3rd Annual Spring Carnival: Infinity Acres Ranch

The entire community is invited to visit Infinity Acres Ranch during its 3rd Annual Spring Carnival on April 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  This is a huge fundraiser to support the many programs offered to community by Friends of Infinity Acres Ranch, a local educational non-profit in Ridgeway.

"This is a great family event to introduce Infinity Acres Ranch to the community and let everyone know about the wonderful programs for children, families and organizations, as well as adults with disabilities that are offered here," said Laura Steere, executive director of Friends of Infinity Acres Ranch.

Admission is $1 per person and includes a petting animal area, vendors and music. New this year is an Adult ESCAPE ROOM!  Donated by Friedrichs Family Eye Center, you can challenge yourself for $5 per ticket for either an individual or team of 2.  Kids' activity wristbands are just $5 and children's activities include games with prizes, face-painting, corn hole and Meet MO the Mustang Mascot. Highlights include access to the "Dunk a Doc" booth, Bouncy House and the very popular, "Walk a Llama" and more.  The Cake Walk will also return this year with outstanding goodies. The Alpaca/Llama 4-H Club will host the concession stand to raise money for both their youth activities and to support the ranch.  Popcorn, Snowcones & Cotton Candy will also be available for a $1 donation each.  

Co-founder Rick Steere said, "Last year, even with the rain, we had nearly 500 people attend the Carnival. We are hoping for an even bigger crowd this year. This is a rain or shine event, but we are sure hoping for shine. We want everyone to know about our Tours, Animal Adventure Camp, community service opportunities and the ENABLE (Enriching Nurturing Animal Based Learning Experiences) program for adults with disabilities."

A variety of vendors will be at the carnival, ranging from homemade crafts to LuLaRoe, Paparazzi, Princess, DoTerra Essential Oils & hand massages, Scentsy and more. The SPCA will have adoptable pets and the Martinsville-Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness will be offer free screenings to carnival attendees.  

Laura Steere said the carnival is being held in April this year to honor Autism Awareness Month. The PAAG (Parents Autism Awareness Group) will have a booth at the Carnival with various information and resources to educate attendees about autism. 

"More awareness, education and research are needed in this area," said Laura Steere. "A new government survey of parents suggests that 1 in 68 children, ages 3 through 17, have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)," Steere said, per the CDC's 2014 survey.

Friends of Infinity Acres Ranch (FOIAR) is an educational non-profit that utilizes a variety of exotic and domestic animals as the teaching medium. Interactive animal activities enhance learning, make emotional connections and offer therapeutic mentoring experiences. Located at 136 Joppa Rd, Ridgeway, VA.

InfinityAcres.org is the newly re-launched website and offers everything from camp scholarship forms to lesson plans for teachers. There also are many photos and videos of fun activities at Infinity Acres Ranch. To find out more information call (276) 358-2378 or email infinityacresva@gmail.com.