Autumn Magic at Birchden Vineyards

Join us for a magical family adventure this autumn…

Meet the Keeper of The Vineyards to help restore the Harvest Moon by solving the mystery of the missing key.  

You’ll design your very own magic wooden key to become a harvest moon explorer, before being guided by the Keeper on a mystery adventure around the vineyard to follow clues, and find the missing pieces of the Harvest Moon Key.  

Help the Keeper light up the harvest moon, so that harvest celebrations can officially begin! You’ll also pick your own pumpkin to decorate.

Don’t forget your camera as there will be lots of beautiful photo opportunities not to be missed!

After your mystery trail experience is complete, you’re invited to join the harvest
celebration up at the barn with pumpkin decorating and marshmallow toasting.

At the café, we will be serving a Bavarian BBQ, hot drinks and seasonal café specials...

Every child ticket includes:

• Entry to the full 90-minute guided Harvest Moon experience
• Pumpkin picking (1 x18cm - 25cm size pumpkin for each child to decorate and take home)
• 2 x Marshmallows for toasting
• Harvest Key charm wooden keepsake (each child creates their own key charm to take home)
• Pumpkin decorating
• Complimentary colouring sheets
• Access to seasonal photo opportunities throughout the experience

Adult tickets include entry to the full guided experience alongside your child, a warm drink on arrival and access to all event areas.

Additional marshmallows, food, drinks, and seasonal extras will be available to purchase on the day.

Please note that as we are a working farm with open water, all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult for the duration of the experience and may not be left unattended at any time.

Please review our terms and conditions and FAQs for all the information about what to expect on the day.

 

Access is to the Autum Magic parking is via our field entrance on Station Road closest to Groombridge. Please see the What 3 Words link below for exact location.

Please have a look at our FAQs below, and if your query is not covered, just contact us at hello@birchdenvineyards.co.uk
to ask.

What is included in the child ticket? 

Each child ticket includes:

• Entry to the full 90-minute guided Halloween experience
• Pumpkin picking (1 medium size pumpkin for each child to paint and take home)
• 2 x Marshmallows for toasting
• Harvest Key charm keepsake (each child creates their own key charm to take home)
• Pumpkin decorating
• Complimentary colouring sheets
• Access to seasonal photo opportunities throughout the experience

Additional marshmallows, food, drinks, and seasonal extras will be available to purchase on the day.

What does the adult ticket include?

Adult tickets include entry to the full guided experience alongside your child, a warm drink on arrival and access to the café and all event areas. It also includes free parking.  

Please note that, as we are a working farm and there is uneven ground and open water, all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult for the duration of the experience and may not be left unattended at any time.

How long does the experience last?

Each session lasts 90 mins. This is a timed, guided experience, so we kindly ask all guests to arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled session. This allows
plenty of time for parking, check-in, and getting settled before your adventure
begins. To ensure everyone enjoys the full experience with their group, we recommend arriving promptly, as sessions will start at their advertised time.

Is this a guided experience?

Yes. Each session is intentionally limited in size and fully guided, creating a more
relaxed and thoughtfully paced experience for every family. We ask you to please stay with the Keeper and stay together as a group as you are taken around the trail. The surrounding property is a private family home, so we ask that you stick to the marked trail.

Is parking available?

Yes. Complimentary parking is included in your ticket price. Please arrive 15
minutes before your allocated session to allow time for parking and check-in. As guests will be arriving and departing in carefully timed sessions, arriving within your allocated window helps us keep everything running smoothly.

Do I need to book in advance?

Yes. All sessions must be booked in advance. Spaces are limited, and we expect popular dates to sell out quickly.

Is the event suitable for all ages?

The experience has been designed primarily with younger primary school-aged children in mind, as this is the age group most likely to enjoy the full range of activities. Babies in arms are welcome free of charge. Any child wishing to take part in the included activities, including pumpkin picking, marshmallow toasting, Harvest charm making, and pumpkin painting, will require a child ticket.

 Do adults need a ticket?

Yes. All guests attending the experience including carers will require a ticket.

Will food and drinks be available?

Yes. After the mystery trail experience you will be led to the The Blackbird Café which will be serving Birchden Vineyards favourites, alongside a Bavarian BBQ, seasonal Halloween treats, warming drinks, coffee, snacks, lunch, and wine.

We will have some light snacks and a complementary warm drink for adults available during the experience on the vineyard.

 Can I just visit the café?

Yes everyone is welcome to visit our café to enjoy the food and drinks on offer, you do not need a ticket specifically for this, however, any children on the guided
Halloween mystery experience will need to be accompanied at all times by a paying adult.  

 Can I buy extra pumpkins?

No, we allow one pumpkin per child, but if you would like to go pumpkin picking our friends up the road at Groombridge Hill Pumpkins can help you out! Ask us for
details. 

