Royal Oak Farm Orchard
15908 Hebron Road
Harvard, IL 60033
815.648.4141

 

You won't want to miss....

September 15 - October 8
in 2012

Featuring these activities:

  • Face painting
  • Children's crafts
  • Live entertainment
  • Much, much more

Applefest Information

 



Entertainment & Activities for everyone.

Our Entertainment Area has no admission fee and is the location of our Pavilion, Petting Zoo, Royal Oak Express Train, Royal Oak Carousel, Concert Gazebo, Playground, Snack Shop and Orchard Tours. Each season Royal Oak Farm has plenty of activities and special events for children and adults to enjoy throughout the Entertainment Area. For a complete schedule of entertainment and activities for the fall season, be sure to check the bottom of this page for our Fall Activities Guide.

Entertainment Tokens are needed for all rides in our Entertainment Area.  Entertainment Tokens can be purchased for the various rides at the Snack Shop, Apple Barn or Country Market and are $2.50 per person.  Each Entertainment Token is good for any one of the following:

  • A ride on the "Royal Oak Express" trainA ride on the "Royal Oak Carousel"
  • A Royal Oak Farm Orchard Tour

  • Additional Entertainment Tokens are $2.50 each.

 Petting Zoo - Visit our petting zoo and see a variety of farm animals that could include; calves, lambs, goats, rabbits, various chickens, ducks, roosters and our beautiful Royal Oak Peacocks.  Oh yes, we don't want to forget about the geese!  Especially when they get out of their pen and Mr. Paul has to round them up!! Sanitizing hand washers are available for washing your hands as you leave.  Feed machines require 25 cents.
"Royal Oak Express" - On Monday through Saturday beginning August 1 through November, young and old alike can take a ride on the "Royal Oak Express"- a 19th century replica train inspired by authentic railroad tradition. This is not just a "kiddie" train ride - parents can ride right along if they like and take pictures of your child on the train.
Cost of the "Royal Oak Express" train ride is a $2.50
Entertainment Token.
 "Royal Oak Carousel"  - Hop on the "Royal Oak Carousel" and round up one of the 14 horses or take a seat in the chariot as you listen to old fashioned calliope music. Our 18' High-Lite Carousel will take you and your children back to the days of the country fair as you enjoy your ride and the view of the surrounding countryside.
Cost of the "Royal Oak Carousel" ride is a $2.50 Entertainment Token.
 Orchard Music - Music is good for the soul and our music is spread throughout the orchard restaurant, market and play area.  For your family's listening enjoyment we play only contemporary Gospel & Christian music.  On certain Saturdays beginning in September, our Pavilion will house "live" music and other entertaining programs from time to time.  Check our entertainment schedule for the latest information at (815) 648-4141.
Play Area - Children love our large play group toys including a John Deer tractor, fire engine, Noah's Ark, plus full size Doll (play) Houses.  Sit and relax on a bench or picnic table as your children enjoy the play area or meander over to the snack shop for a hot cup of cider or coffee and a cider donut!
Snack Shop - Our snack shop provides a variety of menu items for your eating pleasure and is located inside the play area and petting zoo. It will be open each day including Saturday and holidays beginning July through October.
$2.50 Entertainment Tokens are available at the Snack Shop.
Snack Shop
Orchard Tours - Royal Oak Farm Orchard Tours are both fun and educational for young and old alike.  This is a great way to get a history of our orchard and see the whole orchard operation.  These Orchard Tours are slightly different than our School Tours and are designed for those who desire that extra special additional experience while at Royal Oak Farm Orchard!
Cost of the Orchard Tour is a $2.50 Entertainment Token.
Picking Tours - Royal Oak Farm Orchard Picking Tours are fun and educational for young and old alike.  Not only is it a great way to get a history of our orchard and see the whole orchard operation, you will also stop at several varieties of apples in the orchard and given time to pick apples as well! This is a great tour for all the family members, especially grand parents!
Cost of the Picking Tour is a $2.50 Entertainment Token plus the cost of your apple picking bag with a 1 peck (10 lbs) minimum.

Big Apple     2011 Fall Activities  Big Apple

August 13 - Come help us celebrate our first day of the season. Come enjoy apple picking, raspberry picking, farm fresh peaches, myrai sweet corn, lunch in our restaurant and so much more! Not to mention-the first 100 customers we get in our bakery each receive a free apple cider donut! YUM!!!

August 20 - Summer is the best time for peaches, and boy do we have some good ones! Come taste our delicious farm fresh peaches. Our bakery and restaurant will be serving up some delightful peach pie, peach cobbler, peach sundaes, and so much more. Come help us enjoy this wonderful time of year and these delicious peaches!!

August 27 - Friends don’t let Friends drive Red Tractors! It’s John Deere Day here at Royal Oak Farm! Come wearing your John Deere apparel and take a look at our antique John Deere tractors that live right here on the farm. We’ve got a lot to look at that are fully restored and used here every day on the farm. Visit our tractors between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. for a photo opportunity and listen to one of our John Deere specialists, talk about these fine pieces of machinery.

