This past weekend, while Raelynn and I were in Jacksonville we had the opportunity to check out Congaree and Penn. This farm/winery/eatery was a local Jacksonville spot my sister had been dying to try out for a while. So we booked tickets and headed to Congaree and Penn to have a family Sunday-Funday!
Location and Hours of Operation
Congaree and Penn is located at 11830 Old Kings Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32219
Their hours of operation are Wednesday-Sunday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
On their website, they encourage families to indulge in their “farm experience” before 5 pm because “evenings at Congaree and Penn are meant for a quieter adult atmosphere”.
Their gorgeous property also hosts private events from time to time. So I would also suggest checking out their website to make sure they are open on the day you plan on visiting.
To enter the property, you must have either a farm pass ($3 for guest ages 2+), dining reservation, or an agriculturism reservation. It is recommended to purchase tickets in advanced through their website. But, you may be lucky enough to snag a ticket in person at their “farm stand”.
Agritourism
An agritourism reservation is a fancy way of saying farm activities. There are a host of activities (based on the season) to check out here!
We caught the end of their Muscadine Grape picking season but according to their website, at the beginning of the summer, you can also pick olives and blackberries.
We booked our tickets for the last day of grape picking this year and we quickly regretted it. The pickings were super scarce unfortunately but it wasn’t necessarily a deal-breaker for our experience as a whole. So if you want to go during harvest season solely for a “picking” experience, I’d highly recommend paying close attention to what point of the season you are booking your tickets.
Aside from picking grapes, they also offered a 45-min “sunset cruise” on a tractor and a private goat greeting. Also, they are currently prepping for a pumpkin patch later this fall!
Dining
Shawn and I always call ourselves “undercover foodies” because we’re a sucker for a good meal! Congree and Penn’s menu definitely did not disappoint! Their food was so good that I forgot to snap a picture LOL!
When it comes to dining on the farm you have a couple of options.
If you’re proactive enough to book reservations ahead of time, you can enjoy dine-in seating. I would highly recommend this if you’re looking for a break from the Florida sun (and bugs).
There’s also open seating on their patio that’s offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. On their patio, there are string lights, rocking chairs, and fire pits which makes for a super cute ambiance especially if you’re heading out there for date-night! Something else I appreciated about the experience was that they offered bug spray and sunscreen at the farmstand. As beautiful as it was outside, love bug season was in full swing so it was nice to have that option.
Lastly, you can have a picnic on their property. Simply bring a blanket, order your food to-go and enjoy! If you plan on having a picnic, you still have to purchase a farm pass and no outside food or drink is allowed. This was actually our intent when we initially planned our trip, but my poor baby’s cheeks and the Florida sun were not agreeing with one another.
Quarantining most of this year has definitely been a struggle, so it was really nice to have somewhere to go with a lot of activities, amazing food, and the ability to do all of these things safely and socially distanced.
I’m super interested in finding out what they offer around the holiday season and early spring and summer. Congaree and Penn literally had something for everyone and any occasion. I’m actually already planning a way to get Shawn out there for a date night!
XO
Michelle
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