Lots of new birthday pics at the bottom of this post!
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST INSTEAD OF CALLING WITH QUESTIONS THAT ARE ALL ANSWERED HERE. This same information applies to corporate events, neighborhood events, school events etc. Price can occasionally be lowered for churches and schools and for weekday or multi-hour events.
FARM BIRTHDAY PARTIES are for all ages at Winterpast Farm in Wake Forest, North Carolina. This ten acre fully fenced family farm is located at the end of Six Forks road at Falls Lake. Convenient to Durham, Raleigh, Wake Forest and surrounding towns. A whole lot closer than the zoo! Farm Birthday Parties are $900 (updated price March 2022) for a private two hour farm party with the farm closed to the general public. The entire party is outdoors; there is no indoor party space. If it rains you can reschedule or cancel. This has only happened twice.
The farm party includes the usual farm tour, meeting and petting and feeding animals as well as whatever party fun you provide like cake time or a pinata. Your group will have the full attention of Farmer Mary and possibly a volunteer teen or two depending on the date and time.
You are welcome to bring balloons to hang around the farm and on the road sign. Farmer Mary has party buckets for animal feed but you may choose to bring your own. Farmer Mary has table cloths (usually red plaid) but you are welcome to bring your own. YOU bring animal feed and some hosts encourage their guests to bring some animal food along to make them feel a part of the event. . Food you can easily bring to feed the animals includes sliced apples, long thin or short carrots (fat ones will need to be sliced which takes considerable time ) whole wheat Ritz or Saltine crackers , grapes, celery, romaine lettuce, collards, plain cheerios. There is a longer list of foods at the “Your Visit” section at www.
For a private farm party you can have an number of unlimited guests. Parents of guests are welcome as well as their other children but they must keep other children close to them at all times. When the party ends YOU are in charge of getting everyone to leave very promptly as it is quite possible Farmer Mary will be opening to the public within a short period of time after the party time is over and she will need the parking lot cleared.
You can also just pay the usual $10/ person rate and schedule to have a smaller party during normal open farm visiting hours. Farmer Mary is happy to set aside a special picnic table or two and can provide special purple party feed buckets for your guests and occasionally can have a volunteer help your group specifically during normal posted open hours. This can ONLY be for a few guests up to 5 and please keep in mind YOU are choosing to have a party during what may be a very busy day at the zoo. Farmer Mary CANNOT guarantee a volunteer to help your group individually so please have adequate adult supervision. Please have parents carpool or plan to drop off and pick up guests very quickly and efficiently in our small parking lot. They may not park and walk them in unless they park on the road out front. (All four wheels off the road). They may not stay more than a very few moments unless they are each paying the usual farm admission.
The farm address is 12936 Ghoston Road. Wake Forest 27587. Please let drivers know to watch for the VERY well marked farm entrance and to NOT turn down Farmer Mary’s neighbors private road behind the old tobacco barn when their GPS says to.
HOME PARTIES /MOBILE PETTING ZOO EVENTS AWAY FROM THE FARM
Farmer Mary can arrange to bring small animals to your home party. BUNNY BIRTHDAY PARTIES are especially popular, with all size and colors of bunnies to hold and feed. Cost is $700 (updated price March 2022) for one full hour of meeting,holding and feeding. Usually she brings bunnies, guinea pigs, the hedgehog (if requested) a small goat (if requested) a duck, and, seasonally (when she has them) chicks. A baby goat or lamb can also come when available.
Farmer Mary will arrive approx. 15 minutes prior to set up. Please provide. Close parking spot. Farmer Mary finds that one full hour is perfect for nearly every event. In her experience one hour is perfect. Additional time can be scheduled at the same cost.
As weekends are her busiest days for farm visits, she prefers to schedule away events on weekdays or else early morning or late afternoon away events on those days so that she can be open as long as possible for public farm visits between her normal hours of 10-5. She still has to plan and load the animals and party supplies and cannot do that while the farm is open to the general public. Farmer Mary can have the animals set up either inside or outside your home. A garage or porch is great if rainy. Other animals who have attended home parties include baby goats, baby lambs, baby chicks and other poultry.
Farmer Mary’s daughter, Elizabeth, has graduated from the two year Scholars With Diverse Abilities Program at Appalachian State University. She will be available for limited away events.If you pick up Elizabeth and the animals and supplies from the farm the cost is $500 for up to several hours. Elizabeth has had rave reviews and she is enjoying working independently. Please note the reason the price is less because YOU pick up Elizabeth and the animals from the farm. A normal van or SUV is fine. All animals are crated. Below is a photo of the usual away event items. Since she will be alone, Elizabeth will need help unloading, setting up, as well as help during the event like holding a goat leash and with closing down the event to load back up. She is NOT available midday on most weekends as those are the busiest days at the farm and she is needed there.
