Hunt Club Farm: Harvest Fair

 It's officially fall, so the Hunt Club Harvest Fair is on! Running now until November 1st, the petting farm is open 10-6, with pony rides from 11-5. On the farm kids can feed a ton of animals including goats, cows, pigs, sheep, alpacas, donkey, chickens, and more. There are also turkeys, horses, rabbits, ducks, geese, and more birds to see but not feed. One of our favorite parts is the bird aviary. You'll purchase sticks and the birds will perch right on them for a midday snack. Included in the fair is a hayride around the farm. 

We also love taking a walk through the TreeWalk and letting the kids play and move their bodies. While there is a playground on the farm, the TreeWalk takes play to a whole new level. 

Admission is $18 for everyone over 2, and includes the petting farm, TreeWalk, and hayrides. Children 12 and under can purchase a pony ride for $10, animal feed cups are $6 per cup, and bird sticks are 2 for $3. 

We went on a Saturday and there was a DJ set up who had classic games going as well as a wide variety of vendors. Be sure to stop by the market and grab a pumpkin and other fall goodies. This is a fall staple here in Hampton Roads that you don't want to miss! 

Cirque De Paris is back!

The circus is back Norfolk Premium Outlets for a limited time, and you don't want to miss out. When I told the boys that they were returning, their answer was that they absolutely wanted to go again. Back with an all new 90 minute show, Cirque De Paris has clowns that had my kids howling, acrobatics that had my husband shouting "No way!", and popcorn that had me drooling. (Seriously- who knew about French popcorn?!) 

Acts this year include bmx style bikes, a juggling troop, a laser show, duo straps, rola-bola, aerial, and of course, clowns. 

They will be in Hampton Roads until October 11th. Norfolk dates are until October 4th, then they move to Newport News to finish up the dates before moving on to Richmond and then Raleigh. Shows are Thursday through Sunday. You'll want to buy tickets online, if tonight's show wasn't sold out... it was close to it. Tickets range from $23-$65 a person and are cheaper online than in person. Children 3 and under are free. 

Mira's Acorn Run

Now open at Owl Creek Landing is Mira's Acorn Run, a nine hole wooden ball course where visitors can compete, sort of like putt putt. The game is modeled after the European game Kugelbahn and the course is made of a combination of natural and man-made materials that come together in an almost Rube Goldberg Machine. 

You can purchase the wooden balls for $5, and they are yours to keep to use on return visits. This is an add on to your Owl Creek Landing ticket where you'll get to ride on the longest steel slide in North America, play in the village, and see the forest from a different view in their tree walk. 

Pittsburgh Aviary

Pittsburgh is home to the National Aviary, where you'll see parrots, crows, penguins, buzzards, cock-of-the-rock, eagles, flamingos, and a whole lot more.  They have 500 birds across 150 species. They also have bats, a sloth, a skink, and a tortoise.  It's a smaller facility, with indoor and outdoor sections. There is lots of seating and a cafe inside. If you're visiting the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, this is just half a block away. Be sure to checkout the list of events so that you can plan your day. Included in admission are feedings and keepers talks. 

• Admission is $20.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids ages 2-12. If you have a Virginia Zoo membership, you can get in at 50% off with the reciprocity program. 
• Open daily 10-5 
• Parking is $7 per day if you can snag a spot in the lot 
• There are many animal encounters, which is an up charge, but they do include admission. 
• Falcon and Flighted Friend Encounter
• Flamingo Feeding Encounter
• Penguin Feeding Encounter
• Penguin Encounter 
• Sloth Encounter 
• Sloth Encounter and Painting 
• Owl Encounter 

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

Maybe the best zoo we have ever been to, we absolutely loved our day at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Home to more than 8,000 animals and 600 species. 

We arrived at 10:30 and left about 3:00. The kids could have stayed for about another 30 minutes in the play areas. The park opens at 9:30 and they stop letting people in at 4:30. The park closes at 5:30. Adult tickets are $36, children 2-13 are $31, and seniors are $34. Purchase online to save money. If you have a Virginia Zoo membership, you can use the reciprocity program to get 50% off your ticket. 

The zoo is located in Highland Park inside of the city. Parking is free. There is a mini train and a carousel that you can ride for $4 a person.   

Some animals that are there that we don't have in Hampton Roads at either the zoo, aquarium, or the Living Museum include crocodiles, elephants, flamingos, a hippo, penguins (three types!), a polar bear, sea lions, lynx, wallaby, alligators, anteater, and more.