September 3 - It’s a celebration of Johnny Appleseed! Everyone knows and loves this frontiersman of America who planted many of the original apple trees we know today. Come enjoy this celebration of Johnny and bring your kids to come here a free live reenactment of his life story in our teepee at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. We will also be having free craft activities for the kids in our pavilion from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

September 5 - Labor Day - The folks here at Royal Oak would like to give a big thanks to all of the teachers that work so hard for children in this community. So we are hosting a Teacher Appreciation Day. All teachers will receive free admission to the orchard and a free donut and coffee. Teachers please bring a school ID or proof of employment for this offer. We hope you know how much we appreciate what you do for the children.

September 10 - Apple Sauce Day- The cooks here at Royal Oak would like to offer a special seminar on how to make our applesauce and how to can our applesauce. Seminars will be held in our teepee at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Also, come hear Inkapirka, a Celtic Instrumental group, play in our gazebo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

September 17 -AppleFest- Help us kick-off AppleFest with all of the fun activities going on at the orchard. Lots of apples are in season, and with so many to pick from it might be hard to choose…you might just have to pick them all. To help us with this festival the Turtle Creek Ramblers will be performing a BlueGrass concert at 1 p.m in our gazebo. Also, new this year, decorating demonstrations will be given in our teepee from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. We will also be welcoming back Lollipop the Clown who will be doing balloon animals, face painting and story-time in our teepee from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m.; storytime will be at 12:30 p.m. in the teepee. So bring your family for a great day here at the orchard!

September 24 -AppleFest- The festival continues with a bluegrass concert from Truman’s Ridge at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Lollipop will also be here again from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. doing stories, balloon animals, and face painting; story-time will be in our teepee at 12:30 p.m. Also, decorating demonstrations will be given in our teepee from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pumpkins, squash, and gourds should also be in by now, come enjoy more varieties than you knew existed, including our famous Naples Long Squash. One of these famous squashes weighed over 80 lbs. last year!

October 1 -AppleFest- The festival continues with New Direction Trio playing a concert in our Gazebo at 1 p.m. New Direction Trio is a Southern Gospel group. Also, Lollipop is back again doing balloon animals, face painting, and story-time in our teepee from 12 p.m.-2p.m.; story-time is at 12:30 p.m. Decorating demonstrations will be given in our teepee from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

October 8 -AppleFest- The festival continues with the return of Epiphany, a Contemporary Christian band, in concert at 1 p.m. in the Gazebo. Also, Lollipop is back again doing balloon animals, face painting, and story-time in our teepee from 12 p.m.-2p.m.; story-time is at 12:30 p.m. Decorating demonstrations will be given in our teepee from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

October 10 - Columbus Day -AppleFest- The festival continues with the return of Dayspring Ensemble, a Christian chamber group from Dayspring Bible College, in concert at 1 p.m. in the Royal Oak Pavilion. Also, Lollipop is back again doing balloon animals, face painting, and story-time in our teepee from 12 p.m.-2p.m.; story-time is at 12:30 p.m. Decorating demonstrations will be given in our teepee from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

October 15 - PumpkinFest- Come enjoy all our many varieties of pumpkins in our new pumpkin barn! Also, enjoy pumpkin painting and pumpkin carving demonstrations. The Dischords will also be here in our Pavilion giving a concert at 1 p.m. Enjoy fall decorating demonstrations in our teepee at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Learn how to decorate the exterior and interior of your home with décor you can find right here at the orchard.

October 22 -PumpkinFest- Come enjoy all our many varieties of pumpkins in our new pumpkin barn! Also, enjoy pumpkin painting and pumpkin carving demonstrations. Enjoy fall decorating demonstrations in our teepee at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Learn how to decorate the exterior and interior of your home with décor you can find right here at the orchard. See a live re-enactment of the
Revolutionary War as it would have taken place back in the 18th Century.

Cowboy Hat Day- Come celebrate the country! Show up to the orchard wearing a cowboy hat and receive a free donut from our bakery!

October 29 -Pumpkin Fest- Come visit us at the end of our PumpkinFest and enjoy our special end of season discounts, including: pumpkin, squash and gourd sales, just in time for Halloween.

November 5 - Royal Oak Gives Back- Come purchase your Thanksgiving pies, and for every pie that is purchased, Royal Oak will donate a peck of apples to a local food pantry.

November 12 - Royal Oak Gives Back- Come to purchase your Thanksgiving pies, and for every pie that is purchased, Royal Oak will donate a peck of apples to a local food pantry.

November 19 - Royal Oak Gives Back- It’s the last day of the season! Come for the last chance to purchase your Thanksgiving pies, and for every pie that is purchased, Royal Oak will donate a peck of apples to a local food pantry.


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