Smolak Farms

Awesome activity with a two year old! Has the trifecta— food, playground, and animals! Recent pics from other posts didnt do it justice so had to add my own.

Always a good time. Love the special festivals they throw. The playground with the animals right next to it is great! Worth the trip just for that! They have some nice produce and treats but a little on the pricier side for me. Still love coming here

it was soooo beautiful!! We got ice cream and it was really good. There’s also a spot for kids to play in.

Would not recommend for raspberries picking. Very small area. Staff pleasant but not that nice. Staff wouldn’t give bags for packaging the raspberries up before picking but then closed up early and wouldn’t give a bag for packing even though I was out before 4:30. Not an horrible place, plenty for kids to do with animals and playground; but overall one of my worst PYO experiences so we will not be back.

I photographed a lovely wedding here and I truly love this location, especially in the fall. There were so many opportunities for stunning wedding portraits and the outdoor ceremony was incredible. I can not wait to photograph here again. Oh yeah and the cider donuts are AWESOME.

My sister and partner hosted their baby shower here. The venue is nice, the staff are helpful, and we all had a great experience. The seating areas, animals, and other amenities are an addition to the experience of the event. The two things the venue should improve on is insect control as we had some bees in the area, and there could be more parking for private events. Other than that, great experience.

* See to the bottom for the 3 stars reason* The farm is beautiful!. Plenty of activities for the children to do while there. Mr & Mrs Claus were awesome and the highlight. The staff were stellar! There is a section with animals to view and a cute playground all free. Now my reason for the 3 stars: 1. Price- excessively high 2. Cut your own tree - don't bother, you won't find one 3. Price of ornament & cocoa activity - high for what you get 4. Should have better information about tree prices and activities before arrival. I checked the website, and it did not provide the information, nor did calling their number. Again, it is a beautiful farm with some really nice highlights. If you are looking for an affordable tree and an affordable day, you will need to look elsewhere. If you can afford it all, God Bless You have a wonderful day.

We drove over an hour specifically for the antique orchard. When we arrived we were told the only open orchards were mac and cortland. You may want to consider putting the apple variety in a clear place on the homepage of your website. Also, we were looking forward to the variety of Cider donuts, but after waiting in a line of 50 people, we got to the counter and there were only cinnamon sugar available. Not a bad experience, just disappointed.

Took an apple picking trio on a weekday in hopes of reduced crowds. We nailed that. Unfortunately loads of confusion on how/where to navigate getting to the apples. There were no directives given, just the bag. Once we figured it out, we were super disappointed in the lack of apple options. Having reviewed the site, we expected to see more names but they were pretty much the same 3-4 apples available. Wasn't really worthy the $30. Great spot for kids though, to see the animals and all the pumpkin options. Definitely not heading back here.

*DOG FRIENDLY* This farm is super cute! They have a little area with different animals like alpacas, goats, peacocks, and much more! You can even feed them from the food dispenser, only 25 cents! We had an assortment of their food and it didn't disappoint. The apple cider donuts were covered in cinnamon sugar and were light and fluffy. The brownie was night and chocolatey. My favorite was the pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting, absolutely scrumptious. And everything wasn't too sweet which I love. The store itself had more than baked goods, it had a plethora of local products like maple syrup, honey, etc. They also have savory foods like pizza if you don't have much of a sweet tooth

I love apples and I love apple picking. I always expect it to be expensive, but Smolak is a little more than it should be. I also didn't love their apples. Lots of the same varieties and none of the ones I love. I walked everywhere and could not find Gala, Pink Lady, Cortland, or developed / not-diseased Honeycrisp. I went during the peak period before overpicking, but that didn't do the trick. So I ended up with a $50 bag of apples I don't love. Hayrides looked nice... $2 per rider. Cider donuts were good ($1.50 each).

Not going to lie went there yesterday and was a little disappointed. Ive been going there more many many years and this year I felt it was not the same. Of course went there for the donuts and have to say they for some reason didn't taste the same like something was missing. Even the animal area appeared to me to be a little run down. Lots of places to sit early morning or coffee some fun things for the little kids to do but overall it just didn't seem the same. A little early for Apple picking which has always be a favorite family event will I go back umm not sure . Check it out for yourself. Maybe an off weekend

Great family place, something to do anytime of year. Picking stuff from spring to fall. Check out their website for up to date fruit picking. Friendly staff, farm store. Ice cream Venue event space.

