Meet the Scarecrows at West Lodge Farm Park

West Lodge Farm Park in Desborough is holding a Scarecrow and Harvest Festival on Friday 19th September, and it sounds like the perfect excuse for an autumn day out with the family.

The farm is going all in on the harvest theme, with a Scarecrow Trail to follow around the site, a free tractor ride out to the berry-picking hotspots, and tastings of homegrown produce from the farm’s own Chef Ed. It’s the kind of day that ticks the “get outdoors” box and the “keep everyone entertained” box at the same time, which as any mum knows is a rare combination.

Meet Betty and Harry

The bit I think a lot of little ones will love most is the chance to meet Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay — the much-loved scarecrow characters from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s story, The Scarecrows’ Wedding. If your family has read the book (or you fancy grabbing a copy before the day out), this is a lovely chance to see the characters in real life, get some photos, and join in with the harvest celebrations.

It’s a nice one for younger children especially, who tend to get a real kick out of meeting characters from their favourite stories in person.

What else is on

• Follow the Scarecrow Trail around the farm
• Meet Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay from The Scarecrows’ Wedding
• Hop aboard a free tractor ride to the berry-picking hotspots
• Enjoy tastings of Chef Ed’s homegrown produce

As always with West Lodge, there’s plenty to fill the rest of your visit too, from the animals to the play areas and nature trails, so you could easily make a full day of it.

Date, time and location

When: Friday 19th September, 9:30am – 6pm
Where: West Lodge Farm Park, Back Lane, Desborough, Northamptonshire, NN14 2SH

You can book your tickets directly through the West Lodge Farm Park website.

If autumn walks and outdoor days out are your thing, it’s worth grabbing my free Nature Scavenger Hunt to take along — it’s a brilliant way to keep little legs moving around a farm trail like this one. And if you want more ideas like this landing in your inbox each week, my weekly newsletter is the easiest way to stay on top of what’s on across Northamptonshire.

The events listed in this guide are run by third-party organisers, and all details were correct at the time of publication, based on information from their official websites. However, changes or cancellations can happen at short notice. To avoid any disappointment, we recommend double-checking the event information on the official websites before making plans.