Shady Brook Farm
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Shady Brook Farm offers a diverse family entertainment experience across seasons, notably a festive Fall Festival and an impressive Christmas Light Show, complemented by quality farm-fresh food, unique shopping, and friendly staff. It provides varied activities suitable for both toddlers and older children, making it a versatile destination.
Key Highlights
- ✓Fall Festival offers age-appropriate activities like playgrounds, wagon rides, cow rides, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch, which delighted a two-year-old grandson.
- ✓Christmas Light Show is visually impressive, with new elements introduced periodically, described as a worthwhile 'once in your life' experience.
- ✓High-quality food options are available, including specific mentions of chicken sandwiches, tenders, fries, and delicious apple cider donuts, often enjoyed with live music (band during Fall Festival).
- ✓Farm store is 'great' and full of 'so many cool things,' including homemade foods, novelties, and an 'amazing' ice cream shop.
- ✓Staff is described as 'super nice' and helpful, even assisting with unusual requests like overnight parking.
- ✓Hay ride features a 'really big cart' and is considered enjoyable.
- ✓Opportunity to interact with cute animals, specifically goats, which is a favorite for some visitors.
- ✓Offers a pleasant atmosphere for walking around the beautiful farm, shopping, and enjoying signature drinks by a fire.
Standout Features
- ⭐Variety of Fall Festival activities: playgrounds, wagon ride, cow ride, corn maze, pumpkin patch.
- ⭐Well-executed Christmas Light Show with evolving displays.
- ⭐Farm store offering homemade foods, novelties, and an ice cream shop.
- ⭐Live band entertainment during the Fall Festival.
- ⭐Dedicated area with cute goats for interaction.
- ⭐Hay ride with a spacious cart.
- ⭐Opportunity for enjoying signature drinks by a fire.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →For the Christmas Light Show, visit 'right after Thanksgiving' to avoid 'an hour' long waits and larger crowds, especially compared to dates closer to Christmas.
- →If visiting the light show close to Christmas, 'bring some games' or prepare for 'slow going' waits (e.g., 'play the abc game').
- →For the Fall Festival, 'go early so there wasn't a line to enter' to ensure a smooth experience and avoid lines.
- →To save money on food, consider 'bring your own food,' especially during the light show.
- →Wear practical shoes, as you 'don’t wear fancy shoes because there is a lot of dust' on the farm grounds.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Christmas Light Show is considered 'not worth $60' by some and can incur waits of 'an hour' or more close to Christmas (e.g., 3 days before).
- ⚠Food and drinks can be 'pricey' with 'long lines' during peak times.
- ⚠Grounds can be 'dusty,' requiring practical footwear.
- ⚠Summer U-pick activities are noted as 'so expensive,' with a suggestion to visit farms in Jersey instead.
- ⚠The $60 price point for activities (possibly light show or a group admission) can 'add up' significantly for larger groups (e.g., more than 16 people).
Price & Value
The Christmas Light Show is priced at $60 (likely per car or for a group), which some consider 'not worth' it, especially given potential long waits. This $60 cost 'can add up' for larger groups (e.g., more than 16 people). Food is described as 'pricey.' Summer U-pick activities are deemed 'so expensive.' While specific activities are costly, the farm offers a variety of experiences (lights, festivals, shopping, quality food) that may justify the cost for a one-time visit or for specific preferences, but budget-conscious visitors should plan for additional expenses on food and potentially activities.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accommodations for special needs or wheelchair accessibility were mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Outside food is implicitly allowed or recommended, as one reviewer suggests to 'bring your own food' for the light show.
- •On-site food is available, described as 'high quality' (chicken sandwich, tenders, fries, apple cider donuts), but also 'pricey' with 'long lines'.
🚗Parking Info
- •Staff assisted with 'parking over night' for one specific instance, indicating helpfulness, but general day-use parking details are not specified beyond 'go early so there wasn't a line to enter' suggesting parking may be tied to entry flow and can get busy.
👥Crowd Levels
- •**Christmas Light Show:** 'Sat an hour 3 days before Christmas' indicating severe crowding and long waits. 'Go right after Thanksgiving' to find it 'pretty good' with no waiting.
- •**Fall Festival:** 'Went early so there wasn't a line to enter,' suggesting early mornings are less crowded for entry.
- •**Food Lines:** Can be 'long lines' for food during peak times.
🛡️Safety Features
- •No specific safety measures like staff supervision, first aid, or wristbands were mentioned in the reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Visiting the Christmas Light Show 'close to Christmas' (e.g., 3 days before) due to significant crowds and potential waits of 'an hour'.
