Press Release – September 23, 2021 Six special activity dates headline annual fall event AURORA – Each fall, just about the time Mother Nature starts to change her outfit, historical Blackberry Farm and its natural beauty plays host to Pumpkin Weekends – a popular, monthlong event for families to celebrate the season and add memories… Read More

A weekday caregiver to five grandkids – a 7-year-old, twin 6s, and a pair of 3-year-old cousins – Aurora resident Becky Burkhalter finds a trusty oasis in Blackberry Farm. “It’s a place that provides sheer joy for the kids,” says Becky, a Blackberry season passholder who’s a safe bet to ‘go live’ on Facebook a… Read More

Believe. With a dash of imagination mixed with some holiday spirit, visitors to the Fox Valley Park District’s Holiday Express instantly re-experience the childhood vibes – hope, anticipation, cheer – that only the season can provide. An annual Yuletide celebration staged at historical Blackberry Farm, Holiday Express delivers Christmas spirit in the form of a… Read More

Press Release - September 16, 2019 AURORA – Blackberry Farm will celebrate the fall season throughout October with the return of its popular Pumpkin Weekends, beginning Saturday, Oct. 5. Each weekend in October, including Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 14), residents are invited to enjoy family-friendly, pumpkin-themed festivities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Blackberry Farm… Read More

Bernard Cigrand moved to the Fox Valley in 1913. He was 47 at the time, a prominent dentist who relocated his successful practice to Aurora in 1920. Dr. Cigrand died in 1932, before figuratively returning to the area 70 years later – the Fox Valley Park District’s Blackberry Farm, to be exact – where he… Read More

Press Release – November 7, 2019 Popular seasonal event expanded to Thursdays in 2019 AURORA – The Holiday Express train is welcoming all aboard throughout the month of December at Blackberry Farm, which will be transformed into a winter wonderland, featuring thousands of twinkling lights, festive holiday decorations and happy holiday music. New this year… Read More

Jim Oberweis stood on the new, 2,000-square-foot plaza outside of The Barn at Blackberry Farm and surveyed the new amenities. The Illinois 25th District Senator, who sponsored the $50,000 grant awarded to the Fox Valley Park District through the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities (DCEO), echoed the sentiments of many. “I think it’s… Read More

It’s difficult to imagine the number of vintage home movies, Polaroids and smartphone snaps that feature Blackberry Farm in the backdrop. To be sure, the Fox Valley Park District’s 50-year-old living history museum has produced lasting memories for generations of families across the district – and well beyond. Ready? Say cheese! Because it’s about to… Read More

Press Release – March 1, 2021 Early-bird season passes on sale from March 1 to May 14   AURORA – Blackberry Farm – the Fox Valley Park District’s living history museum – is set to reawaken in 2021, after the entirety of the 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Season passes are… Read More

Summer’s been a blast, but who’s ready to shut down the AC, take in a football game, hit the trail beneath a canopy of colors or celebrate the arrival of fall with a favorite family pastime? From pumpkins to princesses, there’s no shortage of fun in our lineup of adventures. Get started by checking out… Read More