Friday, September 18, 2009 9:12 PM CDT
Just in time for fall...Here's our annual list of area orchards and pumpkin patches
By the JG/T-C
editorial@jg-tc.com
Buxton Garden Farm
Located 3 miles west of Sullivan or 3½ miles east of Bethany on Illinois Route 121. Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Roadside market spring, summer and fall with seeds, plants, flower and vegetables, along with fresh produce. Corn mazes and hayrides on weekends. 200 varieties from 80 acres, you pick or we pick pumpkins — some may weigh 150 pounds and colors include all shades of orange, yellow, red, white and blue, with shapes from flat to round and big to small. Also available: squash, gourds, Indian corn, apples, cider, 125 varieties of mums (7,000-plus), and variety of fall items. Buxton’s Pumpkin Chuckin Contest Oct. 10: guests invited to build and bring their own Pumpkin Chucker. Nighttime corn maze offered from 6:30-11 p.m. on Oct. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 and Oct. 30-31; $8 adults/$6 children/free for those 5 and under; bring a flashlight. 10-acre daytime maze open Fri., Sat. and Sun. Call 728-7993 or visit the Web site at www.buxtonsgardenfarm.com for information.
Great Pumpkin Patch
Located 2 miles south, one-half mile west of Arthur, off the Cadwell Road; 300 varieties of pumpkins, winter squash and gourds. Among the featured sights to see are Noah’s Ark, League of Concurbits Nations, Wall O’ Squash, Mount Lagenaria, A-Z of Squash, mazes, one-room school house, barnyard of farm animals, you-pick patches, rack wagon rides and “Exploring the Patch” museum exhibit. Available are 8,000 garden chrysanthemums, asters, flowering kale, pansies, other fall plants. Bridle Gift Shop has jams, jellies and gift items. 2-Mile Sweet Shop offers pumpkin ice cream and more. Homestead Bakery has made-from-scratch breads, cakes, cookies, pumpkin cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pies and more. Indian corn, corn stalks and straw bales for fall decorating are available. Now in its 21st year, owned by Bruce and Mary Beth Condill, the patch is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. Group tours encouraged. Call 543-2394 or visit the Web site at www.the200acres.com for information.
Grissom Lost Creek Orchard
Located 18 miles south of Charleston on Illinois Route 130. More than 100 varieties of apples on 70 acres. Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from July 1 to Jan. 1. Gala, golden delicious, Jonathan apples, among others. Fuji later. They also have pumpkins; squash; honey; plums; various types of butters; fresh cider; fall decorative items, such as bales of straw; petting zoo; hiking trails; and two mazes. Call 923-3736.
Moran Orchard
Located 10½ miles south of Mattoon on Illinois Route 121; hours 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. 19 varieties of apples in season, also jams, butters, cider, honey, sorghum, pumpkins, fall decorations. Call 895-3408.
Okaw Valley Orchard
From Sullivan go north on Illinois Route 32, 3½ miles, watch for sign, then go left two miles. 15 apple varieties available at different times throughout season, pasteurized apple cider and cider slush, apple butter, applesauce, jellies and jams, caramel apples, fresh apple doughnuts, frozen apple dumplings, fresh fruit pies available. Large playground and picnic area. Applefest on Oct. 10 with music, vendors, crafts, and children’s talent contest. To register, call or e-mail jennifer@okawvalleyorchard.com. Jim and Linda Bailey, owners, 728-8269.
Pumpkin Works
Located on lower Terre Haute Road, 11 miles southeast of Paris. Hours: Monday through Thursday in September: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; in October: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Oct. 26-29: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Weekend hours through Nov. 1: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Free admission. 11 mazes (10 percent of proceeds from three corn mazes donated to Relay for Life), three unique hay rides, private weiner roast fires, pumpkin sling shot, lots of free activities for young children, haunted dungeon, fall decorative items. Old Farmhouse Shop has unique, one-of-a-kind items. Saturdays and Sundays: Pete’s Cafe open with grilled porkburgers, hamburgers, hot dogs. Pumpkins, squash and gourds, you pick or we pick; Indian corn; straw. No pets please. 17th year. Visit www.pumpkinworks.com for information or call Paul and Sherry Staley at 275-3327.
Shady Crest Orchard
An Amish-owned orchard one-half mile south of Arthur. New enclosed store building with deli with quality meat and cheese at competitive prices, hand-dipped ice cream cones, fresh baked goods. Horse-drawn wagon rides on the farm by appointment only. Golden and red delicious, Jonathan apples and other varieties available. Also, apple butter, jams and jellies, honey, sorghum, maple syrup, popcorn, cider, gourmet barbecue sauce, hardy mums and asters in bloom, and other fall ornamentals and pumpkins, fruit salsa, plus more new products added continuously. Vegetables and squash also are available. Open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday. Take Main Street south on the county line road to the orchard sign. Call 543-3099 for information.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
|
|
Mama says wrote on Sep 20, 2009 7:28 PM:
I'm the only little petunia in the onion patch, the onion patch, the onion patch.
I'm the only little petunia in the onion patch, and makes me cry all day.
We love driving to the various places and see the displays. Reminds us of home once again. "