Sinkland Farms: Everything You Need to Know
Oooooh, rural Virginia, how I have a love-hate relationship with thee. I grew up in Southwest Virginia, but, like lots of teenagers, I made haste to leave as soon as I had a diploma in hand. While I love visiting the stunning scenery, I’m pretty claustrophobic by day four. This is more likely related to my parents living in a dense suburban-style neighborhood and my general distaste for seeing / hearing / smelling the neighbors. But you know what densely populated neighborhoods are awesome for? Trick or treating.
And that’s how I found myself back in Southwest Virginia in October. While country living in New England is beautiful, it isn’t a great place to trick or treat. And because it’s such a long drive for my crew to get to this particular neck of the woods, we have to make the trip worth it. This means we hunker down for seven or eight days and need to find something to fill our time. Besides walking the neighborhood, that is.
Last year, we ventured to Randolph Park in Dublin for their trick-or-treat trail. It was lots of fun and I remembered what I loved about small towns – the community. This is also what I hate about small towns, but I digress. For the blog’s sake, I decided we’d try something different this year. After some research, I decided to give Sinkland Farms’ pumpkin festival a try.
SINKLAND FARM FAST FACTS
| Address | 3060 Riner Rd, Christiansburg, VA 24073 |
| Hours of Operation | Varies by season |
| Admission: Kids/ Adults/ Seniors | $15*/ $15/ $15 |
| Stroller Friendly | Off-road capable strollers only |
| Parking | Free / Hilly Field / Some gravel areas |
| Picnic Friendly | Yes |
| Clean Bathrooms / Changing Areas | Porta-Potties / Changing Tent |
| Water Bottle Filler | No |
| Best Ages | Any |
| Apparel Recommendation | Seasonal gear minus a layer |
| Gear Recommendation | Baby-wearing apparatus like ErgoBaby |
| Sunscreen / Bug Spray? | Yes / No |
| Best Season to Visit | Fall |
| Breastfeeding Friendliness | Not so much. |
SINKLAND FARMS LAYOUT
The layout of Sinkland Farms is a little bit hodge-podge. We parked in the field. Upon arrival, there was a small pig pen to the right, next to the corn maze and porta-potty alley. Straight ahead was a small barn, some bench seating, and pumpkins for sale. Beyond that was the children’s play area, and further down the hill was live music, barnyard animals, and food vendors. Behind the pumpkin area were tents and the ability to take a hayride to an actual pumpkin patch. The tents appear to have had artisans selling goodies, but I didn’t venture out that way.
Due to the hilly area, Sinkland Farms isn’t great for strollers, unless you have something like a BOB. If I had a baby in tow, I think I’d just opt for a baby-wearing apparatus, like an Ergo. I would; however, make sure that it’s comfortable in warmer weather, as there isn’t much shade. I absolutely recommend sunscreen (or sunshirt), sunglasses, and a hat.
SINKLAND FARMS ACTIVITES
From sensory tables and bubbles to climbing structures, swings, slides, and even a zipline (!), there is enough going on at Sinkland Farms to keep kids busy for a full afternoon.
MOM’S FAVORITE
Of all the activities, my favorite was the jumping pad. Normally, this wouldn’t be the case. I have written about jumping pads before, but this one was smaller and lower to the ground. In other words, If I needed to launch myself across the pad, I could do it easily, and I wasn’t worried about my toddler tumbling off the edge.
KID’S FAVORITE
The sensory table. Sinkland Farms has a sensory table set up with trucks and dried corn. The kids can pick the corn kernels, and then play in them. It is super simple, but my kids spent a large quantity of time with this activity. My crew is quite overwhelmed by large crowds and the boisterous energy of other children, so this likely provided a bit of respite from that vibe.
DAD’S FAVORITE
Pig Sprints. My husband spent his first six years in Queens, NYC. The rest of his life has been spent in the Boston suburbs. He is, by definition, a city boy. The pig sprints were the highlight of his experience. Why? I’m not sure and he isn’t great at articulating things. My gut feeling is that it was his first time and the pigs were cute, even if the experience was a little sad.
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BATHROOMS
The bathrooms at Sinkland Farms are adequate. There are two porta-potty alleys, a changing “tent” and an actual bathroom in a building next to the food truck area. I didn’t go into the built bathroom and can’t speak to it. The porta-potties; however, were…. fine. I’ve seen better, and I’ve certainly seen worse. They weren’t trashed or overflowing, but they could’ve used a bit more love. The changing “tent” seemed a bit rickety (and hot) to me, so I’d say it’s best to change your kiddo in the car or take your chances in the bathroom by the food trucks. I’d say these are probably in good condition as Sinkland Farm hosts weddings in this area of the farm.
FOOD
