Photos courtesy of Betsy Barron Photography

With fall in full swing, AroundMainLine.com has put together the perfect guide for apple picking around the Delaware Valley.

The leaves are turning, the temperatures are dropping and the apple picking season is most definitely upon us! With fall in full swing, AroundMainLine.com has put together the perfect guide for apple picking around the Delaware Valley. Our local orchards and farms are an integral part of the region’s culture and community and we could not think of a better way to celebrate them!

Here’s to lots of fun adventures, great memories and of course…yummy apples!

Cheers,
Sarah Lockard
AroundMainLine.com

Berks County

Weaver’s Orchard Farm Market
40 Fruit Lane, Morgantown, PA
Web: weaversorchard.com
Facebook: Click here to become a Facebook fan
Twitter: @WeaversOrchard
Phone: 610-856-7300
Seasonal Hours (May-October): Monday-Friday 8-7; Saturday 8-5; Closed Sunday
Winter Hours (November-April): Monday-Friday 8-6; Saturday 8-5; Closed Sunday
Details: Weaver’s Orchard Farm Market is a fourth generation family farm nestled in the scenic hills of Berks County, just 15 minutes south of Reading, Pennsylvania. The orchard farm market is open year-round featuring fresh, local and homegrown fruits and vegetables. Choose from a variety of bakery fresh pies, pastries and artisan breads, deli sandwiches and cold cuts, free-range meat from local Pennsylvania farms, hormone-free dairy products and much more. Nestled in the beautiful hills of Berks County just 15 minutes south of Reading, between Morgantown and Green Hills on route 10, Weaver’s Orchard is a destination for family fun in Pennsylvania, offering many activities for the family such as festivals, wholesome entertainment and educational events throughout the year.

Snipes Farm, Nursery and Golf
890 W. Bridge Street, Morrisville, PA
Web: snipesfarm.com
Facebook:Click here to become a Facebook fan
Phone: 215-295-1138
Email: info8@snipesfarm.com
Hours: Open Daily 9am to 4pm
Details: Sister and brother team, Susan Snipes-Wells and Jonathan Snipes, manage the family farm. They hold a vision that Snipes Farm is a green jewel in congested lower Bucks County. A love of the land and a spirit of peace guide the Snipes family, and the many dedicated Snipes employees, as they work to keep the farm a beautiful and welcoming place for the public. A lot has changed since James and Joan Moon arrived in Bucks County in 1682, but 323 years later Snipes Farm’s 150 acres of recreation, fruit orchards and ancient trees still welcome visitors. Apple picking runs through Oct. 30th based on crop availability.

Solebury Orchards
3325 Creamery Road, New Hope, PA
Web: soleburyorchards.com
Facebook:Click here to become a Facebook fan
Phone: 215-297-8079
Email: mail@soleburyorchards.com
Hours: Thurs to Sunday 9am to 6pm
Details: Solebury Orchards, located in the center of scenic Bucks County, grows peaches, apples, blueberries, raspberries and other fruits. The farm is well known for its high quality fruits which are available from summer through winter at the Solebury Orchards Market. Increasingly popular at the orchard is pick your own, where customers can enjoy themselves surrounded by beautiful fields of berries and orchards. During weekends in September and October there are wagon rides through the orchards for apple picking. All pick-your-own fruit is priced by the pound for whatever you pick, with no additional charges. Apple picking is available through Nov. 7th rain or shine.

Chester County

Highland Orchards
11000 Marshallton-Thorndale Road, West Chester, PA
Web: highlandorchards.net
Facebook:Click here to become a Facebook fan
Phone: 610-269-3494
Email: events@highlandorchards.net
Hours: Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm, picking registration ends daily at 5pm.
Details: With over 200 acres of growing crops, Highland boasts twenty varieties of apples. And, you can bet there is plenty of activity this time of year on the farm-from hayrides, a kid korral, scarecrow building and more. Check the orchard blog on their website for daily updates on available apples and upcoming events.

Delaware County

Linvilla Orchards, Media

Linvilla Orchards
137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, PA
Web: linvillaorchards.com
Facebook:Click here to become a Facebook fan
Twitter: @ILoveThatPlace
Phone: 610-876-8796
Email: apples@linvilla.com
Hours: Farm Market & Pumpkinland: Sunday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday & Saturday 9am-9pm
Details: Pick your own apples 9am-6pm every day at Linvilla Orchards. Their Pumpkinland Harvest Festival runs through November 6th. Larger than life figures and scarecrows illustrate the legends and lure of the harvest season, local history and some of the many stories of pumpkins and apples. Group programs are available for school and camp tours, evening hayrides with campfires and birthday parties. Hop on a tractor at Linvilla for a harvest hay ride and enjoy a scenic and fun tour of their fields and orchards.

