PA Farm Show
The second most visited event in Pennsylvania (after the Mummer’s Parade!), the PA Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the United States! The sprawling complex houses almost 6,000 animals and 10,000 competitive exhibits. Chances are you have already been there, but before last year we had not taken the kids (although we had gone as children), so it was a little overwhelming planning the trip. If you live in South central PA, you know the strong agricultural presence in this area, so it is wonderful to take some time to educate and celebrate this heritage with your children. Of course, probably every child loves animals so it is an easy to have fun while learning.
Upon arrival, there are several entrance points to choose from depending on where you end up parking. We came soon after it opened on a weekday and had no trouble finding a close parking space. In fact, I recommend attending early on a weekday for minimal crowds and the most enjoyable visit. We started in the rear in the large “Weis” exposition hall which contained a room full of display tables from FFA with “farm to table” being the main subject, as well as farm machinery and tractors. Make sure you pick up information for your children to be an “AgExplorer” for the day which allows them to look for special placards throughout the hall to dig a little deeper into the subject material…scavenger hunt style. On the other side of the hall was the food court, arguably one of the favorite highlights of the farm show. Don’t miss a delicious homemade milkshake (but be prepared to fork out a lot of money there too!) Eat a snack or your whole meal. The four main food categories are honey, potato, milk, and pork products.
The exposition halls in the middle of the complex house the animals and related shows. We saw a celebrity milking contest (although it was a little hard to see what was going on from where we sat), horses pulling carriages, sheep being displayed for a contest, and the peculiar “tractor square dancing” where partners square dance on tractors in perfect synchrony. Honestly, my kids probably most enjoyed just walking through the rows of animals in their stalls, probably because of how close you can be to the animals. We marveled over owners snuggling up in the straw with their cows like they were soft, cuddly kittens…yikes! We saw loads of cows, sheep, goats, some horses, a few pigs, petted loads of bunnies and a couple of guinea pigs. Last year, there were no chicks due to the bird flu, but I believe they will be back this year. We talked with dairy farm owners, watched a sheep being shorn, and saw a huge mama pig nursing her piglets.
Another highlight was the butterfly room, where for a small fee, you could walk through a room loaded with butterflies holding a Gatorade-soaked Q-tip which attracted them to you. My then 2-year old Lilah delighted in this and for a long time afterwards always grouped butterflies in with farm animals which always made me laugh! The butterfly room is at the opposite end of where we entered. This large exposition hall also contained commodity exhibits (think…prize winning jar of jam or flowers) and “Family Living” displays, which shows things to be used in your home. One small room contained everything related to nuts, which intimidated my peanut-allergic son! Look for the amazing, large butter sculpture in the center of this hall, the most butter you will ever see at one time. A man was putting on a little magic show for kids in this area as well, which they enjoyed, but we thought was a little cheesy. A marketplace area gives you an opportunity to purchase many different types of items for sale.
One word of caution…since it is such a large and crowded destination, you have to be so careful to keep an eye on your children. We lost our then 9-year old daughter Eliana. After splitting up with my parents to search, we eventually found her, all of us a little shaken up. Although it would have been a lot worse if it had been my youngest lost.
Besides the food and parking, it is a free event, which is nice when you have a large family like we do. We packed lunch and just let the kids have a milkshake for a snack. Many people make the Farm Show a yearly tradition, but I feel like once was enough for us, at least for now. The endless walking, the smells, the crowds, and overstimulation make it exhausting. If you have never gone, you should definitely check it out at least once though. No doubt our kids remember the best parts and if asked would be delighted to go back, and I guess that is why we do a lot of what we do, right?
Admission: FREE, but parking is $15.
Dates: January 7-14, 2017
Hours: see website for complete details as it varies, although generally 9am-9pm.
PA Farm Show Complex and Expo Center
2300 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 787-5373
Visit www.farmshow.state.pa.us for more information!
