Downey’s celebrates 25 years

August 23, 2018 · 0 Comments

Written by Kira Wronska Dorward

On Aug. 18, Downey’s Farm celebrated its 25th anniversary with the grand opening of their 2018 eight-acre corn maze, a free BBQ with some a-maze-ing corn on the cob, and accolades from the mayor’s office.

The Town of Caledon, Mayor Allan Thompson, and Peel regional councillor Jennifer Innis presented the farm with a certificate of appreciation for its “commitment to giving back to the community,” proven by Downey’s giving 25 percent of the day’s admission fees to Bethell Hospice.

In addition to the corn maze which will be open until Oct. 31, Downey’s 150-acre farm features a play area for children, the discovery barn, wagon rides, friendly farm animals, a bakery, a winery and, after Aug. 31, pick-your-own apples.

John Downey spoke about his family’s history on the farm, now into its fourth generation. In 2020, the Downey family will have owned the farm for 100 years. The commercial part of the farm opened to the public in 1987, when they started selling corn from a picnic table on the front lawn.

Since then, what we know as Downey’s Farm has continued to evolve, especially since John sold the milking cows and opened the market in 1993. A winery and bakery were added, and Downey’s has stayed true to providing fruit, fun and memories in their family owned and operated business.

The bakery, famous for its pumpkin doughnuts, serves lunch every day, including pies, bread and baked goods fresh from the oven. The winery is open daily with free samplings of fruit and dessert wines. Their market sells only Ontario grown fruits and vegetables, plus homemade fudge in 40 flavours.

Downey’s also offers pick-your-own strawberries and raspberries, and hosts company events, birthday parties, and school trips, as well as special events such as Easterfest, the Canada Day Strawberry Festival, Pumpkinfest and Lunch with Santa. Pumpkinfest runs on weekends from Sept. 22 to Oct. 31, and features live entertainment, wagon rides, the boo barn, a straw jump, the corn maze, a skeleton band, dog shows, and of course 10, 000 pumpkins. Lunch with Santa runs on weekends in December, when kids get one on one time with Santa and lunch. For more information, and to reserve online, visit Downeysfarm.com.

Jennifer Innis, a distant relative to the Downeys, commends the farm for setting “a really big standard for our agricultural community,” drawing tourists from the city to exemplify rural life, and for bringing the community together. “For that,” Innis says, “we are really grateful.”