My first return-to-normal visit with my daughter and grandchildren who live in a suburb of Rochester, NY, took place in early July on a beautiful, sunny Saturday. We started our day at the City of Rochester Public Market (www.cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket), which in itself is a great destination for the entire family.
Before hitting the market, we made a quick stop at the nearby Boxcar Donuts — whose name, we assume, is derived from its location at 127 Railroad Street — a donut and coffee shop that makes the most delicious handcrafted donuts. The selection varies each week, and it’s quite creative. You can bet the chocolate and buttercream “UFO” donut with a little green alien on top was a winner with the kids. Adding a bit of whimsy were the tiny toy dinosaurs, which my grandson pointed out to me, perched in odd places around the shop; definitely another kid-pleaser.
Just a bit further down the street, the Public Market’s Railroad Street entrance beckoned. Indoor vendors and outdoor stalls combine to offer everything from meats, fish, fresh eggs, fruits and vegetables, and all kinds of sweets, to clothing, jewelry, hats, T-shirts, toys, and much, much more. My grandkids, soon to be 9 and 13, have made regular visits here with their parents, so they knew exactly which vendors were their favorite stalls to visit.
We bought supplies with which to make homemade pizza when we went home for lunch, in addition to quite a few other things that tempted us.
The market is open Saturdays from 5am to 3pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6am to 1pm. You can download a map of the market and learn the location of paid and free parking lots on their website.
Returning to my daughter’s house, we each made our own individual pizzas from the ingredients we’d purchased, a project that was not only fun, but delicious!
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Afterwards, the kids cooled off in the backyard pool while the grownups watched their antics and had a chance to chat. Mid-afternoon, my daughter suggested a trip to Wickham Farms (https://wickhamfarms.com), which was only a few minutes’ drive away.
Located at 1315 Sweets Corners Road, Penfield, NY, this huge farm is only about 90 minutes from Buffalo. Family owned since 1986, it recently moved to a different location and everything is brand new. As with any farm, its offerings change with the seasons but there are attractions and activities which remain the same throughout. Upon entering through the gift shop, the “Magic Carpet Mountain” drew my immediate attention. Kids and grownups were sliding down on burlap sacks and rubber-like mats. Nearby, the “Wickham Express” gave toddlers a chance to ride on a bright red train just their size.
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Speaking of size, a gigantic, yellow “Jumping Pillow” offered bouncing fun to both kids and adults. A flatter “Jumping Pad,” adorned with a jack-o-lantern face, was popular with the younger children.
The old-fashioned hand pumps at the “Duck Races” occupied my grandkids for a while before they headed to “Corn-A-Copia,” a large barn filled with what must be tons of feed corn, spread over the floor to make a farmer’s version of a ball pit. The kids, no matter their age, loved it. Toddlers crawled in it; older kids buried themselves in corn. There were plenty of plastic trucks to fill with corn and play with. Parents could sit on one of the many benches lining the edges of the corn “pit” or sit at one of the tables with chairs just outside it, if they chose.
Other activities include the “Spider Web,” a six-sided rope net that kids can attempt to traverse, “Barrel Horses” made of steel drums and supplied with rope so you can try to lasso a “steer’s head” which is attached to a post in front of each horse, and a Mini Golf course, in addition to several sets of playground equipment, and farm animals — on our visit a pen held goats.
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“Lavender Days” was in progress in July. More than two thousand plants, representing nine varieties of lavender, occupied one of the upper terraces of the farm. Wagons pulled by a bright orange tractor took passengers up to the lavender fields. For $10 you could cut your own bouquet of lavender, secured by a twist tie, to take home, and painted Mason jars to hold them were also available for an extra charge. Many mothers and young children were dressed in summer finery so that they could pose among the lavender plants. “Photo op” areas were provided to help make the photography more memorable — an old, white bathtub with a white, lacey parasol were props at one photo op spot; others included an old boat, a throne-like chair, curlique white wrought iron chairs accented with a basket of flowers; brightly colored Adirondack chairs, and more.
At the back of the lavender fields were rows of pergolas, providing some shade and furnished with lovely outdoor furniture to relax on. Ever mindful of keeping the children happy, an “I Spy Treasure Chest” was nearby — the pieces of treasure were glued in place but a list inside the cover of the chest prompted kids to identify certain special items among the “booty.”
“Fall Harvest” runs from Labor Day to Halloween and features apple picking and pumpkins. More than 5,000 apple trees provide 13 varieties of apples.
If you get hungry while at the farm, the “Farm Fresh Grill” will help satisfy your appetite and there is plenty of seating at picnic tables on the property.
There are restrooms in several locations; some larger ones labeled as “family restrooms,” but one thing they were lacking were changing tables.
Before you visit the farm, be sure to check their website for hours of operation and the start date of each seasonal event which is always weather dependent. Save on admission (children 2 and under and those 80 years old and up are FREE) by buying your tickets in advance online. Then all you have to do when you arrive is give your name and you’ll be provided with wristbands to wear during your visit. Sneakers are suggested as better footwear than sandals or flip flops — the paths throughout the farm are gravel and uneven in places.
Michele Miller is the founder, editor, and publisher of WNY Family and proud grandmother of two.