Cox Farms

This past weekend we decided to take Carter to Cox Farms in Centreville, VA. It is a family owned and operated farm situated on 116 acres of undeveloped land in the Centreville/Chantilly community. They host a fall festival each year which is easily one of the most popular in the DC area and Cox Farm's biggest event.

Carter enjoyed sitting on the John Deere tractor

I have heard friends and co-workers talk about this event for years so I was excited about our first trip. It surely didn't disappoint! We started off our afternoon by enjoying some BBQ, which was smoked on the farm. After lunch we ventured to our first slide. That is one of the best things they have at Cox Farms. There are over six different ones to choose from, the biggest and baddest being the Dino-slide which is 150 feet long and six lanes wide. Unfortunately we didn't get to give them all a try, but that's what next year is for. Chris took Carter down the treetops slide and Carter joined me on the castle slide. I don't really know what he thought about them but he certainly didn't cry. I think he was overwhelmed by everything surrounding him. There were hundreds of people there and little children running around everywhere.

Chris & Carter going down the treetop slide!

Waiting to go down the castle slide.

A view of the Dino slide in the background.

Throughout the farm they had bails of hay stacked high for the kids to climb on and beneath them they created a tunnel to crawl through. Carter wasn't really interested in either. He preferred to pull himself up on the bench and watch everyone else. They also had a kid zone for the little kids to run around.

Enjoying the kid zone!

In the center of the farm they have a music stage featuring live bluegrass and classic rock music. If milking a cow is more your thing, they have a stage for that too. They feature a musical milking show and guests are allowed to go on stage afterwards and give it their best shot. If you're looking for a little something sweet you can treat yourself to funnel cakes, caramel apples and kettle corn. They also have fresh pressed cider for everyone to enjoy. There is a Nacho Cheese House, the Dawg House (featuring gourmet hot dogs), the BBQ Shack, Cox's Kitchen for hamburgers and pizza, among many other options. Maybe you're in the mood for hot chocolate or a pumpkin spice latte, not to worry....they have it too!

Besides the great slides, the hayride was one of my favorites. They take you on a 20 minute hayride throughout the farm pulled by an antique tractor. You go through an enchanted forest, encounter some aliens, see Charlie Brown and friends, visit an old western town and Superman even made an appearance to help pull us through a muddy ditch.

I could go on and on about this place. It is huge and a lot of fun. The only downside was that it was really crowded on Saturday. Obviously the weekends are the most popular time for families to attend; therefore, I definitely think it would be worth taking a morning or afternoon off work to take your family. We spent a lot of time waiting in line to go down the slides and to take a hayride so we didn't get to do everything that I wished we had. We stayed about two and half hours and that was all Carter could take before we had to head home for his nap. So my suggestion is to go on a weekday and call ahead to make sure there isn't a school field trip on the day you plan on going. There is an option to purchase your tickets online which I highly suggest doing. We were able to avoid long lines to get into the farm by purchasing ours in advance. There is also a secret entrance to the farm which helps you avoid long lines of traffic entering and exiting the parking lot. Visit their website for further details.

The new mascot for the Pork Producers!

When you're leaving the farm everyone gets to pick out a pumpkin to take home for free. There is also a great market to visit where you can purchase fresh apples, cider, homemade pies, pumpkins and many other fun treats.

On Sunday we took it easy around the house and Chris smoked a pork shoulder and I made taco soup. Justin came to town on Sunday and is staying with us this week while he's here on business. Brandon came over on Sunday night and we all enjoyed each other's company while watching football. I think Carter really enjoyed all the attention and was a bit of a show-off!

U.S. Capitol tour on a gorgeous day

Inspiring!

We're approaching a busy weekend filled with fun Halloween activities. It's hard to believe that Halloween is just a week away. Before we know it Christmas will be here!