D.I.Y. EVENT
Farmer Mary provides you with everything you need for a great animal experience. Please be aware YOU are totally responsible for the animal pickup, event set up, caring for the animals correctly and their safe return to Winterpast Farm. You MUST have some extremely dedicated helpers watching all the animals at all times, watching for any dogs walking by, providing adequate shade and water, watching that small children don’t offer their fingers to animals, watching while/if there is any animal holding, watching how children feed the animals, keeping any leashed animals from eating a single leaf of any plant you do not know 100percent is safe for them to eat. Animals are $50 each and can include bunnies, guinea pigs, ducks, SONIC the hedgehog, a small goat or sheep, baby chicks (when available).
At home/church/preschool/corporate/neighborhood parties YOU provide the animal snacks. Some ideas are carrots (the pretty ones with green still attached make really pretty photos and the animals eat all of it), apple slices (the only types the animals don’t love are granny smith and red delicious altho they will eat them. They prefer yellow or pink varieties of apples) crackers (saltine,wheat,graham…animals aren’t picky about carbs!)kale (the longer stiff kind is easiest to hold as well as pretty in pics), celery (keep it long for those who haven’t held and fed animals before; the leafier the more the animals love celery!)
If your home is very far away, especially on Saturdays when the farm is usually very busy with family visits, Farmer Mary may charge an additional travel fee.
Farmer Mary has also helped celebrate Birthdays in preschool classrooms and local parks. Where is your Birthday child’s favorite place?
Text Farmer Mary with your specific birthday party requests. Please state whether you want the party at the farm or your home (your address so she can Mapquest) the date you want the birthday party, ideal hours, ages that will interact with the animals, which animals you specifically want. Remind Farmer Mary if you have visited the farm and try to provide as much information possible so Farmer Mary can simply reply “yes” and avoid endless back and forth texts. 919-244-1800. Please do not FB message, Instagram message, leave voice mails, or try to email. Texting ONLY please. 919-244-1800. Please text only.
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FARM PARTY at Winterpast Farm Petting Zoo is $800 (price update April 2021) for approximately two and a half hours at Winterpast Farm (including about fifteen minutes set up time and close down time so actual guests are invited for a two hour party). The farm is closed to other visitors at this time. Please respect the time frame and encourage your guests to leave when the party is over. You can remind them that they can schedule a paid farm visit for another day. Farmer Mary may have other visitors arriving, or have plans to spend time with her family. If you arrive much earlier than fifteen minutes to set up, please realize Farmer Mary may be very busy with other visitors.
NOTE Farmer Mary can occasionally barter for part of the price..plumbing, electrical work, fencing, wood splitting, general handyperson skills are always needed at the farm!
Bring your friends and family to help celebrate your birthday at the farm. Unlimited number of guests and lots of fun for all ages. Grandma can sit in the shade, big brother can fly a kite or kick a football in the ten acre pasture, baby brother can nurse under a big oak tree or can play on the slides and swings or just stack up rocks and pinecones. Farmer Mary find most kids are just happy to be spending time OUTSIDE!) Bring your friends and family to help celebrate your birthday at the farm. Unlimited number of guests and lots of fun for all ages.
As your visitors arrive and park or drop off children, they can wander the front yard looking at animals in pens and start to feed them if they like. The animals include a mini donkeys, pigs, ducks, peacocks, goats, sheep, emu and chickens.
For farm parties YOU provide the animal food. You can ask Farmer Mary for a list of animal food to bring. Many Birthday hosts send along the list of food the animals like to snack on and the birthday party guests enjoy bringing something from their home refrigerator or pantry. There can never be enough food available to feed the animals! Animal feed includes carrots, cut up apples, whole wheat bread, whole wheat ritz or saltine crackers, plain cheerios, grapes, celery, green beans, dry oatmeal and more…Farmer Mary has attractive green buckets and bowls to present the animal food for children to choose.
Farmer Mary has lots of cute feed buckets, enough for each child to use during the party, with handles for animal feed. Some Birthday hosts bring brown lunch bags or other “feed bag” or plastic bins for each child to fill with a variety of food. This gives the early arrivals something to do and children can select food they want. Long carrots and celery and sturdy wheat bread is always nice for first time feeders. After children realize how softly the animals take the food they can move up to holding out baby carrots or even cereal on their hand!
