By Brynna Williamson
“We’re very welcoming!” Loni Gaither is so, so right.
To tell the truth, Lottie Bug Farms, which Loni and her parents, Felicia and Rodger Lilley, own and operate, is one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited for LoveWoodCounty.com. To write about Lottie Bug Farms in the cold, impersonal, third person would be doing it a serious injustice, so don’t expect to see that here. The character of the place—and of the people running it—necessitates a warm, personal introduction. In fact, for Lottie Bug Farms, the people are what make it special.
In 2022, the Lilleys moved to the Hawkins, Texas area from the proverbial “big city.” They told me with a smile that, at the beginning, their only dream was to retire, have a garden, and raise some chickens. “It’s kind of funny how the whole thing got started, because when we moved here, there was no intention of doing any of this whatsoever,” Felicia said.
Well, that was the plan, noted Felicia, until Loni “started dragging us to everything in the world down there in Tyler.”
From there, the Lilleys never looked back.
Big Plans in a Small Town
Lottie Bug Farms has the cutest origin for its name. Before the Lilleys moved to Wood County, TX, Loni says that her mother “had a playground for my daughter, and she called it ‘Lottie Bug Park.’”
When they brought their family to Hawkins, Felicia and Loni said that they all realized that “everyone around here had their property named.” They tried different names for their own as-yet undeveloped property, but “nothing was sounding right” until they tried “Lottie Bug Farms,” based on their granddaughter’s playground at the old house.
Today, the Lilley’s granddaughter, Lottie is still a major inspiration for the family-owned and operated farm. “It’s just so funny though, because she’ll go and introduce herself to everybody, and she’s like, ‘I’m Lottie, of Lottie Bug Farms!’” Loni said with a smile.
Even though Lottie Bug Farms measures only five acres, visitors would never know it. I’ll tell you, they have truly used the space to its utmost efficiency. The property, because of all the fun opportunities, nooks, and crannies they have going on, feels much bigger. They’ve somehow managed to fit everything in without making it feel cramped.
I wish I could do that. Don’t you?
In the southwest corner, Lottie Bug Farms has a big workshop filled (literally) floor to ceiling with ceramics to paint. The hope, Felicia says, is to do a paint-and-take style workshop for anyone who wants to come. On the north side, there’s a spacious playground, a maze (which is a rotating exhibit of sorts—each season has something different for the space), and the Lilleys’ home. In the southeast corner, the Lilleys have planted a pumpkin patch, and in the middle, there’s any number of fun and interesting activities. There’s a bouncy house, an orchard, a seasonal blueberry patch, and a hayride, to name a few of the cool things I saw.
Current Events
The Lilleys have big plans for their little property.
One of the coolest things about Lottie Bug Farms in Hawkins is that they always have something going on. You’ll hear that about various businesses around Wood County, but when Felicia Lilley says that, she actually means it.
“Is it more like, you come on June 13 (i.e., only on festival days), or is it like ‘I don’t have anything to do today, so I should call Lottie Bug Farms?” I asked. “Yes! That’s what we’re hoping, (is) to get that out there,” answered Felicia.
“If it’s just you and yourself, like ‘Oh, it’s a rainy day, can we come paint?’ We’re trying to be open to more people, and not only on the events that we have,” added Loni. “Right. We want people to reach out to us, because we’re retired, and I just make my own schedule!” said Felicia. “Hey, if you want to come paint, let’s paint!”
Not only are they literally (within reason) always open to do some fun activity, but Lottie Bug Farms is always working on putting on bigger activities, too.
For example, the Lilleys are thrilled to be opening up Lottie Bug Farms for their second “Fall at the Farm” event, which will be held October 26 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. The lineup for this activity honestly looks amazing.
I find myself wanting to go and see what fun autumn magic they’ve planned.
The brochure that Loni sent me lists a pumpkin patch, hayride, corn maze, 30 vendors, concessions, and more. Maybe it would be a fun event for you and your family to attend, too—it’s free, so give it a shot!
They’ve also got a big festival in the works: Country Christmas. This event looks like a blowout Christmas extravaganza. Imagine a Hallmark movie-level flurry of Christmas activity (pun intended), add some Southern charm and neighborliness, and you’ll get Lottie Bug Farms’ Country Christmas, which will be held on December 7. In my opinion, one of the (arguably) coolest things that the Lilleys do with their property for Christmas is their walk-through Christmas light display, which will be open during the Christmas season.
Loni told me that “We make those events free, because we want everything to be free to the public (except any art classes, because then we have to make our money back on the materials).”
In addition to the aforementioned events, Lottie Bug Farms—and the amenities therein—are available for field trips, private rental, parties, and more. Contact the farm for more information!
Oh… And It’s a Normal Farm, Too
Of course, Lottie Bug Farms in our beloved Wood County is just that: a farm. Not only do they have this whole workshop filled with ready-to-paint ceramics; not only do they own their own bouncy house for more frequent use; and not only do they have fall festivals, Christmas celebrations, and their own in-house playground. But Lottie Bug Farms also makes and sells all sorts of farmers-market type products, too.
They’ve got honey (which I can personally attest is delicious). They’ve got multicolored, farm-fresh eggs. They’ve got fruit. They’ve got home-canned jelly with these cute “Lottie Bug Farms” stickers on the front. They’ve got bunnies. And they’re even gonna get goats!
Howdy, Neighbor
Before I got back into my car to leave, the Lilleys pressed a jar of jelly, two sticks of farm-fresh honey, and home-grown wild persimmons into my hands. What kind neighbors these people are, whether you actually live next to them or not! As I realized during our chat, it isn’t just me whom they treat with such kindness, it’s every person they come across. To the Lilleys, it’s about providing fun to their local community, and then seeing if they can make a profit.
“Hey, if you want to bring donuts or something, and let’s all sit around and drink coffee, and turn some music on, and let’s just (create!)” said Felicia.
Although I tried to be as descriptive as possible, there are cool things about Lottie Bug Farms that I just couldn’t fit into this story. Off the top of my head, they’ve also got a pull-behind “train” for kids to ride in, a blueberry and/or sunflower U-pick garden, a snow cone machine and a popcorn machine, and a wood shop that they’re hoping to open up. They’re even working towards opening a petting zoo. And, in case you’re wondering, Felicia made sure to note that “if we need to accommodate someone with special needs, I will bend over backwards. I will help you in every way I can!”
Seriously, this place is special. In my one-hour tour of Lottie Bug Farms, I came to feel like I really knew the Lilleys. Without treating me like a reporter or a stranger, the family told me about their dog, their family, their property, and their lives. I went for an interview, but I felt that I left as a friend.