This is a transitional time in the year for me, still too hot to be considered autumn, but September doesn’t feel like summer either. This weekend should be the annual Apple Festival, but the downtown street festival is canceled this year. Instead, the apple orchards are doing individual sales of their apples this weekend, allowing visitors to wander in the orchards to pick their own apples, and some with extra things like a corn maze or live music. There are 14 orchards on the official tour, and several more that are not. We still are not comfortable in crowds, so we went early on Friday to see what was happening at a couple of nearby orchards.
Our first stop was Coston Farms. Here you could walk the orchard and pick your own apples if you wanted to, or they had bags in the store to purchase.
It was early in the day, but it was very humid. We went to the orchard just to walk a bit. The tree rows had placards with the variety name.
Apples hung heavy in the trees, ready for picking. These are Fuji apples.
Rows were recently mowed, but the ground was wet so we didn’t go far.
These Rome Beauty’s were low enough to get to easily.
Clusters of Jonagold apples were tempting.
Inside the store, fall displays delighted the eyes. It cannot turn to autumn fast enough for me!
Half-peck bags of apples in several varieties were waiting to be taken home. They also had lots of baked apples goodies, jams and jellies, cider and more.
On the way home, we stopped at Mountain Fresh Orchards.
The nice thing here was the beautiful view of the orchards and distant mountain from a deck built on the side of the store area.
With well kept trees with no weeds underneath, this would have been a better place to walk, but by now it was getting hot.
More apples were for sale here, with different varieties than the last orchard.
They also had hot and fresh goodies coming out of their kitchen, and the aroma was wonderful. Hot apple fritters, dumplings, fried pies and whole apple pies were available.
Next to the hot case, lovely baked apple treats beckoned. We came home with some turnovers from here.
If all this has you in the mood for apples, here are links to some of my original apple recipes – first, Apple Cake Donuts
Honey Crisp Applesauce with Cinnamon
If you are a member of the Friends of From My Carolina Home Facebook group, I have a special poll there now for members, so stop by and let me know your choice. A cool front came through yesterday, dropping the humidity and making it seem more like fall. Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend! What are you doing for the holiday?
From My Carolina Home 
Oh yummmmm…..your post reminds me to head out to the orchards here in the Waynesville area….
Enjoyed the pictures. Brought back memories of my Grandparents farm.
We have no apples in town this year due to an untimely cold front late last spring, but I got a box of honey crips to 99cents/pound on Friday! The apples are monsters, (probably the reason for the sale), 32 apples weighed 27 pounds! I did some slices for crips and apple treats later and they are in the freezer, the rest are going in the dehydrator tonight. Yum!
when we would visit our daughter various times over the years in September we would go to the apple orchards to pick apples – now she has moved to California by the ocean and no apple orchards anymore! it will be a fun memory
I would have a hard time resisting all the goodies made with apples. Great reminder to support the local growers. I bet the flavors were wonderful. I do love an apple coffee cake! Glad the heat wave is over here in the mid-Atlantic area too. Windows and doors open for a while this morning.
Wow, what a beautiful, fun trip! I’d say that was a LOT more than an orchard! Our local orchard opens up next week … I can’t wait! Thanks for sharing your fun with us! 🙂
Carole, do you know if any of the orchards have a place where they would have plenty of parking and open area where I could have my Korea War Veterans meet for a get together? Our original place was the Golden Corral but with COVID, I’m still not comfortable with them being in that environment just yet and was looking for open spaces where they could bring their chairs and just enjoy the company, maybe bring a picnic lunch or in this case could pick up something from their stands. Please let me know if you have any points of contacts or which orchards you think would best fit that bill. Thanks, Michele
Sent you an email.
Your photos are a PBS special! I can feel the sunshine and smell the apples.
Two words pop up – “Crowds” – remember when 6 WASN”T a crowd? “Half-Peck – this city girl had no idea and now with your yummy pictures I do! The tree people came yesterday and cut down my last apple tree – we had 3. Just old age. They were here when we moved in 32 years ago. But the funny part – the guys argued about who got to take home the logs! I got to keep the stumps. (Think “The Giving Tree”) I’m putting it in the front garden for my “Little Library.” Thanks so much for all you put into this.
I am planning to do the “route” either tomorrow or TUES…..I am also very hesitant to “mingle” and do not want to miss our lovely orchards here. Our apple farmers work so hard and not having the festival must really be cutting into profits. Did you know we are the largest producer county in N C and that NC is 7th nationwide for apples. It makes me crazy to go into stores HERE that have Washington State apples. We know those are last year’s crop also. Thank you for the great post!
What a lovely day, even with high humidity! 5 years ago we visited upstate New York in September and the apple harvest was amazing! We just don’t have orchards like that here in Colorado. We’re not doing much for Labor Day. Our state is one that people flock to for outdoor recreation, so we are staying home to avoid the crowds.
I like the idea of visiting the orchards early. Hubby and I were just discussing going apple picking this past week. I think we might try to go early next weekend. It is an hour drive east, so we will have to get up early. Thanks for the recipe links. That coffee cake looks delicious.
Such a nice trip to the orchards. I love apples and any way that they can be made into a recipe, I am happy. Have a nice Labor Day!
We also have lots of Apple Orchards and cause for apple celebrating here in Washington but they too were also canceled with the same alternatives for apple buying and orchard walks. TY for sharing your gorgeous side of apple country 🙂
Looks like these apple orchards think of everything with all their delicious in store items as well as the apples. I am pleased they have found a way to go ahead regardless of the festival being cancelled. What a lovely day.
I’m happy that I stopped by and saw your post and I wanted to let you know I enjoyed your photos of the orchards. We had an orchard in New Hampshire with 100 different varieties of apples. Your story brought back memories of all the people who used to enjoy coming there for apples each fall. 😊