Can I buy extra marshmallows?

Yes. Two marshmallows for toasting are already included in your ticket price. Additional marshmallows will be available to purchase on the day, if you wish.  

Will there be photo opportunities?

Absolutely! We’ll have seasonal photo moments throughout the experience, so do bring your camera.

What does the craft session involve?

Each child will be presented with a plain wooden Harvest Moon key to decorate however they like with the acrylic pens and craft materials provided by us. It’s a lovely
keepsake to take home to remember your day.  

What does the pumpkin decorating include?

After children have chosen their pumpkin on the vineyard, they will take it up to the barn for decorating. We will provide acrylic pens (similar to Posca pens) and stickers
to decorate your pumpkin however you wish, and we can’t wait to see your
creative designs! Please note, our acrylic markers are not suitable for children under the age of 3, and we provide stickers for younger children. Aprons will be provided to protect clothing from staining by the pens or any other craft materials and we recommend using these.

Is fancy dress encouraged?

Very much so. We’d love to see your best spooky Halloween outfits. Witches, skeletons, pumpkins, tiny vampires, superheroes, pirates and everything in between are warmly welcomed, so you’ll have the best photos to look back on in years to come! 

Please dress appropriately for the weather, wellies are a good idea, with lots of extra
layers for warmth too.

What should we wear?

This is an outdoor autumn event, so please come prepared for the British weather. We
strongly recommend dressing in warm layers, as temperatures can vary throughout the day, bring a waterproof coat just in case. Wellies or sturdy footwear e.g. trainers or hiking boots are essential, particularly if the ground is wet, to ensure everyone can enjoy the vineyard comfortably.

Although aprons will be provided during the craft sessions, please be aware that acrylic pens and other craft materials may stain clothing. We therefore recommend dressing your child in clothing that you don’t mind getting a little messy or stained.

Can I bring a pushchair?

Pushchairs are permitted, however please note much of the experience takes place outdoors across uneven and sometimes wet and muddy ground and field areas, which may make access more difficult depending on weather conditions. An all-terrain pushchair may be more advisable. Please bring a pushchair at your own risk, and we would advise walking or using a carrier where possible.  

 Is the event wheelchair accessible?

We are committed to making our events as accessible as possible. However, this
experience takes place across working vineyard grounds, fields, and uneven
outdoor terrain, so unfortunately it is not suitable for wheelchair users, we are very sorry. 

We encourage anyone with accessibility requirements to contact us at hello@birchdenvineyards.co.uk
before booking so we can discuss your individual needs. Where possible, we will
do our best to explore alternative arrangements or adaptations to help you
enjoy the Birchden Vineyards experience.

 What is the parking situation?

Our designated parking for Autumn Magic will be at the bottom end of the farm near to the start of the trail (the entrance is on Station Road, nearest to Groombridge
village). This is approximately 300m from our café and main parking. If you do
not have a ticket for the Halloween experience and just want to visit the café,
or are waiting for others completing the trail, we ask that you park in the usual café area instead of the Autumn Magic parking area.  Please contact us directly if you have any accessibility issues.

What happens if we’re running late?

If you’re running late, please still make your way to us. We’ll do our best to guide you to your allocated group once you arrive, however your session will still finish at the scheduled end time.

As group sizes are carefully managed, we’re unfortunately unable to move late arrivals into alternative sessions.

What happens if it rains?

This is an outdoor autumn experience and will go ahead in most weather conditions. While some elements of the event are sheltered, we recommend dressing appropriately for the season, with warm layers and suitable footwear to ensure everyone remains comfortable throughout their visit.

Is marshmallow toasting supervised?

We use appropriately designed equipment to ensure distance from the fire, and we have taken precautions to make this activity as safe as possible. However,
marshmallow toasting involves an open fire, so children must be supervised and assisted by a parent or guardian at all times during this activity. Also please be aware that children will need to wait for their marshmallows to cool before eating. 

 

Are tickets refundable?

Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by Birchden Vineyards. 

We can transfer names on the booking if you are unable to come and would like to send someone else in your place. 

Can we stay after our session?

Of course! Once your guided experience has finished, your pumpkin has been decorated and your marshmallows have been toasted, you're very welcome to relax and spend some time at our café which is open until 5pm. We will be serving our usual menu and barista coffee alongside seasonal Halloween treats, a Bavarian BBQ and refreshments. We advise that if you have booked the 3pm session you may not have a lot of time to eat at the cafe after, you are more than welcome to drive to the cafe before your experience and then drive to the Autumn Magic parking area. We are sorry for this inconvenience, but daylight is limited in October and the Vineyard and Autumn Magic car park do not have lighting or electrics.

To ensure each family enjoys the full experience, access to the vineyard activities and event areas is limited to your booked session time, so re-entry to the vineyard and Halloween experience areas is not possible after your session has ended.