Fall has, well, fallen, and to me that always means apples and pumpkins. I know we can get apples in the summer, but summer is not my apple season.
That’s because I think more of apple cider and apple pie rather than biting into a fresh-from-the-tree apple. Of course, I also think of burning leaves, listening to college football in the garage, and that scary scene from Disney’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow (which I saw once when I was 7, and have refused to watch since).
When I think of fall, I think of pumpkins and apples.
So, I was pleased to learn about Beasley’s Orchard and Gardens near Avon, Indiana, just 12 miles west of Indianapolis. (To be fair, there are orchards to the east of Indianapolis, closer to where I live, but they didn’t send me a press release.) Beasley’s is on U.S. 36, between Avon and Danville.
Beasley’s started out as a family farm in the mid-1940s, and now, nearly 70 years later, it’s considered a must-visit destination for anyone who wants to do a little fall frolicking. (Sign #87 you’ve turned into a travel geek: you say “fall frolicking” without any sense of irony. I think I just died a little inside.)
Beasley’s is open Monday through Saturday, from 9:00 – 6:00, and Sunday from noon – 6:00.
Beasley’s offers their award-winning apple cider, fresh baked breads, flowers, pies from Gray Brothers Cafeteria, and cookies. All produce is grown and hand picked at Beasley’s, and is available at their retail market right there on the farm.
But Beasley’s is all about the fall experience, and that means pumpkins, hayrides, and corn mazes.
You can ride the hayride for $2 per person, which ends up in the pumpkin patch, where you can pick out your own pumpkin (from very small to simply huge), ride back to the station with it, and buy it.
The corn maze is open on weekends, 10:00 – 5:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and noon – 5:00 on Sundays through the entire month of October. The cost is $6 per person for ages 12 and up, $5 for ages 6-11, and kids 5 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Sorry, no refunds if your kids get lost in the maze. (Kidding! I made that last part up.)
Finally, during the first two weekends in October (2-3 and 9-10), the 24th annual Heartland Apple Festival will take place at Beasley’s from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.. The event will feature live entertainment and lots of great food. Gate admission is just $5 per vehicle and the proceeds will be donated to benefit a local charity.
There’s way more stuff to do at Beasley’s than I can cover here, so you may just want to visit the Beasley’s Orchard website for a schedule, list of events, and contact information.
Photo credit: Alizabeth (Flickr)
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