BLUE RIDGE, Va. – With just days left until fall begins, it’s almost time to pick out the perfect pumpkin. This year, one local farm is expecting tens of thousands of visitors.
Eric Layman, owner of Layman Family Farms, is busy preparing for their annual fall festival. Full of everything from a corn maze, to their newest addition, a 250-foot slide.
“It’s something for everybody, you know from the smallest kids to the grandparents that get to watch their grandkids smile and really just enjoy a great family activity,” Layman said.
The farm expects 30 to 40,000 visitors this fall, and they’re just one of several farms that’ll be open in the region.
“People are always looking for unique experiences, things outside of the box, and agritourism really allows that to happen,” Director of Public Relations for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge Kathryn Lucas said.
Last year, Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge reports tourists spent $882 million visiting the area, and a big chunk of that at local farms.
“We have people from different states that make their annual trip up from South Carolina when they’re visiting and so forth, and West Virginia we get a lot of people,” Layman said.
People come from far and wide to pick a pumpkin, eat an apple and soak up the beauty Blue Ridge has to offer.
“It’s great to just keep the legacy of the family going, seeing people over the years,” Layman said. “It’s just another way to keep farming going.”