If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that we spend a lot of time at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley! I’ve been going to Shady Brook at least once a year since my niece was a toddler 15 years ago. Now that I have kids of my own AND we live about 10 minutes away, we’re at Shady Brook practically weekly throughout the summer and fall. Since we go there so much, I thought I’d put together a blog post with some tips.
First, some general info. Shady Brook Market and Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream are open daily. You can stop in to shop, have some ice cream, and kids can play on the small playground by the Market. If you want to pick your own produce, check the website to see what’s in season. But in general, picking is open Wednesday through Sunday. You need to purchase a picking pass and then also pay (per container) for whatever you pick. If you’re just going for picking, you won’t have access to all the “extras” on Festival Field. A wagon will pick you up by the Market, take you to the field to pick, and then bring your back.
If you want all the extra activities, you need to visit during one of the Summer unWINEd events on Friday nights (and a few Saturdays), or during one of the weekends festivals when they’re open Saturday and Sunday. These events are fun for ALL ages with live music, food and drinks (be sure to visit the silo!), and all the cool activities such as pedal go-karts, bounce pillows, obstacle course, giant tube slide, playground, animals, a sports zone, and more. Keep reading to get the most out of your visit.
TIP #1: If you’re local, buy a season pass. (You need to do this before the season begins!)
They only sell a certain amount each year so I think they’re gone for summer 2023, but keep this in mind for the fall and/or next spring. The Season Passes to Shady Brook are a no-brainer if you plan to go to the farm at least three to four times. (That’s only about once a month in the summer, so not even THAT often!) The season pass gets you admission to ALL of the Summer unWINEd Friday night concerts (usually $12 online, $15 at the gate), Saturday tickets with fireworks (usually $20 online, $25 at the gate), Strawberry, Peach & Sunflower Festivals (usually $12 online, $15 at the gate), AND pick-you-own wagon rides (usually $5 online, $7 at the gate.)
As an extra perk, you don’t need reservations AND you’re an exception to when events sell out. (Meaning, if they post that they’re not selling any more tickets to an event, you’re still good to go!)
Season Passes were $60 for 2023. BUT, keep an eye out for when they offer FLASH Sales. I paid $50 (per person) for ours.
As of June 5, we’ve used our passes to go to 3 Friday night unWINEd concerts ($36 total if we bought online), strawberry picking ($5 online) and the Strawberry Festival ($12 online) for a total of: $53 if I had paid a la carte. So I’ve already gotten my money’s worth out of my pass, and it’s only the beginning of June!
TIP #2: Buy tickets online.
If this wasn’t clear in the tip above, you’ll save money buying your tickets online. Unfortunately, there IS a service fee, but it still ends up cheaper overall. Plus, on really busy days, tickets do sell out. So you’ll save yourself the disappointment of showing up and finding out there aren’t any tickets left. If plans change or an event gets cancelled because of weather, Shady Brook is really great about letting you switch your tickets to another day/time.
TIP #3: Be prepared for shoes/feet to get dirty.
This might seem silly, but I feel like it’s worth saying. You’re going to be out in fields, on playgrounds, and the walkways are mostly dusty dirt with bits of gravel that kids just LOVE to drag their feet in. Flip flops are great if you can easily wash them (and your dirty feet) off when you get home. But because of the obstacle courses, wood chip playgrounds, and other physical things for kids to do, older sneakers are probably even better for little ones. Also note that they can’t wear shoes on the bounce pillows and they get HOT on a sunny day. Socks help with that.
TIP #4: Get food (and drinks) when lines are short.
The lines for food at Shady Brook can be unpredictable. Sometimes we walk right up, and other times, you can wait for 15 minutes at any of the available stands. If you notice that the line isn’t long and you know you’re going to want (insert food item here), just get it then. You’ll be happier than kicking yourself 20 minutes later when that same line is now stretching across the field. While there are always exceptions, we find that lines for food are shortest in the beginning of the Friday night concerts/weekend festivals. For example, on a Friday night, the lines are usually shortest between 5:30 and 6:30, peak from 7-8, and then die down for the end. Ice cream lines are shortest the first two hours and then can get long from 7:30 on.
