McCray’s Light Stroll shines bright in memories
Stephen McCray of McCray’s Farm in South Hadley, MA, has been ahead of the curve when it comes to agritourism. This was the fourth year that the farm featured the Holiday Light Stroll. There are over 700,000 hand-strung lights illuminating farm machinery (including two International Farmall tractors), the haunted hay ride site, the farm’s mini golf course and its petting zoo for visitors to stroll through. It’s a family-friendly walk that takes 30 to 45 minutes.
“Steve comes up with the big ideas and we bring them all to life,” said Mandi Carrol, spokesperson and farmhand who has lived on site for 13 years and wears a multitude of hats. She plays a role in the Holiday Light Stroll, runs the golf course and does maintenance in the milk plants.
“Approximately 10,000 people come every year,” said Carrol. “It’s a pretty good turnout. People come from all the place, as far as New Hampshire and New York, to see the light show.”
The stroll starts the day after Thanksgiving and is open many evenings until Dec. 28, excluding Christmas Day. People purchase tickets online at mccrays-farm.com.
Customers can go into the farm’s creamery before or after their stroll and purchase a hot chocolate to warm up or buy ice cream from a choice of 35 flavors, all produced with milk from their own herd.
There are 125 Holsteins on the farm that comprises 220 acres, 210 of which are protected under Agricultural Protection Restrictions.
According to Carrol, the cows produce 800 gallons of milk every other day that are processed in their own processing plant. Their plant has a capacity of processing up to 800 gallons a day.
The cows are milked by McCray and other crew members in a double-6 milking parlor.
The milk is sold in local stores including Arnold’s Meats in Chicopee, Atkins Farm in Amherst, local Big Y Supermarkets, all in Massachusetts, and some local Bay State schools.
They have space for tournaments and fundraisers, a party room and a pavilion for events and birthday bonfires.
New in 2025 was the extremely popular Bull Pen, which featured live music every Friday and Saturday night throughout summer. They sold beer, refreshments, soda, snacks and merchandise.
McCray was handing out candy canes at the end of the Holiday Light Stroll, wishing everyone happy holidays and a happy new year.
“We started the petting zoo in `72, the creamery in `86, pumpkins in `88, haunted rides in `88, mini golf in 2005, the Light Stroll in `22 and the Bull Pen and pick-your-own sunflowers in `25,” said McCray.
The acre of sunflowers drew people to take photographs as well as gather bouquets.
They grow 40 acres of pumpkins, sold mainly through U-pick. Some are also sold from a farm stand in a display with cornstalks, hay bales and gourds during autumn.
“We have 12 to 14 trailers running on weekends in October,B said McCray, filled with customers ready to pick their own pumpkins. “Although the dairy is the foundation of the farm, the pumpkins are my pride and joy. We put a lot of time and effort into growing them,” he said. He finds seeing people picking them to be immensely gratifying.
Meanwhile, on Christmas Eve, children pulled the hands of their parents and grandparents in eager excitement to stop by the petting zoo to see the goats, cows, sheep and ducks, to walk through the many tunnels of lights, view an ice palace complete with polar bears, an aquarium, an illuminated Wild West scene, Christmas trees and reindeer as well as many other illuminations.
Who knows what other ideas McCray might come up with in the new year?
by Laura Rodley
