Sweet Valley Ranch, the multi-attraction amusement park and family-fun farm, is opening its doors for visitors who want to make a weekend out of their trip to one of Fayetteville’s most exciting attractions.
Starting May 15, interested visitors will be able to book a stay at the farm. Visitors can pick from two luxury campers and two cozy cottages. They may also choose to stay at Queen’s Landing, a picturesque, one-bedroom log cabin with room for up to four people, overlooking a pond built from wood harvested at the ranch.
While the luxury campers will have room for up to six people, the cottages are closer to a studio-sized stay.
“All of our units have a kitchen and bathrooms,” said Fred Surgeon, Sweet Valley Ranch’s owner and CEO. “And what we're able to do with these is position all of these where you're either looking at water or you're looking at one of our animal paddocks.”
Surgeon said his team is looking at potentially building one more option, a smaller two-bedroom cabin in the near future.
Sweet Valley Ranch’s new guest experience, branded as “farmhouse retreats” can be packaged with other amenities such as:
“Any guest that books with us will get a call from our Sweet Valley Ranch farm retreat coordinator so that we can let them know what is available if they want to add on to their experience or not,” Surgeon said.
The retreats, Surgeon said, could be a versatile attraction for all types of visitors coming into Fayetteville.
“It is perfect for folks who want to visit the farm,” he noted. “It is also perfect if you are in town for business and want to have a little change of scenery for your stay. We're there for you.”
Sweet Valley, located at 2990 Sunnyside School Rd. in Fayetteville, has been a staple of outdoor adventures in the greater Fayetteville area for almost half a decade. The farm is host to seasonal and permanent attractions like the Springtime Adventures, Dinosaur World, Backwoods Terror Ranch and the Festival of Lights. Each of these events features farm animals to bring families closer to a unique outdoors experience.
Surgeon said the reception to the farm and all the events he and his staff, and family, including his wife Anita, have planned over the years have been received with open arms by the Fayetteville community.
“This probably will be our legacy,” he said. “This is probably what we're going to be remembered for.”
A big part of that legacy has been giving back, Surgeon said. The farm hires 65 seasonal employees throughout the year, with an additional 15 to 20 full-time workers.
“We started this and my wife and I just feel blessed,” Surgeon said. “Anita wants to give back.”
The couple runs a program titled “Sweet Valley Ranch Gives Back,” started in 2021, where they work with organizations like Habitat for Humanity trying to serve their community by supporting different local causes.
“We're working with local nonprofits and charities, and we donate part of what we earn and Anita and
I match it,” Surgeon said. “This is something that I think is remarkable. We have raised and given to local nonprofits $220,000.”
For Surgeon, life has come full circle. He grew up on a farm, living off of what his family could produce. After attending college, Surgeon became an accountant working for multi-national professional services firm Ernst & Young. Surgeon said he vowed never to work in farming in his life.
“I made a promise to myself that I would never get involved in farming,” Surgeon said. “Life comes full circle, because, not only am I doing something I thought I would never do. But I am doing it with my family who also felt the same way.”
What started as a mission to get some horses, a few goats and some pigeons, became a whole new world for the Surgeon family.
“Now we have 300 acres of land, 350 animals from five different continents, everything from all varieties of cows, zebras, cranes, llamas,” Surgeon said, chuckling. “I tell my team, I think we are onto something.”
To learn more about the upcoming overnight options and seasonal attractions at Sweet Valley Ranch, go online to www.sweetvalleyranchnc.com.
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