Fall called. This farm answered with cider donuts.
Apple season in Ohio can easily take over an afternoon here. It runs from early September into November, giving you plenty of time to catch the autumn action.
There is more to do than simply fill a bag with apples, but the day never needs to feel packed. You can wander, slow down, and let the afternoon unfold naturally.
Then the market makes leaving a little harder. Fresh cider and warm donuts are waiting, and suddenly the ride home needs snacks.
Personally, I would trust the donut bag to decide when it is time to leave.
Fresh Apple Cider Is Pressed Right Here On The Farm
Apple cider fits naturally into a fall orchard visit, and Hillcrest keeps the process close to home. The cider sold in the farm market is pressed on-site, turning apples from the season into one of the easiest treats to take home.
That makes the market useful even if you are not planning to spend hours in the activity area. General admission is not required to shop there, so you can stop for cider, apples, donuts, kettle corn, or other market goods without buying a farm ticket.
The market runs daily through the fall season, giving weekday visitors access even when pick-your-own apples are limited to weekends.
Cider also makes an easy partner for the donuts. Apple cider donuts are made fresh daily, so a jug and a bag of donuts can handle the ride home with very little planning.
Jams, preserves, local Ohio wildflower honey, and seasonal apples add more options if the goal is to leave with something beyond a drink.
The farm opens its main 2026 fall season on September 5 and runs through November 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That leaves plenty of weekends for a longer visit and weekdays for a simpler market stop.
Kettle Corn And Daily Donuts Make The Market Hard To Rush Through
The farm market does not rely on apples alone. Kettle corn and apple cider donuts give the shelves a sweet side, and both fit neatly into a fall trip where snacks rarely make it all the way home.
The donuts are made fresh daily, giving visitors a bakery option throughout the market season rather than only on special weekends. Kettle corn brings a different kind of fall snack, with an easy grab-and-go format before or after the outdoor activities.
Fresh apples sit at the center of the market too. Prepicked fruit is available even when the pick-your-own orchard is not open, which matters because U-pick operates on weekends.
You will also find jams, preserves, Ohio wildflower honey, and farm-themed gifts and toys. That makes the market useful for a quick seasonal grocery run as well as a full family outing.
Hillcrest Orchards is at 50336 Telegraph Rd, Amherst, OH 44001.
Because admission is not required for the market, you do not have to build an entire activity day around every visit. Stop for cider, grab donuts or kettle corn, choose some apples, and head home. Or use the market as the first stop before heading through the gates.
The Pumpkin Patch Opens In Time For Late September Weekends
Pumpkin season starts a little later than apple season at Hillcrest. The 2026 U-pick pumpkin patch opens September 19, giving visitors a second harvest activity once the fall season is underway.
Pumpkin picking takes place inside the admission area, so a valid farm admission ticket is required. The pumpkins themselves are an additional purchase rather than part of general admission.
That setup lets you combine pumpkin picking with the other included attractions instead of making the patch a separate stop. A trip can move from the corn maze to a hayride, then into the pumpkin patch when it is time to find something for the porch.
The patch stays part of the seasonal farm experience after its September opening, with availability tied to the crop.
Picking your own also makes the search more personal than grabbing a pumpkin from a store display. One person may want a wide pumpkin for carving, while someone else may head toward a smaller one that is easier to carry.
There is no need to overcomplicate the mission. Find one you like, remember that pumpkins are priced separately from admission, and save enough energy to carry it back.
By late September, apples and pumpkins are both in play, giving the farm two classic fall harvests in the same visit.
Twenty Apple Varieties Keep Pick-Your-Own Weekends Changing
Hillcrest currently grows twenty apple varieties, so the orchard does not offer the same picking list every weekend. Different apples ripen at different points in the season, and the 2026 schedule moves through the varieties as they become ready.
Early September can bring Gala, Pixie Crunch, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Sweet Maia, Summerset, and Amarilla Soul. Later weekends shift toward Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Rosalee, EverCrisp, Ludacrisp, Melrose, Granny Smith, Winesap, and Sweet Zinger.
