DOWAGIAC — As the frost starts to cover the grass and colder weather approaches, Hidden Acres Petting Farm will be looking to keep its animals healthy and happy all winter long.

To help reach this goal and thank a loyal community, Hidden Acres is hosting its third annual fall festival and trunk or treat party this Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the petting farm, 50581 Pleasant St., Dowagiac.

The trunk or treat event will be free to all visitors, who are also invited to attend a private festival behind the petting farm for a $5 donation per person. Games and activities will be available for children and pumpkins will also be available for sale.

“We have a lot of people who are very supportive of us, and this is what this event is about — to thank them,” said Dawn East, one of the petting farm’s owners.

As the petting farm prepares for the winter season, East and her cousin, Heather Matthews, are hoping to raise money for animal feed and veterinary bills.

“People see how many [animals] we have, and they go, ‘wow I can’t imagine what the feed bill would be?’” East said. “I don’t think a lot of people realize what goes into it in the off season for us to care for them expense wise.”

At the event will be a hayride, DJ, bounce house, True’s Towing and Recovery, Ausra Equipment and Supply Company, the Sister Lakes Fire Department and a few vendors with baked goods.

Hidden Acres Petting Farm, which is in the process of becoming a nonprofit organization, will be accepting donations at the event.

“We obviously do this because we love it,” East said. “We love to see the light in people’s eyes around animals.”

Although the winter months at Hidden Acres Petting Farm tend to slow down, the owners said they are still open by appointment only. 

“It does slow down because we don’t have a heated place for people to go,” East said.

When baby goats are born in the spring, school events will start to pick up again, as the petting farm works within schools’ budgets to bring its animals to students.

The petting farm also serves as a way for community members to donate their time. Over the summer, Hidden Acres has “Volunteer Wednesdays,” which attract both students and adults, Matthews and East said. Local 4-H groups also volunteer their time at the petting farm to accumulate school volunteer hours throughout the fall.

Matthews said the fall festival also serves as a way to remind the community that Hidden Acres Petting Farm is an activity for everyone in Dowagiac.

“We just like people to be aware that we are here,” Matthews said. “Still, in the community people are like, ‘there’s a petting farm in Sister Lakes?’ We want people to know that we are here.”

The cousins also want to provide children with a safe environment to enjoy as they get to interact with an array of animals at Hidden Acres Petting Farm.

“First and foremost, we want to give the kids a safe and happy place to have fun,” Matthews said. “We’d also like to raise funds so we have money through the winter for feed and vet bills. All the money goes right back to the animals.”