Stade’s Farm & Market Offers a Theme Park Experience on an Illinois Farm

For nearly 30 years, Stade’s Farm & Market in McHenry County has been setting the gold standard for on-farm fun, attracting crowds with everything from U-pick green beans and apples to a theme park filled with carnival rides.

The farm starts drawing visitors in June with the kickoff of strawberry picking. From there, the harvest continues throughout summer and fall with pick-your-own blueberries, raspberries, flowers, vegetables, apples and pumpkins.

Along with magical spins on a 100-year-old carousel and cute petting zoo encounters, a fall visit to Stade’s means fresh apples, hayrides and hunting for the perfect jack-o’-lantern in the 30-acre pumpkin patch during the farm’s annual Shades of Autumn Fall Festival.

“This gives visitors the chance to enjoy the farm’s bounty while engaging directly with the land,” says Stephanie Stade-Townsend, farm manager.

Magical Moments

Stade-Townsend’s father, Vern Stade, started the farm as a dairy operation in 1977 and transitioned to growing vegetables in 1989. He then launched roadside stands for selling his harvest and continued looking for other ways to diversify the business and engage directly with the community.

“We saw an opportunity not only to sustain the farm economically but also to create a place where families could come learn about agriculture and make lasting memories together,” Stade-Townsend explains.

Vern Stade’s love for Walt Disney World Resort helped hone the family’s agritourism vision and informed the development of their Farmtractions Theme Park. Disney World’s attention to detail, focus on guest experience, and drive to create a welcoming and entertaining environment inspired the family’s efforts to craft a one-of-a-kind atmosphere for visitors.

“One of the most rewarding things we hear from visitors is that they come to the farm because it feels like one of the happiest places in the world,” Stade-Townsend says. “At the end of the day, our goal is to give families a place to enjoy time together while also gaining a better understanding of where their food comes from.”

The farm is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through early November, with the Farm Market Store offering fresh produce, eggs, honey and seasonal favorites, including pies, apple cider doughnuts, salsa and more.

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Autumn Adventures

While tens of thousands of guests visit the farm each year, the highlight of each season for Stade-Townsend is the Shades of Autumn Fall Festival, which runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Labor Day weekend through Halloween.

“During this time, families can experience the full range of our attractions and seasonal activities, including apple and pumpkin picking, making it a truly immersive farm experience,” she says.

In the fall, the farm features more than 50 attractions, with a mix of classic carnival rides and interactive, farm-focused activities. Among the most beloved by guests is the farm’s centerpiece: a century-old, hand-carved carousel. Stade-Townsend notes maintaining this historic piece requires careful attention, regular inspections and well-trained staff to ensure continued operation and guest safety.

Other perennially popular rides and games include a kid-sized Ferris wheel, mechanical Veggie Cars whip ride, apple cannons, zip lines, pedal cars, giant slide, mechanical swing and jumping pillows.

Another favorite is the petting zoo, which Stade-Townsend says reflects the heart of agriculture, providing visitors – especially children – an increasingly rare opportunity for hands-on connection with animals.

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Cultivating Knowledge

The farm’s location – just 50 miles northwest of Chicago – makes it a prime destination for urban families seeking a taste of rural life. A large percentage of the farm’s guests are from the city, and many of them may have never visited a farm.

Spotlighting the importance of agriculture and inspiring visitors to develop respect for the land and the people who work it is one of the most rewarding parts of Stade-Townsend’s job.

“For many city kids, experiences that might seem simple to us – like picking a green bean off a plant, an apple from a tree or a pumpkin from the vine – are completely new,” she says. “Some visitors even assume their food comes solely from the grocery store, so seeing it grown and harvested firsthand can be eye-opening.”

Keeping the many elements of the working farm and agritourism business running smoothly requires a large staff, especially on busy weekends and holidays when as many as 20 to 30 seasonal employees are needed at the Farmtractions Theme Park. Additional workers are required for the U-pick areas, the Farm Market Store and field labor as well.

But Stade family members are vital to leading operations. While Vern remains active in the business, Stade-Townsend manages the farm now in partnership with her siblings. Her older brother, Ryan Stade, focuses on growing the corn, soybeans and other row crops, while her sister, Jenny Wisowaty, handles event scheduling, bookkeeping, social media and general operations.

Stade-Townsend says she’s happy that her two young children, as well as several nieces and a nephew, are being raised with the same emphasis on farming and family she grew up with.

“It’s rewarding to see the next generation growing up connected to agriculture and rural values,” she says.