- • Expecting the summer U-pick to be budget-friendly, as it's described as 'so expensive' compared to alternatives.
- • Wearing fancy or easily soiled footwear due to 'a lot of dust' on the farm grounds.
Pricing/Package/Events
Pricing & Packages
Breakfast with the Bunny (4-person table)
$150Duration: Seating at 9am or 11am
Reservations are per table, all guests (including those in highchairs) need a seat.
Includes:
- •Delicious Breakfast Buffet
- •Meet & Greet with the Easter Bunny
- •Admission to Easter Eggstravaganza Event
- •Cute Photo Ops
- •25+ Festival Field Activities
Breakfast with the Bunny (6-person table)
$225Duration: Seating at 9am or 11am
Reservations are per table, all guests (including those in highchairs) need a seat.
Includes:
- •Delicious Breakfast Buffet
- •Meet & Greet with the Easter Bunny
- •Admission to Easter Eggstravaganza Event
- •Cute Photo Ops
- •25+ Festival Field Activities
Breakfast with the Bunny (8-person table)
$299Duration: Seating at 9am or 11am
Reservations are per table, all guests (including those in highchairs) need a seat.
Includes:
- •Delicious Breakfast Buffet
- •Meet & Greet with the Easter Bunny
- •Admission to Easter Eggstravaganza Event
- •Cute Photo Ops
- •25+ Festival Field Activities
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
FallFest
Opening Day Sept 12 (Fall Fun in season)
Ticket prices vary, from $15.00 to $80.00, depending on date/package.
Celebrate all things fall with crisp autumn air, pumpkin-lined fields, wagon rides out to fields, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and apple picking (more than 10 varieties).
🍎Food Policy
- • Breakfast Buffet for 'Breakfast with the Bunny' includes: Scrambled Eggs & Omelet Station, Breakfast Meats, Potatoes, Waffles, French Toast & Pastries, Fresh Fruit, Juice, Milk, Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate Bar. Bloody Mary & Mimosa Cash Bar also available.
- • Food & Drinks available from vendors during 'Easter Eggstravaganza': The Silo (Craft Beer, Wine & More), Country Kitchen (Festival Faves), Freddy's on the Farm (Burgers & More), The Apple Shack (Tasty Treats).
- • Farm Market Deli offers fresh-made daily bites.
- • Stone's Throw Pub serves local wines, craft beer, and tasty bites.
📅Booking Policy
- • Breakfast with the Bunny: Reservations are by the table, all guests (including those in highchairs) need a seat.
- • Easter Eggstravaganza: Your selected Arrival Time Slot is for arrival, but guests can stay until closing.
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Pricing can be high (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Kelly Gayle
4 months agoI typically always go to the light show every year but never would I ever pay for it. It is not worth $60. Especially anytime you go close to Christmas you better be prepared to wait. Bring some games. Play the abc game because it’s slow going. Sat an hour 3 days before Christmas. But go right after thanksgiving and it’s pretty good and you don’t have to wait. Moral of the story is bring your own food and go way before Christmas. I do think they had new things this year so that’s good because it’s been awhile since I have seen anything new. The store itself is great and has so many cool things. Also the summer u pick is so expensive. Just go to a farm in Jersey. I would say do the light show at least once in your life though.
They Call Me Jelly
3 months agoWe had a good time. Our kids are a bit older now and visiting here kept them all busy. From the slide to the games all fun. Food can be pricey and long lines. Make sure you don’t wear fancy shoes because there is a lot of dust. The hay ride is nice and cart is really big. The only downside of it was that we were more than 16 and $60 can add up -_-
Stephen Gwynn
5 months agoMy wife and I visited the Fall Festival with my two year old grandson and had a wonderful time. We went early so there wasn't a line to enter. He enjoyed the playgrounds, wagon ride, cow ride, corn maze, and pumpkin patch. The food we purchased was high quality (chicken sandwich, tenders, fries, apple cider donuts) and we enjoyed lunch in front of the band. It was a wonderful day!
Mark Sharpe
5 months agoThese folks here are super nice. They assisted me with parking over night. Their facility is amazing to.cisit with a nice variety of homemade foods, novelties and the ice cream shop is amazing. I wish I had been able to see the Christmas lights though. If your around this place you must visit them.
Olga M
4 months agothey did such a great job with the light show ! We enjoy walking around this beautiful farm, shopping in their stores, and enjoying signature drinks by the fire. my favorite place is near the goats. they are so cute. absolute love