Spring Haven Farm Offers Seasonal Family Fun (and Goats!)

COMMUNITY NEWS

By Randy B. Young
Correspondent

CHAPEL HILL –To quote an old chestnut, if you haven’t been to Spring Haven Farm lately, then you haven’t been to Spring Haven Farm.

Since 2016, Spring Haven Farm at 5306 Homer Ruffin Road in northern Chapel Hill (off New Hope Church Road just south of I-40) has offered a unique, family-friendly experience onsite where all ages can enjoy seasonal and year-round activities like outdoor movie nights, yoga, and pumpkin carving…all in the company of goats.

Just a couple of years ago, however, the Crihfield family that owns and runs Spring Haven Farm acquired adjoining land and expanded their menu of attractions—and animals. In fact, a quick tour of new attractions like tractor train rides, gem mining, arts and crafts and face painting, and an onsite general store now brings visitors face-to-face not only with goats, but also highland cows, alpacas, emus, chickens, pigs, lambs, donkeys, and horses, according to the Farm’s website (https://www.springhavenfarm.com/).

Over the river and through the wood…

Cullen Crihfield explained that a significant amount of the expansion has occurred on his family’s farm over the past year.

“Our neighbor, Andy Tapp, is an older gentleman, and he just moved to a nice house down in Florida, so he was selling this place,” Crihfield explained. “It had a junkyard and a (dilapidated) house, so it wasn’t selling very well. We told him we’d clean it all up and buy it from him for a reasonable price. He was happy, and we were happy.”

“Everything back beyond that tree line is brand new,” said Danielle Kandle, pointing toward the western portion of the property. Previously at a Texas farm, Kandle has been handling event coordination, planning, and animal care for Spring Haven Farm for two years.

“We’ve added our alpacas, our emus,” said Crihfield, gazing about the property. “I don’t think we had highland cows that long ago either: they’re fun to have. We added a mini golf course, a paintball shooting range, and we (added) our sheep since then, too.”

“—Our playgrounds are new too,” Kandle added.

“We have a small playground,” Crihfield affirmed, “and we just added another larger playground. We have a new tractor train, and we’ve replaced most of the fences on the farm also.”

“The animals go through a few tons of food each month,” Crihfield said, “but everything we make kind of goes right back into the property.”

Cullen Crihfield (left) and Danielle Kandle (right) stand against the backdrop of an expansive, immersive experience at Spring Haven Farm in northern Chapel Hill. Photo by Randy B. Young

Spring Haven Farm is the G.O.A.T.

Through in-person, hands-on interaction, Spring Haven Farm aims to help people build connections with animals, deepen their understanding of agriculture, and discover the joys of farm life, as stated on its website. The Farm’s mission is to provide outstanding care for animals while fostering compassion, respect, and community.

Relatively new features at Spring Haven Farm include mini golf, a safe, supervised shooting gallery nestled into the adjacent woods using paintball markers; a gem mining adventure packed with crystals, fossils, and gemstones; and an arts and crafts barn with seasonal themes like fall pumpkin crafts and Christmas wreath-making. Bags filled with animal treats are available for feeding and interacting with the onsite menagerie of goats, pigs, cows, chickens, ducks, and more.

On weekends, kids and families can meet KatzNC, who creates dazzling face-painting designs, and adults should check the site’s calendar for paint-and-sip nights with Chapel Hill’s Wine & Design…all accompanied by goats.

All events are special events

In addition to the general attractions available to the public each Wednesday through Sunday, Spring Haven Farm also schedules special events on various themes, such as “Trivia Nights” each Wednesday (7-9 p.m.) and a “Murder Mystery Night (with Goats)” from 8-11 p.m. on Saturday, November 8.

Also in November, there will be a “Music Bingo Night” on Thursday, November 13 (7-9 p.m.), followed by a “Renaissance Faire” on Saturday and Sunday (all day, both days). The Farm will stage a “Friendsgiving” celebration all day on Thursday, November 20, and Yoga with Goats at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 22.

One group that enjoyed Spring Haven Farm this past Sunday was the UNC service sorority, Omega Phi Alpha (OPA).

“There’s a bunch of us here today,” said OPA’s Gracie Elliot, “and basically this is one of our sisterhood events.”

“We do a lot of service projects together,” OPA member Scotlyn Wyatt explained, “so this kind of balances us getting to bond a little: we don’t want it to be all work, no play.”

“We had to reschedule because it was going to be on a rainy day,” OPA sister Maggie Waters said, “but honestly, it’s like the perfect atmosphere today.”

Members of UNC’s Omega Phi Alpha service sorority joined together for an autumn adventure Sunday afternoon at Spring Haven Farm. Photo by Randy B. Young

Born to ren (faire)

Spring Haven Farm invites the public to enjoy a world of knights, magic, and merriment at their Renaissance Faire, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day.

“Costumes are encouraged, goats are guaranteed, and adventure awaits around every corner,” the website stated.

“This will be our first time staging the Renaissance Fair,” Crihfield said, “and we’re already expecting quite a good turnout—we’re expecting about 1,000 people per day for the Ren Faire.”

Activities will include archery, fight-a-knight demos, live world music and dance, belly dancing, a living history encampment by the Society for Creative Anachronism, blacksmith demonstrations, face painting and “fairy hair,” Tarot card readings…and, of course, goats.

“Over 40 artisan vendors will (bring) a medieval flair and handcrafted treasures,” the site stated, including leather and armor craftspeople, jewelry and crystal vendors, books, specialty goods like candles, soaps, and crochet goods. Additionally, turkey legs and barbecue will be offered from Tasty Turkey-cue, craft beer from Durty Bull Brewery, mead and cider from Starrlight Meadery, and more.

Best “the farm” on a Merry Christmas

Crihfield and Kandle said that the month of November will see Spring Haven Farm move from fall into the Holiday season.

“Things are a little fluid each year, so I don’t know everything we’ll be doing for Christmas yet,” Crihfield said. “We did have an elf workshop one year, and we may do that again this year. Also, we’ll have a Christmas tree lot we set up in the front. We have some companies in the mountains that sell them. We like getting the fresh Christmas trees: we buy them fresh cut right around December 1st.”

“I think we’ll have Santa again this year,” he said, “so we have ‘Writing Letters to Santa’ activities, and we’ll have Santa here for the kids. Plus, we have, of course, our goats: you’ll get to pet and feed animals.”

“We also have our Christmas sweaters,” Kandle said. “We dress up the animals, and I think there’s been some talks about possibly having a Christmas market out here.”

“People can come out here for the animals, s’mores, and hot cocoa,” Crihfield said, “and just have a fun family day.”

Crihfield said that new forested trails are being added at Spring Haven Farm and should be accessible as early as next week for the Renaissance Faire.

“And it goes right down to a little river in the back—New Hope Creek—and that’s very pretty,” he said.

And just in time for the Holidays, when it’s “over the river and through the wood,” to enjoy some seasonal festivities, and, naturally…goats.

Goats and people can agree: there’s nothing tastier in autumn than pumpkin pie at Spring Haven Farm. Photo by Randy B. Young

A Dartmouth College graduate, Randy B. Young first worked as an award-winning advertising copywriter in New Hampshire, then in communications at UNC for over 30 years. He maintained an award-winning newspaper feature covering Recreation and Exercise in the Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Orange County. Retired and living in Chapel Hill, Randy continues to write for regional publications both locally and in New England, and his book, And the Stars Flew With Us, is available through Amazon and at independent bookstores. He coaches track at Chapel Hill High and has a photography business, Pierless (sic) Photography. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocalReporter.press