A full band, a free ice cream social, and free admission for first responders. Labor Day weekend at Wilderness Valley Farm, with the whole farm open and every activity included with admission.
Get TicketsOur Thank You
Police, fire and EMS get free admission all day on September 5. Bring your credentials to the gate. It is a small thank you from the farm for the work you do the other 364 days.
Saturday Of The Holiday Weekend
Everything below is included with admission. Gates open at 10am, close at 5pm.
All afternoon
A full band plays the farm through the afternoon. Bring a lawn chair, grab something from the Farm Haus, and settle in.
On the house
An old-fashioned ice cream social, free with your admission, running through the afternoon.
For the kids
Kids can climb aboard and explore real rescue vehicles, and meet the first responders who drive them.
Not Just The Music
The band is the headliner, but your admission covers the entire farm from open to close. Come for the music, stay for everything else.
Meet Bud the white yak, Lilly the reindeer and Paisley the micro donkey, plus the Longhorns, mini donkeys and free-roaming peacocks.
Tractor-pulled hay rides loop the farm all afternoon, and the barrel cart takes the kids through the apple orchard and lavender runs.
Burgers, crispy tater tots and cold drinks at the Farm Haus, waffles and doughnut holes at the Waffle Barn, and cider and gifts at the Cider Haus.
If It Is Your First Visit
There is no wrong order, but if you want a plan, this one works. Gates open at 10am and close at 5pm.
Up North For The Weekend?
Labor Day is one of the last big travel weekends of the Northern Michigan summer. If you are up for the holiday, the farm makes an easy Saturday: twenty minutes from downtown Gaylord and the Alpine Village, and a short drive from Otsego Lake. Spend the day here, then head into town for dinner.
Before You Come
One ticket covers the music, the ice cream social, the animals and every activity on the farm.
| Adults (13-64) | $15 |
| Seniors (65+) | $10 |
| Children (4-12) | $10 |
| Infants (3 and under) | Free |
| First responders with credentials | Free |
6500 Nicklaus Drive
Gaylord, MI 49735
Twenty minutes from downtown Gaylord in the woods of Otsego County, with on-site parking. An easy drive from Petoskey, Traverse City, Boyne City, Grayling and Alpena for the holiday weekend.
Questions
Saturday, September 5, 2026, from 10am to 5pm at 6500 Nicklaus Drive, Gaylord, MI 49735. It is the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
No. The farm is open Saturdays only during the fall season, so the celebration happens Saturday, September 5. The farm is closed Sunday and Monday of the holiday weekend.
Yes. Police, fire and EMS receive free admission on September 5. Bring your credentials to the gate.
Yes. The ice cream social is free with your admission, running through the afternoon alongside the live music.
Everything. The reindeer, Tibetan yaks, Texas Longhorns, donkeys and peacocks, plus hay wagon rides, the pedal cart track, the playgrounds, and the Farm Haus, Waffle Barn and Cider Haus.
Comfortable shoes, a camera, and a lawn chair or blanket for the band. The ice cream social and everything else on the farm is included with admission.
A full band plays through the afternoon. The lineup is announced on the Wilderness Valley Farm Facebook page ahead of the weekend.
Buying online before you come is the fastest way through the gate on a holiday weekend Saturday.
Live music, free ice cream, and the whole farm open. Saturday, September 5, 10am to 5pm.