A hayride is one of the many activities at Charmingfare Farm in Candia, N.H.

Photo courtesy of Charmingfare Farm

CANDIA, N.H.— Charmingfare Farm is the antidote to every overpriced, overstaged theme park you’ve ever schlepped around with your children. And the short country ride off Route 93 to get to this 180-acre farm and zoo is an enjoyable jaunt at this season into the very heart of fall foliage country.

Don’t expect any water rides or farm-themed restaurants. This 22-year-old attraction is as no-frills and authentic as it gets. In the summertime, when we visited, you’ll see goats, sheep, cows, horses, fowl, oxen and swine. If you’re lucky, as we were, you might even see a lamb born right in front of your eyes at the petting zoo. And for a pittance you can buy a bag of feed and delight in the feeling of a goat’s mouth tickling your palm.

The farm has recently added wild animals indigenous to North America. They’re housed in spacious, natural-looking enclosures. Children oohed and ahhed over the black bear, fisher, cougar, wolf and porcupine, and the birds of prey presentation.

But fall, after the zoo closes for the season, has its own charms — especially now, as leaf season ushers in Halloween activities (see below).

Don’t worry about the kids being seduced by high-priced souvenirs and $10 hamburgers. “We were reluctant to have any food or gifts,” said Charmingfare’s Linda Ellis. “We never wanted this to be a Disney World. We encourage people to bring their own food, have a family picnic — but so many people were asking for something to eat that we did end up opening small stands that sell bottled drinks and a few packaged snacks.” The stands also sell a few tasteful, high-quality souvenirs.

And while you’ll never find a roller coaster at Charmingfare, that doesn’t mean there are no rides. For a small fee you can get pulled around the farm on a Deere tractor/train, a horse-drawn carriage, or oxen-drawn logging scoot.

The farm, open all year, also offers 1½-hour sleigh or hay rides through this same agrarian landscape, which transforms into a color fest in autumn and a winter wonderland in the snowy months.

According to Ellis, native coyote, fox and wild turkeys have been spotted during the rides. At the end, a bonfire is lighted and guests are encouraged to bring hot dogs and s’mores fixings and cook over the open fire.

Sound idyllic? It is. So much so that some couples have chosen to get married at Charmingfare, Ellis said. “At Halloween time when we run our haunted rides, a couple got married. She had the white wedding gown but wore black lipstick and nail polish. We also have a lot of family reunions here. It’s a real hoedown feeling with people sitting on hay bales cooking their hot dogs on a campfire.”

Eat your heart out, Mickey.