As the fall season approaches, the new Rhymers Ridge harvest festival is gearing up to offer fun and relaxation on a working farm.
The working cattle farm offers giant slides, horse rides in partnership with local nonprofit Healing Horses, and pumpkins of all sizes and varieties to be picked and purchased from their patches. There are also plenty of animals to see and interact with from goats, chickens, donkeys, ducks and sheep to cows and even peacocks.
The festival also offers treats, from Dippin' Dots ice cream to wine, beer and hamburgers made from cattle that were raised right there on the working farm. There will be live music from local artists throughout the month and hot air balloon rides on the grounds at extra cost Oct. 1 and Oct. 29.
The festival will officially run from Sept. 30-Oct. 30, but this weekend's soft opening allowed the public its first look at all the grounds have to offer.
Husband and wife team Jameson and Loni Morrow have owned the farm since 2015 and have been kicking around the idea for a festival for a few years, finally deciding to follow through with it for this fall. Jameson Morrow said preparations began in July, with the team putting together the slides and trailers for the hay rides and setting up catering and other essentials for the festival. The couple said large farms are all about family and fun, and the festival was a perfect opportunity to share that with his kids and the community.
"We tried to build what we wish that Jeff City had because we're adults with three kids. Our kids like to play, and we want them to be able to be outside and run around, but we also would like to have somewhere to sit and listen to music and drink a glass of wine while they play," Loni Morrow said. "So we tried to set up the perfect place that both kids and adults would love."
The couple said there were plenty of ideas brewing for future activities and concessions if interest was high enough. This weekend's preview gave them time before the official start of the festival's run to make adjustments and take feedback, ensuring the best possible experience for their guests.
While there's endless potential for future events across the expansive grounds throughout the year, from wedding season to the holidays, the couple said the month-long festivities should be a good test to see how people respond to their festival and show the community what they have to offer.
"The sky's the limit," Jameson Morrow said. "I think people will come out and really enjoy all of this, and they'll get the word out. I think kids and adults alike will love it, and we're so excited to welcome them in."
Rhymers Ridge is located at 5620 Buffalo Road. It will be open from noon-7 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 30-Oct. 30. Visit rhymersridge.com to learn more or to purchase tickets.
Bartlett & West moves to new location
Professional services firm Bartlett & West's Jefferson City branch is calling a new office home.
With a growing pool of clientele and an increase in local employee-owners, the firm is moving its 50 local staff members to a larger space at 601 Monroe St., Suite 201. The firm's other contact information will remain the same, according to a news release.
The firm offers technology solutions, engineering and other professional services for a broad array of clients. It works with various industries, including water districts, rail companies, land developers, municipalities, private industries and more.
Locally, the group is involved with the United Way, the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Jefferson City Regional Economic Partnership. It has been operating in the Capital City since 1996.
The group has 18 offices across eight states, including other locations in Springfield, St. Louis and Kansas City.
Learn more at bartlettwest.com.
BluTaco reboots to include pizza options
BluTaco in Holts Summit closed its doors Wednesday evening, only to celebrate its grand reopening and expanded menu Friday.
The popular restaurant, which has blended tacos and southwest flavors into a unique menu, rebooted to include pizza options as it transitioned to a dual-concept restaurant. It now offers selections from Hangar 54 Pizza and will allow customers to order through either the BluTaco or Hangar 54 app.
Stephanie Groves, a spokesperson for PFSBrand, a Holts Summit-based group that owns both restaurants and other local brands, said the restaurant was celebrating its next chapter. Customers were treated to a cornhole tournament, ice cream from Central Dairy and beer from Last Flight Brewery to celebrate the grand reopening.
BluTaco is located at 135 City Plaza Drive in Holts Summit. It is open daily from 6 a.m.-8 p.m.
Know of any business happenings around Jefferson City? Let us know at [email protected] or 573-761-0243.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Rachel Ruff takes a photo of her husband and son Lance and Leo, 1, Gerloff on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 at Rhymers Ridge in Jefferson City. The family was enjoying the soft opening of the harvest festival at Rhymers Ridge.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: From left to right, Dax Schutte, 4, J.P. Morrow, 2, and Doc Gue, 6, play in a corn pin on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 at Rhymers Ridge in Jefferson City. The corn pin is a part of Rhymers Ridge harvest festival.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Dale Feeler drives a tractor carrying a wagon full of people on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 at Rhymers Ridge in Jefferson City. Riders attended the soft opening for Rhymers Ridge harvest festival that will go to the end of October.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Loni and Jameson Morrow pose for a photo on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 at Rhymers Ridge in Jefferson City. Rhymers Ridge hosted the first day of their harvest festival's soft opening. This is the first year the festival is taking place and includes hay rides, ziplines, live music, and more.