Lehigh County

County Line Orchard
9200 Kings Highway, Kempton, PA
Web: clorchard.com
Facebook:Click here to become a Facebook fan
Phone: 610-756-6411
Email: todds@enter.net
Hours: July through October: Fri., Sat. and Sun. 10am to 6pm; November: Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm
Details: Apple picking at County Line runs from September through mid November. Varieties still available for picking include: Melrose, Rome, Ida Red, Suncrisp and Goldrush.

Strawberry Acres
1767 Clearview Road, Coplay, PA
Web: strawberryacres.com
Phone: 610-262-8484
Email: upikfruit@verizon.net
Hours: Monday through Friday 9a.m. to 7p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5p.m.; Sunday from 11am to 5 pm
Details: Strawberry Acres provides picking containers and rides to the field. No ladders are needed to pick your own fruit. On weekends during the fall, they offer a hayride through the orchard during operating hours. It’s a fifteen minute ride with a beautiful view of Lehigh Gap and the Blue Mountain. They also offer kids crafting events for fun fall crafts to bring home to mom and dad. This takes place at 11am on Saturdays in September and October in the Johnny Appleseed Schoolhouse. A different craft each weekend—so visitors can come for one or all craft days. Recommended for children ages 5 to 10. Reservation not needed, but preferred for supply purchasing. Minimal fee. Pony Rides: Available to all riders, weekends only! Riders are led by experienced handlers.

For a complete list of locales and times for apple picking across the region, visit: www.pickyourown.org

By AML Publisher
Photos not credited are courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

All Aboard!
Ride the rails with Santa and Mrs. Claus this holiday season!

West Chester Railroad
The Santa Express
Every weekend through December 20th
Train Departs at 11am, 1 and 3pm
West Chester, PA
www.westchesterrr.com
Adults $15, Children 2+ $10

A ride on the West Chester Railroad’s Santa Express this holiday season offers kids young and old a trip back to a simple time along the beautiful Chester Creek in Chester County. The route is part of the old Pennsylvania Railroad central division on the West Chester and Phoenixville branch.

Christmas Tree Train – New for 2010!
Sundays December 12th & 19th
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

West Chester Railroad is hosting its first Christmas Tree train this holiday season! For the first time, we have partnered with Wiggins Tree Farm in West Chester, PA. The train will board at the intersection of Adams St. and Nields St. There is a gravel parking lot at the intersection. Visit www.wigginschristmastrees.com for additional information about the tree farm. All trees have the special price of $40 for all Tree Train ticket holders.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography

The great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt has been rescheduled for this Saturday March 20th from 1 to 4pm.

Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt
RESCHEDULED for Saturday March 20th from 1pm to 4pm
Narberth, PA
Downtown Narberth, Corner of Haverford Avenue and Forrest Avenue
www.narberthonline.com
email: info@narberthonline.com

The third annual Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt has been rescheduled to take place Saturday, March 20th, from 1pm – 4pm. The annual event, courtesy of The Narberth Business Association, is an anticipated Main Line family tradition. Local kids, young and old at heart, can get St. Patty’s Day started early with this free family event. Kids hunt all over downtown Narberth for leprechauns, and collect treats along the way. Find them all, and get a prize at the end. The hunt goes until 4 pm or until prizes are gone.

This fun, challenging scavenger hunt allows kids to search all over town to find thirteen leprechauns. Children start the hunt by getting a map and a game card and an empty pot o’ gold from the Blarney Booth at the corner of Haverford and Forrest Avenues. They get treats as they find the leprechauns, who are hiding in shops all over town. Once they’ve found all thirteen leprechauns, they return to the booth for a prize. The hunt lasts until 4pm or until all prizes are gone.
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By AML Publisher
Photos courtesy of Belle Vie Photography
All photos taken at The Strasburg Railroad

Santa’s Paradise Express will be pulling into Lancaster’s Strasburg Rail Road, bringing Santa on his journey to spread the magic of the season to thousands of families who believe.

The Strasburg Railroad
Strasburg, PA
www.strasburgrailroad.com
“Santa Paradise Express”
Dec 11th 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th & 20th
$16 Adults, $10 Children
717-687-7522

The Strasburg Railroad’s ‘Santa Paradise Express’ has been a family tradition for thousands across the Delaware Valley for fifty-one years. “I think riding with Santa on the train is just a different experience then seeing Santa in a traditional atmosphere-like the mall where the children sit on his lap for a minute or two and pose for a picture. On the Paradise Express, Santa comes to the kids and the family-and that is something very special,” explained Strasburg’s Event Manager Ric Gochenauer. Many families visit Strasburg every holiday season, some returning for decades bringing back generations of family members for the ride. This year Strasburg added a third weekend for the annual adventure (starting with Thanksgiving weekend) and expects over 10,000 riders for the ’09 Express.
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