That changing schedule gives repeat visits a practical reason to feel different. Someone chasing Honeycrisp will want an earlier weekend, while EverCrisp and Ludacrisp arrive later.
Hillcrest also works as a research orchard for the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, which helps explain why less familiar varieties share the rows with long-established favorites.
Pick-your-own apples are available on weekends, and admission is required to enter the orchard. Apples are purchased separately in designated bags, while prepicked apples remain available in the farm market.
Availability can change with the harvest, so flexibility helps when choosing what to pick.
The easiest approach is to let the calendar do some planning. Pick a weekend based on the varieties you want, then leave room in the bag for one you have never tried before.
More Than Twenty Attractions Turn Apple Picking Into A Bigger Outing
The orchard is only one part of the fall setup. General admission includes access to more than twenty attractions, giving families plenty to do before or after filling an apple bag.
The list includes a corn maze, hayride, barrel train, giant sandbox, tractor tire mountain, trike raceway, giant spiderwebs, barnyard basketball, farm football, giant bubbles, games, photo spots, a straw tunnel, a corn box, Slide-o-rama, and the Farm Friends area.
That variety makes it easier to break up the day. Apple picking can take one part of the visit, while the maze or hayride handles another. Younger kids have several play areas, and bigger kids can move toward activities that require a little more speed or aim.
Most attractions are included with general admission. Apple picking, pumpkin picking, and apple cannon ammunition cost extra, so those are the main additions to remember once you are inside.
Free on-site parking is available in multiple lots, with signs directing arriving visitors.
The farm also provides same-day re-entry as long as you keep your admission sticker. That can be handy if you need to return to the car before heading back to the attractions.
With more than twenty choices, the challenge is less about finding something to do and more about deciding what gets another turn.
Apple Cannons, Hayrides And A Corn Maze Keep The Day Moving
Some fall farm activities are quiet. Apple cannons are not one of them.
Hillcrest includes the cannons among its seasonal attractions, giving visitors a chance to test their aim by launching apples. The attraction requires separate ammunition, so general admission gets you onto the farm but does not cover the apples used at the cannon.
The corn maze goes in the opposite direction. Instead of launching something across a field, you head into the rows and work out how to get back out.
Hayrides provide a slower break between the more active parts of the day. They are among the attractions included with general admission, making them easy to work into the schedule without another purchase.
The barrel train, trike raceway, games, giant bubbles, straw tunnel, and other activities keep the visit moving if the maze and orchard do not use up everyone’s energy.
That mix is useful on a farm where apple and pumpkin picking already require some walking. Not every stop needs to be another harvest task.
A good rhythm might be apples first, a hayride next, then the maze before deciding whether the apple cannon deserves a turn. There is no requirement to squeeze in everything.
The attractions give you enough options to build the day around the people you brought rather than following one fixed route.
Online Tickets Can Save Time Before The Fall Fun Starts
A little planning can make the entrance easier, especially when the goal is to reach the orchard instead of standing at the gate.
Advance tickets are not required, but online admission is discounted compared with buying at the gate. Online tickets can also be used to skip the gate line, making them useful for visitors who already know they are going.
General admission covers the main fall activity area and more than twenty attractions. Apple bags, pumpkins, and apple cannon ammunition are separate purchases, while the farm market can be visited without admission.
The 2026 fall season runs from September 5 through November 1, with seasonal farm hours from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The market operates daily, while U-pick apples are available on weekends according to the harvest schedule. The pumpkin patch joins the lineup beginning September 19.
Parking is free, and several lots serve the farm.
That leaves you with two ways to use Hillcrest. You can buy a ticket, spend hours bouncing between apples, pumpkins, rides, games, and the maze, or make a shorter stop at the market for cider, donuts, kettle corn, and pre-picked fruit.
Either version works. The only real mistake is forgetting that a bag of fresh donuts has a much shorter life expectancy than the drive home.