Avila Valley Barn is a large-scale family-owned farm stand with a surplus of activities and products. Avila Valley Barn sells fresh produce, sweets, bakery items, and home decor. They also have pony rides and animals to feed and pet.
The barn is owned by siblings Jake and Jesse Smith and Jake’s wife Raven Smith. They offer many seasonal amenities which, in the fall, include hay rides, a hay maze, U-Pick pumpkin patches, and fall field trips.
On the farm, there are numerous pumpkin patches with different varieties of pumpkins. Currently, the barn has 45 varieties of pumpkins. Jasmin Royes went to Avila Valley Barn for the first time just to get her pumpkin for halloween.
“Obviously the pumpkin patch is adorable,” Royes said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many types of pumpkins in my life, I didn’t know they existed”.
Fall is the barn’s busiest season; the 3rd week in Oct. is the busiest weekend of the year.
On the weekend of Oct. 11 and 12, Avila Valley Barn broke its record for the most sales. They expect to break those numbers again the weekend of Oct. 18 and 19.
Due to the extreme influx in customers and visitors, the barn hires extra staff just for the fall season. Jacob Koll-Antles was hired as a part of the Oct. crew this year.
Koll-Antles weighs the pumpkins, works at the hay maze, provides security, and handles registry.
“I like weighing the pumpkins, I think it’s fun, and I like just talking to all the people that come in,” Koll-Antles said. “The people here are really nice and they’re really friendly”.
Jacob grew up going to Avila Valley Barn and has many fond memories that led him to pursue working at the barn.
Families go to take photos, get pumpkins for halloween, and create core memories.
Maria Hurtado brought her kids, nieces, and nephews to the farm this year to take their annual photo. This family tradition has been alive since the kids were babies.
Even though Avila Valley Barn is a popular place for families and children, teenagers and solo adults still enjoy all of the activities.
Kat Favorite and Kat Martel are two young adults who love to come to the barn in the fall. Their favorite part is the pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin patches.
“I love Avila Barn, I love coming here. I’ve come here since I was a little girl, so it’s nice to be out here and I’m glad they’re still around,” Martel said.
Rennie Dunne has been taking her son to the barn since he was little. Now, he is a toddler and can explore the barn while walking.
“I’m just so grateful that we have somewhere like this to come, and he can run around, and we can have those little family moments together,” Dunne said.
Families go to Avila Valley Barn to take pictures and have quality family time; others go for the food and treats.
The seasonal fall treat options include: pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice salt water taffy, pumpkin ice cream, caramel apples, roasted corn, pumpkin pockets, and apple cider floats.
All of the apple cider comes from Avila Valley Barn’s sister-site, Gopher Glen Apple Orchard. Gopher Glen’s apple cider differs from other apple cider companies, because of the way their cider is made.
Gopher Glen is the nearest orchard that freshly presses their apples to make cider. The most common way to sell apple cider is to pre-package it in bulk and pasteurize it. The next closest apple cider company that presses their apples is in Los Osos, CA.
Avila Valley Barn’s year-round activities include: pony rides on the weekends by Easy Does it Farms, as well as animals to pet and feed like cattle, donkeys, emus, alpacas, sheep, goats, and chickens.
