GREEN BLUFF, Wash. — Coronavirus restrictions have shut down many classic summer and fall activities, but not for Beck's Harvest House in Green Bluff. Farmers are kicking off their annual Fall Festival, a difficult feat in the face of COVID-19.
"This particular thing is such a tradition for a lot of people in fall and to have something that makes things seem a little normal is really nice," said Jackie Cook.
Cook and her family are thankful to Beck's Harvest House’s owner Todd Beck for working to make this event happen. He spent months figuring out new additions, but also which aspects he had to drop - for the sake of his farm and the community.
"This family's tradition is what people love to come out and do it gives me personally a great amount of pride that," said Beck. "I mean to come to my house which is what people's family tradition is, and we're able to offer that to people from all over."
Beck created a socially distanced event, with tables spread at least six feet apart, hand sanitizer everywhere and even reservations to get into the farm. This way the team is able to monitor to make sure only the government approved number of people enter.
"It's very important that we get a little normalcy back in our lives, and the fall tradition of coming to green bluff is a normal tradition," he added. "We want to give families a sense of normalcy."
Right now there are about 4,000 people a day, but in a normal year Beck says the farm would get up to 7,000 visitors a day.
"It feels busier in the traffic getting here than it does when you're actually doing it," he said. "But we're doing what we can do and what we feel is safe and right to do."
Thousands of people are happy to wait in a long line once they get in and grab a bite.
"We will wait as long as it takes to get pumpkin donuts, because they're amazing," said Cook.
The event with be going on for the next four weekends. Book tickets online so that wait is worth it. Find out more about Green Bluff fall festivities on their website.