Locals flock to Sass Family Farm’s PumpkinFest

RIVERSIDE – Sass Family Farm south of Riverside hosted its annual PumpkinFest over the weekend of Oct. 8-9.

The event featured all sorts of fall-themed activities for families, including hayrack rides, a straw maze, a haunted barn and plenty of pumpkins and gourdes for sale.

The farm is owned by Maurice and Sherry Sass, who have resided there since 1973. Their son, Chris Sass, and daughter, Cara Sorrells, both had newborns in 1998, so they decided to plant pumpkins that year for their babies to enjoy.

“We actually had too many pumpkins that year, so we put out a hayrack in the front yard to sell them,” Sorrells said. “We thought it would be a good start for the kids’ education; we could make some money and put it away in a trust.”

The Sass farm soon became known as a great place to buy pumpkins. The family capitalized on the opportunity by adding attractions.

“First we said, ‘Let’s make a haunted barn, and let’s do hayrack rides,’” Sorrells said. “It turned into a family business. It’s gotten bigger every year.”

During this two-day celebration of PumpkinFest, the farm drew between 800-1,000 people, Sorrells estimated. Sorrells said the weather was perfect, and she added that about 1,000 visitors is perfect for the farm.

“That’s a good amount for us. We don’t want to get too big because there’s not much parking,” she said. “We want to keep it family-oriented. People appreciate that it’s a relaxed atmosphere, and we don’t charge a fee to get in.”

Sorrells said she and her family have made a special effort to appeal to young children ages 3-7. Kids have fun admiring all the farm animals such as ducks, turkeys, sheep and goats, and playing on lots of different pieces of playground equipment. The event also features vendors selling wine, ice cream, walking tacos and kettle corn.

Though PumpkinFest is just one weekend every year, Sass Family Farm is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day through October, where the public can enjoy the barn, playground and hayrack rides.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com