Apple Picking in Connecticut

18th Century Purity Farms at the Hall Homestead - Plainfield, CT
On Saturdays only, pick your own apples, including several heirloom varieties, and purchase tons of other produce grown from this farm, the 312th farm protected under the state’s Farmland Preservation Program and the third in Plainfield.

Allyn’s Red Barn - Ledyard, CT
This small apple farm has pick your own as well as pre-picked from the farm store, with 10 varieties to choose from throughout the season. They also sell frozen apple pies (perfect for enjoying later!) as well as fresh apple cider and other apple-related products.

Averill Farms - Washington Depot, CT
Pick your own apples and pears (pre-picked also available), plus you can purchase both sweet and hard ciders, fresh cider donuts, and jams and jellies, plus locally made pies, maple syrup, honey, cheese and more. After Thanksgiving, you can purchase Christmas trees here as well. This tenth generation farm was purchased in 1746.

Beardsley’s Cider Mill and Orchards - Shelton, CT
Pick your own apples from more than 15 varieties (cash or check only, prepaid). They also have apple cider, cider donuts, pies and other baked goods, and local raw honey available for purchase. They are growing European varieties to use in hard cider, which should be available in 2023, or shortly thereafter.

Belinsky Farm - Oxford, CT
Pick your own apples, plus a pumpkin patch, peaches and pears. You can also come back and cut your own Christmas tree, from several varieties.

Belltown Hill Orchards - South Glastonbury, CT
A fourth generation, 155 acre working farm owned and operated by the Preli family. They grow more than 20 varieties of apples on their pick your own orchard. You can also pick out your own pumpkins, precut Christmas trees, and more. Stop in the bakery for apple cider donuts, pies and other delicious goodies. Grandma’s Pantry sells homemade applesauce, native honey, local maple syrup and other food products. Located about halfway between Hartford and Middletown.

Bishop’s Orchards - Guilford, CT
This six generation farm was established in 1871, and has expanded both physically and in what they offer. In addition to pick your own produce (which includes multiple locations in the Guilford area) including apples (which can be found at 526 New England Road, along with the corn maze, berries, pears and peaches, and on Long Hill Road, with peaches and strawberries), they offer a Farm Market featuring sweet cider, a creamery, and a bakery, which offers fresh cider donuts, pies, and much more. The Little Red Barn offers a pumpkin patch, apple train, food truck, and various children’s activities, some available every day and some available weekends only. The winery, run by fifth generation family member Keith Bishop, offers fruit wines and hard ciders, and offers tastings in the original 1928 barn, as well as sales by the bottle. They are located just outside New Haven.

Blue Jay Orchards - Bethel, CT
Pick your own apples, and an pumpkin from the patch. Their farm market sells their famous apple cider and cider donuts, as well as other baked goods, preserves and other local products. A 140 acre New England farm 1.25 hours from Manhattan that dates back to Mr. Josephy’s purchase of 50 acres in Fairfield County in 1934.

Buell’s Orchard - Eastford, CT
Pick your own apples beginning around Labor Day, and pumpkins from late September, through late October. They also offer a harvest festival every year around Columbus day weekend, with hayrides and live entertainment. The farm was founded in 1889, and is now being run by the fourth generation of Buell’s.

DeFazio Orchard and Greenhouses - Dayville, CT
Pick your own apples, and an pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. They also make fresh apple cider.

Dondero Orchards - Southington, CT
Pick your own apples, plus pumpkins in their shop. Grab some apple cider and baked goods – cider donuts, pies, fritters, and more while you’re there. They also have Christmas trees available after Thanksgiving, and wreaths as well.

Drazen Orchards - Cheshire, CT
The orchard, purchased in 1951, and now features pick-your-own apples in over 10 varieties, plus blueberries, peaches, plums and pears. They offer wagon rides on the weekends. The farm stand offers pre-picked fruits and vegetables, plus apple cider, cider donuts, pies, pumpkins and more. They are located about halfway between Waterbury and Middletown.

Easy Pickin’s Orchard - Enfield, CT
The 50 acre farm purchased by the Kelliher family in 1951 and was opened to the public in 1992. They have twenty varieties of apples growing on dwarf trees trained to a four wire trellis, offering both tall and short the opportunity to pick from the trees without assistance. Free wagon rides on Sunday afternoons starting the weekend after Labor Day. Make Your Own Scarecrows on weekends after Labor Day, plus a gourd hunt (like an easter egg hunt) for kids on the third Sunday in October. Located northeast of Hartford, it is near the Massachusetts border southeast of Springfield.

Ellsworth Hill Orchard and Berry Farm - Sharon, CT
Home of the world’s first naturally pink pumpkin (harvested in 2001), this farm offers pick your own berries, plus apples beginning in late August and pumpkins beginning in October. Their corn maze is available Labor Day through November, and they make their own fresh apple cider as well.

Hickory Hill Orchards - Cheshire, CT
Pick your own apples, pears, and peaches. They also have a pumpkin patch as well as pre-picked produce and more at the country store.

High Hill Orchard - Meriden, CT
Pick your own apples through Thanksgiving. They also have pumpkins available, and make fresh apple and pear cider weekly.

