![NRCSOH07010 - Ohio (717398)(NRCS Photo Gallery)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/NRCSOH07010_-_Ohio_%28717398%29%28NRCS_Photo_Gallery%29.jpg)
A hayride, also known as a hayrack ride, is a traditional
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
activity consisting of a recreational
ride
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...
in a
wagon
A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
or
cart
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed tr ...
pulled by a
tractor
A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most common ...
, horses or a truck, which has been loaded with
hay
Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticated ...
or
straw
Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the yield of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, rye and wheat. It has a number ...
for comfortable seating.
Tradition
Hayrides traditionally have been held as celebratory activities, usually in connection to celebration of the
autumn
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...
harvest. Hayrides originated with
farmhands and working farm children riding loaded hay wagons back to the barn for unloading, which was one of the few times during the day one could stop to rest during the frenetic days of the haying season. By the late 19th century and the spread of the railroads,
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
and
summer vacations in the country had become popular with
urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
families, many of whom had read idealized accounts of hayrides in
children's books
A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...
. To capitalize on the demand, local farmers began offering "genuine hayrides" on wagons loaded with hay, since one could make more
cash income selling rides to "summer people" than by selling the same wagon-load of hay (although most farmers did both). During this era, farming was transforming from a
subsistence
A subsistence economy is an economy directed to basic subsistence (the provision of food, clothing, shelter) rather than to the market. Henceforth, "subsistence" is understood as supporting oneself at a minimum level. Often, the subsistence econo ...
system to a
cash system, and there were few options for bringing real money into the average farm. Over time the hayride became a real tradition, although the original concept of riding on top of a load of hay was gradually replaced with a simple ride in a wagon sitting on a layer of hay intended to cushion the ride. This was considered far safer than (if not as fun as) riding perched 15-20 feet on top of a slippery pile of hay on a moving vehicle.
Contemporary hayrides are often organized commercially, providing an additional source of income for farms or existing on their own as an enfranchised activity during the fall season.
During fall, a hayride may feature a stop at a pumpkin patch where passengers can pick a
pumpkin
A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...
or be dropped off to pick apples. Hayrides may also deliver customers to the entrance of a
corn maze
A corn maze or maize maze is a maze cut out of a corn field. Originally, the first full-size corn maze was believed to be created in Annville, Pennsylvania in 1993; however, similar corn mazes were highlighted in newspapers as early as 1982. Co ...
.
Haunted Hayrides
Hayrides on
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
are often dubbed as
'haunted hayrides'. These hayrides sometimes incorporate special effects and actors portraying ghosts, monsters, and other spooky creatures to attract thrill-seekers and capitalize on the Halloween season.
Haunted Hayrides are held all over North America, but most prominently on the East Coast including major ones in Crownsville, MD and Mountville, PA.
Accidents
Despite the fact that hayrides are typically regarded as a lighthearted activity, there have been incidents where hayrides have flipped or veered off-road and resulted in injuries or death.
Other accidents, such as
a 1989 incident in Cormier-Village, can occur when hayrides collide with other vehicles on or near roads.
See also
*
Headless Horseman Hayrides
The Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses (or H5) is an outdoor haunted attraction in the Hudson Valley area of New York. It is located in Ulster Park, about from Kingston, New York. This haunted attraction covers and includes a ha ...
*''
Louisiana Hayride
''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of th ...
''
*
1989 Cormier-Village hayride accident
The Cormier-Village hayride accident occurred in the Canadian rural community of Cormier-Village, New Brunswick, west of Cap-Pelé and east of Shediac.
Accident
On the afternoon of Sunday, October 8, 1989, the members of the McGraw and Leger ...
References
Amusement rides
Rural culture in North America
{{outdoor-recreation-stub