You don’t have to go to New York City to take a bite out of the big apple. Just drive to your local Maine orchard starting Labor Day weekend and pick yourself a nice one. They are easy to find and probably not far from you, with more than 80 around the state.
This year, the warm spring and summer have helped jumpstart the season, with many growers saying their apples came about a week early this year. Some orchards were open for picking in August with a couple early varieties, and many expect to have several more kinds of apples red and ready by Labor Day weekend. But it’s not just the lure of delicious Maine apples that brings folks out for apple picking.
It’s a quintessential Maine fall activity, where you can walk on acres of unspoiled farmland and orchards on a sunny day as the temperatures cool. And as apple picking has grown in popularity, so many orchards offer much more than apples, including wagon rides, corn or hay bale mazes, apple cider doughnuts, and a huge variety of other baked goods. Some have farm animals, vegetables and other fruits for sale, live music, beer and wine bars, or kids’ activities.
While many orchards are already open, and more will be open after Labor Day, a great time to visit one is Maine Apple Sunday. The 23rd annual event will be held on Sept. 15, with orchards from Wells to Caribou offering special activities and free samples.
You can find a list of orchards all around the state to visit, with website links and phone numbers, as we.