Word From the Herd Archives - Page 2 of 4

Posted on January 18, 2013

One of the things that we love about our two venues is how they can be transformed to fit almost any theme.

A prime example of this is the AMAZING Harley Davidson Themed 75th Birthday Party that was hosted by the ever creative Gosselin clan last weekend at the Benjamin Ranch. You might recall some of their past events and creations. Seriously, when they get together there is no stopping their event awesomeness.

This party was a surprise celebration for Milt, their loving father and grandfather.
When he walked into the barn over at Benjamin Ranch he had no idea what was in store for him that afternoon…

Let’s just say, he was truly impressed!

People from as far back as Milt’s childhood friends were invited to celebrate his big 75th birthday. Michele, his daughter, created the invitations using a picture that she had taken when Milt purchased his Harley (we told you he’s a wild one!) and had them printed through Shutterfly. Shutterfly is a great invitation resource and you can often find great deals on their printing services.

To get everyone in the party spirit, they were greeted at the door by the Gosselin family. All of the guests were given a dew-rag, tattoos (fake, of course), and a name tag which included how they knew Milt.
Milt was even suited up with big birthday gift of some hot new chaps…

The decor is really what set this event apart. With just a few additions, they were able to transform the barn into a wild motorcycle evening for this milestone party!

Take the cake table for example…it’s one that you might not expect to see at a 75th birthday party.

Let’s just say – the “hot bod displays” were really the icing on the cake and a perfect addition to the Harley theme.

Speaking of those Biker Babes, the mannequins and their sassy attire came from local thrift stores.

As for the Harley engine replicas that were scattered throughout the party place, they came from P-Ayr Products in Leavenworth, KS.

One of the highlights of the evening was the amazing photo wall. Lisa Gosselin, Milt’s daughter-in-law, rigged up this beauty by painting some to resemble sheet metal and adding a Harley-Davidson vinyl logo (have we mentioned that she is the queen of vinyl?). She then added some racing flag decor that Michele had found to really give it a pop!

This photo booth was a great idea!
They first used it as the perfect backdrop for Milt to model his new biker attire to the tune of “Bad To the Bone.” After that, it was not only was it a fun activity for the guests, but it also provided some really neat and out of the ordinary family and friend photo keepsakes…

The Biker Babes even got some extra attention here ;o)

Like father, like son.

The party people then chowed down on some amazing food that included Faulkner’s smoked wings (teriyaki and plain), mozzarella sticks, chips and salsa, popcorn, firecracker crackers, and more.

They also had pedal car races, a corn hole toss, bull riding and other games available for their guests to play and enjoy.

Overall, this was a super fun party with lots of fantastic memories! Thanks to the Gosselin clan for bringing some wild fun to the Benjamin Ranch!

Interested in having a special party to celebrate a loved one? Check out our website and then give us a call at 816-761-1234! We’d love to help you plan a wild night of your own!

Have a great day ya’ll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 24, 2012

Yesterday we told you all about one of the super fun holiday parties that we had at Benjamin Ranch last weekend. But did we mention that we were also partying it up back at Faulkner’s Ranch?

Yup, meanwhile back at Faulkner’s we were celebrating with our friends from Overland Park Dentistry for their second year in a row.

Let us tell ya folks – these people know how to party!

They arrived via a party bus which is not only a fun way to get the party started, but it is also a nice amenity if you are providing a host bar. Plus, you can set the tone for your event. Just bring along a pre-loaded iPod with your playlist and get ready to jam!

Want to know another great benefit to having a party bus at your event? After the part is over you can keep the party going! Groups always love it when after celebrating at the ranch they get to drive through Christmas in the Park or head on downtown to see the Plaza Lights.

This group had a few other fun party add-ons like Saphira the Fortune teller and a caricature artist. Fortune tellers can be a lot of fun at company parties and caricature artists provide a nice party favor to take home. The more add-ons, the merrier!

Beautiful dessert table setup, complete with brownies and fresh apple crisp.

Overland Park Dentistry wasn’t our only party at Faulkner’s Ranch last weekend though. On Saturday we hosted Pinnacle Career Institute faculty and staff. This was a great party complete with a mechanical bull, roller roper, and a Ranch J entertainer.

