Chicago 411

Sonny Acres: A Family Tradition Continues On

Familyfun411@yahoo.com October 21, 2019 no Comments

Sonny Acres has been a staple in West Chicago as a family pumpkin farm since 1883. All summer long there were rumors that the long-time owners were selling, and Sonny Acres would not reopen for the fall festival. However, word slowly trickled out that Sonny Acres is under new ownership and would be ready for the fall festival.

Sonny Acres is a 22-acre property that offers a classic fall festival in West Chicago.

Parking

Sonny Acres has two lots on the East and West side of the property. On nice day those lots fill up quick and cars start parking along the road. Pack plenty of patience in dealing with the parking. Parking attendants would be helpful to ease some of the cluster.

Cost

The fall festival does not have an entrance fee. Tickets must be purchased to participate in all the attractions. Tickets are $1 each. Most of the attractions over 3 tickets. The hayride is 6 tickets. Food can also be purchased with tickets. I would budget about 20 tickets per person. Tickets can be purchased by cash only. There is an ATM on site.

Food

Sonny Acres really shines when it comes to food options. In addition to all of the festival standards they had my forever favorite elotes and chascas (elotes in a cup), I didn’t even know there was a difference. A taqueria for fresh grilled tacos and Texas Lightening BBQ. I enjoyed the vegetarian loaded cheese fries from Sporty’s. The classic apple cider donuts did not disappoint. You can use credit, cash, or tickets for the food vendors.

Attractions

Plenty of carnival type rides perfect for little kids. A large jumping pillow and a play area. We really enjoyed the petting zoo. You can get right up to the goats and sheep with plenty of room to walk around and feed them. You can also give a bottle to a baby cow. Every fall festival must have a hayride. This 10-minute ride is a fun for everyone.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are everywhere. You can rent a wagon for $1 and pick up any pumpkin you see on the property. Purchase on the way out from $5 – $15 depending on size. A unique option is custom hand painted pumpkins.

Special Feautres

The mobile woman’s restroom is a huge score. Most attractions have porta-potties, so a nice bathroom facility is a nice touch. If you are going on football Sunday, they show the game on a screen so there are no excuses to not come. However, with the way the Bears are playing you might want to skip watching the game. A small sound stage area with plenty of seating is a nice break. The talent was very good.

I saw a lot of families with their pet dogs small and medium size, so I assume they allow pets. I thought that was cool.

New Attractions

The haunted barn and haunted hayride are new attractions that occur after dark from 7pm to 11pm. With a spooky new upgrade the haunted barn is not recommended for children under 10. The haunted hayride is approximately 18 minutes.