Some older children ask their guests to bring donations of farm food in lieu of birthday gifts. (Farmer Mary can make suggestions and many guests have expressed the great fun they had at Tractor Supply or Southern States trying to decide whether to bring goat food or bunny food or a bale of hay!). Many Birthday hosts send along the list of food the animals like to snack on and the guests enjoy bringing something from their home refrigerator or pantry. There can never be enough food available to feed the animals!
As of April 2021 the animals include a mini donkey, three pigs, lots of sheep and lambs, lots of goats and baby goats, two emu, two hedgehogs, several breeds of friendly ducks, peacocks, chickens of all sizes and breeds, lots of bunnies and guinea pigs. At different times of year, when available, the baby goats and lambs love being held and occasionally Farmer Mary has a bottle baby. Check the winterpastfarm page on Facebook for up to date details about babies at the farm.
Farmer Mary suggests you ask everyone to wear denim or overalls and that you give each guest a bandana to wear(nice cotton ones in all colors available for $1 at Walmart) -makes for fantastic photos and can serve in lieu of a goody bag later.
Many parties include the donut game if the Birthday hosts choose. Little donuts (you provide; powdered sugar small ones make for cute photos and not too big a mess)
Parents and friends are welcome take photographs or enjoy time together in the. front yard where most of the baby animals are located. The group needs to stick together and parents are expected to keep a general eye on their children while at the farm. Chasing animals, picking up chickens and screaming is not allowed. Farmer Mary has raised four teens and is an experienced mother and can deal with most behavior but appreciates some help at times.
On rare rainy days, Farmer Mary usually has a few empty animal pens outdoors that have tarped roofs that she can fix up so that Cupcakes or cakes and drinks, gifts, can be handled there on rainy days. Usually rain is light and guests can wear raincoats and sometimes parties have to be cancelled or rescheduled due to heavy rain. There is no charge if rain cancels an event.
There is a very nice port-o-john in the parking lot. Please plan to have an adult go with children. Farmer Mary always has wipes and hand sanitizer available after petting animals. There is also hot water and antibacterial soap available at the barn sink near the entrance to the farm.
FARM BIRTHDAY PARTY is great for any age child. We have hosted parties for one year olds up to an evening bonfire party for a forty year old’s party!
Feel free to bring a BALLOON to put on the mailbox by the road or to set up party tents in the front yard ahead of time. Balloons along the fenceline are always a festive note and extra cute for pictures.
Farmer Mary suggests you set up a date and time soon to come for a brief visit the farm (for free) and talk VERY briefly about your party plans. Text Farmer Mary with specific birthday requests. Please state date you want the birthday party, where you want the birthday party, ages that will interact with the animals, remind Farmer Mary if you have visited the farm, try to provide as much information possible so Farmer Mary can simply reply “yes” and avoid endless back and forth texts. 919-244-1800. Please do not FB message, Instagram message, leave voice mails, or try to email. Texting ONLY please. 919-244-1800
Texting to arrange party details is always best at 919-244-1800
Farm address is 12936 Ghoston Road Wake Forest NC 27587
If it rains the party can either be rescheduled or Farmer Mary set up a table in an outdoor pen or two with tables for gifts and cake. The big white tent shown in some photos was rented and set up by a Birthday mom. The ponies were also rented from another farm by a person hosting a party here.
YOU bring the birthday cake (or cupcakes seem popular these days), drinks, ice, snacks, donuts for the donut game, any food . You can do a cookout if you can provide a grill. Several picnic tables are available and pretty seasonal table cloths can be provided. Farmer Mary has lots of trays, serving spoons and knives etc…
Optional to bring: bandanas and/or straw or cowboy hats for the kids, tablecloths (Farmer Mary has some) Some people like to have egg hunts with little plastic farm animals or candy in the eggs. Farmer Mary and her children can hide the eggs (or how about plastic bugs or lizards? Check the dollar stores and Target’s dollar aisle for great ideas) along the forest path if you like. Pinatas can be hung from one of the large trees in the front yard.
Text Farmer Mary with specific birthday party requests. Please try to provide as much information possible so Farmer Mary can simply reply “yes” and avoid endless back and forth texts. 919-244-1800. Please do not FB message, Instagram message, leave voice mails, or try to email. Texting ONLY please. 919-244-1800
