Published by Carl. Last Updated on November 15, 2024.
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If Mike’s Farm in Back Swamp (Beulaville) isn’t on your NC Bucket List, remember that it’s never too late to make an addition. Even before our first time visiting this place in Eastern North Carolina, we asked people with connections to the area and the words “special place” typically came up.
Of course, a suggestion (more a command) that we must make time to go out there ended each exchange. Luckily, we’ve made the trip out to this locally-owned pillar of North Carolina a couple of times, learning firsthand that a picture of this place should appear in the dictionary next to the word “agritourism.”
Beyond the inviting atmosphere, home-cooked food, and NC products showcased en masse, you’ll quickly understand that this is truly a destination worth experiencing.
Here, we’ll share all the ways you can enjoy a day or evening at Mike’s Farm with friends and family, but we first need to go back and share how it all started.
In this article, we will detail:
- Quick Guide (Address and Hours)
- History of Mike’s Farm
- Visiting Mike’s Farm Today
- The Restaurant
- Bakery and Country Store
- The NC Products Barn
- Special Events
- Christmas at Mike’s Farm
- Ho! Ho! Christmas Show
- Festival of Lights Hayride
- More Christmas Events
- Annual Dinner Shows
- Even More Events
Read More: The NC Bucket List
Mike’s Farm Quick Facts
Address: 1600 Haw Branch Rd, Beulaville, NC
Official Website
Hours
- Gift shop and Bakery: Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
- Restaurant: Thursday through Saturday from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Note: Special hours may apply according to season. Check here for more info.
History of Mike’s Farm
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In the mid-1980s, owners Mike and Theresa Lowe took on a section of the family’s tobacco farm (it was split among siblings) to sell Christmas trees. The two clearly knew what they were doing because the business grew quickly.
Today, Mike’s Farm has grown to offer seasonal events to visitors, an animal observation area, baked goods, various gifts, and delicious food from their always-popular restaurant. Mike and Theresa’s accomplishments and contributions to the community haven’t gone unnoticed, either.
One such acknowledgment of their hard work came in the form of 2017’s “Small Business of the Year Award,” presented by the Jacksonville-Onslow Chamber of Commerce.
Read More: Things to Do in Jacksonville
Visiting Mike’s Farm Today
Depending on when you visit Mikes Farm, you’ll be able to enjoy any one of their special events. But no matter when you decide to head out there, allow yourself some time to walk around.
The Animals
Mike’s lives up to its “Farm” moniker with a variety of animals who quickly befriend visitors, especially when they think food is coming. You can feed goats, chickens, ducks, and more friends you’ll meet while walking around.
The Restaurant
If you don’t prepare for a meal at Mike’s Farm’s restaurant, hopefully, you still have time. For starters, you should arrive as early as possible unless you’re attending one of their dinner shows and have your spot booked.
Also, get ready for an epic, Southern meal of amazing proportions and epic portions. They’ll have fried chicken, some of the best macaroni and cheese (recipe here), and all the fixings and if you don’t come away full of yummy goodness, then you did something wrong.
For their dinners on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, you can expect a wait if you don’t arrive exactly when the doors open. There are no reservations and if you do have to wait, there are plenty of rocking chairs outside for you to comfortably sit and enjoy time with your family.
During busier times, a food truck will be outside serving some of the food you’ll find in the restaurant.
Check here for info on restaurant pricing and hours.
Bakery and Country Store
Many folks will start their Mike’s Farm experience at the Country Store and Bakery. Both share the same building and you’ll walk through the former first, perusing various gifts for the current season.
However, this gift shop always has an angel- and snowman-filled section prepared for Christmas, no matter when you visit. They’ve also dedicated space for teachers and a massive collection of Yankee Candles, with fragrances perfect for anyone you shop for.
In the bakery, you’ll find a delicious collection of fudge and baked goods galore. Hopefully, they haven’t sold out of danish by the time you make it, because that’s a nice snack before digging into dinner or worth saving space for more dessert.
Read More: 50+ Easy Day Trips from Fayetteville (Great Getaways!)
The NC Products Barn
The NC Products Barn is Mike’s Farm’s newest addition and boy, is it impressive! For this space, the owners hope to represent all 100 counties in North Carolina, and based on all the wines, coffee, jams, and cheese straws we saw, I think they’re already close.
Please make time to stroll through this barn if you love supporting North Carolina’s makers and creators.
Read More: North Carolina Gifts from Amazing Local Businesses
Special Events
Mike’s Farm’s special events attract people from afar and after attending one, you’ll see why.
Christmas at Mike’s Farm
There are a few ways to enjoy Christmas at Mike’s Farm, and here are details on each!
Read More: Christmas in North Carolina (the Best Holiday Events)
Ho! Ho! Christmas Show
During a normal year, Starting on the day after Thanksgiving until December 23, the Ho! Ho! Christmas Show will fill you up with good food, get you singing, and take you for a lighted hayride.
Festivities kick off with that epic dinner we mentioned from the Mike’s Farm restaurant.
Evening shows run at 7:00 p.m. from Wednesdays to Sundays, and starting on Thursdays, there’s an additional matinee show at 2:30 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes prior to the show, and tickets for this event go fast, so grab your tickets ahead of time if possible. Or set a reminder for next year in August when they go on sale again!
Festival of Lights Hayride
For 2020, you can still enjoy at Festival of Lights Hayride at Mike’s Farm.
The 30-minute ride will take you through an immaculate collection of displays. Themes include a variety of traditional Christmas stories, salutes our nation and flag, and there’s even a live nativity scene that you’ll pass by.
As we hopped off our tractor bed, I asked the man helping us (who happened to be a Lowe) how long it took to put all of this together. Over 13 days starting at the beginning of November, he and four other people pulled it off.
Their hard work wasn’t the only thing that impressed me, as it was another confirmation that this is truly a family-run farm.
Read More: Christmas Lights in North Carolina
More Christmas Events
You can find even more Christmas fun at Mike’s Farm, including Supper with Santa on select Sunday nights, private restaurant parties, and even a hotdog roast and hayride for groups of 25 or more.
Read More: Christmas Town USA (How to See the Wonderful McAdenville Christmas Lights)
Annual Dinner Shows
Throughout the year, Mike’s Farm hosts annual dinner shows, catering to the season. Examples include their Fall Variety and Valentine’s Sweetheart dinner shows, which are typically for one night only.
Even More Events
The calendar at Mike’s Farm Pumpkin Patch seems pretty busy throughout most of the year. Just before all the Christmas fun, Fall Pumpkin Patch Hayrides run throughout much of October. In spring, Easter on the Farm and strawberry picking keep things busy.
You can find more info about all these events and more as special event dates approach here.
Ready to Experience Mike’s Farm?
I can’t end this without mentioning that Mike’s Farm even hosts birthday parties and group cookouts if you’ve got a group of 25 or more ready to go. And of course, if you want to get married in a beautiful setting, check out the Barn. It can host up to 200 people.
And I can’t close this without thanking the owners of Mike’s Farm for creating this amazing destination. It’s clearly the product of many years of their hard work and we hope it continues on for generations long beyond our own.
I hope you can visit this extraordinary place in what’s becoming one of our favorite counties to visit in Eastern North Carolina. Also, if you need a body or two for your next cookout or dinner party at Mike’s Farm, you know who to call!