The Ranch J entertainer was a great addition since they taught the group how to do some fun dances and even led a game of Build-A-Santa! Have you ever played Build-A-Santa? It’s super fun! First, you call up two volunteers. Then those volunteers must go out into the crowd and find three more volunteers to create their team. Each team designates a “Santa” who puts on a red union suit (aka long-john underwear) and a Santa hat. The team is then given three minutes to blow up as many small balloons as possible and stuff their Santa. When the time is up the Ranch J counts the balloons as they pop them. The team with the most balloons wins!

We also play another version of this called Build-A-Snowman using toilet paper. Team members are encouraged to “borrow” items from the audience to decorate their snowmen like hats, scarves, gloves, etc. When time is up, the snowmen have a dance off! The winning snowman is chosen based on audience applause.

Pinnacle Career Institute definitely kept their guests entertained with all of these activities. Plus, they gave away raffle prizes every 15 minutes throughout the party.

We weren’t done partying for the weekend just yet though! On Sunday we celebrated with Anthony Plumbing Heating and Cooling! This year they added some super fun flair to their party with some special ranch entertainment. The kicked off the party by having Too Tall Terry outside to welcome everyone as they arrived.

Too Tall greets the guests as they arrive.

Once the guests were settled in, Sheriff T. Texas Terry dazzled the crowd with his 30-minute interactive cowboy show. It has everything from rope spinning, to gun twirling, to showing off his bullwhip cracking skills.

Sheriff Terry chose a trail boss volunteer to risk his life while he cracks a delicate little daisy out of his hand.

A favorite part of his show is always when he calls up four volunteers to become the “Ding-A-Lings,” his amazing cowbell choir!

The Ding-a-Lings

Overall, it was an AMAZING weekend filled with lots of fun! We can’t wait to celebrate with these groups again!

Are you interested in having your company’s holiday party at the ranch?

It’s not too late to book one!

Post-holiday holiday parties are a great way to kick off the fourth quarter. Plus, you’re likely to have a great attendance since most people aren’t as busy as they are during the holiday season.

Just give us a call at 816-761-1234 to find out more information on our January party packages or visit our website.

Until then, Merry Christmas!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 23, 2012

Can you believe that Christmas Eve is tomorrow?

For us, it seems as if this holiday season has flown by! We’ve had so many wonderful holiday parties here at Faulkner’s Ranch and at Benjamin Ranch. We feel truly blessed to be able to celebrate with such wonderful companies and groups.

In fact, just this past weekend we had several great parties, each one unique in its own way!

On Friday night at the Benjamin Ranch we celebrated with Kansas City Internal Medicine.
As always, this was a really fun group!

Every year they vote on a theme. Isn’t that a great way to get the entire office involved? By allowing everyone to have a say and contribute their ideas, it not only makes them feel like a part of the plans, but it also makes them more likely to attend and encourage others to attend as well. Plus, when you pick a great theme it creates some party hype!

We have hosted Kansas City Internal Medicine’s holiday party for the last three years. The first year their theme was Western (of course!). The second year it was Hollywood Red Carpet and the third year it was a Hawaiian Luau. All wonderful themes! This year though their theme was especially fun – it was Wacky Tacky!

Guests showed up in some really great costumes ranging from characters from Christmas Vacation to the Christmas Story! There were also some really hideous holiday sweaters being sported!

They transformed the barn from classic rustic western to wacky tacky by purchasing different table coverings for every table so they didn’t match. Then everyone from the party planning committee brought tacky decorations from home for the centerpieces. Aren’t they lovely?

Oh, and did we mention that there was LOTS and LOTS of tinsel?

That’s one of the things that we LOVE about both of our locations. While they always lend themselves to the western theme, with a little bit of creativity and decorations they can be transformed to fit any theme your party planning heart desires!

But back to the KCIM Party!

One of the things that we really enjoy about this group is that they have traditions that they do every year, another great benefit of having a yearly holiday party. For Kansas City Internal Medicine, they have a tradition of a huge musical chairs competition. We’re not joking when we say that these people mean business when it comes to musical chairs! The winner receives a trophy and of course, bragging rights for the year.

Each year, they also take the opportunity to hand out the bonuses based on the number of years that they employee has worked for the company. If you plan on doing this at your party too, then it’s always a good idea to remember to save these to the end. Same goes if you’re having a raffle drawing. Save the biggest prize for the end of the party to ensure that your guests stay the entire time and mix and mingle.

As you can see, this party was a lot of fun! They even had a photo booth, which is a great way to not only create lasting memories, but also provide some fun party favors!

