Gaver Farm — Attraction in Mount Airy

First I need to let it be known that I don’t ever leave bad reviews because it’s generally not worth the hassle to me however in this experience I had a few that anyone considering a party experience should read this.

I do want to say that coming here as a family is great but stay far away as far as holding any sort of party. Immediately upon showing up to the pen where our party was being held there was 2 day old trash sitting in the trash can which was verified by the manager Laura (I was also called a liar by the owner about this situation even though I personally took the trash out of the pen due to the bee infestation and placed it in front of the pen entrance). The owner also proceeded to TELL ME that I had a great time and I was looking for a handout. She clearly does not care about feedback on bad experiences and only cares about the money coming in because her response to my bad experience was “well I have 50 emails telling me how much a great place this is to the community”. Judging from other bad reviews on here the owner does not care about customers once tickets have been paid for.

They show no leniency or help towards parties as it is an extreme hassle to setup with in 30 minutes provided and only made it more difficult to bring guest in due to the policy they have on wrist bands. The employees even though seeing me frustrated with the situation at hand thought it was appropriate to make a joke about “getting my steps in for the day” which was the sole reason I was not able to spend much time with my family on my sons first birthday. When I brought up the issue of the wrist bands to an employee the owner stated to me that I harassed them, but for some reason the owner did not step in to discuss the matter even when it was right in front of her. Party management is as poor as it can get, my party guest felt the same way but because there are more people satisfied than unsatisfied the ones with a bad experience get pushed off with no concern what so ever.

Again if you want to come for family time it’s a great place but for parties STAY FAR AWAY. You will only leave with disappointment with zero care on their part.

EDIT IN RESPONSE TO GAVER FARMS OWNERS RESPONSE: I didn’t ask for a refund I asked for you to make it right. You called me a liar for informing you about 2 day old trash sitting in the pen which was infested with bees which Laura confirmed was infact the case. Then you lied to me telling me you spoke with my wife and that she said she had a wonderful time. My wife confirmed that she never spoke with you prior to leaving and she most certainly did not feel that she enjoyed herself. Also when you were standing right there at the entrance gate (your words not mine) when the issue started to arise why didn’t you step in instead of standing off? The matter could’ve been managed at that point but you chose to let it continue.

Instead of trying to justify wrongful management by telling me about your 50 emails you received about how much of a great part of the community you are maybe you should dig a little into the areas where customers are dissatisfied. It’s very clear you only care about happy customers and brush off any others who did not get the experience they paid for. Look at the other 1 star reviews that disclosure the rude encounters they had with you and it...

First, I will say I don't want to do injustice to this place. We had a great time here with our 4 kids under 7. This farm is chock full of activities for kids and even teens. Our day turned out to be nice weather as it started with a hint of rain, which undoubtedly kept attendance down. I cannot imagine going on a weekend or during a busy time. Oh my. Several of the activities were also in rather run-down condition. It did not appear kept up very well. In their defense, I could not tell if it's because we went on a Monday after undoubtedly massive (likely irresponsible) crowds destroyed the place the previous weekend, or if it just doesn't have enough staff for the proper amount of TLC. The corn maze was also cut through in several places- obviously not necessarily fixable OR the staff's fault, but still disappointing. One other thing to note is that the Yellow Jackets were bad there. And a frequent visitor commented about them being bad also. You won't see them until you open a soda, or a sandwich. They suddenly show up and I had at least a half a dozen at once point, so bold, I almost would bite into them. They don't sting unless provoked, but they are annoyingly pesky. We had to move several times, but they continued to find us. We basically ate as we walked. Just something to consider if you want to picnic there. All this was relatively minor. What did leave us with a bad taste in our mouths was the staff. I saw... 4 of them and the only one who smiled at all was the one criticizing our parenting- twice. My daughter is almost seven. She is MORE than capable of safely taking a small wagon the 100 feet through the parking lot back to the store (after we purchased an over-priced pumpkin just because). This is at the END of the day when the lot was practically EMPTY but she (the owner?) calls us out on how dangerous this was because of how BUSY the parking lot was? Absolutely NO One was IN it! Even if there were, we raise our children to be intelligent and watch for cars. I'd hate if she found out I had let my kids go down the numerous slides all by themselves too, or, heaven forbid, that they now ride 2-wheelers all by themselves too. It's the type of attitude of a parent who won't let their kid get a driver's license until they are in college and once there, would call them to remind them of their class schedule and to do their homework. I do get that maybe she's worried about everyone looking for a lawsuit. This country is full of a generation just looking to get rich by suing someone because they weren't raised well enough not to be stupid, but after reading other reviews, I can tell this place needs a couple classes in Public Relations. After that, they could get pretty close to a 5-star...

My family and I have been patrons of Gaver Farm for over ten years. Some of our family's fondest memories are at this farm. We are almost always met with smiles and kindness from those who work at Gaver. It is, in my opinion, the most wonderful fall festival in Maryland, which is why we frequently make the 1.5-hour drive to attend it.

So far this year, we have noticed much more aged garbage and abandoned clothing on the ground, open trash cans infested with swarming yellow jackets (could be helped by adding lids), more broken equipment, and a general dismissive tone from staff. For example, my daughter attempted to tell a staff member that the mini pony had a hurt leg today, but her concerns were dismissed, and we did not see the animal get assessed. It's the first time I've felt this way upon visiting the farm.

But today, we had a most unpleasant customer service experience that left my children confused, upset, and in tears. Worse yet, the situation was completely avoidable on the part of the farm staff.

We attended the homeschool day on Thursday, September 28 and purchased three general admission tickets. We were informed at the register that our admission included a ride to the pumpkin patch and a pumpkin. During our time at the farm today, my children and I missed the opportunity to do a hayride to the pumpkin patch. Upon exiting at the main barn cash register, my nine- and seven-year-old children, under my supervision, very politely asked the female cashier if they could instead, please have a small pumpkin from the abundant selection that was available, since they missed the pumpkin patch hayride. They were told no, and my daughter began to cry (all the while, surrounded by a plethora of pre-picked pumpkins/gourds).

I'll be the first to say that I know and regret how some people take advantage of situations, neglect property, ask for handouts, or abuse the rules put in place to protect businesses. But this was NOT at all the case today, yet it was how my children were treated.

This situation could've been remedied in a moments time and been an opportunity to show children that a simple act of kindness can have a lasting impact. We instead paid out of pocket for a few small pumpkins, likely smaller than those that would've come from the patch and left the farm. That same cashier checked us out and did not make eye contact or even speak a word to us during the process.

We are sincerely disappointed by our experience today, given the hundreds of dollars that we have spent to support the farm throughout the years, as well as the countless recommendations that we have given to other families to try Gaver Farm. I do not believe it is how a loyal and honest customer...