By Lori Mai
Photos courtesy of Shane Courtney and Big Canyon Acres.
Fond memories of family trips to fall harvest festivals inspired Ron and Susan Jacobson to transform their historic 48-acre fruit orchard and popular wedding venue near Peck into a lively autumn festival site for one weekend each October.
This year, the third annual Big Canyon Acres Fall Fest is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. October 13th to October 15th. Featuring a pumpkin patch, arts and crafts vendors, fresh-pressed apple cider, hayrides, a hay maze, food, games, produce, live music and more, the autumn celebration is expected to draw more than 3,000 people to the property.
“When we bought this place 5 years ago, we were just looking to get away from it all, and instead we’ve got hundreds of people coming to us every weekend,” Ron says of their wedding and event venue. “We weren’t expecting to do this.”
In 2018, Ron, a teacher and football coach, and Susan, a self described serial entrepreneur, planned to retire from their busy careers to a more peaceful lifestyle once Ron finished the school year in the town they lived in near Reno.
That September, the Jacobsons’ son, Eric, wanted to visit the University of Idaho to potentially study there. Susan tagged along.
Entertaining the idea that she and Ron might enjoy living in Idaho, Susan developed a list of priorities and researched communities that came closest to meeting the criteria. Overwhelmingly, Orofino emerged at the top. After the college tour, Susan and Eric drove to Orofino.
“It just happened to be Lumberjack Days,” Susan says, “which was fabulous because you want to see a town when they’re out on their front porch. That’s when you really get to know what it is all about.”
She called Ron from the parade and said, “This is it. This is the place.”
When Susan returned home, she found that the real estate listing for a dilapidated single-wide trailer they had driven by in nearby Peck was actually 48 acres with a house, “some” fruit trees and water rights to Big Canyon Creek.
“You couldn’t even see that house from the road,” Susan says. “We didn’t have any idea because it was all so overgrown.”
At first, the seller accepted a competing offer. But 2 months later, the real estate agent called to say the deal fell through and the property was back on the market if they were still interested. Ironically, Ron and Susan were headed to the area the next day.
“When we got out of the car, we knew we were home,” Susan says. “There was no question.”
The Jacobsons closed the sale December 31, 2018, and moved in on New Year’s Day 2019.
It wasn’t until later that summer they realized the scope of the bounty growing on their land. They discovered more than 270 fruit trees featuring more than 13 varieties of apples—many of heritage stock dating to the original 1900s homestead orchard.
3 varieties each of cherries, pears and plums—plus blackberries, raspberries, grapes, walnuts and hazelnuts—also thrived there.
The couple initiated a cleanup operation to allow the fruit-bearing trees to return to full production and to restore the land.
“We thought it would be cool to have yield of the fruit trees and take stuff to the farmers market, but we didn’t know what we were doing,” Susan says. “We weren’t farmers.”
They began by giving the trees a “good crew cut.” From there, the couple enlisted the help of professionals to learn more about restorative pruning. Then Ron and Susan began to harvest the fruit and sell it seasonally at the farmers market in Orofino and their own onsite farm stand and gift shop, Bushels.
As the orchards, forests, meadows and creek areas of Big Canyon Acres took shape, Susan devised an idea inspired by the couple’s own wedding at a friend’s ranch in Nevada in 1996.
“I thought, ‘Maybe we should do weddings here,’” she says. “It would be awesome to share and create memories the way we had for our wedding.”
Susan had experience supervising large events, including as the U.S. director of the gymnastics trampoline program and team leader for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. She knew she could successfully manage a wedding and event site.
In 2021, Big Canyon Acres hosted its first wedding. The venue has grown increasingly popular ever since.
The property features 10 natural sites to hold ceremonies and receptions. Couples can choose one location or access the whole property, depending on the package they select.
Big Canyon Acres offers on-site parking, campsites for guests, décor for different themes, a sound system, restrooms, a bridal suite, chairs and tables for up to 350 people, setup and cleanup. The amenities create an all-inclusive experience.
“We don’t do the F words,” Susan says. “Food, fresh flowers, ‘f’otography and family/ friends. Those are the bride’s responsibilities. But what sets us apart is our service. More than log rounds and lanterns, it’s the service we provide that takes the burden off that family, so they truly can be hosts of a beautiful, magical day.”
Kristin Hardin, who married her husband, Autrey, at Big Canyon Acres in May, had specific ideas of how she wanted her day to be.
“It’s common that wedding planning is stressful,” Kristin says. “Dealing with Susan and Ron was painless. Susan was consistently communicative and reminded us that it was our day, and they were there to make it happen. She was our advocate and our voice to make our day the way we wanted. There were no hiccups, no mishaps, nothing forgotten. Our day went perfectly.”
Susan and Ron turned Big Canyon Acres into a wedding and event venue to create memories for people’s families. That’s also their goal for this month's fall festival.
“The smiles on the kids, and the little guys carrying these giant pumpkins—the joy that comes in that family environment of Fall Fest makes my heart so happy,” Susan says. “We’re able to replicate the wonderful experiences we enjoyed with our children for others to create those same memories.”
For more information on Big Canyon Acres Fall Fest, weddings and events, visit the Big Canyon Acres website, email Big Canyon Acres, or access Big Canyon Acres on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.