Just 30 Minutes Outside Indianapolis Is An Under-The-Radar Orchard With Immaculate Cider And Pumpkin Picking

Autumn is just around the corner in Indiana, and Hoosiers are already starting to plan where they want to purchase their pumpkins from. For residents living in Indianapolis or travelers who want to visit Indiana's Brown County State Park for some of America's best fall foliage, there's a little apple orchard in the town of Mooresville with a ripe pumpkin patch, an apple festival, and tasty apple-themed treats. The Anderson Orchard is a fun, family-friendly area that encourages its guests to pluck vibrant apples from the trees and celebrate the changing of the seasons, even if it's still warm enough for T-shirts.

After driving 30 minutes southwest out of Indianapolis along Interstate 70, travelers will encounter the small town of Mooresville. The town is proud of its history and lively festival scene. Though their signature festival is the Festival of Food Trucks, the town is also home to the Apple Festival and Craft Fair at Anderson Orchard. The festival occurs every year on the last weekend in September where families from far and wide come to enjoy the fall-themed festivities. Live music, apple picking, pumpkin picking, and slurping apple cider slushies from the concession stand is what gives this place its cozy charm. Because the festival doubles as a craft fair, make sure to check out some of the 90 vendors selling their wares throughout the orchard. The Apple Festival lasts from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday to ensure a full morning, afternoon, and evening of entertainment.

However, visitors do not have to drop by during the festival to pick up a pumpkin from Anderson Orchard. The orchard's U-Pick pumpkin patch officially opens in the last week of September and stays open through October. Also, the U-Pick experience does not stop at pumpkins. From late summer through fall, the orchard allows guests to pick from the apple trees. The sprawling farm grows a whopping 30 different kinds of apples. To check what is in season when you visit, head to the Anderson Orchard website. During the fall, guests can choose from apples such as gala, golden delicious, red delicious, Jonathan, honey crisp, jonagold, and more. The variety is enough to give Indiana's Heavenly Acres Farm outside of Indy a run for its money.

At Anderson Orchard, there are two places where visitors can buy homemade treats and immaculate cider. The first is at the concessions stand which serves caramel apples, elephant ears, apple pies, ice cream, and hot dogs. The drinks menu offers both hot and cold apple cider options and apple cider slushies. For homemade apple products to take home, take a look around the Apple Barn. The Apple Barn has products like pre-picked apples from the orchard, locally grown vegetables, tasty apple butter, frozen fruit, and preserves. The Apple Barn also has its own parking lot and entrance for customers, so there should be no issues with getting in and out. After exploring Anderson Orchard, check out Indiana's wholesome, educational rescued wolf sanctuary for more outdoor fun with the family.