Photo: Skylar Zilka/Unsplash
Fall is harvest time! Celebrate by picking your own apples. Visit a farm, hit up farm stands, or head to an apple festival for the freshest fruit.
Apple Picking Tips
- Check farm websites before you go to see which varieties are ripe.
- Follow signs and staff directions to make sure you head to the parts of the orchard with the ripest apples.
- Dress for the weather. Bring rain gear for wet days and sunscreen for warm ones.
- Leave your dog at home. They aren’t allowed on the farms.
- To pick an apple, roll it upward off the branch and twist the stem a bit. If the stem comes off easily, the apple is ripe and ready to pick.
Southlands Heritage Farm
Did you know there is a working farm tucked away in South Vancouver? In addition to lots of fresh fruit and veggies, Southlands Heritage Farm has farm animals too. You can visit the farm and take a self-guided tour. Don’t miss their Friday market which includes lots of apples in the fall.
From our partners:
Location: 6767 Balaclava Street, Vancouver
More Info: Southlands Farm
UBC Apple Festival
Each fall UBC’s Botanical Garden organizes an apple festival. The event is organized by the Friends of UBC Botanical Garden as a fundraiser to support the garden.
The festival’s main attraction is the tasting tent where you can try dozens of apple varieties. They also have bagged apples for sale as well as apple trees for planting. You can enjoy a kids’ area, demonstrations of grafting and cider-pressing, Q and A with Master Gardeners, and live entertainment.
Location: 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver
More info: UBC Apple Festival
Willow View Farms
This family-owned and operated Abbotsford farm has been selling fresh produce for 30 years. They offer U-pick plums, pears, and pumpkins. And of course, if it’s apples you’re after they have 20 different varieties including popular options like Gala, Honeycrisp, and McIntosh, and heritage apples including Northern Spy and Gravenstein.
Make a day of it by bringing your own lunch and enjoying it at their picnic area or purchasing snacks from the concession (open on weekends). Be sure to try their signature apple cider slushies!
Location: 288 McCallum Road, Abbotsford
More Info:Â Willow View Farms
Taves Family Farms Applebarn
U-pick apples are the main attraction at Taves Family Farms, but they have u-pick goji berries, plums, and pumpkins too. Visit the Applebarn Country Store to pick up all kinds of apple products including cider, pies, preserves, apple butter, and sweet treats. They make their own apple cider on-site – you can watch it being made through the cider viewing window at the Applebarn.
Bring your kids to enjoy fall family fun by purchasing an Applebarn Pass. It includes corn mazes, a petting zoo, a playground, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and more.
Location: 333 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford
More Info: Taves Family Farms
Murphy’s Christmas Tree Farm and Fruit Orchard
Murphy’s Christmas Tree Farm in Maple Ridge doesn’t just have firs and pines – they have apple trees too. Drop by to pick your own golden delicious apples from their no-spray orchard.
Location: 25377 124 Avenue, Maple Ridge
More Info: Murphy’s Christmas Tree Farm
Visit a Farmers’ Market
Head to a Farmers’ Market to choose from freshly picked apples from farms across the Vancouver area and the nearby Okanagan. There are eight farmers’ markets in Vancouver and over a dozen stalls featuring local apples and apple products.
Location: Various
More Info: Vancouver Farmers’ Markets
By: TARYN EYTON
Originally published at Inside Vancouver
For enquiries, product placements, sponsorships, and collaborations, connect with us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!
Our humans need coffee too! Your support is highly appreciated, thank you!