Oh, and we can’t wrap up until we tell you about the specialty drink they had called “The Elf.” This delicious drink was a HUGE hit! To make it, just mix together:

1/2 oz Malibu rum

1/2 oz light rum (like Bacardi)

1/2 oz Blue Curacao

1/2 oz Melon Liqueur

Equal parts sweet and sour and pineapple juice

Garnish with a cherry, serve, and enjoy!

Overall this was an awesome night! It was wacky, tacky, and full of fun! Great job, KCIM!

Are you interested in having a holiday party at the ranch? It’s not too late! Christmas may be in just a couple of days, but some of the best holiday parties take place after the holidays. Not only are people’s schedules usually more open, but they serve as a nice fourth quarter kick-off!

For more info on our holiday party packages, click here or give us a call at 816-761-1234.

Happy Holidays Ya’ll,

Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 22, 2012

Today is a very special day!

Not only did we survive the end of the world

(that was a close one yesterday, right?)

but it is also the birthday of a very, very, VERY special cowgirl here at the ranch…

CHRISTINE LONEMAN!!!

Most of you probably know Miss Christy Rose. After all she is one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet! Plus, she is also the creative genius behind everything here at the ranch. But for those of you that don’t know her, maybe the following will give you a better picture of this fantastic gal.

One of the first things that most people notice about her is her contagious smile!

When you are around her you can’t help but have fun!

She’s a loving wife…

A wonderful mother to two beautiful kids…

And a thoughtful and sweet sister and daughter…

She is also an extremely hard worker and always goes to extra lengths to make sure that the guests at Faulkner’s Ranch have an amazing time…

She’s a little crazy when it comes to pumpkins in case you couldn’t tell…

And did we mention that she is probably one of the most fun people you will ever meet?

Basically, she’s Superwoman…

And that is why all of us here at Faulkner’s Ranch would like to wish this Christine a very Happy Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Christy!

We love ya!

~ Your Family at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 20, 2012

It Tis the Season for Holiday Parties!

It goes without saying that we always have a jolly good time at our Country Christmas parties and the Sprinkler Fitters Holiday Party on Saturday, December 8th was no different!

This party had 150 joyful guests, plus one very special guest. Can you guess who it was?

Santa of course!!!

Yup, Mr. Claus was a huge hit as he sat onstage in our old antique sleigh. All of the children at the party came up to visit him and each one even received a yummy candy gift. It was so much fun to watch their reactions!

Afterwards, while the children were enjoying the Wild Western Playground and Ranch Recreation games, their parents mixed and mingled the afternoon away.

Of course everyone enjoyed our Holiday Buffet complete with smoked sliced turkey, brisket, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed green tossed salad, skillet corn and warm yeast rolls with butter.

For dessert they ate fresh baked apple and cherry fruit crisps served with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream.

By the way, did we mention that they had a toasty fire going the whole time? ;o)

After lunch it was time for awards and recognition. They also generously gave out raffle prizes consisting of gift certificates to all kinds of amazing restaurant.

And to top it all off, all of the families mosey’d up to the pony place where they took pony rides and fed the animals in the petting farm.

They also had a blast with the cow milking station, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, stick horses, the wagon wheel game, and the rockin’ ropers! It was just too much fun!

All in all, this party was an absolute blast for everyone involved!

It’s always a delight to see companies that provide great entertainment not only for their employees, but for their employees’ families as well!
And Faulkner’s Ranch is the perfect place to do that.
We have so much to offer when it comes to family friendly Christmas parties. In addition to everything mentioned above, guests can also enjoy magic shows, face painting, horse drawn sleigh rides, cookie decorating, and more!
For more information on what we offer, click here!

Anyway, stay tuned for more fun holiday fun!

And remember, it’s never too late to book a party of your own! Having a holiday party after the holidays is a fantastic way to kick off the fourth quarter and boost everyone’s morale!

Have a great day ya’ll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 11, 2012

Lately a lot of people have been asking…

What’s the deal with Benjamin Ranch?

We’re not surprised! We get asked questions all the time about this wonderful historic site. So, we thought that we’d put together a little Q&A to tell you just what is going on over at the 87th Street location.

Q: I didn’t even know that Benjamin Ranch was still around! What goes on there now?

A: A whole lot of awesome parties!

At the Benjamin Ranch location, it’s all about the inside! The 100 year old “Party Barn” is heated and air-conditioned. It’s large and can seat 350 on one side and up to 250 on the other and can be opened up to accommodate 500 people indoors.

