It’s time for all things fall – corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and apple harvest! If you regularly shop at the grocery store, you’ll notice there’s never a shortage of apples but in the fall, you can buy local if you’re on the east coast. Living in Maryland, I’m surrounded by horse farms and remnants of tobacco farms but luckily it’s just a short drive to some prime apple country in Virginia or, in this case, Pennsylvania.
If you’re looking to celebrate the apple harvest season by doing more than just picking up some local apples at the store, head to Adams County in Pennsylvania where you’ll be treated to apple-themed fun for everyone in the family.
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About Adams County, Pennsylvania
Adams County is best known as the home of Gettysburg, site of the famous civil war battle and Lincoln’s famous address. That alone makes this area worth visiting. But as I’ve written before, there’s so much beyond the battlefield in this area including food tours, holiday celebrations, and charming inns.
Adams County, in particular, is a prominent agricultural area filled with picturesque orchards and farms. You can find parks and golf courses and plenty of historical monuments and trails. But if you’re heading to Adams County in the fall, you should take the time to focus on one of their prominent exports, APPLES!
Here are some ways to enjoy apple harvest season in Adams County, Pennsylvania whether it’s just for the day or you’re looking to make a weekend out of it like we did.
Head to the National Apple Harvest Festival
Grab some friends or family (or both) for the first two full weekends in October every year for the National Apple Harvest Festival. I took my family a few years ago on a cloudy and chilly October day and this year, the apple gods bestowed me and my friends a warm sunny take in which to partake of all things apples!
For a $10 admission, you can eat, shop, watch live demonstrations, and then eat some more. My recommendation is to start with something substantial like the Open Pit Beef sandwich (well known in these parts) topped with onions and horseradish sauce.
That should give you enough stamina to walk the entire festival. Word of warning: if you see something you like, buy it because if you wait to get it on the way out, there’s a high likelihood it will be gone!
You’ll find places to sample beer, wine, and, of course, hard cider. But the real draw is all the delicious apple treats like caramel apples, apple cake, apple bread, apple dumplings, apple strudel, and my personal favorite, apple fritters. If you just want a hint of apples, try the Apple Muenster Grilled Cheese with a hint of apricot preserves. We ate that twice!
The festival is a major attraction in the area so I recommend you go early or after lunch, otherwise you may be waiting in a long line for parking! Your other option is to head to one of the designated parking areas and take a shuttle to the festival. Either way, it’s not to be missed!
Stay at Quaker Valley Orchards and Guesthouse
Although I only live a little over an hour from the area, I was meeting with my friends, Shannon and Lindsay, for a girlfriend getaway. Knowing that we like to hang out together and chat in the evenings, Destination Gettysburg recommended that we stay in the heart of Adams County just 8 minutes away from the National Apple Harvest Festival.
They couldn’t have picked a better spot than the guesthouse at Quaker Valley Orchards. The main house dates back to the 1800s but the guesthouse is a modern in-law suite complete with a living area, kitchen, and bedrooms to accommodate larger parties.
Our host, Fredi, greeted us with her four-legged companions and gave us a tour of just a slice of the 245 acre property. We walked through some of the orchards as she explained the farm operations and which apples were ready to be harvested. And we continued our journey around a beautiful lake on site that can be used for kayaking, even though its main purpose is to help irrigate the land.
While my time there made me think that spending the rest of my days on an orchard and farm might be idyllic, Fredi let us know just how much work goes into keeping that farm afloat! (Thanks Fredi for letting us do a little “pick your own” on the property!)
Eat at Hickory Bridge Farm
Although there was a kitchen at the guesthouse (great for storing and heating up leftovers), we had plenty of food options on our mind and started our weekend with reservations at the local family-style restaurant, Hickory Bridge Farm. This staple has been in business for over 46 years with the same family. You’ll still find owner Mary Lynn Martin greeting each guest at the restaurant most nights.
Come with an appetite for good home cookin’. The menu is set each night (you can check their calendar in advance to know what’s being served) and everything is served family style. When we dined, the entrees were Country Style Barbecue Ribs, Oven Fried Chicken, and Crab Imperial. In addition to the entrees, they’ll bring an endless supply of sides that might include roasted potatoes, corn fritters (amazing!), broccoli with cheese sauce, carrots, spiced apples, bread, apple butter, and more. You will NOT go away hungry.
But save room for dessert (also included)! I was so full that I thought I’d simply take a bite and push my dessert away. Instead, I finished every last bite of the Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce.
Then if you need to walk it off, you can head to the Country Store located in a building behind the restaurant. It’s not only a cute country store but it’s also a mini-museum with a nod to the old country life.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, they also have a bed & breakfast farmhouse and country cottages available for reservations.
Spend an Evening at Thirsty Farmer Brew Works
If you’re looking for a lighter meal and maybe some local suds, you might want to try out the Thirsty Farmer Brew Works, just across from the famous Historic Round Barn.
This local brewery has plenty of beer on tap made from their locally grown hops, as well as unique sodas, ciders, and cocktail drinks. It’s kid-friendly and offers a unique menu of starters or a build-your-own meal that can be made into a sandwich, wrap, salad, or flatbread!
If you catch them on the right night, you may be able to join into to trivia or listen to live music on their outdoor stage.
Get Lost at Boyer Nursery and Orchards
Need more apples? A local market is a great place to find local products like produce and baked goods, and ice cream (we had the pumpkin ice cream here!). Boyer Nursery and Orchards is close to the National Apple Harvest Festival and a great stop either before or after, or on another day like we did.
In addition to a cider tasting room and pick-your-own apples, this is a true nursery offering a wide variety of trees and shrubs available for purchase. So it only made sense that they used some of these shrubs to create a Hedge Maze! As we entered, we thought we could just keep making a turn in the same direction and… we got lost. But we did make it to the center and back out again. It’s just more challenging than we thought!
After the Hedge Maze, we wanted to work off some of the apple goodies we’d been sampling so we tried their new 1 mile hiking trail. On this trail, you’ll hike across the fields and orchards to the top of the hillside woods where you’ll be rewarded with an amazing view of the valley. As you make your way back down to the market, it’s a good time to try that cider or ice cream!
Go Shopping at Hollabaugh Bros Fruit Farm & Market
Corresponding to the dates of the National Apple Harvest Festival, Hollabaugh Bros hosts its own Apple Harvest Festival with plenty of things to keep the family busy. As you might expect at a Fruit Farm & Market, there are plenty of apple varieties to sample and choose from or you can pick your own. But during their apple harvest festival, you can sample local apple-themed items, buy some baked goods (the apple cider donuts came home with me!), enjoy their signature Apple Cider Donut Milkshake (I did not have room for that one), or grab something from the food truck.
After eating or shopping, you can sit outside and play cornhole, ring toss, or enjoy some of the other activities outside. And if you’re lucky, you’ll even see Kay Hollabaugh herself working at the front of the store.
I’ve known from many Gettysburg-area trips over the years that there’s more than just the battlefield. Adams County is one of my favorite places to visit for the picturesque farms, local history, and, of course, APPLES! October is the best time to celebrate the apple harvest season but there is plenty of agriculture to enjoy year round.
This trip was hosted by Destination Gettysburg.
