Have a fun-filled family day and celebrate the grand opening of the much-anticipated Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 1, head to the brand new Riverhead farm located on Sound Ave. for fun and activities for all ages.
This endeavor was a long-time dream for the family farm. Originally opening their Manorville farm in 2018, Waterdrinker became well known across Long Island for their annual Tulip Festival in which a rainbow of over two million tulips bloom every April and May.
“We’ve been looking to get on the North Fork for quite a while now,” said the manager of Waterdrinker Marc Weiss. “We found a great space at what was previously Garden of Eve. Chis and Eve [the owners] have been amazing in helping us get our feet on the ground.”
Garden of Eve Organic Farm decided to scale back its operations earlier this year, opting to lease over 30 acres of its farm entertainment space to Waterdrinker. However, they will still be doing their CSA and participating in farmer’s markets across the North Fork.
Throughout this summer, Weiss and his team worked tirelessly to get their new location ready for the Harvest Season. They currently have two crops planted, sunflowers and corn, for this season, but they hope to add more in the next year.
“We want to follow in the footsteps of Garden of Eve and keep organic farming in mind,” said Weiss. “In the future, we plan to grow organic vegetables and hopefully wildflowers. We also want to celebrate the other farmers on the North Fork so we will be bringing their products into our gift barn.”
The farm, whose Manorville location is known also for its large array of barnyard animals, will be bringing two tortoises and a few baby goats along with them to their Riverhead location.
Waterdrinker doubled the size of the original activity area which guarantees to keep the kids entertained for hours. They added a raceway track, two jumbo jump pads, a mini golf course, and a replica of an old Western town. Stepping further onto the farm you’ll find Playhouse Lane, featuring multiple playhouses, a pirate ship, and a giant wooden John Deere tractor.
However, adults need not worry, as Waterdrinker’s resident brewery, Long Island Farm Brewery, will have a permanent tent set up, selling craft beer, cider, and wine to everyone over the age of 21. A rotating list of food trucks is also planned to be on the farm every weekend as well as live music.
The team is also preparing for more events throughout September and October. On Friday, September 15, the farm will kick off the fall season with its new Haunted Pirate Corn Maze, complete with giant skeletons and a sea monster. That weekend will also see the opening of their pumpkin patch, where the whole family can pick pumpkins just in time for Halloween.
Admission and more details for this weekend’s event can be found here. After September 15, the farm will be open seven days a week throughout September and October.
