Summer is over, and while we’re busy lamenting the end of 75 degree heat and tank tops, a new reason to spend your weekends outdoors has emerged. The apple harvest, which runs from September to October, is in full swing. So grab your squad, a Zipcar, all the reusable totes you can find, and bask in the nostalgia of hot apple cider and hayrides.
Linvilla Orchards:
An apple orchard on Adderall, Linvilla Orchards is the orchard equivalent of that kid in your hall who goes out on a Tuesday, is in a consulting club, and has a 4.0 GPA. In other words, Linvilla does a lot, and does all of it well. Whether you’re there to sample their selection of over 25 apple varieties, take an evening hayride through Pumpkinland, or play a round of indoor mini–golf, this suburban oasis will satisfy all your first date needs. For the maximum fall aesthetic and a much needed break from Fresh Grocer, hit up their farmer's market for a selection of freshly harvested produce and autumn staples like cider, doughnuts, fudge, and pies.
Price: No entrance fee | Apples: $2.99 per pound
Address: 137 W Knowlton Rd, Media, PA
Hours: Mon – Sun: 8 a.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Solebury Orchards:
A farm built solely for Instagram fodder, Solebury Orchards greets you with a barnyard perfect for that artsy location shot and a flower garden made for frolicking. If you came to actually pick apples, luckily there’s plenty of those. Coiners of the phrase “PYO,” Solebury frequently updates their website with a list of the most in–season apples and handy signs telling you which orchard rows are ripe for picking. Hop on a hayride every Saturday for an authentically autumnal experience.
Price: No entrance fee | Apples: $1.50 per pound
Address: 3325 Creamery Rd, New Hope, PA
Hours: Thurs – Sun: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Highland Orchards:
Ever fantasize about driving a tractor and dropping out of Wharton to become the Dwight Shrute of apples? If so, Highland Orchards lets you live out half that fantasy by offering what I dub country Uber—a tractor shuttle from the Market Store straight to the orchard. That ride starts off with an immersive apple picking experience. Offering over 20 apple varieties and group tours that are definitely more interesting than your 9 a.m. calculus recitation, Highland is made for the apple enthusiast. Spend your day at the farm learning real life skills—soap making, cooking applesauce, and studying the art of sauerkraut—by signing up for a post–picking workshop.
Price: No entrance fee | Apples: $13 per half peck, $29 per half bushel
Address: 1000 Marshallton Thorndale Rd, West Chester, PA
Hours: Mon–Thurs: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Fri: 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Sat – Sun: 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Shady Brook Farm:
Who needs music festivals when you have FallFest, Shady Brook Farm’s celebration of all things seasonal? The same price as your average dinner out, a weekend at this Yardley orchard is a worthy splurge. After you pick your apples, enjoy a veritable smorgasbord of seasonal offerings. Get intentionally lost with your date in their five acre corn maze or go go–karting. An added bonus? Check out the Silo for wines from Rose Bank Winery, all of which will be better than Franzia.
Price: Entrance: $3 | Apples: $.9 per pound | FallFest: $17
Address: 931 Stony Hill Rd, Yardley, PA
Hours: Weds – Fri: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sat – Sun: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Johnson’s Corner Farm:
For our final stop, we’re taking you across the Delaware river into my (least) favorite state, New Jersey. For an apple picking adventure that’s distinctly Jersey in the best possible way, head to Johnson’s Farm corner. Leave your MacIntosh at home and try your hand at gem mining, where you’ll put everything you learned in Earth Science to good use digging for fossils and precious stones. (Yes—I, too, am wondering why an apple orchard offers this.) Admittedly, Johnson’s sells itself as a family–oriented farm, so do partake in the best part of apple picking: watching kids discover the beauty of orchards for the first time.
Price: No entrance fee | Apples: $1.89 per pound
Address: 133 Church Rd, Medford, NJ
Hours: Weds–Fri: 9 a.m. –4 p.m.; Sat–Sun: 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
