The Bottom Line
Hayride Chairperson. You must know this information
The dollars and sense of scheduling a hayride with Nittany Mountain Trail Rides, Inc.
Your Personal Benefits: We reward the organizer of the hayride party by being our guest at no charge. You really deserve some benefits and a thank you for your work. In addition, you'll be appreciated by your friends for giving them an event they will never forget. We have liability insurance for your and our protection, a history of being cooperative and reliable, and we have the knowledge, the experience, and the motivation to make these events positive experiences for you every time. You can just relax!
The Investment, a bargain obviously. For $24, each enjoys an evening on a hayride plus a bonfire party with campfire food and beverages, a guaranteed great time. Also note the Sunday through Wednesday is a $6.00 price discount ($18) and Thursday is a $2.00 saving ($22). Afternoon hayrides before 5:00PM will be $18 per person. It's more economical than a movie with a stop at a fast food restaurant. However, please note, we are not cost efficient on groups of less than fifteen or groups that wish to pay less than a $250 minimum. We urge you to understand and honor our request for these minimums, so always invite as many guests as possible
The benefits far offset the investment. We include our bonfire cookout feast: hamburgers and hot dogs from the open grill, marshmallows roasted over the bonfire for the smores, apple cider, hot chocolate, soft drinks, and condiments of course. If you need to save $2.00, we can delete the hamburgers, but most groups consider the two per person worth the two bucks. Smores are included. Call about special menus, children's prices, birthday parties, etc.
Transportation: We schedule Long's Motor Buses. school buses for $250 per round trip. These buses can transport forty-eight adults comfortably, are a doorstep service, and we encourage the use of the buses for your safety and convenience. Often the sponsoring organization will invest group funds to rent the bus and thus keep the cost of the hayride more economical to the members. Driving out to the hayride is an economical alternative. It is easy with our directions and requires approximately fifteen minutes to drive the seven miles. The hayrides are located on Forest Pond Lane in Bellefonte, PA.
A Deposit of $100 is required to reserve your date. We ask that you also schedule a rain date to insure that you enjoy a hayride in good weather. If for some reason a hayride must be canceled, the deposit is returned if you call and speak to me five days in advance of the hayride. (If you leave a message, I will return your call to verify the cancellation) If the party is postponed, and the rain date is also bad weather, and if we can not reschedule, the deposit is refunded. We have learned that deposits are absolutely necessary to gain a serious commitment. We must utilize every possible date during the prime fall weekends, and if the group does not show, we have a serious loss. The sooner we receive your deposit, the sooner your date is reserved. We must have it within ten days of the time you asked for the date. If you are using the buses, prepare a separate check for the security deposit of $150 for each bus. Make it payable to Nittany Mt Trail Rides. This check is returned if the bus goes home clean and not damaged. Body Fluids are the most common problem.
Final payment is due at the beginning of the hayride when you arrive on the farm and we have counted the guests. We and the bus drivers will count the people at the beginning of the party, and we will accept payment in the form of cash, checks, university purchase orders, and ASA payment orders. We will give you a receipt for your records. Please assist the bus drivers in counting people. Do not allow the use the emergency door of the buses as they are sometimes damaged by escaping guests and you will pay for the damages.
Hayride Theme Music: Since this is a hayride, we play old time country and classic folk music on our sound system so you will have happy and jumping music. We have stages and limited electricity. We can help schedule live entertainment also. We can give you names of entertainers that have a very favorable history at our hayrides. We do not favor DJ's. They are expensive, usually not musicians, and have not a clue about creating a positive social atmosphere. They disturb the mood of the hayrides, are often too loud, and cause electrical overloads. Our music is more festive, and we know the type of music that fosters a great social event, and our music is free. You will only be at the bonfire area about 90 minutes.
Our commitment and investment are quite significant. Our equipment: the tractors, wagons, cooking facilities, generators, sound equipment, chain saws, and trucks; the land, the personnel; and the costly liability insurance put us in the totally committed category. We have invested a lot and are sincere about providing this unique service, and we know that we are the only ones who do these hayrides in such a classic style with these benefits for thirty-four years.
Our hayrides are unique, traditional, always fun; and a Penn State classic tradition.
Helpful Hints:
You must recruit person-to-person to enroll people to participate. Posters will not do it alone. You must talk to the each person, and you must get a commitment of a deposit to insure participation. Get excited and share the fun. Call me a two days before the hayride and let me know the approximate number you expect.
Sincerely,
R. B.
PS Be aware that some will try to "walk on" to your group without paying. Often the head count is much larger than what you have on your list.
