Old MacDonald’s Farm in Cedar Rapid’s Bever Park is open for the 2022 season

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department has opened Old MacDonald’s Farm in Bever Park for the season. The farm, a petting zoo, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 25. Admission is free, but a $1 minimum donation is appreciated.

Old MacDonald’s Farm is home to farm animals and North American waterfowl. The baby animals arrived at the farm on April 24. They include calves, chickens, pygmy goats, lambs, rabbits, ducklings and piglets. They will be out only during warm weather. Visitors are asked to be patient and to give them time and space to adapt to their new home and to being around so many people. Due to the bird flu outbreak in Iowa, the ducks and chickens will not be out in order to prevent them from contracting it.

The Linn County Master Gardeners are offering free, hands-on gardening classes for kids ages 7 to 10 at the farm’s gardens. The first class, Plant a Seed/Watch it Grow, is June 6 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. The second, The Monarch Life Cycle, is July 11 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. And the final class, Make a Bee House, is Aug. 1 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Old MacDonald’s Farm visitors will enjoy two events this year. On Friday, Aug. 26, it’s Movie Night at the Farm, featuring “A Bug’s Life.” The second event is the County Fair on Saturday, Sept. 24. In addition, farm tours, birthday parties, goat yoga parties and several nature programs are available, including Animals on the Farm; Be a Bee; Birds — Nurturing Nature; Creek Study and You; and Farmer for a Day.

For more information about programs and events at the farm, see the Play! guide at CRREC.org or call the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department at (319) 286-5566.