Fall for Harpers Ferry
Destination: Jefferson County, West Virginia
Leaves gather and swirl at your feet, and a tinge of firewood wafts through the air. Visit Harpers Ferry this autumn, where the past echoes around every corner and pumpkin patch perfection is found just outside town.
Ridgefield Farm and Orchard
“Your farm experience for every season,” Ridgefield Farm is particularly good at this one. Owners Alan Gibson and Scott Beard present crisp apples, pie-worthy pumpkins and all that is good about fall in a setting that makes visitors want to stay all day. In fact, they hope you do.
Ridgefield Farm’s cutting garden is tended by a sweet young thing and her flower cart. All photos by Paul Jean.
Their idyllic farm on Kidwiler Road celebrates the mighty pumpkin every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. through the end of October. Included in the $5 Pumpkin Fest admission fee is live music, a magic show, and use of the picnic and play areas. A nominal fee is charged for a rollicking hayride across the fields and a corn maze that’s crafted to confound.
Ridgefield Farm is big on country fun, but beware: If you get the feeling that someone’s watching you, you’re probably right. These hills are alive.
The laid back setting of the farm provides an authentic country escape from the commercialism of the season.
Two matronly pumpkin ladies preside over their patch with an authoritative air, perhaps warning you to watch where you step. Who knew pumpkins had personalities? Wagons are available for treks through the garden, and pumpkin prices are found inside the store.
Explore the farm and you’ll discover more creative characters – about 60 in all – tucked into every nook and cranny. Check out the hay bale that’s landed on a certain witch near the corn maze, and you’ll know these folks have a wicked sense of humor.
A pirate ship playground teams with scary scurvy scum, one bearing an uncanny resemblance to Captain Jack. Be sure to look up in the trees and into the woods so you won’t miss a single gourd.
The pirate scenes are the most popular, telling a tale of drama on the high seas.
You can pack a lunch and board the nearby Ridgefield Express picnic tables if you don’t mind being watched by the motley crew while you eat. The Café de Pumpkin will also be selling hot dogs, popcorn, soda and the like during the festival.
For one poor unfortunate gourd, things did not end well.
Bluegrass music provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing day inWest Virginia, and you might think this is almost heaven. But night time is a whole ‘nother story …
Bring a camera to capture the moments – large and small -- of a perfect fall day down on the farm.
Ridgefield Farm celebrates the Haunting Season every Friday and Saturday night throughout October with its International House of Panic. Guests are also invited to take a hay ride over to the corn maze and make their way through in total darkness.
Most folks are able to navigate the maze on their own, but a search and rescue crew team is available if needed. The Haunting Season is recommended for ages 10 and up, and the admission fee is all-inclusive $20.
Historic Harpers Ferry
After a day on the farm, take in the sights of two quaint side-by-side villages. Dozens of 19th-century homes remain intact in both Harpers Ferry and Boliver, making a stroll down the street a living history lesson.
The town gazebo on Washington Street is all that remains of the B&O Railroad amusement park that once operated on Byrne Island, below Hilltop House.
Since there is limited on-street parking, it’s recommended that visitors drive to the National Historical Park Visitor Center off Route 340 and hop the shuttle over to town to enjoy the museums, shops and restaurants. There is a $6 fee per car, and you can pick up maps and information to make the visit meaningful.
Harpers Ferry’s Civil War history runs deep. The Armory made over 600,000 muskets between 1804 and 1860, and John Brown’s Raid in 1959 was the spark ignited the War Between the States. The town changed hands nine times during the four years of fighting.
Harpers Ferry became the home of Storer College in 1865. Originally a one-room schoolhouse for the education of freedmen, Storer grew into a degree-granting college specializing in teacher preparation. The school remained open for 88 years and hosted the second gathering of the Niagara Movement, forerunner of the NAACP.
Storer College was prominent in the Civil Rights Movement, having hosted a famous speech by Frederick Douglas in 1881 and the second conference of the Niagara Movement in 1906.
Perched atop Camp Hill, the campus is now used as a training center by the National Parks Service. A view of the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers is breathtaking, and interpretive signage provides a thought-provoking self-guided tour.
Canal House Cafe
The quirky, friendly Canal House Café at 1226 W. Washington St. boasts one of the oldest buildings in town. Constructed in 1822 with wood from the barges used on the C&O Canal, the atmosphere is warm and cozy.
The historic Canal House Restaurant offers a comfortable stop for weary pumpkin hunters and history lovers.
The menu is anything but old-fashioned, with lunch choices including fresh salads and soups, as well as sandwiches on freshly baked whole grain bread. Dinner offers a choice of two meals – one vegetarian and one carnivore friendly – with ingredients that are local, sustainable and organic whenever possible.
Enjoy banjo and fiddle music that showcases the local talent on Friday and Saturday nights, and order a huge scoop of Trickling Springs ice cream to wind down the day. The Canal House doesn’t sell beer or wine, but you are welcome to bring your own.
A psychic has deemed the building haunted, but our server assured us that any poltergeists are of the hospitable variety. They’d really have to be, because that’s the vibe of the Canal House. The restaurant is family friendly and is open Thursday – Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. for lunch and from 5:30 – 9 p.m. for dinner.
Upcoming Events in Harpers Ferry
October 1 – Mr. Lincoln Returns to Harpers Ferry
October 8 – Reacting to the Raid: Virginia Militia Arming to the Teeth
October 15-16 – Battle of Bolivar Heights, 1861
October 22-23 – Basil Williamson’s Tavern and the War of 1812
October 29-30 – Under Fire: The Battle of Harpers Ferry, 1862
For details visit http://historicharpersferry.com/calendar.php.
Y’all come back now, y’hear?
Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.