The Benjamin Ranch is also an ideal location for charity auctions with plenty of room for silent auction tables on one side and a live auction with dinner, dancing, and a bar on the other side.
There is also enough space for smaller groups to include casino tables and the mechanical bull for Holiday Parties and Corporate Events.

Rustic Chic and Country weddings are also very popular at the Benjamin Ranch.

Many couples have tied the knot there with a ceremony right in the charming barn, followed by a seamless transition into their unique reception space right next door.

In addition to these events we also host several sorority and fraternity parties, as well as Quinceneras, Bar Mitzvahs, Bah Mitzvahs, and class reunions.

Q: How do you decide which location is best for your event?

A: When you call to schedule an event (both locations share the same number), you will speak to one of our personal event planners. Once they get an idea of the size and type of event you are wishing to have, they can recommend which location is the best choice.

For example, at Faulkner’s Ranch we specifically designed and built it for company picnics, team-buiding, and outdoor weddings. There, the party barn seats up to 200 with an outside picnic pavilion that seats up to 400. Faulkner’s Ranch can accommodate groups of 1200 or less.

All of our Pony Parties are now at Faulkner’s in the adorable Pony Party facility. We also do our Pony Camp there now too, as well as our Pumpkin Season events.

Q: Do the Benjamin’s still own the Ranch?

A: Long story short, Bob and Marilyn Faulkner have leased the entire Benjamin Ranch for over 20 years and have produced all of the events inside.

At first Bob leased it from the Benjamin Family, then a developer in CA bought it and most recent a developer in KC owns it. In 2007 we thought we had to be out of the Ranch due to the proposed Wizards soccer stadium development. The plan then was that they were going to tear down the Ranch. That was when we found the property on Raytown Road. We bought it and developed an entertainment centered ranch of our very own that is today known as Faulkner’s Ranch! It was around that time that the plan to build the soccer staduim fell through. We were asked to stay at the Benjamin Ranch location, so we did. And for now, we have 2 places to have a party!

Q: I used to come out to the rodeo every year with my family. Do they still do those?

While the JC Pro Rodeo no longer takes place, we still produce private custom rodeos at the Benjamin Ranch. If your company is interested in throwing a private rodeo, just give us a call and we’ll tell you all about it!

So there you have it folks! That’s the deal with Benjamin Ranch! It’s still alive and kicking!

If you’re interested in having an event there, or would like to find out which location is better suited for your event, just give us a call at 816-761-1234.

And now’s the perfect time! Book your Country Christmas Party at the Benjamin Ranch today!!!

Have a great day ya’ll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 6, 2012

One of our most favorite recent events has to be

the BOTAR party at Benjamin Ranch!

In case you are unfamiliar with the name, BOTAR stands for the Belles of the American Royal.

And let us tell you something…

These folks sure do know how to party!

On October 12th they had the barn all decked out with fantastic western decor! The night was alive with a mechanical bull and live band! The food was fabulous and the drinks were flowing!
Don’t believe us?

Just check out the AMAZING pictures below!

Our Benjamin Ranch location is the perfect place to host a company holiday party! For more information on our Country Christmas packages CLICK HERE or give us a call at 816-761-1234!

Have a great day ya’ll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 3, 2012

Remember when we told you about our last

Ponies and Pancakes?

Well, we are thrilled to say that it was a huge success!

Between the raffle ticket sales and the wonderful turnout at the Ponies and Pancakes event, the Herschberger family raised $11,000 to put towards getting Harley his amazing companion!!!

Isn’t that awesome?!?!

Here is what Rita Olson-Stawicki, a long-time pardner of the ranch and co-worker/friend of Harley’s dad had to say about the special day:

“A very special thank you to Bob Faulkner, Marilyn Faulkner, Christy Faulkner-Loneman, Mike Foley, Mike Gosselin, Zack Gosselin and the entire staff at the Faulkner Ranch. The fundraiser was a great success due to all of your hard work and dedication. This would NOT had happen if it wasn’t for all of you. An 8 year old little boy’s life is going to be greatly enhanced because of all that you did. Thank you and be safe.”

Once again, thank you to everyone who came out and helped make a difference!

Stay tuned for our next Ponies and Pancakes event and in the meantime, enjoy some of our favorite pictures from the day!

Bob and Rita

Harley and his family

The First Kansas City All Paws Dog

Harley’s Mom meeting with another mom of a kid with a dog

Have a great day ya’ll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on December 2, 2012

Every year, a week or so after the Pumpkin Season has come to the close, when everyone has had a chance to re-group, re-fresh, and start to miss each other, we have a special little tradition that takes place here at the ranch:

Our Scarecrow Luncheon.

