Apples and donuts and pumpkins, oh my! Southwest Michigan’s climate and geography provide great conditions for quality, flavorful fruits like apples to thrive here—which means we all get to benefit with bushels of fall festivities. Check out what we’ve picked for you below!
Apple-tunity Is Out There
DON’T BE AN OUT-CIDER: HEAD OUT AND EXPLORE FALL
- The Schultz family of Schultz Fruitridge Farms has years of experience farming and ranching and offers delicious, seasonal fruits and vegetables—including a U-Pick orchard with over a dozen apple varieties and their famous Donut Depot serving award-winning cider and freshly baked donuts.
- If you’re searching for fresh fall produce and a family adventure, the historic Overhiser Orchards in South Haven has the “ripe” stuff for you, including hand-crafted mini donuts and fresh cider.
- Husted’s Farm Market and Cider Mill has fall fun for the whole family, with everything from U-Pick to homemade donuts, pies and caramel apples right in Kalamazoo.
- Whether you’re looking to spend the day picking apples, hanging out at the petting farm or getting lost in a six-acre corn maze, Gull Meadow Farms has something for everyone. To top it off, they serve award-winning cider and donuts.
- Located in the beautiful, rolling countryside of St. Joseph County, Corey Lake Orchards grows fresh and tasty produce and is home to a roadside market, bakery and even a distillery.
- As a certified organic orchard, Earth First Farms offers more than a dozen varieties of U-Pick apples, peaches, strawberries, vegetables, cider and more in Berrien Center.
- Verhage’s Fruit Farms and Cider Mill’s offerings in Kalamazoo include U-Pick, cider, delicious pies and donuts, hayrides, pony rides, tractor driving lessons and much, much more.
- The historic Overhiser Orchards in South Haven has a U-Pick pumpkin patch, decorative pumpkins, pie pumpkins and even jack-o’-lanterns. While there, you might want to stop in and say hello to the animals at the petting zoo too!
- Husted’s Farm Market and Cider Mill has fall fun for the whole family, with everything from U-Pick apples to homemade donuts, pies and caramel apples right in Kalamazoo. You’re in luck—pumpkins and gourds are aplenty.
- Come for the cider and donuts, stay for the pumpkin patch. Gull Meadow Farms in Richland has pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and colors, so you can find your perfect pick.
- Located in the beautiful, rolling countryside of St. Joseph County, Corey Lake Orchards has a U-Pick pumpkin patch that even has a pumpkin photo area so you can pose with your new gourd friend.
- Take the family to Bosserd Family Farm in Marshall to pick up fresh produce and fall decorations and also visit the animals at the petting farm and the pumpkin patch. It’ll sure give ‘em pumpkin to talk about.
- Get in the fall spirit with U-Pick apples, hayrides and the pumpkin patch at Sprague’s Family Fun Farm in Dowagiac. Don’t forget to grab fresh-baked pies and breads while you’re there.
- Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership’s annual SkeleTour event is a month-long celebration with skeletons adorning the downtown streets representing local businesses. With events and interactive activities throughout, it’s a tradition that’s fun for the whole family.
- Cornwell’s Turkeyville in Marshall has a spooky amount of fun waiting for you all year round, but in the fall, you won’t want to miss their annual Haunted Adventure, spooky hayrides, corn maze, haunted barn and ghoulish train.
- Considered one of the top haunted attractions in the nation, the Niles Scream Park offers 44 acres of blood-curdling fear. You can check out some of their popular attractions, including the “Field of Screams” haunted corn maze and the “Dark Terror-tory” haunted hayride. Get your scream on!
- If you’re looking to learn about the paranormal side of Kalamazoo, check out the Ghost of Kalamazoo Tours or the Haunted History of Downtown Kalamazoo Tours throughout the Halloween season.
- The Haunt Park in Kalamazoo is the city’s go-to scream park for thrills at four attractions in one scary location.
- Gorgeous fall colors can be found at the West Michigan Pike along the “first continuous paved road from the Indiana state line to Mackinaw City.” The Pike has stops in New Buffalo, St. Joseph and South Haven along its beautiful colored path.
