By: Lyla Gleason

Now that the school year is underway, its time to get excited for our favorite fun-for-all fall activity…apple picking. The tri-state area is full of Pick-Your-Own orchards with apple trees in every variety, farm and animal adventures, delicious treats and plenty of fun-filled outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy. Whether you’re stocking up on apples as a healthy on-the-go snack, making homemade applesauce or planning to bake some fruity desserts, fresh fall apples will surely please even the pickiest eaters.

Grab your camera and plan to have some family adventures at these New York, New Jersey and Connecticut farms. Note: all farms are dependent on weather so call ahead to confirm times and fruit availability and be sure to wear appropriate footwear in case of mud.

Family Friendly Apple Picking in New York

Lewin Farms – Long Island

Located on Long Island’s north shore, Lewin Farms offers U-Pick Fields from summer through fall featuring a wide variety of berries, fruit and veggies. Apple picking season lasts from September to October and varieties include Yellow and Red Delicious, Empire, Rome, Royal Cortland, Mutsu, Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Stayman, Macoun and others. Be sure to call in advance for specific Pick-Your-Own crop details and admission fees. After apple picking, satisfy your snack fix with fresh roasted corn and apple cider donuts.

Fall hours are 9 am to 5 pm (every day but Tuesday)

Harbes Family Farm – Long Island

The Harbes have been farming on Long Island for more than 13 generations and this popular North Fork destination is well-known for its fresh picked corn, wines, apple and pumpkin picking and family-friendly Fall Festivals. Apple picking season begins with Honeycrisp and Golden Delicious and continues with Autumn Gala, Suncrisp, Enterprise, Maslin Pink Lady and many more. Check out their wide varieties of apples and growth seasons before your trip. Pick-Your-Own admission packages including 3-12 pound apple bags range from $10 to 22 per person. Be sure to get an early start here as parking and picking can get quite competitive.

Harbes Orchard in Riverhead is open from 9 am to 6 pm.

Bartons Orchards – Hudson Valley, New York

Barton Orchards in Poughquag, NY started as an apple farm and has expanded its orchard over the years to include tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, beans, squash and pumpkins. The 175-acre family farm features a full days worth of activities including a five-acre corn maze, hay rides, bounce pad, tube slides, live music, face painting, petting zoo, and a newly opened Treetop Adventure Park. With 120 acres of apple trees, there is a wide variety of apples so check online for details before you go. Admission is $12 per person (kids 2 and under are free) including Pick-Your-Own orchards and all attractions. Apple bags are sold in two sizes: Peck (approximately 10 pounds) or Bushel (approximately 20 pounds) for $16 and $26. Head over here early to avoid lines and start towards the back for the best apples.

Barton Orchards is open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm and weekends from 9 am to 6 pm.

Family Friendly Apple Picking in New Jersey

Alstede Farms – Chester, New Jersey

Alstede Farms is a family-owned 600-acre farm which features just about everything imaginable in the world of family friendly farms. From Pick-Your-Own fruit and vegetable fields, festivals, wine tastings, live music, and mazes to bouncy houses, hayrides, petting zoo, pony rides and homemade ice cream, there is something to please everyone in your family. There are several options for admissions from pay per activity to all-inclusive and pricing varies depending on day of the week. See full admission details online. There are more than 50 different varieties of apple trees and crops range throughout the season and specific apple details are online. Apples are sold by weight at $2.29 per pound and containers used for picking produce are $2 flat. Don’t miss the farm store which sells everything from fresh produce, apple cider, baked goods, ice cream and dairy products to local honey, pickled vegetables, syrups, dressings and so much more.

Alstede Farms is open daily for Pick-Your-Own apples from 9 am – 6 pm (last admission at 5 pm).

Demarest Farms – Hillsdale, New Jersey

This 34-acre family-owned farm features well-manicured trees, spectacular views a wide variety of Pick-Your-Own apples including Cameo, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Gold Rush, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Liberty, Macintosh, Mutsu (Crispin), Red Delicious, SunCrisp and Winesap. Apple picking takes place weekdays from 3 pm to 4:30 pm and from 9 am to 4:30 pm on weekends. Admission is $7 per person (age 2 and older) and includes parking, orchard entrance, hay wagon ride, two petting zoos (chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas and more), crooked house village and playground. Bags are $10 each and hold approximately 10 pounds of apples. If you work up an appetite, don’t miss the homemade soups and hot specialty items as well as bakery items and ice cream. New this year, the Haunted Orchards events feature a spooky hayride, several haunted houses and a forgotten graveyard nestled within the apple trees! Recommended for kids 10+. Book tickets online and use code Haunt18 to save $2.

Open daily from 8 am to 6:30 pm. Haunted Orchards hours range from 6:30 pm – 10 pm.

Terhune Orchards – Princeton, New Jersey

The 27-acre orchard features a wide variety of dwarf trees making this a great option for families with young kids. The Pick-Your-Own apple season begins with Gala and moves on to Empire, Fuji, Macon, Granny Smith, Red

and

Golden Delicious, Stayman Winesap and more. Call the farm store at 609-924-2310 to find out which varieties are available on the day you plan to visit. Admission is free and apples are sold by weight. Free wagon rides are available through the orchards on weekends and Apple Days Harvest Festivals ($8 or free under 3) take place on seven fall weekends with live music, food, kids activities, discovery and adventure barns and more. The farm store features a wide range of harvest vegetables, baked goods, freshly pressed apple cider as well as their famed apple cider donuts.

Pick-Your-Own apple orchard is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

Family Friendly Apple Picking in Connecticut

Beardsley’s Cider Mill & Orchard – Shelton, Connecticut

Originally a dairy farm, Beardsley’s Cider Mill & Orchard has been around since 1849. With more than 10,000 dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees in its Pick-Your-Own orchards, Beardsley’s a good option for families with small children. This year’s apple season kicks off with Gala, Macon and Cortland but check out their varieties and schedule online before you go. Pricing is $1.85 per pound plus a $1 bag fee (cash or check only). If you love apple cider, don’t miss the state-of-the-art apple press or their untreated cider for making hard (alcoholic) cider. A variety of fresh bakery items like pies, cider donuts, pumpkin cheesecake, cookies, fruit breads and scones are also available so come hungry.

Pick-Your-Own is weekends only, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Silverman’s Farm – Easton, Connecticut

Silverman’s Farm has been family owned and operated since 1924 and features more than 20 apple varieties. The season begins with Cortland, Red and Gold Delicious, and Empire apples and continues throughout fall. Their detailed apple harvest schedule also pairs apple varieties with baking guidelines. The farm’s Weekend Down Home Frolic events are a blast from the past with live music (fiddle, banjo, etc,), fresh kettle corn, and kid-friendly activities. Last but not least, animal lovers will enjoy Silverman’s rustic animal farm featuring buffalo, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, fallow deer, emus, and long-horn cattle. Don’t miss the huge selection of homemade pies, apple cider and apple cider donuts

The orchard is open daily for Pick-Your-Own from 9 am to 4:30 pm

Have you been apple picking? Tell us below in the comments.

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