BECAUSE WE NEEDED IT
Disneyland really began when my two daughters were very young. Saturday was always “Daddy’s Day” and I would take them to the merry-go-round and sit on a bench eating peanuts, while they rode. And sitting there alone, I felt that something should be built, some kind of family park where parents and children could have fun together. – Walt Disney
While we didn’t come across this quote until after we opened Paradise Acres, we had the exact same thought as Walt. We needed a park where TriCities families (including our own) could laugh, learn, and play together.
Our family in Johnson City includes a tractor load of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who live within a few blocks of us. While our region has some fun outlets like arcades, trampoline parks, and theaters, we needed a place where our raucous clan, with a wide range of ages and interests, could have interactive fun together.
So, we built a “family farm park” with classic activities like mini-golf, laser tag, mazes, and hayrides as well as u-pick produce and flowers. And there’s more to come.
It’s a 24-acre oasis of fresh air, wholesome fun, and room to roam in the middle the hurried, cramped, tech-driven lives we all lead.
And it’s not a 2-hour drive away.
Why “Paradise Acres”?
We believe that God is preparing a paradise for us in the age to come and that we can help create little glimpses and echos of that paradise here. For us, paradise includes green pastures, majestic trees, rolling hills, gentle creeks, and a break from I-26. Walking onto our 16+ acre property in Boones Creek is like taking a deep breath.
Most importantly, paradise includes people. We want to create an environment that fosters relationships. Paradise Acres is a place where people of all shapes, sizes, and ages can interact, have fun, and make memories together. Paradise is a place where there is no discord—on earth as it is in heaven.
You’ll notice two themes on the farm. Laressa loves the beach, so we’ve incorporated a lot of elements that remind you of a tropical paradise, including dolphins, sea turtles, and exotic plants on half of our world-class mini-golf course. Eric loves the mountains and Appalachian farms, so you’ll see plenty of bears, rhododendron, and farm memorabilia in a mountain paradise setting.
Keep an eye out for hand-painted (by our daughter Macy) quotes about paradise tucked around the property.
Our goal is to create a space where families can interact and create shared memories in a setting that is beautiful, natural, fun, and safe. Come join us and help us further that vision by spreading the word to your friends and family.
The McCartys
Owners Eric and Laressa McCarty currently have four girls (Madelyn, Macy, Myah, and Molly) and are foster parents, so you may see even more of us around the farm from time to time. After growing up in Carrollton, GA, Eric and Laressa moved to Johnson City in 1995 (but they and the girls will always bleed Red and Black). They’ve been long-time residents in the HEANA neighborhood near Northside Elementary and leaders in local churches.
Eric’s work experience includes over a decade of full-time professional photography (he shoots family sessions on the farm), entrepreneurship, and digital marketing. He spent a couple of years photographing The Blue Ridge Parkway, so you’ll see some of his photographs around the farmhouse. Laressa homeschools the girls and you may have heard her sing the national anthem at a public event or leading worship at local churches and gatherings. She wrote and sang a song to Eric at their wedding and has penned 20 worship songs over the last few years. If you catch her on the farm, ask her to sing “No Place I’d Rather Be” she wrote as a little girl on a summer day on the farm she grew up on.
History of The Farm
We bought the farm from James and Dianne Barker. James was born in the farmhouse and it was in his family for over 100 years. He helps us out with plowing from time to time. Dianne is an author who penned a book some of you have heard of. Twice Pardoned is the life story of ex-con Harold Morris with a foreword by James Dobson. We’ve named the barn “The Barker Barn” in honor of the Barkers.
