apple trees
Lowell and Phyllis Schaper created Minnetonka Orchard back in 1976. The family lived on the 40 acre farm in Minnetrista and built it into an autumn destination, bringing in thousands of people for apple picking, hay rides, corn mazes, weddings, proms, and those legendary apple cider donuts each season. Last year, the couple decided to retire and sold the orchard to Esther & Frank Weigel. With a full year under their belts, the new owners are now making some improvements to the way the 46 year old orchard runs. Here's what to expect:
retail items in the barn
New merch in the retail barn // The barn that always held nice jams and jellies has really been revamped to offer lots of lifestyle items, many from local makers. You can still get your coffee and hot cider from a takeout window on the side.
pink bottles on a shelf
New wines and hard ciders to sip and buy // A few years ago, the orchard tried to launch Painter Creek Wines, but due to partnership issues, it never took off. The Weigels have brought on a new winemaker to create a new line, Everly Farms wines and Easton hard ciders. You can only taste or buy them at the orchard currently, and the winery barn is in progress of being built out for year round tastings.
signs on apple trees
New signs with QR codes // This seems like a brilliant move. Because they are a popular u-pick site, people tend to wander among the trees and perhaps forget which apples they are picking. The new signs on the end of each row identifies the apple, and if you snap the QR code, you'll be given access to facts and information about that variety, as well as uses and recipes. Because a Haralson pie is different than an Honeycrisp pie, friends.
snack huts and a dog
More snack huts // Doesn't Olive the dog look like she just told herself a good joke? Classic! This cute collection of new huts are the snack huts. This one will be the grill hut, there's a sweet treat hut, and then a snacky snack hut. You'll be able to purchase brats, chili, cider donuts, caramel apples, and more. Moving some of the food down the hill from the retail barn helps with lines and spreads the fun out.
hops growing in a field
Eventually, a hops maze // That's right, while others are messing with an annual planted dusty corn maze, this hill will hold a perennial maze made with walls of hops. Not only do they smell like beer, but those vines can grow 20 feet tall and fan out to make it actually hard to cheat by just crashing through, Jake.
grill shed
Wine and Cider Garden // The former grill shed at the bottom of the hill will be turned into a wine and cider garden, with lots of chairs and tables and string lights. While the orchard opens at 10am, they won't turn the taps on until 11am. And everything shuts down by 6pm, so it's all still family-friendly.
painted map board
New map, new pass, more trees // There is a lot of new signage, and a general buffing up of the grounds that included planting 850 new trees. This year you'll be able to buy a season pass for the first time. Because regular admission is $10 for adults, and the season pass is $20, if you think you'll go more than twice it's a good deal. Plus, you'll get advance access to other events and holiday fun, since they are keeping the orchard open for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas events.
Unlimited hay rides, corn hole, hay mountain, animal barn, apple launcher, live music and more starts this Saturday and runs through October at least. If you haven't been back in a while, now's a good time to see what's happening in the Weigel era of Minnetonka Orchard.
