FALL IN LOVE WITH THE LEBANON VALLEY
As the seasons change, so do the leaves. Pumpkins, apple pie, and everything in between can be found right here! The Lebanon Valley has everything you’ll need to make sure your family gets a full and true autumn experience!
1. Help the farmers harvest their apples – pick fruit right off the tree.
Visit Seyfert’s Apple Orchard, a family run orchard with a variety of apples as well as baked goods, other produce and homemade jarred items to pick from at their fruit stand. Sycamore Spring Orchard has 10 different varieties of apples to choose from. Pick fruit from their rows and rows of apple trees and browse autumn themed decorations such as gourds and mums. Make sure to pick up some Pennsylvania Dutch favorites fresh from their kitchen like baked apple dumplings, whoopie pies, soups, and even try some pumpkin ice cream.
At Gray’s Apple Ridge Orchard, you can pick your own apples as well. Offering 8 different varieties of apples, you can visit their website to find out the best time to pick your favorite kind of apple. During your visit, make sure to visit with the cows and check out their cider press they use to make their own delicious apple cider! (pictured left)
For apple recipes and ideas, check out our apple picking blog here: Apple Picking in Lebanon Valley – Visit Lebanon Valley, Pennsylvania
2. Pick your own pumpkin – straight from the pumpkin patch.
If you’ve ever carved a pumpkin, you’ll know that picking which pumpkin to carve is half the battle. Short, stout, round, or oval, pumpkins come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Gray’s Apple Ridge Orchard not only has apple picking opportunities, but also gives you the chance to explore their pumpkin patch and pick the one you want right off the vine.
Risser Marvel Farm Market has seasonal fresh produce and during the fall they also offer you the chance to pick your own pumpkin in their pumpkin patch. In between corn maze attempts and hayrides, pick your own pumpkin out at Seyfert’s Corn Maze.
Check out our previous pumpkin blog here: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Lebanon Valley – Visit Lebanon Valley, Pennsylvania
Photo right: Gray’s Apple Ridge
3. Attend Miss Morgan’s Antique & Artisan Show – antiques, hand-crafted items, food, and art all in one place!
Miss Morgan’s Antique and Artisan Show is one of the most attended events of the Fall and you don’t want to miss it! Over 200 vendors from all over the United States gather at the Lebanon Expo Center for this two-day event. Explore the entire venue, browsing through antiques, primitives, farmhouse, industrial and garden, along with hand-made artisan crafts, one-of-a-kind clothing and jewelry designs, hand-thrown pottery, rug hooking, seasonal décor and more!
Photo left: Miss Morgan’s Antique & Artisan Show
4. Find your way through a corn field – two of our favorite outdoor fall adventures!
Apples and pumpkins aren’t the only thing we love to see in the fall. Corn mazes are one of the best fall activities and in the Lebanon Valley, it is a local favorite and an autumn “must-do”. Get a true farm market experience at Risser Marvel Farm Market. This family-owned market is open from the beginning of summer through the fall and has fun activities for the whole family. If you’re feeling brave, venture into their corn maze and try to make it out the other side. Browse through a wide selection of fresh produce and baked goods, locally sourced eggs, and dairy products, and even some fall decor.
After trying your hand at the corn maze at Risser Marvel, you can give Seyfert’s Corn Maze a try! What started out as a high school sophomore’s school project, has since grown into a 14-acre corn maze full of twists and turns that will have you wanting to try it more than once. While you’re there, look through fall decorations, enjoy some delicious food, and go for a hayride on their 140-acre farm.
Photo right: Hay ride at Risser Marvel Farm Market
5. Attend Historic Schaefferstown’s Fall Harvest Fair & Visit the Cornwall Iron Furnace – history come to life!
The Alexander Schaeffer Farm comes to life for the Harvest Fair & Early American Craft Show on September 16 and 17, 2023. Experience period artisans, crafts, cooking, and farm-life demonstrations. See cider-pressing, experience unique entertainment, and visit the Museum Store. Take some time to learn about local history and go on a self-guided tour of the Historic Schaeffer House and the Heirloom Garden. Don’t forget to visit the farm animals!
If you can’t get enough of our areas history, take a visit to Cornwall Iron Furnace, the oldest surviving blast furnace in the United States. Visit the museum and take a tour of the furnace and grounds. The furnace has so much history to experience that families are guaranteed to enjoy and historians and engineers alike will appreciate.
Learn more about Historic Schaefferstown and Cornwall Iron Furnace here: Lebanon History and Architecture – Visit Lebanon Valley | Lebanon, PA
6. Participate in the 2023 Fall Libations Trail – it’s not autumn without an Oktoberfest!
Sign up for our digital pass and take a tour of our local breweries and restaurants that serve their products. The Fall Libations Trail kicks-off with a party at Coleman Memorial Park during the Community of Lebanon Association Music & Brew Fest. On September 16th, from 1pm-7pm, enjoy a day of music in the amphitheater and sample a variety of brews and drinks under some of the oldest trees in PA! Get signed up for the digital pass and be entered into a drawing to win a basket full of great merch and beers from our local brewers!
The 2023 Fall Libations Trail kicks off on September 17 and runs until November 10. Enjoy the products of our local brewers: Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery, Rotunda Brewing Company, Under the Bridge Hard Cider, and Isaac’s Craft Kitchen and Brewery. You can even gather check-ins from local restaurants such as the Blue Bird Inn, Funck’s Restaurant, Mt. Gretna Hideaway, The Rising Sun, Quentin Tavern, Gin Mill, and Mick’s All-American Pub.
Learn more about the Libations Trail here: Drink Local and Raise a Glass to the Craft | Lebanon Valley Libations Trail (visitlebanonvalley.com)
7. Golfing in the Lebanon Valley
The Lebanon Valley is home to seven golf courses, each of which boasts a unique set of challenges and terrains in the picturesque landscape of the Valley. Check out some of the essential facts and features of these courses and their facilities in this guide to golfing the Lebanon Valley.
Viewing Fall Foliage
Experience one of nature’s greatest performances and watch the seasons change right before your eyes. Swatara State Park, the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail, Mt. Gretna and other areas of the Lebanon Valley offer large areas of vibrant colors that are perfect for taking photos or going for a quiet, leisurely stroll or bike ride. The DCED estimates our best weeks for leaf peeping this Fall in the Lebanon Valley are October 21-27 when the leaves will be approaching the best color while October 28- November 3 and November 4-10 should be the best time to spot color.
