Apple Picking Fun at Hope Orchards!
It’s fall and that means fresh apples, apple pie, apple cider, apple butter… and more! Hope Orchards, located just 6 miles from the Hartstone Inn offers both pick-your-own and pre-picked apples. Pears and pumpkins too!
Opening Day!
September 15th – 9am-5pm
You’ve waited all year for this. Opening Friday, September 15th 2017 if mother nature allows it. Come get the first taste of the season with Paula Reds and Ginger Golds – Mmmmm!
First Press of Cider
September 29th (tentative date!)
Our cider is fresh pressed every Friday right on the farm. It’s a sight to behold. Made with NO preservatives or pasteurization. People come for miles to get our fresh cider. Make sure you come early as we tend to run out quickly! Date depends on harvest and may change as we get closer to harvest time.
*Please remember, unpasteurized cider can be a health hazard to infants and to the elderly.
8th Annual Hope Orchards Fall Festival
Sunday, October 8th, 2017 ~ 9am – 5pm
Come enjoy live music, oven pizza, woolens, fiber arts and crafts, children’s activities and more! See Hope Spinnery, Uproot Pie Company, Black Sheep Woolens, Barber’s Bunnies, Blueberry Farm Alpacas, Button Chair, One Woman Studio, Orange Chair Studio, Snow Hill Studios and Washington General Store. Rosey and the Wayfaring Strangers will play from noon until 2:00pm.
Variety Weekend
Friday, October 20th – Sunday, October 22nd
Friday: Start the variety weekend Friday evening by sampling over 20 varieties of Maine grown apples and pears from 6:00pm – 7:00pm followed by the “delicious” themed Story Slam at 7:00pm. The Story Slam is a shared event with Sweettree Arts and Hope Orchards. Each storyteller tells their story around the theme of ‘delicious’. These are personal stories that are told and not read. Stories may contain adult content.
Saturday: All varieties available for tasting, pairing and purchase all day until 7:00pm. Maine Street Meats will join us from 11am – 4pm for variety pairings. Doughty Hill featuring veteran musicians Sid Stutzman (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Dawn Potter (vocals and fiddle), Brian Smith (vocals, guitar, bass), and Dan Sharrow (vocals, percussion, bass) from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. The band performs an engaging mix of bluegrass, folk, rock, Irish, blues, and original tunes, with a focus on tight harmonies, virtuoso leads, and an entertaining acoustic edge.
Sunday: All varieties available for tasting, pairing and purchase all day until 5:00pm. Appleton Creamery and State of Maine Cheese will join us from 11:00am until 4:00pm for delicious cheese pairings. The Gawler Family and Bennett Konesni will play from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.
Variety sampling All day Saturday and Sunday all varieties available for tasting and purchase paired with local cheeses and warm apple pie by the slice or whole.
Final Press – The BIG Squeeze
Friday, October 27th (tentative date)
Our last and largest cider press. Cider freezes very well and we take orders in October for large quantities from this batch. Get on the list so you can enjoy hot cider all winter!