Fall has finally arrived, and with it one of the season's best activities: apple picking. Whether you like the tart flavor of Granny Smiths or the sweetness of Fujis, orchards in Delaware and the surrounding area offer a wide range of apples to pick and other fun seasonal activities for the whole family.
If there's a particular type of apple you prefer, make sure to check online or contact an orchard to see if and when it is ripe and available to pick. Some farms also require online tickets and reservations.
Here's a breakdown of local orchards open for apple-picking this autumn.
Thousand Acre Farm
Address: 260 S. Reedy Point Road, Middletown, Delaware
Days open: Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October. Appointments must be scheduled online for Sundays.
September apple varieties: Jonamac, Gala, Honeycrisp, Crimson Crisp and Golden Delicious
October apple varieties: Shizuka, Goldrush, Pink Lady and Fuji
Cost: $2 per person. Apples are charged by weight at $2.99 per pound.
Fifer Orchards
Address: 1919 Allabands Mill Road, Camden-Wyoming, Delaware
Days open: Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
September apple varieties: Cameo, Crimson Crisp, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Red Delicious, McIntosh, Mutsu and Shizuka
October apple varieties: Nittany, Snapdragon, Arkansas Black, Fuji, Braeburn, Gold Rush, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Stayman and EverCrisp
Cost: $5.95 per person online, $8.95 at gate. Ticket includes wagon ride to orchard and quart bag of apples.
Other activities: Fall Fest from Sept. 21 to Nov. 9, Monday through Saturday, at Camden-Wyoming location. Admission includes corn maze, slides, rubber ducky races, barnyard croquet and other activities. Apple cannons, farm animals, live music and face painting will be available on Saturdays.
Milburn Orchards
Address: 1495 Appleton Road, Elkton, Maryland
September apple varieties: Fuji, Jonathan, Crimson Crisp, McIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Bazooka Gold, Jonagold, Stayman Winesap and Cameo
October apple varieties: Stayman Winesap, Mutsu, Granny Smith, Fuji, Pink Lady and Sweet Zoe
Days open: Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in September and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October
Cost: $3 per person. $7 for kiddie-sized bag, $12 for small, $20 for medium and $36 for large. Wagon ride to orchard included. Online reservation required. Season passes also are available.
Other activities: Fall Festival Weekends every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 3. Online ticket prices range from $11.50 to $20 depending on the date. Admission includes corn and straw mazes, grain cart basketball, ping pong, roller bowler and other family-friendly activities. Paintball shooting, apple sling and pony rides available for additional fee.
Linvilla Orchards
Address: 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, Pennsylvania
September apple varieties: Gala, Ambrosia, Autumn Crisp, Fuji, Crimson Crisp, Cortland, Empire, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Pristine, Jonagold, Jonamac, Macoun, McIntosh, Red Delicious, Sansa, Smokehouse, Summer Rambo and Tydeman's Red
October apple varieties: Ambrosia, Fuji, Cameo, Empire, EverCrisp, Golden Delicious, GoldRush, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Mutsu, Pink Lady, Red Delicious, Smokehouse and Stayman Winesap
Days open: Every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of October
Cost: $11 for two quart bag and hayride to field. Tickets can be purchased online or as a walk-up for an extra $2 per person.
Other activities: The annual Apple Festival is scheduled for Sept. 28 and features games, performances and access to Pumpkinland. Outside of the festival, families can also check out mazes, fishing, themed hayrides, train rides, apple blasters, face painting, pony rides and more. Tickets must be purchased online for some activities in advance. For adults, Linvilla has a beer garden serving local cider.
Indian Orchards
Address: 27 Copes Lane, Media, Pennsylvania
Days open: Every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through early November
Cost: $3.50 per person on weekdays, $11 on weekends and holidays. Ticket includes hayride. Apples are charged by weight.
Highland Orchards
Address: 1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Days open: Tues. to Fri. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through October
Cost: $3 per person. $15 for 7-pound bag, $25 for 14-pound and $40 for 26-pound.
Other activities: Visit the 5-acre corn maze and shoot apple cannons for $10. Additional apples for cannons available for purchase.
Mood's Farm Market
Address: 901 Bridgeton Pike, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
Days open: Every day except Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October
Cost: $1.60 per pound, must provide your own container. Apple-picking hayrides available Fridays and Saturdays in September for $9.60 per person and include a 3-pound bag of apples (Red and Golden Delicious), a drink of apple cider and an apple cider donut.
Other activities: Pumpkin hayrides available Fridays and Saturdays in October.
Hill Creek Farms
Address: 1631 State Highway 45, Mullica Hill, New Jersey
Days open: Friday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 13 to Nov. 3
Cost: Free admission Friday. $20 per vehicle in advance on weekends. $25 at the door. Apples charged by weight at $2.25 per pound. Includes hayride.
Other activities: Kids attractions including playground, bounce house, "gem mining" experience and barrel train rides at additional cost. Live music on weekends. For adults, Hill Creek Farms serves local wines at the Auburn Road Wine Garden from noon to 5 p.m.
Other local markets with apples
If you want fresh, locally grown apples without the time commitment of picking them yourself, consider visiting a local market. Many of the farms offering U-pick apples also sell pre-picked apples and other goodies on site.
Here are some nearby markets and produce stands selling apples from local farms:
- Marini Produce (2121 Veale Road, Ardens, Delaware): Open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Ramsey's Farm produce stand (440 Ramsey Road, Brandywine Hundred, Delaware): Open Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Willey's Fresh Market (4060 Dupont Parkway, Townsend, Delaware): Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Adams Fruit Market (2239 Seashore Highway, Greenwood, Delaware): Hours vary. Call 302-349-4924 for more information
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- Cory's Produce Farm Market (11485 Sycamore Road, Laurel, Delaware): Open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Elmer's Market (13527 Seashore Highway, Georgetown, Delaware): Open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Little Farmer Evan's Produce (33789 Gordy Road, Laurel, Delaware) : Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Muzzi's Produce (32369 Long Neck Road, Millsboro, Delaware): Open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Parsons Farm Produce (30381 Armory Road, Dagsboro, Delaware) : Open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- The Homestead Market (24171 Chapel Branch Road, Seaford, Delaware): Open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wolff's Apple House (81 S. Pennell Road, Media, Pennsylvania): Open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Make sure to call ahead to ensure apples are being sold on the day you plan to visit.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Where to go apple picking in Delaware, plus other fall farm fun
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