Hildebrand Farms Dairy, 5210 Rucker Rd., will host their annual Harvest Festival Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. giving visitors the chance to experience a day on the farm and meet the family and dairy herd.

Highlights of the free event will include a picnic lunch, live music, ours of the farm, hay rack rides, corn pit sponsored by Kansas Corn, cow bouncy house, paint-your-own pumpkin, coloring contest and milking demonstrations from Southwest Dairy Farmers. The event is open to the public.

“The Harvest Festival is our opportunity to pull out all the stops and share our farm with the community,” Melissa ( Hildebrand ) Reed, operations manager, said, “Farming is very much a life style and we are blessed to have the support of so many that purchase glass bottle milk. The Harvest Festival is our way to give back.”

This year the Hildebrand family has expanded the corn play area at the festival to give children more room to play.

The picnic lunch will be hosted by Compassionate Ministries and will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or while supplies last. Cash or check, free-will donations assist in serving meals s part of the summer food program. Local singer and songwriter Savanna Chestnut will perform during the picnic between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Tours will be available every half hour beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 2:30 p.m.  A member of the Hildebrand team will guide visitors through the milk barn, processing plant, free-stall barn and calf barn.

This year a variety of locally grown pumpkins will be available for purchase. The pumpkins are two for $10 or one for $6. Children can then paint a mini-pumpkin for $1. Cash is suggested for the mini-pumpkin painting.

Visitors can also sample Hildebrand Farms Dairy milks and summer sausages. Fresh milk, soft-serve ice cream, meat and other local farm products are available for purchase.

In the event of inclement weather check the farm’s Facebook page at Hildebrand Farms Dairy for updates on cancellation or postponement.