Autumn Adventures At Eckert’s Farm

Take a deep breath. Let the glorious scent of crunchy leaves, bonfire smoke, and pumpkin spice take over your senses. Don your cozy cardigan and boots. Find your favorite flannel. Hop in the car and let’s go on an adventure. That’s right friends, autumn is FINALLY here, and it’s time for one of my favorite days of the whole year! It’s time for fall fun at Eckert’s Farm.

Let me be “that guy” for a second and say that I have been a lover of all things autumn, long before it was trendy or “basic” to do so. I was born in the fall and feel like the elements of the season were written on my soul. I love hues of orange and gold, chunky sweaters, spicy scents, bonfires, pumpkins, and apples. Any activity that can bring all of those things together is an instant winner in my book. That’s why our annual Eckert’s pilgrimage is like medicine for my heart.

Eckert’s Farm is a family farm that has been in business for over 100 years. They have three locations in rural Illinois, just outside St. Louis. The farm offers year-round Pick Your Own crops including apples, pumpkins, peaches, berries, and Christmas trees. Each location offers its own variety of family fun activities as well. We have been coming to the Belleville, IL farm for more than 20 years and have enjoyed watching the place grow from a cozy little fall spot to an autumnal mecca.

When we first started coming to Eckert’s in the early 2000’s, the farm was a cozy place for a hayride to the orchard and the pumpkin patch, some fair-style snacks in the Family Fun Corral, and a place to pick up baked goods in their small country store. It seemed quaint and intimate. We always made a big day of it, coming home to a big pot of chili and a bonfire in the back yard. It was autumn perfection.

Fast forward to 2023… Eckert’s is still our favorite place for autumn adventure, but in quite a different way. Gone are the days of the quaint and cozy agricultural experience. Instead, Eckert’s is the place MOST of St. Louis comes to enjoy all things fall. Visitors of all ages can enjoy activities that last the entire day. Here’s how we filled the day on our latest visit.

We started the early, arriving around 10:00. The farm was already quite full and we were glad that we didn’t head out any later. First, we stopped at the Mr. E’s Donut and Custard Shop for a drink and an apple cider donut. The donuts were warm and crisp perfection… a perfect little pick me up. Then we headed to the line for Pick Your Own apples and pumpkins. (Field passes cost $7 per person and can be purchased ahead on their website.) We had a short wait to hop on a wagon for the bumpy, but fun ride into the orchard, where we picked Evercrisp and Fuji apples. It’s fun to stroll up and down the rows and sample the apples while snapping a few pictures. Then we hopped back on for the ride to the pumpkin patch. The farm has a large variety of pumpkins to choose… while Jeff picked a traditional one this year, I chose a cute ghost pumpkin. We took advantage of a nice photo stop they set up in the patch this year. Nice touch, Eckert’s.

Upon returning to the main attraction area, we weighed and paid for our goods, took them to the car, and headed back to the building for some lunch. Eckert’s has several options for food including the Country Restaurant (trust me… order the fried chicken), a deli and bakery inside the Country Store, and the Cider Shed. This trip, we ordered from the Cider Shed which has a menu of pub food and homemade hard ciders on tap, located in an open-air performance venue. There was a German Oompa band playing Oktoberfest music that afternoon, which increased the feeling of fall fun. I ordered the hot honey cheese bites and Jeff had the loose meat sandwich, along with a couple of crisp, dry ciders. The food was great and the atmosphere was lively and fun.

Our last stop of the trip was to take a gander inside the Country Store. This place has definitely exploded in size since we first started visiting the farm. What once was a humble little spot for local groceries is now a large shop with food, wine, baked goods, gardening supplies, and gifts. It is crazy crowded, but offers tempting smells and tastes that can’t be missed! In addition to produce grown on the farm, the shop has a deli, cheese counter, and butcher. They have a bakery that produces breads and a tempting assortment of pastries. (I bought WAY too many!) There’s gourmet candy, fudge, and caramel apples. The store has a selection of wine and spirits, with free wine tastings on the weekends. There are gourmet mixes, spreads, salsas, dressings, and soups along with cookbooks and kitchen gifts. Seriously, don’t go into the store hungry!

Eckert’s also has special events scheduled throughout the year, including date nights, dinner theaters, cooking and crafting classes, pop-up bars, and family fun nights. We attended one of the date nights last year and had a blast. The farm really is a special place to make lasting memories and establish family traditions. It’s a great destination for Midwesterners to have a weekend away. If you live near St. Louis and you haven’t been here, what are you waiting for?