At this special get-together, we like to honor our fearless scarecrow tour guides are joined by invited guests, cashiers, our trusty hayride driver, and the PPP’s (aka Pumpkin/Parking/and Pavilion Helpers).

So of course, we wanted to share with you all about just how amazing they are!

After all, these awesome people deserve more recognition than we could ever give them!

This yearly tradition is always a blast and this year was no exception!

As usual, the luncheon started with a little mixing, mingling, and catching up.
Next it was time to bless the food and dig in!

This year we served our new Holiday Buffet to include our smoked sliced turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamy corn, green salad with feta, red onion, and cranberries tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette with warm yeast rolls and butter. Yummmmmm!!!! So good!

Of course, there can never be enough food!
Our scarecrows are simply the best and brought pumpkin desserts ranging from Karen’s homemade pumpkin pie to Betty’s pumpkin cream cheese cake!

After our delicious lunch it was time for the special program and awards. The program began with a few slides of our beautiful pumpkin patch and recognition to all that made it possible.

Fransisco Guzman was recognized for his outstanding work in the field this year.
Visitors to the patch really enjoyed the addition of the birdhouse gourds, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and variety of sunflowers that he planted. He is also the one with the green thumb that helped two of our pumpkins grow bigger than we ever expected. You might recall that we even had a Facebook guessing game contest to guess the weight where the winner won a free pumpkin!

Fransisco was also called up to share his story about his special pumpkin hybrid from Mexico. You see, two years ago he brought back from his native country a handful of Indian Pumpkin Seeds. Indian Pumpkins are grey in color and make the best seeds for toasting and eating – a love that both Fransisco and Christine share. The first year he planted them he got 4 plants and 2 pumpkins. This year he planted them again and got several pumpkins, but the most interesting part of the story is that now the pumpkins have crossed and made their own variety!

We owe so much to Fransisco and his crew, Antonio and Pedro, for all that they do. Their hard work in the patch is what brings so much joy and excitement to the many school children that visit throughout the season and search for the perfect pumpkin to take home from their field trip to Faulkner’s.

Another highlight of the program included a slide show from the season set to the song “We Are Family”. Although our scarecrows and staff are not related by blood, we can’t help but feel that they are. We could not host 10,000 school children in 20 days without this amazing, caring, smart, funny, compassionate team that works together for the common cause of sharing our love children and pumpkins!

To close the ceremony, each scarecrow and Farm Loneman (our wonderful hayride driver) was given a special pumpkin with a number on it. The number represented the number of years that they have worked at Faulkner’s. It is amazing to think that our 2012 team had 68 total years of pumpkin experience together!

Christine said, “As I totaled up the years I couldn’t have been more proud to know that each school child and teacher that visited the Ranch this pumpkin season was in such good hands. We even tallied the number of hayrides that Farmer Loneman had given throughout his 13 years – 10,920!!!

Incredible!”

Tracy – 1 year, Glenna – 1 year, Jennifer -1 year, Morgan – 1 year, Pam – 3 years, Nona – 7 years, Karen – 11 years, Betty -13 years, Farmer Loneman – 13 years

The rest of the luncheon was spent sharing funny stories that are now wonderful 2012 Pumpkin Season memories!

In conclusion, we just can’t thank our awesome team enough for their hard work and dedication! It’s humbling really to be surrounded by such wonderful people that have the best interest of our business in mind on a daily basis. We just can’t thank you enough!

Have a great day ya’ll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Posted on November 27, 2012

For the past few years we here at Faulkner’s have started and continued a tradition that has become a favorite for everyone involved:

Our Annual Thanksgiving Day Feast!

On Thanksgiving Day everyone gathers at Faulkner’s Ranch for a huge celebration and dinner.

This year we had around 40 of our friends and family there to take part in all of the fun.

As is tradition, we started out by circling up and saying what we are thankful for.

The only rule is that you can’t repeat what someone else has already said.

From family, friends, and new babies, to employment and togetherness we covered it all.

After our Thankful circle, we say grace and then it is time to eat!

And boy did we ever chow down! This picture of the buffet line doesn’t even do it justice – in fact there were two other tables filled with appetizers and desserts!

There was so much delicious food contributed by everyone that you could barely fit it on your plate!