Residents and visitors alike know the kids at Beacon Hill Children’s Farm are a must-see each spring and summer. A few folks may not know that the goats take centre stage twice a day during the “goat stampede.”
“It’s super fun and entertaining to watch,” says farm manager Amanda Kyffin. “It’s something that is cute and gets people involved because they get to cheer on the goats. It’s not something you see every day.”
The children’s farm in Beacon Hill Park started in 1985 and has been operated since then by the Koenders family, working with the Beacon Hill Farm Society.
The goal is to provide an educational and economical form of entertainment for the whole family and help young ones develop a life-long respect for animals. One way they do that is with hands-on experience, particularly with the most popular feature – the goat-petting area.
Once the gates close, the staff starts putting all the animals away and get ready for the stampede. They open the petting area gates and let the goats run while a crowd cheers them on toward their dinner.
“A lot of people come in the morning and the afternoon just to see the goat stampede,” Kyffin says.
The goats run twice a day, at 10:10 a.m. to kick off the farm’s opening, then again after closing at 5:10 p.m. (that’s 4:10 p.m. in spring and fall)
Beacon Hill Children’s Farm is in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. Admission is by suggested donation of $3.50 for adults and $2.50 for kids.
beaconhillpark.ca/
childrenspark/goat_run
Your pick of pets
While goat-petting takes centre stage, critters of all sorts can be petted at the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm, from piglets to rabbits. Watch video of the goat stampede at vicnews.com/lifestyles/tourism.