I highly recommend making a picnic reservation at Smolak Farms and especially during their Mother's Day picnic event. I was drawn in by their advertisement on Facebook. I thought it was too good to be true, how beautiful and scenic the advertisement photos looked. Boy, I was more than pleasantly surprised. The weather turned out to be gorgeous, sunny with few clouds. Everything down to the littlest detail that day was near perfect. When I arrived, the event coordinator was so pleasant and welcoming. One of the many sweet souls that work at this farm. Even the goats in the small farm area seemed to be the happiest looking goats I have seen! Haha! My basket was neatly packed with all the food items that I had previously preselected. Each of the baskets come with a beautiful long stem red rose. Cupcake is a dessert option I recommend getting as well as their Apple cider doughnut. These were no ordinary cupcakes. They were so cute and came in matching cute cupcake boxes with floral garlands design on them. They made the day feel extra special and my kids loved the icing. I must admit, I was a novice at using the online reservation function. I didn't quite know how to reserve for two adults and two children. Luckily, after I submitted my reservation, the farm's event center called me the very next day to go over the details that I left out. They also called again later to confirm my food orders as well as approximate arrival time so that my food would be prepared and ready prior to my arrival. I would say that the process will easier after my first rodeo. The event person who called me, I believe her name was Nicole(?), was so pleasant to talk to. Additional things to know, you will need to leave an ID with the event staff after picking up your picnic basket and you can pick up your ID when you return the picnic blanket. If you can afford it, I highly recommend paying extra for the farm to bring out a picnic table for your family. You won't be able to pick the spot for your picnic but you will be glad to be off of the ground if the floor is muddy and/or wet if it rained the day previous. Also, the farm promised to pick a location with the best views and they sure delivered on that promise for me. I really cannot recommend this farm enough for picnicking. I would even suggest engagement and wedding photos during spring here when the flower bloom if you could! Also, if you have little ones, I would bring extra napkins. You can never have enough napkins when you bring kids. We also walked a very short distance to where our picnic table was located. It had a sign stating it was reserved for my family with my name on it. It also mentioned that the table was sanitized. Overall, I have to say this is one of the most memorable Mother's Day experience I had. Every tree was in full bloom and the flowers were white with pink. The grass had tons of bright yellow dandelions and buttercups which my daughter would not stop collecting and making a bouquet of them. I would not hesitate to recommend this farm to anyone in need of an idea on how to spend Mother's Day. Just do it! The farm really pays attention to detail. I can't thank them enough for the wonderful experience!

would overall recommend atleast stopping by to checkout. the animal area smells bad. the birds are cool. they have local honey. 3.5 rounding up to 4

Bad experience this time. We went for pick your own. Very little fruit to pick even though it was early September. Felt like it was a wasted effort so I went to the shop to get apple cider doughnuts and didn't realize they were stale until I got home.

I went there with seven family members... to a very disgusting & over priced farm ... first parking was ridiculous very far for some handicapped adults... then when we went to go apple picking charging $30 for a bag of apples after we climbed the steep hill there were no apples to pick .. just people walking around with empty bags !!! No apples ! Outrageous!!!!rotten apples on the ground! Told a girl riding a golf cart and told us to go to another side !!!! People were disgusted!! You people running this rip off place should take better care of your animals they were in deplorable condition! You should be reported to theASPCA!! SHAME ON YOU PEOPLE!!! RIP OFF ! DONT GO THERE!!!

Lots of waiting time for late September on a Sunday during Covid. Guess everyone trying to get one trip in before season ends! -no reservations, just all walk-in's -50 mins to get in the store for some donuts -45 mins to get on a hop-on hayride when the guy told us it's a quick wait! -5 mins for ice cream -10 mins to get into apple picking -no wait for pumpkin patch -no wait for animals, but half the cages were empty! No cows, no pigs even with the signs -lots of tables to eat at Covid limitations Farm store for donuts: 10 people at a time Hayride: 15 people at a time $7 pp $2 additional Covid fee per person for apple picking Long lines, no social distancing being enforced There's signs everywhere but people get closer and closer to you in line. All staff wearing masks, but so many people walking around just has it on their chin. 5 star for Donuts and cider! They were AMAZING! Information desk has some donuts for sale sometimes! And they sell cider outside. So the line is really for donuts and others.

Used to live by the farm so only get to stop in when I am back in the area. Of coursei had to get donuts for the family. Boy was I surprised when I opened the bag. The donuts were crawling with ants. I have never been so grossed out. Absolutely unacceptable and if I wasn't almost and hour away and the farm closed, someone would have had to deal with an extremely grossed out repeat customer. This one is worth a call to the health inspector. Never again!

We headed off to Smolak Farms for a Saturday afternoon of peach picking, but seeing as the main purpose of the trip was just to spend time together and to hang out, we decided to amend our itinerary seeing as the wee one was just waking up from a nap. Oh dear, there were deer just behind the ice cream shoppe so we headed that a ways as another family dropped a quarter to buy some feed for the elegant creatures who had already smartly begun gathering by the end of the feed chute. Then off we went to check out the Animal Area and Playground where we checked out the chickens, peacocks, and pigs. Then it was time for an ice cream snack. Banana Fudge and Sea Salt Caramel were both good choices. We never did make it out to the field to do any picking, but we had a good time hanging out at Smolak. We took home some day old sugar dusted cider donuts for half price since the fresh stuff was sold out by then, and we weren't interested in the remaining plain. Their lemon scones were light on the lemon. Their cider donuts tasty, but the day olds were a bit crumbly. *** Ice Cream Kiddie $3.25 Regular $4.25 Large $4.95 Toppings 50 cents or $1 each Hand packed pint $6 Hand packed quart $9 Sundaes Regular $4.99 Donut $5.99 Brownie $6.99 Frappes Regular $5.59 xtra thick $6.59 Soda Float $4.29 Lime/rasp Rickey $2.79 Apple Cider Donuts Single $1.29 1/2 dozen $6.99 1 dozen $13.99 You Pick (with a $5 fee that is applied to your purchase) Peaches and Plums $3.99/lb Raspberries $6.99/lb Blueberries $4.95/lb Hayrides and cow train rides for an extra charge. (late August 2018 visit)