- Head over to Fred Russ Forest Park where you can experience autumn beauty and rich history as you traverse more than four miles of winding, tree-lined trails in Decatur.
- We think the Blue Star Highway Tour deserves yellow, red, and orange stars too as you trek from St. Joseph north along serene, tree-lined M-63 to Blue Star Highway.
- Coast along Red Arrow Highway to see the sights in Stevensville, Bridgman, Sawyer, Harbert, Union, Pier and New Buffalo.
- Along the St. Joseph River Tour, you can rake up views at Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve, Lehman’s Orchard and Farmhouse and Iron Shoe Distillery.
- Drink in the colors during a South Berrien County Tour with pit stops at Greenbush Brewing Company, Hickory Creek Winery, Tabor Hill Winery and Round Barn Estate.
- Hear the great north is calling you instead? Do a 180 for the North Berrien County Tour serving up equal shots of spectacular views and good libations.
- Hike or bike along the Kal-Haven or Van Buren Trails to experience the fall colors up close! It’s a refreshing way to take in the beauty of the region.
- Kayak the Bangor/South Haven Heritage Water Trail under a canopy of fall colors for a unique view of the foliage.
- Named one of the best donut “holes” in all of America, Sweetwater’s Donut Mill is one that you donut want to miss. Stop in during the fall season to try a special Octoberfest donut made with Bell’s Octoberfest beer and pumpkin and apple flavoring.
- The historic Overhiser Orchards in South Haven has hand-crafted mini donuts and fresh cider. On the weekends, you can also enjoy a local food truck!
- Peace, Love and Little Donuts in Portage has funkadelic mini donuts in a variety of flavors. To celebrate the season, you can enjoy the flavors of apple pie, maple bacon or s’mores.
- Husted’s Farm Market and Cider Mill has fall fun for the whole family with everything from U-Pick to homemade donuts, pies and caramel apples right in Kalamazoo.
- The famous Donut Depot at Schultz Fruitridge Farms serves award-winning cider and freshly baked donuts. Their apple cinnamon donuts are served plain or with cinnamon sugar—they’ll be the apple of your eye.
- In Marshall, Louie’s Bakery is a cornerstone with fresh donuts rolling out of the oven every day. During fall, you can also enjoy homemade pumpkin bread and the famous pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies.
- Gull Meadow Farms in Richland has award-winning donuts coming in flavors like pumpkin, apple and plain—both with cinnamon sugar and frosted. They’re crispy, warm and dreamy!
- Providing roasted to order coffee beans, Three Rivers Coffee Company is a service-disabled veteran-owned company with a mission to provide the community with amazing coffee and help put veterans to work.
- Paying attention to detail at every step of the process, Water Street Coffee works closely with its importers and farmers to select the highest quality beans. Water Street is a Kalamazoo staple.
- What began as a fundraiser has transitioned into a business for local artisan coffee roaster company Ron’s Beans. At least 10 percent of every item sold still goes to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
- For a cup of cheer, visit Mamaleelu Cold Brew for canned cold brew or bottles of cold brew concentrate made locally. Owner Maliesha Pullano moved to Kalamazoo in 1999 to attend Western Michigan University, where she eventually found herself studying abroad in Spain spending lots of time at cafes and falling in love with strong, black, bold coffee.
- Using a zero-emissions roaster, Factory Coffee is able to reduce the carbon footprint of every pound of coffee by 90 percent. With an amazing selection and the added ease of a coffee club membership, you can help the environment while you sip from your office.
- Spending time to learn about the distinct characteristics of each coffee variety, Kalamazoo Coffee Company roasts with the intent to bring out each unique flavor. Talking about uniqueness, have you seen their branding?
- Born from a love of coffee and community, Greenglass Coffee Company celebrates each coffee’s unique story by specializing in single-origin coffees.
- Founded by two brothers on a mission to change the world with amazing libations from beans, Van Buren Coffee Company roasts up fair trade and direct trade coffees. It also offers cause coffees to support community efforts.