Happy fall everyone! Now that the weather has gotten colder, the leaves have started to change color, and we’re able to wear sweaters, it officially feels like fall!
Lately I’ve been thinking about some fall traditions that I always did back home in Michigan, with the first of these being to go apple picking. Traditionally, I’ve always grabbed a group of friends and we’ve spent a couple hours at our local apple orchard picking everything from Gala to Honey Crisp apples. The second tradition that comes to mind is carving pumpkins. Every year, my siblings and I would go to a pumpkin patch and pick out the biggest pumpkins we could find. Then we would bring them home and either carve or paint them. So when fall came around this year, I started wondering, how can I continue to do these traditions? Here are some of the most popular apple orchards and pumpkin patches that I found near Indiana University.
1. The first stop is Anderson Orchard. Here, they offer u-pick apples, as well as pumpkins and other fruits. They offer 100 acres of u-pick apple trees and customers can also purchase apple flavored things such as their famous Apple Cider Slush, which is available from July to November. This orchard is also reasonably priced as you pay by the size of your apple picking bag. For a 5lb bag, it costs $10, and for a 10lb it costs $20. There is no extra fee for picking. Anderson Orchard is open seven days a week from 8am-6pm every day. The orchard is also known for its activities on the weekends where they have festivals in the summer, host a 5k run, and on fall weekends they serve special treats such as elephant ears and fried apple pies. Anderson Orchard is located in Mooresville, IN which is about forty minutes away, however, despite the distance, the orchard is said to have great service and customers are able to have a good selection of apples for a good price. Anderson Orchard is also rated a 4.5 star review on Yelp. This orchard would be a great place for students to spend a fall afternoon at!
(Anderson Orchard Welcome Sign)
Source: do317.com
2. The second stop is The Apple Works. Here, they offer both apple picking and a pumpkin patch. The prices are reasonable for pumpkins, as you can get 4 medium sized pumpkins for $22. Some of the other attractions at the Apple Works include hayrides, a petting zoo with goats for children, and live music. The Apple Works also has lots of fall food including apple cider, doughnuts, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and their specialty apple dumplings. Every day of the week, Apple Works is open: from 9am to 6 pm on Monday through Saturday, and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday’s. They are located in Trafalgar, IN which is about 50 minutes away from Indiana University. Despite the far distance, The Apple Works is rated 4 out of 5 stars and would be a fun day trip!
(Apple Works Apple Dumpling)
Source: apple-works.com
3. The third stop is Lark Ranch. Lark Ranch is mainly a pumpkin patch with a few other attractions. Pumpkin prices are slightly higher than The Apple Works, however are still categorized as moderate on Yelp. Lark Ranch is known for its attractions such as hayrides, a corn maize, a mechanical bull, a pumpkin patch, a zipline course, and some more adventurous rides such as The Whizzer and Orbitron. For children, the ranch also has a train ride, a corn box, and a jumping pillow, among other attractions. If you purchase a ticket for $11.99, then you have access to all of the attractions listed above. Lark Ranch is only open on Friday from 5pm to 10pm, on Saturday from 12pm to 10pm, and on Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Lark Ranch is located in Loogootee, IN, which is about 57 minutes away from Indiana University. The ranch has 4.5 stars on Yelp and would be a fun trip for a Friday or Saturday night with a group of friends!
(Lark Ranch Pumpkins)
Source: larkranch.com
These are just some of the apple orchards and pumpkin patches near Bloomington that would make for a fun weekend afternoon or evening! And even if these locations are too far away, you can always run to the store to pick up pumpkins to carve or to grab some locally grown apples to make your fall more festive!
Written By: Kara Lehner
Kara is the Communications Associate in The Women’s Network. She is a sophomore and is a part of the Communications Committee. Kara is also a member of Run Club, Net Impact, and CLD at IU. In her free time she loves to run, bike, hike, kayak and read.