Families load their baskets with strawberries. Kids shriek as the roller coaster whips around the track. Goats eat from children’s palms. This is Remlinger Farms, a family destination in Carnation.
Remlinger Farms began as a small roadside produce stand in the ’60s, owned and run by Bonnie and Gary Remlinger.
The Remlingers began building a loyal local customer base, and when one of their major fruit buyers turned to California-grown strawberries over Washington ones, the Remlingers opened up their fields for people to pick their own berries.
The Remlingers were soon expanding further to accommodate the interests and needs of their visitors: The desire for a cold drink on a hot day led to the ice cream parlor.
Visiting teachers, the Remlingers say, wanted to bring their students to pick pumpkins and wondered if there was anything else of educational value at the farm; the Remlingers soon began offering educational tours.
Today, Remlinger Farms is jointly run by the Remlingers, their daughter and her husband.
The U-pick fields are full of strawberries in June, raspberries in July and blueberries in August. In September and October, pumpkins are available.
The market offers fresh produce, and visitors can enjoy a sandwich or a slice of pie at the restaurant.
The County Fair Fun Park, which includes a few small rides and a climbing wall, is open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Sept. 6, when it closes during the week but remains open on the weekends.
Children can also ride ponies and interact with farm animals. There is a pioneer homestead on the property as well, and visitors can learn about how the early American farmers lived.
Remlinger Farms
32610 NE 32nd St., Carnation; 425-333-4135; www.remlingerfarms.com/
Admission: Daily pass: $11 plus tax per person; season pass: $59 plus tax for first three family members. A discount applies for larger families.
Summer hours: County Fair Fun Park: daily, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Market: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Restaurant: Mondays through Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Remlinger Farms can also accommodate birthday parties and company picnics.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
