Our Farm
122 acres of apples, pumpkins & tradition.
A Bethel tradition since 1935. Come pick apples, find your pumpkin, and stock up on some baked goods, all in one visit.
Open seasonally, Labor Day weekend through the end of October. Weekends only from Nov 1st – Thanksgiving weekend. Come grab your favorites while you can!
122 Acres of Working Farmland
Blue Jay Orchards is a working apple orchard on over 122 acres in Bethel, Connecticut, the first pick-your-own orchard in Fairfield County, and still the largest, drawing up to 5,000 visitors on a peak fall weekend. When you visit, you’re walking through a real, active orchard, not just a farm stand.
The Orchard
Rows of apple trees stretch across the property, with varieties that rotate through the season as different trees come ripe, from early-fall favorites like McIntosh and Gala to Cortland and Macoun later on. Because ripeness changes week to week, what you’re picking in late September won’t be the same as what’s ready in mid-October, so the orchard genuinely looks and tastes a little different every time you come back. Picking typically runs from Labor Day weekend through the end of October.
Protecting the Harvest: The Wind Machine
If you look out across the trees, you may notice a large propeller fan mounted on a tower in the orchard. That’s a wind machine, a piece of active frost-protection equipment used by orchards and vineyards worldwide, not just décor.
On cold, clear, still nights, a layer of the atmosphere just above the orchard is often several degrees warmer than the air sitting right at tree level, a phenomenon called a temperature inversion. Left alone, that cold air settles around the blossoms and fruit, where a hard frost can damage or destroy a season’s crop. When conditions call for it, the wind machine spins up and pulls that warmer air down from above, mixing it with the cold air trapped near the canopy. It typically only raises the temperature by a degree or two, but for apples, that narrow margin is often exactly what stands between a healthy crop and a lost one, so a small boost is enough to protect the trees (Rutgers NJAES; Hydralada).
Beyond the Trees
A visit here isn’t just apple picking. Alongside the orchard, Blue Jay Orchards has a pumpkin patch, a farm market stocked with local goods, and a bakery known for its cider doughnuts and pies (up to 1,100 baked during Thanksgiving week alone). It’s a full afternoon on the farm, pick your own apples, wander the pumpkin patch, and bring something home from the market or bakery before you go.
Forever Farmland
Blue Jay Orchards isn’t just farmland today, it’s protected farmland for generations to come.
In 1983, founder Robert S. Josephy took steps to permanently preserve the orchard through Connecticut’s Farmland Preservation Program. Blue Jay later became recognized as the first farm in Fairfield County to be permanently preserved through the program, ensuring that this land remains dedicated to agriculture rather than future development.
Make It a Full Farm Day
🍩 Cider Donuts
Cider donuts and various baked goods are steps away in the market, stock up on your seasonal favorites!
🍎 Pick Your Own Apples
Wander the rows and fill a basket with 20+ varieties across the season, from early McIntosh to late-fall Fuji.
🎃 A Photo-Worthy Patch
Classic New England scenery and beautiful fall foliage make the patch a favorite backdrop for the whole family.
Hours & Season
Our farm is open seasonally starting in September.
Pick-your-own is open weekends in September through late October, weather and crop permitting.
Store open weekends only from Nov 1st – Thanksgiving weekend.
Here’s when to find us:
Farm Store
M-F 11am–5pm
Sat & Sun 10am-5pm
Apple Picking
Wed–Fri 11am–4:30pm
Sat & Sun 10am–4:30pm
Pumpkin Patch
M–F 11am–4:30pm
Sat & Sun 10am–4:30pm
*All store and picking hours are seasonal only*
We’ll see you in the rows.
Store open seasonally this fall. Bring the whole family and a basket to fill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple picking season usually begins Labor Day weekend and runs every weekend through the end of October.
The store is open beginning the first weekend in September until the end of October. The hours are 11am-5pm Monday-Friday and 10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday!
Apple picking hours are Wednesday–Friday from 11am-4:30pm and Saturday & Sunday from 10am-4:30pm. The orchard closes promptly at 5pm. The pumpkin patch generally opens the second or third weekend in September until the end of October. Pumpkin picking hours are 11am-4:30pm Monday-Friday and 10am-4:30pm Saturday and Sunday. The pumpkin patch closes promptly at 5pm.
Currently we only offer apple picking, pumpkin picking, and our farm store. Beginning late September of 2026 there will be various food trucks on site most weekend days until the end of October, weather permitting.
Pick-your-own and the pumpkin patch are first-come, first-served on weekends. Group and school visits do need a reservation on weekends.
No. For the safety and comfort of all our guests, dogs and other pets are not permitted at Blue Jay Orchards. Service animals are welcome in accordance with applicable law.
Our farm market and some parking areas are mostly paved and accessible. The orchard rows and pumpkin patch are on natural, unpaved ground, so strollers and wheelchairs may have a bumpier ride once you’re out in the fields.
Free parking is available on-site at 125 Plumtrees Road, simply follow the signs into the lot when you arrive!