An Open Farms Days Weekend Guide to the Kneehill Region

 If you happen to have a bit more time to spend as we wrap up the summer, Kneehill County is built for a weekend adventure. This is badlands country, alpaca country, small-museum country, the kind of place where a coffee stop turns into an hour and a quick look at a canyon turns into a whole afternoon. Stay the night here and you get all of it: farms in the morning, history and hidden gems in between, and a sky full of stars once the sun goes down over the coulees.

Here’s how to turn Open Farm Days in Kneehill into a full weekend away.

The Host Farms

Trochu Arboretum A quaint, sprawling garden on the edge of Trochu that is bigger and more layered than it appears from the road. On Open Farm Days weekend, the Arb turns into a buzzing hive of activity!  With an artisan market, and educational activities throughout the day- you might want to come back for both Saturday and Sunday to see what each day has to offer! Wander trails past ponds, picnic spots, enjoy the live music, local food and food trucks,  and of course the gardens. It’s the kind of stop where you plan for an hour and stay for three.

Kirk’s Alpaca Farm A working alpaca farm near Torrington where the animals do most of the talking. Feed them, walk among the herd, and meet the newest crias if the timing is right. There’s a playground for kids, a small gift shop, and an atmosphere that regulars describe as barrier-free in the best way: you’re not watching the alpacas from behind a fence, you’re in it with them. **Please note the free day is on Sunday August 16th Only/ RESERVATIONS MANDATORY 

The Little Market Farm A charming 4 acre farm that produces organic vegetables and honey near Torrington. Known for tomatoes, gourds, fragrant honey, vegetables, mushrooms or micro greens or the special mini market open  just for Farm Days. Stay for the  child friendly activities, and the community . ** Please note: Saturday Only

Kneehill Historical Museum Step back in time and explore the Alberta of old – something right out of the history books. Behind the entrance site sits a full historic village of seven buildings packed full with artifacts, a train car, and volunteers eager to share the stories behind every piece. This stop is worthy of an extended visit, so carve out a few hours in your planning if you are a history buff and ENJOY! Visitors regularly spend hours here without meaning to.

Trochu & District Museum A deceptively modest front door opens into room after room of local history, from early settlement life to the everyday objects that built this part of Alberta. A beautiful collection of items from the 1900 French settlers, photos – this charming space captures life in a small town. Learn about early agriculture, printing press and linotype. This is a great stop to get out of the sun for an hour and learn about the past in Trochu. The staff and volunteers are the highlight, happy to walk you through the collection and the stories behind it.

Where to Stay

Open Country Farm  Spend the night in one of the upscale themed cabin retreats from the Aspen Cabin (Scandinavian spa) to the Cottonwood (Modern farmhouse) to the Spruce (Dark Academia). The cabins are newly built with kitchenettes if you want to cook your own meals. The grounds are quiet, and there’s disc golf if you want to try your hand at that or settle down around the fire pit at night. Enjoy the continental breakfast the next morning before starting your next day exploring the area. 

 Good Knights Medieval Encampment Another fan (and personal)  favourite – this is one for your bucket list.  If you can’t get in for Open Farm Days, put this on your list to try at another time. There is limited availability as this goes to print. This is NOT your typical country stay. Yurts, tents, traveller caravan  and even a burrow hole on a property built around archery, swordplay, and full medieval immersion near Three Hills. It’s a genuinely unusual overnight option and one worth booking early, since regulars come back again and again, and we can attest to that!

Fill In the Loop

Torrington Pair Kirk’s Alpaca Farm with the World Famous Gopher Hole Museum, Torrington’s beloved, slightly absurd taxidermy dioramas that have been drawing curious visitors from across the province for decades. It is exactly as strange and charming as it sounds- this is a “MUST VISIT” Weekend hours are 11:00-4:30 with a $5.00 donation requested.

Trochu Beyond the Arboretum and the museum, grab a delicious coffee at Sweet P’s Coffee and Gifts open at 9:00.  You will find unique items- flowers, plants, candles and clothes- carefully hand selected items or head over to  Bean Haven Café (10:00-7:00) serving traditional breakfasts until 11:00 or switch it up with creative rice bowls beef bulgogi, or honey garlic pork in the afternoon! Drop by Henrys Shoes for a step back in time experience at a 64 year old shoe store full of charm, if you didn’t think you would find what you are looking for, check out their eclectic offerings on instagram @henryshoesltd . Cool off at the Trochu pool and splash park with family swim open 1:00-5:00 for $15.00 for families. Golfers can fit in a round at Trochu Golf Course open 8:00-8:00 on the weekend from 9 holes for $33.00

Three Hills Cool off at the Splash Park – Three Hills Aquatic Centre open 12:00-5:30 with free admission for the splash park  or play a round  of 9 starting at $32 at the Three Hills Golf Club.

Acme and Linden West of the main loop, tee off at the Acme Golf Club or stop for a cup of freshly roasted coffee, warm fresh pastries and a slower morning  at High Seas Coffee in Linden- we highly recommend staying for a bite to eat, you won’t be disappointed.  Just down the street you will find the SIPLICIOUS (Saturday only) for an amazing selection of teas, and blend a unique cuppa just to take with you.

Carbon South of Three Hills, the Farmers Exchange Museum at 414 Caradoc Ave.  Carbon adds another small-town history stop to the weekend with admissions by donations.  This stop is right in Good Knights’ backyard.

The Badlands Side of Kneehill This is where the county earns its scenery. Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park delivers sweeping views of the Red Deer River valley, hand-launch access for canoes and kayaks, and hiking through badlands coulees. Further south, Horseshoe Canyon offers some of the most photographed layered rock formations in the province, alongside Orkney Lookout and the historic Bleriot Ferry, a still-running cable ferry across the Red Deer River.

Looking to stay overnight in the badlands? Horseshoe Canyon Cabins and Campgrounds puts you right in the heart of the action, with tent sites, RV hookups, and cozy cabins to choose from. Wake up steps from the canyon rim and get an early start on the trails before the day-trippers arrive.

Keiver’s Lake If tent or RV  camping is more your speed  Keiver’s Lake Campground rounds out the accommodation options with a quieter, lakeside option.

The Point of Staying Over

Open Farm Days has always been about connecting people to where their food comes from. In Kneehill, that connection sits right next to prairie badlands, a homegrown alpaca herd, and small museums that have spent decades keeping local history alive. A day trip gets you a farm and a drive home. A weekend gets you all of it: mornings with the alpacas, afternoons in the coulees, and evenings under a sky Alberta does better than almost anywhere else.

Plan your Kneehill weekend at albertaopenfarmdays.ca.