With school and Halloween still kind of up in the air, it doesn’t feel much like a regular fall. Well, we are here to help get you into the spirit–we’re talking hayrides, pumpkin patches, apple picking, you get the idea. Like everything else, this will look a little different this year. You may need a reservation—and you’ll definitely need a mask—but it’s worth the drive to get those fall feels!

Highland Orchards

1000 Marshalton Thorndale Road, West Chester

 

Masks are required for everyone over 2, and social distancing will be enforced.

 

Highland Orchards currently has apples and pears in season for picking, with pumpkins coming later in September and through October. To make things safer and ensure social distancing, they have instituted a number of new rules and restrictions for guests to follow.

 

To keep crowds down, reservations are required for pick-your-own; they are non-refundable and non-transferrable, so be sure you’re feeling well! Masks are required for everyone over 2, and social distancing will be enforced. No one over 2 years old will be permitted in the fields to pick without a prepaid basket. Handwash stations are at the parking area in the fields (as are porta-potties). Cash will not be accepted as payment in the fields.

 

Also due to safety restrictions, all fall festival events and activities, including hayrides, are canceled this year.  There is no shuttle to the picking fields this fall either—drive to the Red Shed and stay in your car for check-in and directions to drive to the fields.

 

Don’t forget to pick up some Apple Cider Donuts from the market before you leave! You can also get fresh cider, firewood, and a great selection of local produce and dairy.

Linvilla Orchards

137 West Knowlton Road, Media

Masks are required on everyone over age 2; hand sanitizers and a wash station will be available as well. Social distancing will be enforced and violators will be asked to leave.

 

A fall trip to Linvilla’s Pumpkinland is a tradition for so many families—from giant displays of pumpkins to hayrides to corn mazes to barnyard animals, and so much more. Pumpkinland returns on September 12 and runs through October. The jack-o-lantern exhibit runs from October 23-30. To manage crowds and ensure social distancing, timed tickets for Autumn Moon, Harvest, and Witch’s Hayrides are required to be purchased in advance. You can also reserve a private hayride just for your family.

 

And while Linvilla doesn’t have a pumpkin patch where you can pick your pumpkin, they do have 25 varieties of apples on 20 acres of orchards! No pre-registration is required for apple picking, but Linvilla is limiting the number of guests permitted to pick at one given time, and no one will be permitted in the fields to pick without a prepaid container. This means a $6 entrance fee for everyone over age 1. Wagons to take you to the fields will be one family per bench, so be sure to factor extra wait time into your day. There is no more weekend apple picking right now.

 

Before you leave, visit the Farm Market to take home some fresh cider and other fall treats. On weekends, the Ship Bottom Brewery beer garden will also be open. Reservations are suggested, but not required.

 

Note that due to COVID-19, the playground remains closed, and big events like the Halloween Parade are canceled this year.

Indian Orchards Farm

29 Copes Lane, Media

 

Masks and social distancing are required.

 

PYO is open 10 am—6 pm daily for apples now and pumpkins in October—see their schedule for a full list of their organic crops that are in season. You can also come back in December for Christmas trees! There is a $2.50 per person picking fee (plus pay for what you pick). The farmstand is also open if you want to buy more fresh produce, plus honey and sustainably-harvested firewood.

Shady Brook Farm

931 Stony Hill Rd., Yardley

 

Groups will be separated by two rows while picking, and masks are required for everyone age 3 and up. Sanitizing stations and portable restrooms will be provided throughout the farm.

 

Fall Fest begins September 11, with wagon rides to pick-your-own pumpkins, apples, and sunflowers. In addition to picking fresh fall produce, kids can also have fun with the giant corn maze, playground, pedal go-carts, and more. Timed tickets must be purchased in advance for Fall Fest.

 

The fields can only be accessed via wagon rides (every 30 minutes) from the Pick Your Own Barn. Wagons will be regularly sanitized, and are the only permissible way to get to the picking fields. To limit the number of people and allow social distancing, timed tickets must be purchased in advance for wagon rides.

 

Solebury Orchards

3325 Creamery Road, New Hope

 

Masks or face coverings are required (for everyone over age 2) and must be worn at all times on the premises; social distancing is also required. A hand washing station is available behind the barn.

 

Apple season lasts through November 8, and different apple varieties will continue to ripen and be available for picking through September and October—see their website for which variety is ready for picking that week! A tractor and wagon will be running on Saturdays and Sundays through the apple season to take pickers out through the orchards.

 

Pick your own is open rain or shine. There are no parking fees, entry fees, or wagon ride fees. You are required to pay for all apples you pick ($1.50 per pound), so be sure not to pick more than you want to purchase.

 

No pumpkins here, but through September 26, you can pick flowers in the cutting garden and make up a special bouquet to bring home. They are limiting the number of customers allowed to enter the market at one time but have opened additional outdoor checkouts, which they encourage people to use.

Weaver’s Orchard

40 Fruit Lane, Morgantown

 

Everyone must wear a mask while in line, during the whole check-in process, and while walking to the designated picking areas.

 

Check their website for daily PYO Outlooks to see which of their many apple varieties are ripe for picking, and plan your day trip! Come early in the day and mid-week to avoid crowds—the farm is closed on Sundays, so Saturdays can get really crowded. There is no admission fee, but every adult (defined as age 16 or older) admitted into the field must purchase at least one 1-quart container. This year, you can’t bring or reuse your own containers—you have to use a prepaid container from the orchard.

 

All customers must wash hands at a handwashing station before checking in at the PYO shed. Everyone must wear a mask while in line, during the whole check-in process, and while walking to the designated picking areas. When in the field, customers should maintain a distance of 20 feet from others, and kids have to stay within arm’s length of their grownups. If you’re 20 feet away, you can take your mask off temporarily. Picnics in the field or parking lot are not permitted.

 

Lead photograph by Kristen Micucci.