Explore a Full Day of Fun Attractions at Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove, Illinois

If you're looking for an exciting day of doing more than just picking out a pumpkin for the fall season then you'll want to head over to Goebbert's Farm in Pingree Grove, Illinois. Goebbert's Farm has two locations: South Barrington and Pingree Grove. If you're planning to do a lot of shopping you'll want to head to the South Barrington location for their Garden Center, Market Place, and Bakery. While the South Barrington location focuses more on the produce and baked goods, it still has a few attractions. However, when it comes to fun, the Pingree Grove location has way more! If you're looking to get a delicious Apple Cider Donut don't worry, Pingree Grove has them too and of course, lots of pumpkins! You can hop on the Wagon Ride and cruise your way to three fun attractions. Head to the Apple Orchard for a delightful apple-picking experience, get ready to lose yourself in the adventurous Corn Maze, or discover the perfect pumpkin at the charming Pumpkin Patch!

Before picking out a pumpkin, check out the many exciting attractions they have available at Goebbert's Farm. Go see the Pumpkin Eating Dinosaur! Take a ride on the Train and watch the Wild West Skeletons come to life with their gun slinging, smack talking, and T.N.T explosion. Practice your shooting skills at the Shooting Gallery and see if you can hit the target with tennis balls using the air compressor rifle launcher. Upgrade your skills and head over to the Apple Cannons. After you hit your target, head to the big Pumpkin Slide and race your friends or family. Don't forget to check out the Pig Races or even take a ride on the Pig Ride. For the little ones, be sure to check out the tiny town of Pumpkin Grove, go digging with the Mini Diggers, or play in the big Playground. A big attraction that you just can't miss are the exotic animals. You get more than just farm animals. You get to see animals and birds from around the world including a giraffe, kangaroos, and ostriches. Saddle on up for Pony Rides or ride a Camel! When you're done feeding carrots to the Giant Eland, take a walk through the Haunted House, if you're brave enough. The list of attractions continue on, making an entire day filled with so much fun. Be sure to grab a map when you first enter the park, so you can keep track and not miss out on any of the fun filled activities.

The Goebbert's Farm has gone through a long journey to get to where it is today. In 1948, Goebbert's Farm was just a roadside vegetable stand in Arlington Heights started by George Goebbert. In 1972, things started to change. Jim Goebbert, George's son, bought 40 acres of land in South Barrington, growing produce and lots of pumpkins. Jim's three children sold pumpkins, just like grandfather George, at the roadside. The pumpkins were selling so fast that Jim closed the Arlington Heights produce stand to put his focus and efforts into helping with the pumpkin sales. With the popularity of the pumpkins in 1973, the Goebbert's Farm Fall Festival was born. This was only the beginning with Jim Goebbert creating more for the family farm. In 1979 Jim Goebbert placed a fiberglass pumpkin on top of the silo. The fiberglass pumpkin stands 15 feet tall and 18 feet wide creating a signature landmark that you still see today. The Farm continued success led to Jim Goebbert to purchase a second location of land in 1985. This time covering 200 arces in Pingree Grove. With the many arces of land, this is where they grow most of their produce, flowers, and of course pumpkins. In addidition to the farm land in Pingree Grove, an apple orchard was placed in 2017. Guests now can not only pick out their own pumpkins but can go apple picking too.

The Goebbert's Farm has come a long way from starting out as a roadside vegetable stand to now hosting two locations with fall festivals and no sign of slowing down. Although Jim and his wife, Esther, have retired, their legacy lives on as their sons, Lee and Lloyd, take the reins of the family farm. Lloyd and his wife, Terry, along with sons Jacob and James, run the Pingree Grove location. They have over 250 employees during peak season. The family legacy continues with creative ideas for attractions such as the Nighttime Light Shows. The Pingree Grove location also has the signature landmark giant fiberglass pumpkin on top of the silo, a welcoming notice to the public of a family farm legacy.

My Experience

I've been to numerous farm festivals over the years, and one thing I do have to say is that Goebbert's Farm is one that keeps surprising me. A lot of farm locations will add something new for activities, but Goebbert's Farm is the only one that catches me off guard. I seem to find myself pointing and saying, "Look at that!" The Goebbert family definitely has a creative way of thinking. Not only do they offer the essential produce goods we need, but they also provide thrilling attractions alongside them! Even the haunted house is one of the best that I've seen for a farm festival. Usually, when I walk through one of those, it's very bland with hardly anything to it. If you ever go to the Pingree Grove location, I highly recommend making plans to spend the entire day there. Unfortunately for us, we had rain in the morning but still managed to spend a good portion of the day there. With the mud we skipped out on the Corn Maze and picking our pumpkin at the patch. We chose a pre-picked pumpkin instead. I wish we were able to stay longer! There is so much to see and do, and the kids were having a blast. Later, when we got home, I realized there were things that we missed due to not having enough time. Next year, I'll definitely be considering the Season Pass. The layout of the park was spacious. There was a large crowd of people, but at no point did I ever feel clustered. The food options were great! If we had spent more time there, I would have tried a smashburger, taco, or a grilled sausage. My husband would have made a stop at the Beer Bin too. Seeing all the different animals and being able to feed them was incredible! A truly unforgettable experience for the kids too. Goebbert's Farm has so much excitement and fun that it's impossible to capture it all in just one article! I'll be visiting both locations again to bring you even more articles and creative content to showcase everything Goebbert's Farm has to offer for you.

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Locations

Goebbert's Farm Fall Festival

42W813 Reinking Rd.

Pingree Grove, IL. 60140

www.goebberts.com

Goebbert's Farm & Garden Center

40 W. Higgins Rd.

South Barrington, IL. 60010