Holmberg Orchards - Gales Ferry, CT
Pick your own apples available in September and October, with other produce available in the preceding months. You can also pick out a pumpkin and take a turn at the corn maze. They have 14 varieties of pies in their bakery, and are well-known for their apple crisp as well. They make their own fruit wines and hard ciders. The farm market also stocks produce, local preserves, farmmade candles, and more. You can take a wagon ride through the orchard on weekends during September and October.

Horse Listeners Orchard - Ashford, CT
This pick your own farm has apples, among other produce, available beginning in September, in over a dozen varieties. They offer train rides and their farm store carries a wide array of pre-picked produce.

Johnny Appleseed’s Farm - Eillington, CT
Apple varieties ripen between early August and the end of October. Enjoy picking from their dwarf apple trees, so no ladders or climbing is required. They offer 12 different apple varieties, and have peaches as well. They also have pick your own pumpkins starting in late September. Free tractor rides on weekends. Their two farm stands sell cider, apples, pies and other products.

Karabin Farms - Southington, CT
Pick your own apples beginning in mid-August, and enjoy a free wagon ride on the way out to the orchard on weekends. Bags are sold prior to heading to the orchard. Beginning mid-September, they also have pick your own pumpkins. They also offer farm raised meats and maple syrup. Beginning after Thanksgiving, they have both pre-cut and cut your own Christmas trees.

Lapsley Orchards - Pomfret, CT
Pick your own apples beginning in early September and pumpkins beginning in late September, through October. They also have other produce, flowers, and more available for purchase in the market. Fresh apple cider donuts will be available on weekends throughout the fall. During the Sunday of Labor Day, come pick up Sunflowers for Kids, with proceeds donated to United Services to fund local children’s programs. Enjoy a free wagon ride around the orchard every Sunday during September and October. They also have a fall festival during the Columus day weekend in October.

Lost Acres Orchard - North Granby, CT
They offer pick your own apples, plus a variety of pre-picked produce in their market, including local pumpkins. They also press their own cider, and make fresh pies, Christmas cookies, apple butter, and more.

Lyman Orchards - Middlefield, CT
The 12th oldest family owned business, it was started in 1741 and is now in its 9th generation. They grow more than 100 varieties of fruit on their 1,100 acres, including apples and pumpkins. They are Eco-certified for apples and peaches. They have 12 varieties of apples are available for pick-your-own from mid-August to late October. You can also pick your pumpkin here starting in late September. They also have an annual corn maze. The bakery is known for their Hi-Top apple pie, made from their generations old family recipe. They also have two 18-hole championship golf courses. It is conveniently located within 30 minutes of Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury.

March Farm - Bethlehem, CT
Pick your own apples and pumpkins at March Farm in September and October. They also have a corn maze, hay rides through the orchard, bonfire pit, and snack shack at the Hill Top Orchard. At the Main Farm, enjoy the pondside animal yard, farm store, children’s activities and more. A free shuttle runs between the two areas, so wherever you park, you can experience it all! The Farm Market also offers fresh baked goods, made on site, including pies, cider donuts, and more, plus local preserves and other products, and produce. This fourth generation farm in Bethlehem is about 12 miles northwest of Waterbury.

Norton Brothers Fruit Farm - Cheshire, CT
Pick your own apples from almost 20 varieties beginning in mid-August, and pumpkins are available starting mid-September. They also have Christmas trees available throughout December, in several varieties. They make their own cider and cider donuts, as well as pies (both fresh and frozen) and other baked goods and farmmade or local preserves and other goodies.

Rogers Orchards - Southington, CT
A bicentennial farm and Connecticut landmark established in 1809. Eight generations of the Rogers family have farmed here, with the farm currently growing 20 varieties of apples including Macoun apples and heirloom varieties. They are certified Eco Apple growers and practice Integrated Pest Management. PYO is open from early September to late October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Home Farm and Sunnymount locations. The bakery offers pies, apple cider donuts and cinnamon-dusted apple fritter donuts, apple dumplings and homemade apple sour cream coffee cake. They have two locations – Home Farm, the original farm dating back to 1809, and Sunnymount, which began in 1965.

Rose Orchards Farm - North Branford, CT
Pick your own apples through September and October, and pumpkins in mid-September through October. Peaches and raspberries also overlap with most of apple season and can be picked as well. All produce is also available pre-picked in the farm market, where you can also purchase pies (15 varieties!), custard or frozen yogurt based treats (including milkshakes and sundaes), or a meal from the grill.

Rose’s Berry Farm - South Glastonbury, CT
This pick your own berry farm also offers pick your own apples, pumpkins, and Christmas trees throughout the season. They also sell all sorts of produce at their Farm Stand on Hebron Avenue, in addition to farm-made jams and other products, fresh and frozen pies and other baked goods (perfect to enjoy now and another for later), and products from local artisans. They offer hayrides in the fall.

Scott’s Yankee Farmer - East Lyme, CT
They have, among others, pick your own apples (September and October) and pumpkins (October). They also make fresh apple cinnamon donuts on weekends. They also have a farm stand just down the street from the orchard.

Silverman’s Farm - Easton, CT
A PYO fruit farm with tractor rides and petting farm. It is run by the Silverman family, who founded the farm in the early 1920s. They grow 15 varieties of apples for picking and have heirloom varieties available for harvesting. There is also a pumpkin patch. The Farm Market sells cider, fresh picked apples and 16 varieties of pies. After Thanksgiving, come pick out a pre-cut Christmas tree. Located 50 miles from New York City.