Spend a Fall Day at Crane’s: Cider, Pies & Apple Picking in Michigan

The Crane family has been part of the area’s farming community for generations, and today, two Crane family businesses offer just about everything you’d want from a fall day: apple picking, a corn maze, hayrides, fresh cider, homemade pies, lunch, and wine and hard cider.

Crane Orchards is where you’ll find the U-pick orchard and fall-themed activities, while Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery is just down the road with its restaurant, bakery, pie pantry, and tasting room. They’re separate businesses owned and operated by different members of the Crane family, but visiting both in one day is one of our favorite fall pairings to recommend to guests.

Pick Your Own Apples at Crane Orchards

Crane Orchards offers some of the best apple picking in Michigan, and their U-pick apple varieties ripen throughout the season, so you may find something different if you visit in September than you would later in October. Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Jonagold, Cortland, Fuji, and more are grown here, and the orchard updates what's currently ready for picking on its website.

Once you’ve got your apples, there’s more fall fun waiting. The 20-acre corn maze gets a completely new design every year, so even returning visitors won’t know exactly what they’re getting into. Weekend hayrides take you around the farm, and pumpkins are available later in the season.

Have Lunch at Crane’s Pie Pantry

When you’re ready for lunch, drive over to Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant & Winery. Remember, these are separate businesses, so you’ll need to move your car from the orchard to the Pie Pantry rather than walking between them.

The restaurant serves a classic, casual menu packed with homemade soups, fresh salads, and hearty sandwiches. Fall weekends are famously busy here, so if you find a long wait for a table inside, head out to the patio. It features its own abbreviated menu that gets you fed a little faster on crowded afternoons.

Whatever you decide on for lunch, make sure to leave plenty of room for dessert. The Pie Pantry has been baking for decades, offering everything from fresh cider donuts and cinnamon rolls to their iconic fruit pies. If you can’t narrow it down to just one slice, order a pie flight to sample a few different flavors.

Try a Wine or Hard Cider Flight

Because the winery is housed right inside the restaurant, you don't even need to leave your seat to transition to tasting mode. Crane’s Winery offers flights of locally-grown wines and hard ciders, with the ciders crafted using apples grown right here in Southwest Michigan.

A cider flight pairs perfectly with your flight of pies and feels particularly appropriate after spending the morning picking apples. Try a few different varieties, then pick up a bottle or two for later if you find a favorite.

Take Some Crane’s Home With You

The hardest part of leaving Crane’s might be deciding what to bring back. The Pie Pantry’s shelves are filled with pies, preserves, baked goods, and other treats, while the winery has bottles of wine and hard cider.

We’d plan on leaving with at least one thing you didn’t arrive with. A bottle of cider for the hotel, a fresh pie for later, or a bag of apples from the orchard all make pretty good souvenirs of a fall afternoon in Fennville.

And if the pie doesn't quite survive the short drive back to Saugatuck, we promise we won’t judge.

Tips for Planning Your Fall Visit

Fall is a busy season at Crane's, and different activities are available at different times. Apple varieties ripen throughout the season, and the corn maze, hayrides, and pumpkin activities have their own schedules.

If you're planning a specific activity, check the Crane Orchards and Crane's Pie Pantry websites before you leave so you know what's happening during your visit.

And if you love visiting Crane Orchards in the fall, there’s another reason to come back later in the year. Their holiday light show turns more than a mile of the orchard into a drive-through display with hundreds of handmade lights and props. It’s one of our favorite holiday events near Saugatuck and a completely different way to see the farm.

Make a Fall Day of It

Crane’s is the kind of place where you can show up for one thing and end up staying much longer than you expected. Maybe you go for the apples and end up wandering through the corn maze. Maybe you stop at the Pie Pantry for lunch and leave with a pie, a bottle of cider, and plans to come back for the light show.

After that, the rest of the evening is easy. Head back to The Hotel Saugatuck, put your Crane’s finds away, and enjoy some time in your suite before heading out for dinner or exploring downtown Saugatuck.

If you’re ready for a fall getaway, book your stay in one of our guest rooms or cottages and celebrate the season with us.