Apple Fest At Wilderness Valley Farm
Celebrate fall in Northern Michigan with a day of apple-themed fun at the farm! Enjoy free apple pie, seasonal kids activities, farm animals, rides, and all your favorite fall farm fun.
Buy TicketsA TASTE OF FALL
FREE APPLE PIE
Nothing says fall like fresh apple pie! During Apple Fest, a slice of apple pie is FREE with admission.
Grab a slice, enjoy the crisp fall air, and spend the day exploring the farm.
FREE WITH YOUR APPLE FEST ADMISSION
Saturday, October 3
Special For This Event
Apple Fest adds these to a regular farm Saturday. Gates open at 10am, close at 5pm.
Free Apple Pie
A slice of fresh apple pie, free with your admission. Grab one from the Farm Haus and enjoy it while you spend the day on the farm.
Apple Activities & Games
Kids can join in on apple themed games and activities throughout the day. Plenty of fall fun for our littlest visitors.
Caramel Apple Making
Kids can make and decorate their own caramel apple to enjoy. Pick your toppings, get creative, and make a sweet fall treat.
If It Is Your First Visit
A Sample Apple Fest Saturday
There is no wrong order, but if you want a plan, this one works. Gates open at 10am and close at 5pm.
- Start With The Animals Say hello to the animals and spend some time exploring the farm before the afternoon gets busy.
- Take A Ride Around The Farm Hop on a hay wagon ride, then let the kids hit the pedal kart track and play areas.
- Join The Apple Fest Fun Try the apple-themed games and activities, then make your own caramel apple.
- Grab Lunch & Something Sweet Stop at the Farm Haus for lunch and grab your free slice of apple pie.
- One More Lap Let the kids make a stop at the Tire Park, browse the Gift Shop, and squeeze in one more favorite activity before heading home.
Mark The Date
Apple Fest, Saturday October 3
The orchard is open through the season, but October 3 is the Saturday built around it. It lands at peak picking, when the trees are carrying the most fruit and the color is coming up across Otsego County at the same time.
Same $15 admission, same whole farm open from 10am to 5pm, with the orchard and the free apple pie at the center of the day.
Buy Tickets For October 3Timing Your Visit
Apple Season In Northern Michigan
Fall runs every Saturday from August 29 to October 31, 10am to 5pm. Apple Fest lands in early October, right as the color turns across Otsego County, so it is the one to circle if you are planning the drive.
Fall Season Opens
The farm is open and the whole place is running. Come out for the animals and the lavender while it lasts, and plan a return trip for Apple Fest.
Apple Fest
Apple pie, free hot cider, caramel apple making and apple games for the kids. It lines up with peak fall color in Northern Michigan, which makes it one of the best Saturdays of the year to visit.
Pumpkin Fest
Every guest, kids and adults, takes home a free pumpkin. The season wraps up October 31.
Before You Come
Plan Your Apple Fest Visit
Apple Fest Hours And Admission
| Fall season | Aug 29 to Oct 31 |
| Apple picking | September and October |
| Open | Saturdays 10am to 5pm |
| Closed | Sunday to Friday |
| Adults 14 to 59 | $15 |
| Children 3 to 13 | $10 |
| Seniors 60 and up | $10 |
| Children 2 and under | Free |
Getting To The Orchard
6500 Nicklaus Drive
Gaylord, MI 49735
About twenty minutes west of downtown Gaylord in Otsego County, and an easy drive from Petoskey, Traverse City, Boyne City, Grayling and Alpena. Parking is on site and free. Driving directions from twelve nearby towns.
If your GPS still calls this the Wilderness Valley Golf Course, you are in the right place. The eighteen hole course closed years ago and the property is the farm now, which is why there is so much room to walk.
The orchard is a walk from the barn on mown paths, so wear closed shoes and dress for the weather.
Questions before you come? Call 989-858-6859 or send us a message.
Questions
Apple Picking Questions
Can you pick your own apples?
Yes. The orchard is u-pick. Walk out to the trees and pick a few apples right off the tree. Apples are priced separately from your admission.
When can you pick apples in Northern Michigan?
September and October. Apples ripen later this far north than they do downstate, so the orchard is not ready on opening weekend in late August. Early October is peak, which is why Apple Fest lands on October 3.
Is the apple pie really free?
Yes. A slice of apple pie is included with your Apple Fest admission on October 3. Grab it at the Farm Haus any time during the day.
Is the orchard open every Saturday?
Wilderness Valley Farm is open Saturdays only during the fall season, 10am to 5pm, from August 29 through October 31, and closed Sunday through Friday. Apple picking runs during the September and October Saturdays once the fruit is ready.
What else is included with admission?
The whole farm. Lilly the reindeer, Bud the white Tibetan yak, the Texas Longhorn herd, Paisley the micro donkey and the peacocks, plus hay wagon rides, the barrel train, the cart track, the playgrounds, the corn pit, the tractor tire park and the duck pond. Apples, food and gifts are priced separately. See the full Saturday lineup.
Where is the orchard, and how far is it from Petoskey or Traverse City?
Wilderness Valley Farm is at 6500 Nicklaus Drive, Gaylord MI 49735, about twenty minutes west of downtown Gaylord in Otsego County. Families drive in from across Northern Michigan, and our directions page has routes from twelve nearby towns including Petoskey, Traverse City, Boyne City, Grayling and Alpena. Parking is on site and free.
More Of The Season
Other October Saturdays At The Farm
Every Saturday in October has something of its own, and the whole farm is open for all of them. All included with the same admission, with no separate event ticket. See all thirteen 2026 event dates.
Pumpkin Fest
Thousands of pumpkins, and every guest takes one home free. Pumpkin crafts and festive fall fun for the whole family.
Fall Colors On The Farm
Peak color weekend in Northern Michigan, with the hay wagon running the tree line the week after Apple Fest.
Halloween On The Farm
Costumes, games and candy on the final Saturday of the fall season, and the last chance to visit before the farm closes for fall.
Saturday, October 3
Spend An Apple Fest Saturday Near Gaylord
Free apple pie, caramel apples the kids make themselves, apple themed games, and the whole farm open from gate to gate. Buy your tickets ahead so you can head straight through the gate.
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