The end of summer also brings that wistful breeze, but in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, there’s plenty to look forward to in the fall. Plastered with vibrant golden hues, the scenery alone is enough to make you love autumn. Try these four local orchards for fall festivities, corn stalk mazes, and plenty of yummy food. Oh, and you can pick apples too.
{Princeton, N.J.}
330 Cold Soil Rd. | 609-924-2310
With live farm animals, pick-your-own orchards, a fully stocked farm market, and even a winery on the grounds of this 200-acre agricultural amusement park, Terhune offers something for the entire family. Following the summer berry season, the orchards offer pick-your-own gourds and pumpkins beginning in September, as well as the first of 18 varieties of apples. Wagon and pony rides, a read-and-pick program, a walking trail, pedal tractors, and corn stalk maze are just some of the activities that add to the carnival-like atmosphere at Terhune. Don’t leave without trying one of the candied apples on sale out in the barnyard.
{Freehold, N.J.}
91 Wemrock Rd. | 732-462-0756
Four generations of the Applegate family have owned and operated Battleview—named for its proximity to Monmouth Battlefield State Park, the site of one of the biggest operations of the Revolutionary War—since 1908. It was one of the first New Jersey farms to offer pick-your-own fruit in 1972 and remains a popular destination for its country store items, homemade pies, cider donuts, hayrides, group picking events, and a fall picking crop that includes late-season peaches, 14 varieties of apples, and pumpkins available through Halloween.
{New Hope, Pa.}
3325 Creamery Rd. | 215-297-8079
Owner Brian Smith sounds just like Bubba from Forest Gump in listing all of the products you can purchase at Solebury’s farm store in the fall: “Apple cider, apple sauce, apple butter, apple pie …” Indeed, the orchards pop with pick-your-own apples from August through November and Solebury offers more than 20 varieties of them. Smith says the most popular of the bunch are honey crisps, which are in season beginning in September.
{Yardley, Pa.}
931 Stony Hill Rd. | 215-968-1670
Apples, peaches, pumpkins, and raspberries are all available to pick at points from September through October at this 100-year old farm that offers a full schedule of events for family fun throughout the year. Inflatable attractions, wagon rides, corn mazes, gem mining, and a new playground are part of the Fall Festival, which runs on September weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The party continues with PumpkinFest, which is held through October, and then the Holiday Light Show in late November. The farm market features fresh produce, artisanal sandwiches and salads, and Uncle Dave’s homemade pumpkin ice cream, which is available only in the fall months.
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