Summers Farm — Attraction in Frederick

We so love this place. It became our go-to destination for fall/Halloween fun several years ago when another popular orchard, much closer to DC, became way too overrun and congested to be enjoyable. We almost gave up on fall farm fun entirely, but then decided to give Summers farm a shot and we're so glad we did.

We had many wonderful experiences at the old Summers farm location but after a while even that one started to feel a bit crowded, as word of mouth spread that it was logistically easier than navigating the ones closer to DC. But then they moved to a new location, only about 5-10 minutes further out for us, and there they have tons of growing room. Now there is no feeling of crowdedness at all. Yesterday we had our run of the place, enjoying our favorite activities over and over, never having to stand in line for anything.

Among our favorites: the "Flying Pigs," basically kind of a miniature low-tech zipline close to the ground. This year they had it rigged up better than ever, we were able to get more speed without scraping ground. We still love the ring game where you try to get a small ring dangling from a string to catch on a hook. We still love the ducky races, powered by frantically pumping water. The corn mazes are great (though we usually wimp out and just do the short one). We love the pillow bounce, the various other mazes, the slides, the basketball/baseball/football tosses, the pumpkin train caravan, the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch and so much more.

We think the food is good, too. Word to the wise: the pizza counter is around the corner from the main sandwich counter and usually there's no line there. Also make sure you buy some cider donuts and cookies at the sweets shop. We also had our first apple cider slushies yesterday and found them refreshing on a warm, sunny day.

We recommend going there early in the fall season (like we did yesterday), to beat the crowds and also before the pumpkin patches are picked over. This year we found tons of great pumpkins to choose from out in the vines, but if we hadn't, they had several gorgeous ones pre-picked and sitting by the check-out area.

We also think the staff are also very nice and polite. It's also a better deal price-wise than the places closer to DC.

Anyway, whenever autumn rolls around, we immediately think of Summers Farm, and of all the treasured family memories we have...

We’ve been coming to Summer’s Farm for about 6 years and it was our first visit at their new location. My disappointment started when we were directed to the parking lot. Lots of holes and bumps in the ground so if you have a small car be careful you don’t get a flat tire or ruin your transmission!

Our tickets were for noon and the parking was enormous! We were directed to park way way way in the back and we were in the 3rd row of parking. What’s the purpose of coming early? The walk from the parking lot to the front entrance is about half a mile! Usually early arrivals get the closet and best parking NOT the worst! We saw some people cheat and enter through the back by cutting through the ditches. Not sure if they paid or if they thought it was ridiculous to walk to the far entrance too.

The farm is 3 times more spread out compared to the old location. Yes all the activities were there, but to get to each activity is quite a walk and the condition of some of these activities (for example-basketball, football, baseball) needs some serious updating. It would seem the vision of the farm was to fit maybe a 1000 people.

The food at the grill was so disappointing for its high prices. My burger was so dry and over cooked and the fries were soggy and limp. The best part of my meal was the fountain drink.

Lastly, the owner of the farm spoke at the pig race and it was my first time getting an impression of her. The way she spoke and her body language came off as if she hated her job. She didn’t even crack a smile. The kid who MC’d the race did a fantastic job although the speaker system was so weak and difficult to hear.

A few positive things to mention, there were plenty of portable bathrooms located strategically around the farm. The apple cider slushy was delicious. There was a nice big tent with plenty of tables to eat your food. The young staff were nice and courteous. A previous reviewer stated it was very dirty with trash overflowing. We did not see this at all.

This will be our last time ever visiting Summer’s farm. We had some good memories over the years but we will continue to visit the...

Our family was highly disappointed this year in Summers Farm. We visited last year and LOVED IT. The move to Middleton really wasn’t ideal for our family needs. My number 1 takeaway from this experience— the new farm is NOT stroller friendly or highly walkable. Too many hills!

Traffic: into the farm is not the best. The sheriff’s deputy had a nice flow to parking instructions but there were just soooo many cars. We waited about 20 mins to pull onto the property and park (doesn’t sound as bad as others, but it was bad enough). Parking and Entry Grounds: this is a big one! The drive into the parking area is extremely bumpy with big dips that can tear up your car. Also- we ended up parking alllllll the way at the top of a hill. It was absolutely unpleasant having to push a stroller up that hill on the way back. Walking into the farm: the walkway to get to the farm is not very stroller friendly. There were tree branches and big rocks sticking up all over the place! The DUST! Walking to the entrance requires you to walk past cars parking in the lot. There is a ton of dust kicking up and it flew into our baby’s eyes. Port a Potty: No tissue in the port a potty at 1pm. Imagine my horror. Smh. Then no water stations for hand washing— during a panini! The HILLS!!! The farm kept every activity that we loved… but here’s the problem. Everything is WAYYYYY too spaced out. And up or down a hill! For little ones and those with strollers, this SUCKED. The stroller kept getting stuck in the gravel areas. We even saw some parents park the stroller so they could try to navigate the space. Snack spot: the line was WAYYYYYY too long. Add another spot. Luckily they did have a station on the way out where you can pick up a pack of AC donuts and popcorn. In general, we likely won’t be returning until our kids are much older. This day wasn’t fun for us at all. Mainly due to the inaccessible nature of the farm. We spent wayyyyy more time trying to get to the farm than actually...