The Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau is launching a new autumn tradition in tandem with the Scarecrow Fest called Greater St. Charles Farm Tour. From Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, during length of the fest, guests can register to visit and experience farm life from the 1800’s, interact with authentic farm livestock, enjoy wagon rides, engage in equestrian theatre and care, and a myriad of other activities.

Four local area farms are readying their locations to welcome visitors:

Historic Corron Farm, 7N761 Corron Road, St Charles, will offer historical wagon tours, where visitors, accompanied by knowledgeable prairie experts, will hear the story of prairie restoration and other tales of Corron Farm’s past (1835 to present day).

House tours, featuring authentic 19^th century documents, books, furniture and other household items will also take place. Tours run hourly from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for a fee of $5 per person.

Garfield Farm Museum, 2N930 Garfield Road, Campton Hills, features a historical walking tour to experience life on this 1840s farm. Participants engage with docents and tradesmen to hear about the farmyard’s historic barns and see authentic livestock including oxen, chickens, geese, turkeys, pigs, and sheep. A picnic area is available.

Tours run hourly from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for a fee of $5 per adult and $3 per child under 13 years.

Norton Farm and Produce, 39W369 Route 64, St. Charles, offers traditional harvest activities for adults and children including admission to Norton’s Hollow — a fall season play area designed for children ages 2 to 10. Children navigate the straw maze, crawl through the corn bundle, climb a straw mountain, meet and feed the animals, and other activities. Participants also receive a small pie pumpkin and seasonal gourd.

A picnic area is available for dining. Lunches are available in the Village of Campton Hills, and outside food is permitted.

Hours are Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday amd 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, with an admission fee of $5 per person.

The Royal Lusitano, 42W580 Empire Road, St. Charles, showcases the famous Lusitano horse, known for the courage to face the bull or jump large fences, as well as the athletic ability to handle the sharp turns and bursts of speed necessary to navigate the most difficult working equitation courses.

Visitors will witness demonstrations of this extraordinary breed in a variety of dressage and equestrian theater activities.

Hourly demonstrations take place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for a fee of $10 per adults 13 and up and $6 for children ages 5 to 12. Admission is free for children under 5.

Visitors can register for a Farm Tour by logging on to the farm tour page on the Scarecrowfest website. Accommodations for visitors who wish to extend their stay to enjoy the Farm Tour and the fest can go to this page for hotel reservations.

The GSCCVB is funded by the Illinois Office of Tourism and a portion of the hotel/motel tax collected by the City of St. Charles hotels to promote the Greater St. Charles area as a destination for leisure tourists, conventions, sports events, and meetings. For additional information regarding the bureau’s marketing and sales activities, contact the bureau at 630-377-6161 or www.visitstcharles.com.

SOURCE: Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau news release