Few flavor combinations say autumn like the pairing of apple and cinnamon. Once temperatures start to dip, nearby apple orchards become popular weekend excursions. Gather your friends and head to one of these nearby you-pick apple orchards for a fun and tasty September tradition.
Sky Top Orchard
Website: www.skytoporchard.com
Probably the most popular apple orchard in the area, Sky Top Orchard is designed to be an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Growing over 24 varieties of apples, Sky Top offers many other attractions in addition to apple picking. Take a ride on the bee train, feed the farm animals, or bite into one of the freshly baked apple cider donuts you can smell across the orchard.
Coston Farm and Apple House
Website: www.costonfarm.com
The Coston family has owned their apple farm for four generations, and current owners David and Lola are raising the fifth generation to continue the apple growing tradition. They grow over 20 varieties of apples, and 10 are available in their you-pick orchards. The Costons are one orchard that still sells wholesale to local packinghouses, grocery stores and processing companies such as Nestlé and Gerber. You can watch them process apples inside the Apple House.
The Apple House also offers local craft and food items including pottery and honey. Plus, they have a small bakery where they sell fried apple pies, muffins, cookies and take-and-bake pies.
Grandad’s Apples ‘n’ Such
Website: www.grandadsapples.com
The smell of apple cider donuts lures you into Grandad’s Apples ‘n’ Such. And Grandad’s donuts taste as delicious as they smell. In addition to growing over 35 varieties of apples and baking amazing donuts, Grandad’s also has a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a cow train, a jump pillow and an apple cannon you can shoot at a target in the middle of a pond.
Owner Leslie Lancaster says that nothing goes to waste at her and her husband’s orchard. For example, the apples that don’t make the cut to be sold fresh are made into cider. That cider then is used to make either drool-worthy apple cider donuts or apple cider slushies.
Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard
Website: www.steppapples.com
There is almost always something to pick at Stepp’s Hillcrest Orchard. For the past 50 years, Stepp’s has offered you-pick apples, starting with four varieties and now offering over 20. They have since added you-pick grapes and pumpkins, and this year they added sunflowers.
Stepp’s also sells T-shirts, craft items and baked goods in their apple house—including the requisite apple cider donuts and slushies. They also sell pumpkin donuts after Labor Day. When you’ve finished picking your apples, check out one of their other activities: Get lost in the corn maze, hit the target with an apple cannon, or take a wagon ride around the orchard.
Justus Orchard
Website: www.justusorchard.com
If you watch WYFF News 4, you’ve heard the name of meteorologist Chris Justus. But did you know his family owns an apple farm? Justus Orchard is a fourth-generation apple farm (fifth, if you count Chris and his brother). Though they started growing apples mostly for processing, they started transitioning to growing apples for retail in 1968.
Every year the Justus family adds something new. Past additions have been a jumping pillow and the bakery—try their famous fried apple pies! This year’s addition is the apple cannon.
Can’t make it out to Hendersonville to visit Justus Orchard? That’s ok. They’re coming to U.Day! Stop by their booth to get fresh apple cider donuts or an apple cider slushie.
Looking for more to do in Greenville? Check out the rest of our Around Greenville series.
