SCOTT TOWNSHIP, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Lakeland Orchard & Cidery welcomed the start of apple season in Scott Township with its Apple Harvest Festival, the latest stop in the farm’s yearlong lineup of seasonal celebrations.
The festival runs through Nov. 1, giving visitors the chance to pick from dozens of apple varieties across more than 30,000 trees. Lakeland officials describe Apple Harvest as its signature fall celebration, following earlier seasonal offerings that featured tulips, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and sunflowers.
Farm Manager Julianne Roba, who runs the orchard alongside her husband, company President Jeff Roba, said the operation has grown from a smaller pick-your-own apple orchard into a broader seasonal destination, adding more crops, attractions and themed events to give families reasons to return throughout the year.
“So it’s been an absolute honor to not only be farmers, but to have people come out and see our agriculture firsthand and learn a lot about agriculture. We’ve become a place for people to make memories and come together. To create this farm for families like ours, and families from all over, to come and have those memories together, it’s been such an honor,” said Roba.
Roba added that the apple orchard requires year-round attention by staff. Despite an April freeze that reduced part of this year’s crop, apples are still available for picking, with the orchard starting the season by offering quarter-peck bags while the harvest is monitored.
Beyond the orchard rows, the festival includes attractions such as the Lakeland Express train ride, carousel, Scrambler ride, corn pit and farm animals. Live music is also scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the festival.
Seasonal food offerings change along with the festivals, and this month especially features an apple-lover’s menu. Roba highlighted apple barbecue sauce, apple dumplings, apple cider slushies and apple cider donuts, with the donuts made fresh at Grammy’s Bakery & Sweets.
As the fall season continues, Apple Harvest will overlap with Lakeland’s Halloween Light Show beginning Sept. 18. The nighttime attraction will run through Nov. 1 and take visitors aboard the Lakeland Express for a 1-mile train ride past dozens of Halloween light displays.
The Apple Harvest Festival is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with additional Monday hours on Sept. 7 and Oct. 12. For more information on current apple-picking conditions, attraction details and other festival updates, visit Lakeland Orchard & Cidery’s website.