Its early September and there’s nothing like autumn in New England, where us northerners enjoy apple picking, cider drinking and hay-riding! I've been going apple picking for many years now and I've been to orchards all over MA. My first apple picking memory was about 20 years back when I was teaching preschool. I had the youngest group of 2 & 3 year olds, we visited every year as part of our September curriculum, and it is such a lovely time to remember :) It's SO MUCH MORE than just picking apples, though!
Every location is different and has something special to offer, from farm animals to little farm stores, corn mazes to pumpkin patches and of course, apple picking & cider donuts! It's a good idea to call ahead before you head out just to make sure they are operating, especially if the weather is lousy. Here are my top three places to go apple picking, all less than 30 miles outside of Dorchester.
Belkin Lookout Farm 89 Pleasant St, South Natick, MA 01760 (508) 653–0653
Open Daily 10am-5pm Picking Hours 10am-5pm (June to late Oct)
Hours & Cost:
Daily Admission $17 Children $20 Adults
Seasonal Fruit Picking Bags (not included with admission) sm $14, md $22, lg $36
Fun on the Farm (all included with admission):
Train Ride (get on/off as often as you like) || Hay Pyramid || Farm Maze || Barnyard Animals || Imagination Block Playground || Children's Play Area || Moon Bounce || Caterpillar Ride || Face Painting (weekends ONLY 12pm-4pm)
Honey Pot Hill Orchards 138 Sudbury Road, Stow MA 01775 (978)-562-5666
Open Daily 9am-6pm (through Dec) Picking Hours 9:30am-5pm (early Sept to late Oct)
Hours & Cost:
*Junior Farm Pack $18 pp OR **Senior Farm Pack $24 pp
Each farm pack includes:
-1/2 Peck Picking Bag (10-12 apples, approximately 5-6 lbs)
-Public Hayride
-*Mini Monster Maze (Junior Pack)/**Big Monster Maze (Senior Pack)
-1 Plain Caramel Apple
-1 Cider Donut
-One 16 oz. Apple Cider Guzzler
-Farm Animal Encounters (Sheep, Goats, Bunnies & Baby Chicks)
Fun on the Farm (besides apple picking/farm packs)
-Farm Store open daily 9am-6pm (closed Mon in Nov & Dec)
-Hayrides (weather permitting) $2 pp; Free 2 & under
-Mazes (pay once and gain admission to all 3!!)
Pay One Price (POP) - Ages 16+ $11.95, Ages 3-15 $7.95, 2 & under Free.
The Big Green Monster Hedge Maze: (weekends 10am-4pm @ POP price above)
-Children 9 and under must be accompanied by an adult
The Mini Monster Hedge Maze: (daily 9am-6pm)
-Children 5 & under must be accompanied by a person 11 & over
$4 pp weekend, $2 pp weekday, FREE 3 & under (this maze ONLY)
The Tunnel Maze: (daily 9am-6pm) Ages 4-9 ONLY
-Paid admission to the Big or Mini Maze includes entry into this maze
Connors Farm 30 Valley Rd, Danvers, MA 01923 (978)-777-1245 Open Daily 8am-6pm (Sept 7 to Nov 3)
Hours & Cost:
Weekday Admission - Ages 3+ $9.99, Ages 65+ $8.99, 2 & under Free with a paying adult
Weekend Admission - Ages 3+ $14.95, Ages 65+ $13.95, 2 & under Free with a paying adult
Seasonal Fruit Picking Bags: (not included with admission) Call for details.
Fun on the Farm: (all included with admission unless marked '$')
7-Acre Corn Maze || Putnamville Railroad “Ride the Train” || Barnyard Animals || Black Mamba || Zipline || Corn Cobb Beach || Corn Hole || Cow Train || Giant Rocking Chair & Swing || Grain Train || Teepee || Horse Swings || Jumping Pillows || Pedal Carts || Giant Pipe Slide || Treehouses || Tug-O-War || Rat Rollers Schoolhouse || High Stricker Ring the Bell || Duck Races || Fort Connors || Spider Web || Gigantic Sandbox || Trikes || Barn & Silo || Candy Shoot* || Mini Pedal Tractor Pull* || Mechanical Bull* || Apple Picking ($) || Gold Panning/Gemstone Mining ($) || Pumpkin Picking ($) || Apple Cannons (*$) || Paintball Gallery (*$) || Friendly Fire Zone (*$)
(*) Weekends only ($) Extra Fee
There you have it! The three main spots we tend to visit and they're all less than one hour away. Have a great time on your farm adventure, and remember...leave your pets at home and call ahead to make sure it's a good fit for your family!
~Thanks for stopping by!~
Gaitre Lakhan, Publisher Mom
Macaroni Kid Dorchester
Macaroni Kid Dorchester is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in 9 towns of Boston and surrounding towns. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts and more. We 💕 PROUDLY serve families in Dorchester, South Boston, Quincy, Milton, Readville, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Mattapan and Roxbury!
Want to be the first to know about great local events for families?
Subscribe TODAY!
