WEST NEWBURY — The Pentucket Arts Foundation once again partners with Long Hill Orchard and Farm for its annual springtime Fairytale Hayride on Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m., with a rain date of Sunday.
Organized each year by West Newbury’s Julie Malchow, who serves on the foundation’s board of directors, this community arts event is a fun and relaxing way to introduce young children to the wonder of live theater and storytelling.
Additional free activities include pony rides (1:30 to 3:30 p.m.), a bubble station and face painting. Refreshments from the farm are available for purchase, with profits going to the farmer.
Grownups join their favorite youngsters on a leisurely wagon ride through an enchanted meadow on the 150-acre farm, stopping along the way to enjoy kid-friendly fairytales and fables performed by actors in colorful costumes from the Pentucket Regional Middle/High School theater program led by director Brooke Snow.
Tickets are $5 per person, with repeated hayrides allowed. Babies ride for free on an adult’s lap. All proceeds from ticket sales and donations directly fund the fine and performing arts in the tri-town Pentucket region.
Since 2003, Pentucket Arts Foundation has been on a mission to bring the community together through shared arts experiences. Whether dressing up as a favorite fairytale character, meeting a storybook friend, or simply soaking in the festive atmosphere, this is a great opportunity to kick off the warm weather season with others in the community.
Now in its seventh year, Fairytale Hayride is part of the foundation’s arts and agriculture initiative, which aims to use the transformative power of the arts to support the local agriculture industry.
Located at 520 Main St., Long Hill Orchard and Farm was established in 1896 and has been owned and operated by John and Cindy Adams and their children since 1990.
Employing environmentally friendly and sustainable farming practices, the farm offers locally grown items, including pick-your-own apples, pumpkins, and Christmas trees, along with a popular Community Supported Agriculture program each summer.
The hayride is supported by the Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury Cultural Councils. Farmers seeking to partner with the arts foundation to bring a community arts project to their farm should contact pentucketarts@gmail.com.