Sinkland Farms’ fall tradition continues for its 34th year

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Oct. 30, 2025)- For many, fall in Montgomery County means spending time outside and going to football games. However, there’s also a nearby farm keeping thousands coming back each year. 

In Christiansburg, Sinkland Farms attracts over 40,000 people each year for its annual Pumpkin Festival. For 34 years, visitors have come from all over the country to experience the farm’s activities, with USA Today ranking the pumpkin patch and five-acre corn maze fourth in the nation in their respective categories. 

“It’s a lot of fun,” Hayley, a visitor who did not give her last name, said. “They have a good selection of pumpkins. Probably one of the best ones. And the corn maze is a lot of fun too.”

Along with these award-winning attractions, the event provides hayrides, food, music and more. The farm prides itself on being a family-friendly destination. 

“They have drinks,” visitor Veronica Johnson said. “They have some vendors that have actual food. They have art stuff over there and there’s a maze, which is fun to just walk around in. So there’s definitely something for everybody.” 

In the community, the festival is considered a family tradition, partly because it is run by a local couple. 

Susan Sink and Roger Williams met in the early 1970s when Sink was going to Radford University and Williams was going to Virginia Tech. 

Both with backgrounds in agriculture, Sink and Williams want their agritourism destination to help preserve farming. 

Between 2017 and 2022, the number of farms in the U.S. decreased by 7 percent, resulting in a decline in the country’s farm count to fewer than 2 million. 

Farmland is being lost in Virginia at a record pace. Between 2001 and 2016, the commonwealth ranked eighth in the nation for conversion of farming land to urban and residential use. 

In Virginia, agriculture is the largest private industry, providing more than 381,800 jobs for the state. Sinkland aims to showcase the charming characteristics of a local farm and teach visitors about agriculture. 

Signs around Sinkland Farms share facts about agriculture, reflecting the couple’s goal to educate visitors about farming. 

At first, Sinkland focused on strawberries, Christmas trees and sweet corn. When a Virginia Tech faculty member suggested they plant pumpkins, Sink began focusing on growing her pumpkin patch. 

In 2018, Sink and Williams married, and they continue to grow the farm. 

The farm holds other events in addition to the Pumpkin Festival. For example, the Sunflower Festival occurs in the summer and the Wine Festival in the fall. Throughout the year, weddings and field trips are hosted as well. 

“I want to go in the gift shop to see if they have anything seasonal or local businesses I can support,” visitor Madison Gaskins said. 

In fact, Sinkland Farms partners with many local businesses and considers itself an active member of the community. 

Small business goods and food from around Virginia are sold in the gift shop. 

Local artists’ work and goods for charities are also sold at the farm. 

For the 34th year, the Pumpkin Festival continues as a source of local tradition and educational agritourism.