Lattes with Lambs: Lambapalooza

Accokeek Foundation Offers A Hybrid Barnyard Festival

By Kia Lisby

The Accokeek Foundation will be hosting their annual Lattes with Lambs barnyard festival May 1, 8 and 15 with the theme of Lambapalooza.

Accokeek Foundation is a partner of the National Park Service, stewarding about 200 acres of Piscataway Park in Accokeek, Md. The foundation has an on-site breeding program where critically endangered heritage breed animals are bred and raised.

Additionally, the foundation conducts education centered around the endangered animals. The animals include the American Milking Devon Cattle, Hog Island Sheep, Ossabaw Island Hogs, as well as a variety of poultry.

Lattes with Lambs started in 2014 as a small members event where supporters were invited to the barnyard, to meet the new lamb calves. This event wanted to appeal to the masses and allow more people to come, meet the animals, and learn more about the breeds. Each year after 2014, more members of the community were invited, and the event grew.

This year’s event will offer in-person hayrides, demonstrations on learning how to milk a cow or sheer sheep, a variety of animals to see, and games and activities to participate in.

“May 1, 8, and 15, we’re doing barnyard tours. Each tour is about an hour and we’ll be leading people around the farm. They’ll be able to meet and learn about the animals,” said Accokeek Foundation Marketing Manager Casey Harlow.

There are 14 lambs this year for guests to meet along with farm favorite Birdie the Cow, and other animals.

Harlow says the Lambapalooza will also offer a hybrid event with at-home and online components and some small group in the park activities.

Some of the activities typically done at the Lattes with Lambs events will now be offered and packaged as DIY activity kits for families to do at-home. Kits include - DIY Butter Shaking Tutorial, Flower Crown Kit, Wool At: Sculpt-Your-Own Sheep, and more.

Activity kits can be purchased online and picked up on May 1, 8, & 15 between 10am – 2pm. In-person tours will cost $12 per person and with kits available to purchase for $30 per person or $100 per family. Proceeds will go towards the Heritage Breed Livestock Conservation Program.

In addition, a live music stream will be offered for May 15 to purchase and view.

Barnyard tours will be held on the following May dates listed above from 10:30am – 12:30pm located at 3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek Md.

Guests should also pick up purchased DIY kits from the same location. Free visitor parking will be available at the park.