Crossroads Farm crowded for family fair

Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s welcomed the harvest season with an all-day Fall Family Fun Festival on Oct. 9. The farm was crowded with children and their parents, who took part in a wide variety of games and activities, including pumpkin picking, arts and crafts, face painting, a petting zoo, and sampling fresh food and s’mores as well as enjoying live music.

The farm’s event coordinator, Annie Sunshine, said she was elated by the success of the event. “I think the turnout was really good this year,” she said. “And it was affordable, only $10 for a family. The band is great. The food trucks are great.”

A major focus of the fair was the pop-up petting zoo, brought in by Medford-based Long Island Pony Parties. Goats, chickens, rabbits and a pony named Poppy were on site for children to feed and pet.

Long Island Pony Parties was first contacted by the Rosa Lee Young Childhood Center in Rockville Centre, which was honored during the fair.

“The school actually contacted us, and they asked us to come,” John Meyer, representing the animal farm, explained, “We’re from way out East, so we don’t normally get around these parts.”

Two food vendors were on hand to serve the hungry crowds. Sweet Anne’s Smokehouse was serving up Alabama-style barbecue, while Vegan cookery Healthy as a Mother offered creative, and delicious, alternatives to meat.

The cooks at Healthy as a Mother served a number of their signature dishes, most notably their vegan empanadas. Several of their items were sold out by early afternoon. Yesenia Ramdass, of Hempstead, founded the restaurant last year, and got connected with the farm through Matt Korsky of Levittown’s Green Street Eatery, who has taken part in past farm events with his own food truck.

“Our good friends from Green Street Eatery recommended us, because the farm was looking for a vegan vendor, so we jumped at the opportunity,” Ramdass said.

“It was a great turnout,” she added. “We also have three children, so they’re running around having an awesome time. We do a lot of these pop-ups.”

Visitors could also browse the organic offerings grown on the farm, as they can every weekend. In addition, a multitude of pumpkins grown in Suffolk County were arranged into a pumpkin patch, for families to peruse in anticipation of Halloween.

This year’s festival also recognized the 50th anniversary of the Rosa Lee Young Childhood Center in Rockville Centre. Assemblywoman Judy Griffin was on hand to recognize Laurie Drucker, Sunshine and Lisa Mack, for their work at the child center. Griffin also commended the entire farm staff for its efforts in organizing the event.

“It was lovely to see so many families, individuals and children enjoying the live band, petting zoo, face painting, food and pumpkin patch,” Griffin said. “We are so fortunate to have a beautiful farm like this in our community.”

The farm will continue its slate of fall programs with a barnyard dance on Saturday. Tickets were still available at press time.