Farm fun abounds in St. Louis metro-east. Here are four to visit this fall

With less than 30 days until Halloween and the weather finally dipping below 70 degrees for more than a few hours, it’s time to start enjoying the seasonal harvests of metro-east farms.

Whether you’re into tractor rides, apple-picking, or just looking to see a pumpkin get launched hundreds of feet from a canon or trebuchet, here are a list of fun farms to visit with just a short drive.

Braeutigam Orchards

Braeutigam is located in Turkey Hill and offers apple-picking and a playground for the kids. A gentle tractor ride takes families and individuals looking for fresh apples into acres of rolling orchards, and a well-stocked country store with homemade apple butter and other produce is available upon return.

Location : 2795 Turkey Hill Lane, Belleville, IL 62221

Hours : 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Eckert’s

Eckert’s has long been a Belleville favorite in the metro-east fall farm scene. With more than one location in the metro-east, there’s something for everyone including children’s rides, a pig race and a corn maze that changes shape and themes each year. Oh, and did we mention they have a cannon that fires pumpkins as far as a football field using compressed gas?

Locations : Eckert’s farms in Belleville (951 S Green Mt Road, Belleville, IL 62220), Millstadt (2719 Eckert Orchard Lane, Millstadt, IL 62260) and Grafton (20995 Eckert Orchard Road, Grafton, IL 62037)

Hours : Field access is ticketed and available hours vary by day and location.

Relleke Farms

Collinsville’s Relleke Farms has a slew of rides and activities, including a roller coaster, a human hampster wheel, and a host of animals within its petting zoo. Relleke farms also has a pumpkin launcher, only theirs is analogue — a trebuchet that requires a special engineer to operate.

Admission to each event (and there are numerous) requires the purchase of a ticket, and each event has a different ticket cost. With so many activities, it is sure to be an eventful day at Relleke’s.

Location : 519 Sand Prairie Road, Pontoon Beach, IL 62040

Hours : 10:00 am - 6:00 pm every day for farm visits and activities.

Pumpkin Blossom Hill

Pumpkin Blossom Hill Farm charges no admissions for their massive Red Bud farm and hosts a pumpkin patch and $1 mechanical bull rides on weekends. While a corn maze and plenty of farmed-themed playgrounds are certainly an attraction for the kids, adults with equally enjoy stumbling through the thick vines carpeting their sprawling pumpkin patch. Make sure to leave the credit card at home, though, since the farm only accepts cash or check.

Location: 5483 IL-154, Red Bud, IL 62278, USA

Hours : 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Sunday, 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday (closed Wednesdays), 9:00-5:00 p.m. Saturday.

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