There’s no better way to celebrate fall than with a day on the farm with the family. Luckily for us, there are plenty of options for hayrides, pumpkin patches, and apple cider within a short drive of Charlotte. Here are our favorite places to get your fall fix this season:
Windy Hill Orchard and Cider Mill
Just south of Charlotte in York, South Carolina, you can spend the day at Windy Hill Orchard and Cider Mill, a boutique orchard known for hard cider, pick-your-own apples, hayrides, and apple cider donuts. Go all out by getting tickets to the Apple Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Really indulge at Hally Family Farm this fall with their famous apple cider donut sundae. When you need to work off all that sugar, take a spin through the five-acre corn maze, and then take a hayride to pick the perfect pumpkin. As an added benefit, there are several kids activities for free, including duck racing and a mini maze.
Pick your family’s pumpkin for the season at Carrigan Farms in Mooresville. On Saturdays and Sundays, catch a hayride to the pumpkin patch and select your perfect pumpkin. Make it a perfect fall outing by taking a night hayride, complete with a bonfire for marshmallows before or after the ride. On the haunted side, check out Scarrigan Farms.
Have some fall farm fun with Bush-N-Vine. Take a wagon ride out to pick-your-own pumpkins, enjoy bounce houses (for the kids) and live music (for the parents), and treat yourself to apple cider.
Have an unconventional fall farm weekend with pizza. Wise Acres is also home to Wise Pie Pizza Kitchen, with wood-fired pizzas made to order. Some traditional farm activities can still be found here, like wagon rides, corn pits and mazes, playgrounds, and zip rides. Need a wake up call? Check out the Wise and Shine coffee and tea camper on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