TIP #5: Share food. Save room for dessert.
While they don’t search your bags, they do ask that you don’t bring in outside food/drinks. I bring our refillable water bottles and a few snacks just about everywhere, but don’t try to walk in with a cooler full of food. If we’re eating lunch or dinner there, the chicken fingers and fries are always a hit with my kids. We get them at the stand that’s all the way on the right, behind the stage. I find that the chicken finger platter is plenty of food for both of them to share, and it’s cheaper than buying 2 kids meals. My husband likes the pork roll. I also like to check out the rotating menu at the tent on the left side of the field. They’ll often have platters that are plenty of food for my husband and I to share. (We especially like when they have tacos, rice and street corn!)
If you want to save money by eating at home, you’ll at least want to splurge on a treat. Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream is always delicious! I find that the kid sizes are much more substantial than most places, so I get that even for myself. And my kids will often share a kid size between the two of them! (Pro tip: You can ask them to split a kid size between 2 cups. OR, I’ll ask for a kid size cone but with a cup, and I’ll just spoon half of it into the cup. They’ll even do split flavors for you!) Just keep in mind that they don’t offer ALL of the flavors out on Festival Field. And if you want sprinkles, you’ll need to go out Uncle Dave’s window by the Shady Brook Market.
The ice cream sandwiches are also a big hit in our family. They have chocolate chip cookie, Oreo, and even apple cider donut! The donut ones are gigantic, and you will DEFINITELY want to share between at least 2 people! Another pro tip: You can get the ice cream sandwiches at the stand with the chicken and fries. Toward the end of the night, that line is usually shorter than the Uncle Dave’s line.
If ice cream isn’t your thing, grab a bag of Best Darn Kettlecorn! At the least, make sure you get a free sample.
TIP #6: Bring some quarters to feed the animals.
All of the stands take cash or card, but if you want to feed the goats or sheep, you’ll need change. There are machines with food pellets that cost 50 cents.
TIP #7: Bring Chairs. Or don’t.
Ok, hear me out on this “tip.” When my kids were really little, we’d bring our folding “camp” chairs and a blanket and sit and listen to the music while the kids danced around, largely unaware/too little for all the cool other things going on besides the music. When they’re older, we’ll probably be able to do that again since I’ll feel more comfortable letting them hang out without us hovering. But right now, we spend too much of our night going back and forth to the different activities for it to be worth the hassle. So if you know you’ll be sitting and listening to the music, it’s worth bringing your own chairs since seating by the stage goes quickly. If you’re going to spend most of your time following your kids around, leave them at home. You can always always grab a bench or table with seating farther away from the stage.
TIP #8: Pick last (but note the last wagon time)
If you’re going to one of the summer events where they also offer picking, they’re going to offer your baskets as you enter Festival Field. (You pay per container. They don’t weigh what you pick.) Remember to ask if they’re selling containers at the picking site. Most of the time, you CAN wait and pay there. But even if you do buy your container upon arrival, I suggest waiting until you do some of the other activities first. I see SO many parents carrying around these containers of fruit that end up falling out, getting squashed, and just being overall annoying.
TIP #9: Don’t forget about the patio!
If you don’t want to buy tickets for Festival Field or just want a quieter vibe, you can still have a great time at Shady Brook. There’s live acoustic music on the patio every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. You can get a drink, bite to eat from Stone’s Throw Pub or the Farm Market, and of course, there’s Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream. There’s also a playground to occupy the kids. No cover!
TIP #10: Make plans to meet up with friends and family!
My husband and I love going to Shady Brook with our kids just the four of us. But one of the things that makes it even more fun is when we meet other friends (or relatives there.) This summer, we’re friends with several other families that also have season passes, and it makes it a really great way to spend time together. There’s music and drinks for adults and tons of activities for kids. (Grownups can get in on the fun too. I personally love the giant slide!) You don’t need to decide who’s hosting, no one has to clean their house before or after, cook or order food. Some of our best summer memories are made at Shady Brook Farm.
Sweet Mini Moments 