FREEPORT Children laughing, chickens clucking, bees buzzing, music playing and tractors roaring were just a few of the sights and sounds of Wolfe’s Neck Farm’s Spring Festival, which took place last weekend in Freeport.

The event, held annually at Wolfe’s Neck, features agricultural activities for children and families, as well as demonstrations, live music and foods offerings from local vendors. Farm animals also abound, giving adults and children alike the chance to interact with creatures they don’t normally get to see.

“The most popular part is interacting with the farm animals,” said Jackie Stearns, marketing and communications manager for Wolfe’s Neck Farm. “The kids also love to climb on the haypile and tractors, and the adults love the variety offered by the food trucks.”

The Spring Festival — and its counterpart, the Fall Festival held in October — got its start more than 10 years ago, when volunteers and board members came up with the idea to help raise funds for the farm’s educational programs.

“We offer our Spring and Fall festivals to invite the community to engage in wholesome, family-friendly activities in a beautiful location,” Stearns explained. “It’s a great introduction to the farm and all it has to offer.”

The Spring Festival features a number of activities and demonstrations to give attendees a peek at farm life and the different types of educational opportunities available through the farm. Activities included rides on a haywagon, haybales and tractors for children to climb and fairy house building using natural materials.

Among the demonstrations available at the Spring Festival were sheep hearding, gardening, composting, bee keeping and goat milking. There were also a wide variety of animals to interact with including rabbits, chickens, sheep, lambs, pigs, goats, cows and visiting horses — including a mini-horse.

“This was a fabulous family event,” said attendee Elizabeth Banwell of South Portland. “The setting couldn’t be more exquisite, and the activities were so wonderfully child-friendly. We loved the animals, the hayride, the hay bales, our lunch, the sheep herding and the music… We will definitely be back.”

The Spring Festival has become quite popular, with last year’s event seeing 1,200 attendees and this year’s event bringing in 1,600. The size of the event requires a lot of man-power, making the work of dedicated volunteers essential to its success.

“This is a community event and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our business sponsors and volunteers,” Stearns explained. “For these events, it takes over 50 volunteers to keep everything running smoothly, and in exchange for their service we offer free admission for their family, and a free campsite if they would like to stay for the night.”

In addition to the annual festivals, Wolfe’s Neck Farm offers many other events that members of the community have come to enjoy — some so popular they’re already sold out.

“We’ll be offering three Farm-to-Table dinners this summer, in partnership with local farms and restaurants,” Stearns said. “The first one, a pig roast featuring Miyake, has sold out. The second event is our Family Farm Feast featuring Gather Farm Fresh Eatery and Frontier Café. Tickets go on sale for the second event at the end of June. This fall, we’ll also have our annual Harvest Dance.”

Wolfe’s Neck Farm is free and open to the public every day. Situated over hundreds of acres of forest, saltwater marsh, pasture lands and Casco Bay coastline, it also offers an ideal setting for camping and hiking.

For more information on Wolfe’s Neck Farm, its campgrounds and or to buy tickets for upcoming events, visit wolfesneckfarm.org.

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