Applecrest Farm- New Hampshire

Ever been to a farmers market and wish there was also a restaurant?  What if it also had a store, gift shop, apple orchard, horse wagon ride, stuff your own scarecrow station, pumpkin patch and petting zoo?  If you would like to buy some apples and eat a delicious homestyle breakfast before buying local maple syrup and mingling with the cows, this is your place. 

This one one of the first trips I have been on in a long time where I absolutely had zero agenda.  I packed "The Bible" (my New England travel book) but for the most part, I was showing up in New Hampshire ready to play tourist with my local guides planning the weekend in and around Portsmouth.  And it felt awesome. 

Our friends Amy and Luis did not disappoint when they planned a great weekend filled with awesome food, New England classics, and even a downtown bar and band in a used book store (an almost 30 year old's dream of a Saturday night).  But first, let's talk about this restaurant/orchard/store/New England Mecca: Applecrest Farm.

Applecrest Farm isn't just your standard apple orchard.  It is rich in history, full of charm, has an amazing restaurant and has just about something for everyone. 

"Nearly a century ago, an "Apple Train" ran its weekly route from the heart of Boston to the rolling orchards of Applecrest Farm. People mostly drive here now, but the farm remains New Hampshire's oldest and largest apple orchard. It's the oldest continuously-operated in America. Four generations of the Wagner family have worked this land, dedicated to their simple mission of sustainably growing the finest fruit and vegetables available.

Visit Applecrest today and discover a bounty of grown-on-the-farm delights, including over 40 varieties of apples, peaches, berries, sweet corn, pumpkins and an array of summer vegetables. Beneath the timbers of a 200 year-old barn, find jugs of our all-natural apple cider, made-from-scratch confectioneries (including our famous hot cider donuts) and an array of other locally produced farm goods.  History sure tastes good."-- Applecrest Farm

I read about the history of the place and only loved it that much more. I am about to push fall real hard but before I do, know they do consider themselves the "farm for all seasons". Their fall festivals are an amazing time to celebrate mums and apples but they have a farmers market all year long, a CSA you can be a part of, and also grow asparagus, beans, beets, blueberries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, corn, cucumbers, flowers, herbs, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, peas, potatoes, radish, raspberries, rhubarb, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and zucchini in their various seasons.



We started the morning with an awesome breakfast at the restaurant. The Farm Bistro offers farm to table dining right there on the farm. The menu is rich, unique, and just about hits every comfort item you need: biscuits and gravy, french toast, apple cider donuts, biscuit sandwiches, and buttermilk pancakes. If you are more into the lunchier side of brunch, you can go for the pear and pumpkin pizza or one of their burgers. Everything we ordered on this menu was delicious and devoured, from the donuts to the bloody mary we had an amazing meal in a rustic barn overlooking the property. If you want dessert, they had a tempting sweet menu, donuts galore and a pies stacked on shelves ready to take home.

After breakfast we walked around and bought some goodies (chocolates and syrup for me while trying my hardest to avoid the shelf of half prices pies) before heading out to look around the orchard.  Mums and Pumpkins were the main event, but you could get just about every fall accessory you could ever need.  White pumpkins, green pumpkins.  Jack-o-lantern style and even the creepy bumpy varieties.  Little did I know we were walking right into the Fall Apple Harvest. 

The Fall Apple Harvest Festivals launches on the first weekend in September and run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday, every weekend, through the end of October. Free live blue grass music begins at 1 p.m.

Finally you get past the pumpkins and the mums to be greeted with a scarecrow stuffing station.  I kid you not, there was a station set up where you could make your own scarecrow.  Pick some overalls from the pile of jeans, a flannel shirt, grab some hay and get to work stuffing your own scarecrow to bring home for the yard.  Places (and things) like this, coupled with the amazing foliage of course is what makes New England the best place to be in October. 

After the scarecrow stuffing station realization, we took Nora for a walk (yep, dogs are allowed outside around the property!) around the rest of the property towards the petting zoo where Nora met her first and overly interested cow. The kids had a blast at the petting zoo and Nora had an interesting time trying to figure out what the large creature behind bars was and why it was so interested in her. 

There was also a large pumpkin patch where kids could "pick their own pumpkin" and a horse drawn carriage taking guests around the farm and the orchards. A beautiful sunny Saturday in the middle of October on Applecrest Farm in gorgeous New Hampshire in the peak of leaf season.  It felt good to be "home". 

This place was the perfect way to spend the day with friends, at a good ole fashioned fall fastival filled with food, a farm and critters. An hour from Boston or the White Mountains, and just outside popular Portsmouth, Applecrest Farm is worth the visit, especially in the fall.  Thank you New England for the perfect weather and making October just as amazing as I remembered. 

Applecrest Farm Orchards

133 Exeter Road

Hampton Falls, NH 03844

Tel: (603) 926-3721

Open seven days a week, 8 am to 6 pm.