As the crisp autumn air begins to settle over Iowa this month, Bloomsbury Farm has transformed into a haven of fall festivities, welcoming families from across the Midwest to a weekend of fun activities, pumpkin picking and celebration. 

Known for its vibrant seasonal galas, Bloomsbury’s largest event — its annual fall festival — offers everything from a sprawling pumpkin patch and corn maze to a petting zoo, hayrack rides and thrilling super slide.

And then as the sun sets, the farm takes a spooky turn with its hair-raising Scream Acres haunted attraction, offering a fright-filled experience for the brave-hearted. 

There’s something for everyone at Bloomsbury Farm, making it a must-visit destination this fall season.

“Really there’s just nothing that brings me more joy than all four of us as a family sharing our farm with the community,” said Sammy Petersen, who with sister, Jess, and parents, Dave and Karen, have built the attraction to be a destination over the past nearly 30 years. 

“Most people don’t have a family farm to feel connected to, and we get to be that for people. Providing a place for people to feel connected to agriculture is very special. Watching and getting to witness families make core memories is the best part.”Jess agrees.

“It is a unique experience, as my parents started the agritourism part of the farm when I was 3 years old, so growing up it has been with me for most of my life,” Jess said. “I really enjoy planning both big and small details that make this farm special for so many people in our community and having our history shine through that as well.”

Bloomsbury grows

Founded in 1856, Bloomsbury Farm is located near Atkins in Benton County, about 10 miles west of Cedar Rapids. The farm has been in the Petersen family for more than 150 years, with Dave and Karen now fifth-generation farmers managing 1,700 acres of corn and soybeans on their Heritage Farm.

The farm’s agritourism side began in 1994 as a small landscape, greenhouse and floral op­eration. Sammy explained that after visiting a pumpkin patch in Illinois, her parents were energized to create something similar in Iowa.

“That was kind of the inspiration,” said Sammy, who was in elementary school at the time. “They decided to plant a few pumpkins and invited my first-grade class out, and that’s kind of how it started.

“It was just a very small patch … I carried the pumpkin seeds in a little purse. I was just a little girl and dug small holes and plunked them in there.”

In May 2004, a tornado tore through the area, destroying much of the farm’s infrastructure. Yet in true Petersen fashion, they saw it as an opportunity to expand their focus on agritourism. The storm wiped out grain bins, barns and a grove of trees.

“(Mom and Dad) decided not to rebuild the greenhouse and just put all the resources back into agritourism and ramp up those efforts,” Sammy said. “Parts of the farm were gone …, but right away my parents decided to look at it as a positive and took the opportunity to make some changes.

“Like one of the original barns, the wall on the east side was caved in and instead of repairing it, they built a catering kitchen into it. Instead of rebuilding the greenhouse, they built a gift shop.”

Further windstorms in 2013 and the derecho in 2020 caused more damage, but each event was seen as an opportunity for growth. “Those storms are big pieces of our story because they pushed us to take agritourism to the next level,” Sammy said.

What started as a few school field trips eventually grew into weekend fall festivals. The pumpkin patch now spans 18 acres, and word-of-mouth has brought more visitors each year. A corn maze, hayrack rides, barrel train rides and a petting zoo were soon added to the mix.

“We do a Bloomsbury Blaster pumpkin blaster show twice a day,” Sammy said. “We have a ball zone, giant yard games, giant cornhole, tire mountain, straw mountain, western town, apple blasters, giant birdhouse, playhouses, gemstone mining and geode cracking.

“And we’ve got all sorts of photo opportunities …, pumpkin trucks and a pumpkin house, all kinds of mirror walls. It’s fun to watch families enjoy the photo opportunities and make those memories together. We make our own donuts, kettle corn, fudge, caramel apples, and we partner with a couple local breweries on pumpkin ales.”

The farm also features an ice cream shack, pizza shack and the Pumpkin Grill & Cafe.

Pictured above: There are plenty of photo opportunities at Bloomsbury Farm, where festival-goers can make lasting memories. Check out the corn maze, super slide, hayrack rides and Scream Acres haunted attraction. PHOTO / CONRAD SCHMIDT

Coming home

Sammy’s and Jess’ return to the farm has been instrumental in expanding its offerings. After working at Bloomsbury through high school and then heading off to Iowa State University, they both worked in the private sector before deciding to come home and help grow the family business.

“It has brought Sammy and I a sense of security knowing that the business continues to grow and stay successful, as well as our purpose for bringing unique and memorable experiences to the people of our community at our family farm,” said Jess.

Added Sammy, “Up until Jess and I came back, my parents only did the fall season …, but we’ve now expanded that into festivals year-round. We’re both very passionate about continuing the legacy and growing. The sky’s the limit.”

In addition to the fall festival, the farm now hosts a baby animal festival, Bunny Bash at Easter, a summer festival and a new Iowa Tulip Festival planned for next spring. There’s also the Iowa Flower Festival in July featuring acres of zinnias and sunflowers, as well as corporate events and birthday parties year-round.

“We shut down after each festival for a short time and plan for the next one,” Sammy said. “We (close) for the winter and then get ready for spring.”

Fall festival

This year’s fall festival runs through Oct. 27, with a pumpkin destruction day on Nov. 2. The farm is open Friday through Sunday, and the haunted Scream Acres attraction runs Friday and Saturday nights, featuring a haunted cornfield and more than 100 actors who help make the experience truly terrifying.

This year, Bloomsbury Farm is partnering with HACAP Food Reservoir, a regional food pantry, and has incorporated the HACAP logo into its corn maze. Visitors can learn more about the organization at various stops in the maze. There’s also a soybean maze celebrating the 75th anniversary of Peanuts, featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy.

With more than 270 part-time employees, the Petersens expect up to 75,000 visitors at Bloomsbury Farm this year.

“We really do have something for everybody,” Sammy said. “We really feel we’re part of something special here, and that’s pretty cool.”