The forecast calls for sunshine and blue skies Saturday and Sunday, so it’s a perfect weekend to take a break from your regular family routine. Instead, head to a local apple orchard for a family date with your beloveds and make some fresh-picked memories together. Here are some delectable choices:
Log Cabin Orchard, located at 6121 Cabin Road, Osgoode, offers all kinds of fall fun. Not only can you pick your own apples or buy pre-picked ones, when October rolls around you can pick your pumpkins too. Pie pumpkins, white pumpkins, gourds and Jack-O-Lanterns are available. Hay Wagon rides and bake goods are offered on weekends, and there’s also a petting zoo. Call 613 826-5081 and see www.logcabinorchard.ca.
Located south of Ottawa just outside Kemptville, Mountain Orchards is more than a place to pick apples. It’s an annual destination for families. A corn maze, wagon rides, fresh baking and apple cider are all part of the experience, and wait until you see “them” apples. There are close to 10,000 trees on about 25 acres, offering eight different varieties, from Cortlands and Spartans to Lobos and Honeycrisps. Parking is free and there’s no admission. Call 613 989-5601 and see www.mountainorchards.ca.
Located at 1399 St-Joseph Boulevard in Orléans, Orléans Fruit Farm offers pick-your-own apples Saturdays and Sundays in September, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s best to call 613 830-1303 or check the harvest calendar at www.orleansfruitfarm.ca before you go.
Located at 1480 County Road 32, Crysler, Cannamore Orchard offers 10 different varieties of apples, plus pumpkins, you can pick. There’s also a country market, as well as a wide variety of kid-friendly activities, including mazes, play structures, an animal corral, a cow train, duck races and pedal cars. This place offers birthday parties, along with scary seasonal options, including the 2016 Spooky Wagon Ride and the Butchers of Cannamore Orchard Escape Maze. There are admission fees for activities. Call 613 448-3633 and see www.cannamoreorchard.com.
Dekok Family Berry Farm, at 1070 March Road in Kanata, offers pick-your-own and pre-picked apples. A picnic area and a play structure are provided on site. See www.dekokberryfarm.com.
If you don’t want to travel too far or do the picking, Pinewood Orchards is a good bet for fresh-from-the-tree apples. Located at 101 Herzburg Road in the west end, Pinewood offers several varieties from its 800+ mature trees. The apples are sold in the apple barn at the orchard as well as from an apple cart on Carling Avenue at Burke Road. See www.pinewoodorchards.com.
