Pennsylvania's Little Dutch Borough Has Delectable Wines, Fall Festivities, And Orchards In Bloom

Far away from the New England crowds (and sky-high prices), Pennsylvania is an ideal, underrated fall escape, with unique locations like its best kept secret, Baughman Rock Overlook, delivering on great scenery and fall foliage. But you don't have to visit one of the Keystone State's many parks to immerse yourself in the seasonal bonanza; many villages and boroughs — like Biglerville — offer one-of-a-kind, enchanting autumnal spots, such as family-owned farms and orchards where you can pick your own fruit and enjoy a laid-back day sipping local apple ciders. 

In the heart of Pennsylvania's Apple Country, the town of Biglerville may not have been named after its size, but it certainly delivers on the heaps of experiences available year-round. Thanks to the number of wineries and orchards surrounding the borough, the best time to enjoy Biglerville is undoubtedly fall, when the seasonal produce and celebrations are in full bloom. The Biglerville Hose & Truck Company #1 Fall Festival, occurs in September and features amusement park rides alongside food vendors and Halloween stalls. In mid-October, the annual National Apple Harvest Festival takes over the Dutch borough with orchard visits, food stalls, entertainment, and pony rides (among other activities). The town is also home to the National Apple Museum, a unique landmark that showcases Biglerville's apple and fruit-growing heritage and can be visited year-round.

Biglerville's closest hub is York, a vibrant, affordable city worth exploring in its own right. If you want to have access to a major hub (say, with its own airport), the closest is Baltimore, which is just under 70 miles away. You can also reach Biglerville in about two and a half hours from Philadelphia, if you want to check out America's most walkable city with its superb dining, great parks, and historic landmarks.

A visit to the quirky, copper red 17th century barn that houses the National Apple Museum will tell you everything you need to know about farming and fruit processing in the Apple Country region and beyond. But if you want to live the experience first-hand, the best way is to visit one of the many orchards and family farms around Biglerville. Among the unmissable places are Beechwood Orchard, where you can buy fresh fruit and tour the property on weekdays, Hollabaugh Bros (which has its very own Blueberry Festival), and Boyer Nurseries and Orchard, which organizes regular events, including pick-your-own (PYO) harvest dates with apples in fall and cherries in spring.

As you may have guessed, cider is a big thing in Apple County. But so are other craft beverages, from the wine and hard ciders produced by Screaming Bambino to the beer of Thirsty Farmer Brew Hops. For a taste of cider and other craft beverages made on site, make sure you visit the special Boyer Cellars Tasting Room, which is only open on weekends. Part of the wider family-run Boyer Orchard, the Cellars produce their own red and white wines, as well as a wide assortment of fruit wines. If you're looking for the best sips in Biglerville, you would be remiss not to pay the Boyer family a visit. 

Producing over five million apple bushels every single year, it's no surprise Adams County has been affectionately renamed Apple Country. Beyond being an agricultural powerhouse contributing to the wider Pennsylvania economy, the region's orchard culture has made this corner of the state an ideal place to rediscover slow travel and rural life.

One of the best parts of touring an orchard is getting to sleep on site afterwards and wake up to a soft, countryside sunrise the following day. (Picking your own delicious produce is, after all, very hard work.) Rural Pennsylvania is perfect for this type of getaway, with hundreds of farm stays, inns, and bed and breakfastsscattered all across the countryside. You can rest your head on a pillow only a few steps away from the 100 acres of apple and peach orchards in Biglerville's Quaker Valley Orchards & Guest House, which welcomes guests to their intimate orchard guesthouse year-round. Alternatively, if you have an RV, you can park it right in the middle of the greenery and spend the night stargazing at Heritage Family Orchards and Nursery.