By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

HELENA–After garnering huge success one year ago, “The Patch” at Helena Hollow will return even bigger and better with fun for the whole family.

Helena Hollow consists of roughly 160 acres located off Shelby County 17 in Helena and beginning Saturday, Sept. 29, the farm will host the opening day of The Patch for the second straight year with loads of entertainment for everyone.

In just a few short years, the Griffin family went from hosting a birthday party for a family member on the farm, to now booking numerous parties each weekend and turning the farm into a full-blown business that includes fun events like The Patch.

Last year, Helena Hollow was open each weekend during the month of October as families could enjoy plenty of games, hayrides, a tire mountain, rope climbs, tire swings, hay maze and obstacles, petting zoo access, landslides, corn barn and silo playhouses, food trucks and of course the pumpkin patch.

This year, the same attractions will exist with even more added fun. Some of the new attractions this year include the following:

–Paul’s Wheels—human hamster wheel races.

–Nanny’s Landslide—100-foot landslide.

–Silo City—Silo playhouses with hands on items including a schoolhouse, vet clinic, post office, church and farmer’s market playhouse.

–Three hayrides all day, each day.

–An additional five acres of pumpkin patch.

–A larger 25-foot-by-30-foot corn pit with two slides.

–A second tire mountain.

–A new animal barn.

Other attractions include bone digz, bounce houses, live music, truck slides, three pipe slides, pipe horse swings, a hay run, gift shop, a $5 mechanical bull ride, a $10 trampoline bungee and $5 horse rides.

The opening weekend will be Saturday, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an admission fee of $10 for ages three and up. Children aged two and under will be admitted for free.

Food trucks present during opening weekend will be KJ Elegant Pastries, Chubbfathers, Pazzo Big Slice Pizza, Rooski’s Flatbread, Hey Sugar Cotton Candy and Italian Ice and Dixieland Funnel Cakes.

For more information on The Patch or to book an event with Helena Hollow, visit Helenahollow.com.