‘FAMILY TRADITION’
Windy Hill Orchard family weekends provide day-long fun for everyone
CASTLETON, N.Y. » Windy Hill Orchard - East, located at 1297 Brookview Station Rd., invites you to spend a day at the orchard. They are having Family Fun weekends through Oct. 18, with lots to do, see, and hear in addition to their usual orchard activities.
Windy Hill’s motto is “Start a family tradition.” It’s an idea that co- owners Todd and Scott Seeberger hold at the center of the orchard’s business model. The brothers want Windy Hill to be a place where families will come to spend the day, make some great memories, and come back again for more.
If business at the orchard so far this season is
any indication, that goal is in the bag. The orchard is seeing lots of customers, despite the pandemic, even becoming downright crowded in some areas at times - especially in the store, where space is limited
Masks are required in all common areas including the store, and whenever social distancing is not possible. Out in the middle of the orchard, surrounded by acres of apple trees, it’s easy to find a spot where you can remove your mask and enjoy apple picking. Windy Hill staff frequently cleans common area surfaces, and hand sanitizer stations are located throughout the orchard.
Windy Hill’s Family Fun weekends are in lieu of an Apple Festival this
Windy Hill’s motto is “Start a family tradition.” It’s an idea that co-owners Todd and Scott Seeberger hold at the center of the orchard’s business model.
year, due to the pandemic. But the Seebergers have come up with a solid plan for weeks of repeated entertainment. There’s a different live band playing every weekend, a variety of food trucks and craft vendors, and free wagon rides through the orchard. That’s all on top of the daily-made cider doughnuts, fudge, pastries, and other goodies that are all made in-house and for sale at the store; acres of pick-your- own apples; a corn maze, pumpkin patch, and sunflower field for exploring; and picnic spots and fire pits for taking a few moments to sit and enjoy the atmosphere of the orchard.
“Since the Seebergers took it over, they’ve really done a wonderful job. Especially now with COVID, they’re still doing so much,” commented Flo Ball, a regular guest at the orchard. Ball is a Castleton native, and in fact, lives a few doors down from the Seeberger family.
“These guys are very community- oriented, and they’re trying very hard,” Ball continued. “It’s nice to see a lot of people come from all over. This has been a farming community for years, so it’s nice to see what they’re doing.”
On Saturday, the Abady family from Schenectady and the Long family from Scotia, friends through a shared hobby, visited Windy Hill for the first time. Aaron Abady and his wife Chelsea were there with their daughters Evelyn, 4, and Rose, 2, as well as Aaron’s brother Josh, up for the weekend from Brooklyn.
“Aaron called me up and said, ‘ hey, you want to go apple picking this weekend?’ and I said, ‘ that sounds awesome!’ I’ve been needing some serious stress relief,” Josh said.
Josh enjoyed himself throughout the day, playing with his nieces and helping his brother and sister-inlaw do lots of apple picking.
“I love it, it’s super nice,” he commented about the orchard. “It’s really intelligently designed, and everyone is so nice.”
Steve Long, visiting Windy Hill with his son, Zach, and daughter, Katrina, was impressed with the abundance of trees and the quality and quantity of fruit available for picking.
“These are nice and easy to pick,” he said as he reached for another apple in one of the Empire sections of the orchard.
When picking season is over at the end of October, the Seebergers will hire a crew to come in and clear out the orchard, picking every apple that’s left on every tree. The fruit will get washed and polished, and then sorted into two groups. The “pretty” fruit that’s of the right size and quality will get sold in bulk to supermarkets. Fruit that’s the wrong size or damaged will get made into cider and sold wholesale to companies that will use it for retail sales.
After a wagon ride and some time in the orchard, the Abadys and the Longs headed back to the main area of the orchard to pay for their apples, grab some lunch, and do some shopping. Aaron picked up some doughnuts to go with lunch and an apple pie to bring home, and Chelsea decided to get a cider slushie from the store.
“It’s really good!” she declared after a few sips.
As everyone ate, they listened to music by Rabb, the band that was playing from noon-3 p.m. that day. The upbeat oldies tunes even had a few people dancing near the band tent, with a sizable crowd sitting in lawn chairs and enjoying the music.
After lunch, the two families decided it was time to try their luck in the corn maze. After getting sepa
rated a few times, several wrong turns, and many calls of “Marco Polo,” everyone eventually made it out.
“We made it through the corn!” Rose declared proudly.
Taking advantage of the picnic area near the maze exit, everyone took a few
minutes to sit in the shade and get off their feet. Then, with Rose and Evelyn starting to show telltale signs of needing naps, it was time to call it a day.
“I think this is our go-to for next year,” Aaron commented as everyone headed back to their cars.
Windy Hill - East is open seven days a week: Monday-Friday 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a. m.- 6 p. m., and Sunday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Family Fun weekends will run through Oct. 18. For a schedule of events, visit https://www.windyhillorchardnye.com/events.