Horses, bonfire, food, laughter, love.
It's a perfect way to celebrate the upcoming Family Weekend Sleigh Ride Social Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 15 and 16, at Spallumcheen's Caravan Farm Theatre where its majestic heavy horses will take centre stage.
The second annual event gives guests the chance to experience all the wonders of the horses and the farm in the daylight before gathering around the bonfire and the fabled cookshack for food, laughter and warmth.
“It’s a wonderful, pocketbook-friendly experience for the whole family and great opportunity to meet these amazing horses and horse people,” says Estelle Shook, artistic director, Caravan Farm Theatre.
For 47 years, heavy horses have played a role in Caravan productions, and in the last several years, the farm has put even more focus on cultivating its relationship with teamsters to help preserve this special, ancient art.
“The horses are the silent performers in our shows,” says Ivan Habel, managing director. “And the teamsters are artists in their own right.”
On both Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, guests can enjoy 30 to 40-minute sleigh rides that will feature fancy footwork by the horses in both the field and the forest.
“The winter show is very choreographed and technical in terms of timing and parking – there isn’t a lot of room for spontaneity,” says Shook. “For this event, the teamsters get to be a little more creative with the route and the horses get to move out a little more.”
Families will have the chance to visit and pet extra teams of horses in the barn before and after their rides, which will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To make an afternoon of it, Caravan is opening up its cookshack, where families can sit at long tables to enjoy homemade chili and bread — or wander to the bonfire with a hot dog or hot cider.
“These horse-drawn events are designed to celebrate being social: whether you are travelling on a wagon, or seated at a long table, or gathered around a bonfire, visiting with your fellow community members is all part of the fun,” says Shook.
Caravan’s Sleigh Ride Socials will kick off on Family Weekend and return on the weekends of Mother’s Day, Easter and Thanksgiving.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children 4-15 and free for children under four. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit caravanfarmtheatre.com or call the box office at 1-866-546-8533.
