It’s a special time of year for my family. Yes it’s back to school. Yes it’s almost fall. But most of all it’s APPLE PICKING and Fall Festival season.

Each year, as a family, we pick apples. We pick very specific apples too, Honey Crisp. If you haven’t had a Honey Crisp apple you are missing the most delicious apple in the world. Their window of opportunity for picking is short and some people like to blame us for their short supply.

There have been years when we’ve brought home 40lbs of apples. It sounds like a lot but with 5 people picking at the same time the bags fill up very quickly.

So each year as Labor Day approaches I scour the local orchards to see when the picking begins and make sure we’re there on opening day.

This year, just like the last 4-5 years we were at Milburn Orchards at 10am. We hoped on the tractor and got a ride right into the apple orchard to have our way with their dwarf trees. It’s one of our favorite things to do.

There are so many great orchards in the area. These orchards are the the epitome of pure family fun. There are baked goods to eat, fresh cider to drink, hay bales to climb and animals to feed. Each location has different amenities and features but you’ll never be disappointed. Whether you’re looking for Pick Your Own fruit and pumpkins or build your own scarecrows or hayrides through haunted woods you’ll find so much in the area. 

Milburn Orchards
1495 Appleton Rd
Elkton, MD 21921
Family owned and operated for over 100 years this farm practices modern but environmentally friendly farming. With dozens of varieties of pick your own fruits available there is something tasty to choose from Spring to Fall.

Filasky’s Produce
1343 Bunker Hill Rd,
Middletown, DE 19709
Not just any produce stand. If they can’t grow it they’ll share the local love by providing other local farms goods including ice cream from Woodside Creamery in Hockessin, Delaware.

Berry Good Farm
7637 Lancaster Pike
Hockessin, DE 19707
This place does one thing but they do it very very right. Being very young doesn’t stop Berry Good Farm from producing some of the juiciest and sweetest blackberries in the area that started by just an idea and has blossomed into a thriving and sustainable passion.

Fifer Orchards
1919 Allabands Mill Rd
Camden Wyoming, DE 19934
4th generation Fifer’s continue to grow a very diverse mix of high quality fresh fruits and vegetables including: asparagus, strawberries, tomatoes, blueberries, apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, heirloom varieties, apples, pumpkins and more.

Highland Orchards
1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road
West Chester, PA 19380
With over 200 acres of growing crops, there’s always something going on the farm. Highland Orchards offer all of their crops already picked for you in their Farm Market or you can Pick Your Own out in the field.

Arasapha Farms
1835 Middletown Road
Glen Mills, PA
Family friendly from a true family farm. Arasapha Farms is home the the Ultimate Harvest Festival with pedal car racing, pumpkin golf, petting zoo and of course a maze for the the adventure types.

Linvilla Orchards
137 W. Knowlton Road
Media, PA 19063
This is where our family had their first orchard experience. With so much to do almost anytime of year Linvilla Orchards is definnitely a staple for the Delaware County area with experiences that include fishing, swimming, Christmas tree cutting, corn mazes and the wonderful Pumpkinland.

Fruitwood Orchards Honey Farm
419 Elk Rd.
Monroeville, NJ 08343
Not just a fruit farm of nectarines, pears, apples and cherries this family owned business raises pollinating bees to help other farmers across the country. Oh they sell their honey too, fresh straight from the bees.

Pick one or two, visit and let me know how much fun you have.