This is the first year Russell Farms has been open on weekdays, a decision made in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Before this year, we had so many schools coming out and we built an educational program around it, so we couldn’t be open to the public,” owner Laura Russell said. “We couldn’t handle people playing out here while we were trying to teach (students) about farming, too.”
Russell Farms, 12290 E. 191st St., is open weekdays noon to 4 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“The reason we have to wait until 12 (on weekdays) is we do still have a few schools coming out for field trips,” Russell said.
Tractor hayrides aren’t offered on weekdays. Concession items, such as hamburgers and hotdogs, are offered on weekends. On weekdays, visitors can order from a snack shack that offers prepackaged items.
Russell said it has been a busy year at the 56-acre farm
“I think a lot of people are ready to get out of their house,” Russell said. “The nice thing is, and we have had it like this for years, is we have spread everything out so much so nobody’s on top of each other. Everybody is doing social distancing, and we didn’t have to move anything because it was so spread out, so that was nice.”
Admission on weekends is $12 for ages 3 and older, free for military members and veterans and $8 for people 65 and older. On weekdays, general admission is $10. Admission includes all activities. This is the farm’s 19th year of operation.
