Fast break: Harvest Celebration Farm Tour

Pet an alpaca, pick a pumpkin, create a scarecrow, hop on a hayride or navigate a corn maze at the Harvest Celebration Farm Tour. It's a short trip from the city to the farm as 23 King County farms invite visitors to stop by for a taste of the rural life this Saturday.

For an island getaway, visit any or all of five sites on Vashon including Island West Alpacas and Island Meadow Farm and K-Jo Farms with fruits, vegetables and free-range chickens. The Harvest Festival at the Village Green farmers market celebrates with cooking and fiber craft demonstrations, music and children's activities along with farmers tables of seasonal produce, herbs and flowers.

South County farms include Happy Mountain Miniature Cattle in Covington that's developed 14 of the 24 breeds of miniature cattle in the world, perfect for small farms — and pretty cute, too.

In Enumclaw, Thunder Mountain Farm specializes in unusual plants and exotic fruit trees and Country Farmers Market includes a 10-acre farm with pumpkin patch and corn labyrinth.

East County farms include Full Circle and Oxbow organic farms in Carnation, bee-keeping, scarecrow-making and cider-pressing at Fall City Farms and a farm treasure hunt, butter churning and organic produce at Red Barn County Inn in Woodinville. Have an ice cream cone at Cherry Valley Farms dairy farm in Duvall and stay for a barbecue from 5-7 p.m. followed by an old-fashioned barn dance.

All events are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Wear shoes that can get muddy and leave your pets at home. Brochures with tour maps and events at each site are available at King County farmers markets, Seattle and King County public libraries and on-line at www.metrokc.gov/wsu-ce/farmtour, or call 206-205-3206.

— Madeline McKenzie, Seattle Times staff