BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Eckert's Farm pick-your-own apple season opens Friday at two of the three Eckert's locations in the Metro East.
At the Belleville and Grafton locations, visitors will be able to pick Gala Apples starting Friday, according to a news release from Eckert's Farm.
Visitors will then be able to pick their own Honeycrisp Apples from Sept. 2-5 at the Belleville and Grafton farms.
Apple picking at the Eckert's Farm location in Millstadt will open Sept. 7 for visitors to pick their own Jonathan Apples, the release said.
Apples will be $1.99 per pound, with field access costs starting at $2.50 per person, if purchased in advance. It is free for children 2 and younger to access the fields.
Apple picking is usually the busiest picking season for Eckert's according to the release.
Eckert's new Cider Shed at the Belleville farm will feature the farm's handcrafted hard ciders which highlight the fruits grown at Eckert's, the release said.
"Apple season is how Eckert’s got its start nearly 112 years ago – it’s highly anticipated and means even more this year as we celebrate the inaugural season of our Cider Shed at the Belleville farm,” President of Eckert’s Inc. Chris Eckert, said in the release. “At Eckert’s Cider Shed, guests can relax with our selection of house ciders on draft that feature our pick-your-own fruit, and enjoy delicious eats."
Eckert also talked about the opening of the new custard shop, Mr. E’s Donut & Custard Shop, where visitors can enjoy freshly made sweets from the farm's produce, frozen custard and sundaes.
Eckert's 21 and older date nights will come back to the Belleville farm, according to the release. Orchard Date Night: Apple Picking and Hard Cider Sipping will take place Aug. 25 and Sept. 1 for $33 per person.
Tickets include a tractor ride and field access, two pounds of pick-your-own apples, a flight of Eckert's hard cider, and a snack pack. Learn more and make reservations here.
Eckert's visitors can still pick their own peaches as well.
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