The heat and humidity slipped away this week with a tremendous downpour that almost washed us away from the bus stop. But we survived! And I’m glad, because the change in temperature means that one of my favorite times of year is upon us! Fall is a most wonderful time to get outside and explore the city and its surrounding countryside. Many of the local farms welcome families for apple-picking, hayrides and fall festivals. The region also comes alive with a variety of heritage celebrations where communities gather together to commemorate both their shared and unique traditions. In this 2015 Fall Activities in Pittsburgh Family Guide, I have compiled information on fall activities including apple picking, apple festivals, fall festivals, living history celebrations and ethnic festivals. Please note: I will put together a separate guide for Halloween activities in the weeks to come. Apple Picking at Simmons Farm Apple Picking We usually kick off the fall season with a visit to a local orchard for apple-picking. Although many of the local farms have stopped offering pick-your-own-apples, there are still a few options in our region: Simmons Farm is located south of the city in Mc Murray, PA. It is one of our favorite spots for apple-picking because a) it seems less commercialized than some other farms in our region b) they have semi-dwarf trees in their orchard, meaning that it’s easy for little hands to reach the fruit c) they have a nice “petting zoo” area in their barnyard where kids can get close to the animals and d) they offer a fall festival seven days/week starting on September 19th. Apple picking has already started at Simmons Farm and will continue until at least the end of October. Triple B Farms is also located south of the city in Monongahela, PA. It’s another favorite apple-picking spot for many Pittsburgh families (on weekends only!). They also have dwarf.
This page provides a detailed list of Western Pennsylania's pumpkin patches, corn mazes, hay rides and other Halloween farm stuff! Click here to see the listings of pumpkin patches, corn mazes and farms in Western Pennsylania Pennsylvania or just scroll down the page! Some are farms, where you take a hay ride out into the field, others are elaborate farm stands with mountains of pumpkins and other activities and some are simple roadside stands. All should have loads of pumpkins to choose from. To really make it fun for your kids, look for those that have the extra activities, like a corn maze, spook house, or hayride. There is usually a small fee for the mazes (of course, the more elaborate mazes tend to charge more. Hayrides are often free. ALWAYS call before you go to confirm all information, they don't always report changes to me! We have loads of related resources here, too. On our Pick-your-own website, we also have pages with our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying many other fruits and vegetables, such as how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn (these links open new pages, just close them to return here). Be sure to come back at Christmas if you are looking for a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm! Look at the bottom of the page for links to resources on home canning, picking tips, recipes, etc. I'm always looking for more to add and feedback about any patch, stand or farm you have visited, so write me using the Feedback form! And if you have a farm and want to add it or correct the information, please click on Add My Farm! Back to Pennsylvania's main page Western Pennsylania's Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, Hay Rides and More, by County Remember: ALWAYS call (or follow the link to the farm's own website, if the name is a blue link) to confirm the information before.
Download Now