 p.m. - midnight

Combo Tickets:
Double Combo $15.00
(A combination of 2 events, haunted NOT included)
Triple Combo $20.00
(A combination of 3 events, haunted NOT included)
All Access Pass $28.00
(Includes all Farm Activities, INCLUDING Haunted)

Buy your tickets by clicking here.

The Rock Ranch: 

5020 Barnesville Hwy, The Rock, GA 30285: (706) 647-6374:

Come spark a fun new connection with your family and ours at The Rock Ranch—1250 acres of scenic, Georgia farmland and fun-filled attractions owned by Chick-fil-A founder, S. Truett Cathy. Each weekend features a different themed event, live entertainment and exciting ranch activities.

Georgia’s Official Day of the Cowboy: Oct. 6, 2012. Proclaimed by Governor Deal as the official Day of the Cowboy, this event celebrates the cowboy way of life. There will be gun fights, train robberies, bank robberies in the Tiny Town bank, a real Wild West Show with gun shooting and knife throwing, quick draw demonstrations, roping from horseback, a large model railroad display, old western movies played on a reel to reel projector and more. There will be real chuck wagons cooking beans and chili for you and you can meet a cowboy celebrity, James Drury, the star of “The Virginian.”

Visit www.therockranch.com to buy tickets, see a list of attractions and get driving directions. Families and groups may also rent campfire picnic areas and make reservations to camp in Conestoga Wagons.

General admission per person: $15

Zip line rides are $7 or $12.

"Fall Family Fun Days" Season Individual Pass - $37.95 (grants admission to 1 guest for all 8 themed Saturdays, Sept. 22 – Nov. 10)

"Fall Family Fun Days" Season Family Pass - $139.95 (grants admission to 8 "Fall Family Fun Days" themed events for all members of an immediate family – up to 5 guests admitted per pass.) Saturdays, Sept. 22- Nov. 10.

Individual Annual Pass - $47.95 (grants admission to 1 guest for all summer and fall events)

Family Annual Pass - $214.50 (grants admission to all summer and fall events to all members of an immediate family – up to 5 guests admitted per pass)

Duggar Special (for larger than average families) - $214.50 plus $10 per additional family member over 5 (grants admission to the designated number of family members for all summer and fall events)

Plan a Camp-Out at The Rock Ranch. Roast marshmallows on a roaring campfire under the night stars. For an even more authentic pioneer experience, check out The Rock Ranch’s Conestoga wagons.

Each Conestoga wagon is fitted with four sets of bunk beds for a total of eight bunks per wagon. With eight wagons, we can accommodate a minimum of eight, and up to a maximum of sixty-four campers. If your group is larger than 64, feel free to pitch tents for the additional campers in the fenced Conestoga camping area for $10 per tent camper. Wagon rentals are $225 per wagon. If each wagon is full the cost breaks down to $28.13 per person.

Wagon Packages/Details: Overnight Accommodations and Hayride: $225 per wagon. Campout package includes: wagons equipped with bunk beds and vinyl covered mattress pads, lanterns, firewood, paper and matches for starting your fire, picnic tables, clean port-a-potties, folding table stocked with paper towels, cups, hand washing water, drinking water and a fenced camp ground.

Reservations are required. Call (706) 647-6374 to book a Conestoga Wagon camping trip.

37th Annual Andersonville Historic Fair: 

Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 at Main Street and Park, Andersonville, GA. Admission: $4.00 per Adult and $1.50 for children under 12. 

Andersonville is about 60 miles southwest of Macon on the Central of Georgia Railroad. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp during The Civil War and is now Andersonville National Historic Site. The first weekend in October hundreds of Civil War re-enactors set up camps and stage two realistic mock battles, the first at 3 p.m. on Saturday. 

Civil War uniforms and accouterments, guns, swords, flags and Civil War era civilian clothing are for sale and add color to this fascinating event. Craftsmen include gunsmiths, blacksmiths, basket makers, quilters, weavers and artists of all kinds. Don't miss the Large Children’s Area Featuring Grand Illusions Entertainment. Over 100 vendors selling arts and crafts will be on hand. Gates open at 10 a.m. on both days. The first big activity is the 80-unit parade on the main street on Saturday, October 6 at 11 a.m. Entertainment is on two stages. Battle reenactments take place on both days.

For more information contact: Andersonville Guild, P.O. Box 6, Andersonville, Georgia 31711 Telephone & Fax: 229-924-2558

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