Went as a family of 5, one being an infant and we had a good time. Nice family run business, people with negative comments sound like entitled people from Andover. You can come here with $100 and have a decent afternoon with 2 adults and 2 kids. Hayride, kids train, and decent food for a farm, plus HELLO they have booze. Get off your high horse and enjoy the afternoon

Went apple picking today (mid-September). Trees were practically picked clean, and a lot of the apples had spots and scars. The staff, especially Jonathan, were the saving grace. Jonathan helped us with the different varieties and when they are available. I hadn't been feeling well, and being out in the sun got to me. Jonathan had someone drive me from the orchard to the farm stand in one of the golf carts. We were very grateful to Jonathan. Smolak is lucky to have him!

We're traveling around the US in our RV, and we found out that apple picking in the fall is a big thing in this area. Our friends in Boston also said that a big attraction at the farms is that they make their donuts fresh. We drove over there on a rainy day, and they were open, but the donuts didn't seem fresh, and I saw a fly in the display counter where the donuts and other pastries were, so I decided not to get the baked goods from there. I'm sure flies are hard to control, so I don't totally blame the people there. I guess we should go on a weekend when most visitors go and maybe then, we'll be able to get fresh donuts. We got a couple of pumpkins and it was good. Just a regular farm.

Haven't been to Smolak Farm for years and decided to take a ride on a beautiful day. I was disappointed in the atmosphere. I purchased a coffee and sat outside on tables that were extremely dirty. The coffee was okay, but very watered down. I did not enjoy myself.

I visited Smolak on what on is probably the last heat wave of the year, and the place was packed this Sunday afternoon! Parking lot was filling up with hundreds of cars and lines were forming inside their store and the ice cream stand. This is one of the best farms I've been to, as the whole property is nicely kept, and very inviting to visitors. One of the best things about this farm is their farm animal exhibit! The cleanest and neatest I've ever been to for a local farm. It really says a lot how farm owners keep the condition of their animal enclosures and their animals. They offer hay rides, fruit and berry picking, apple cider donuts and other farm stand goods, ice cream, a play area, a carnival game area, a huge pumpkin patch, and beer garden with live music. They were totally prepared for this weekend. Some things I'd like to see is an outdoor sink to wash filthy hands, and the hand sanitizer stations actually filled. Also, the wasps are just as interested in your sweet treats as you are, so watch out for them! Very nice stop to make.

Went specifically for apple picking, which was quite a disappointment. I will probably not be back. All of the apples we saw were either rotten, or had some sort of infestation on them. And the trees were sitting in what amounted to a disgusting mud pit. There was also a weird overgrowth of fuzzy something or other all over the ground around the trees. All the inlets that you had to walk across were covered in that fuzzy stuff. The few stars we gave are for the animal farm. It was very nice and the kids had fun there. Also, the playground and the donuts were great.

I am a regular here and love the apple cider donuts, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches. Attempted to apple pick here and it was HORRIBLE. Every apple tree had apples with black dots on it (see picture below) and some even rotten. It took us ~45 minutes to find apples to fill up one small bag. We attempted to return a bag and they didn't let us. DO NOT recommend coming here for apple picking. Will not be going back.

$2 Fee per person over 2 to enter the Orchard BEFORE you even buy a bag to pick any fruit! Families we splitting up ('You take the Kids, Dad and Grandpa will wait here'). This will be our last visit...

I love it was so spacious and dog friendly too and there selection was great on ice cream. But could use more staff.

We had a wonderful day at Smolak yesterday. The hayride was a great experience. Such a beautiful property! We really enjoyed the live music and food tent. We found the staff, especially the two folks at the information/ticket booth, to be very helpful and friendly. We are so glad we stopped by for Fall Festival 2022!

We went because it was a lot closer then where we normally go. Can't say I was impressed. Apples were rotting, apple cider donuts not good, they didn't have a petting zoo like others, just feeding them through tubes which isn't as much fun as others I've been to. It is a nice property and ample parking when we went. Also we couldn't even eat at the tent because the band was so insanely loud

Worst experience ever. Parking first of all was terrible. Second, we grew up in Andover and made a trip back to the farm we visited many times. We were walking in the orchard and a man (presumable an employee) wearing a purple shirt came up to us and was 100% the most disrespectful person ever. We were kicked out because we didn't first pay for a bag. This place is absurd. There are so many orchards with friendly staff that I would never waste my time here again. Update: 25 minutes in line for ice cream. Shame on me for giving the ice cream stand a fighting chance.....

Great little place to stop and take my children. Our 1st time there .Then we eat icecream there before we left l. Didn't do the blueberries or peach pick but we will next time we go back.

We come here every year and usually have a great time! My son enjoyed the pirates and the hay ride. The cider is as always, awesome. But- paper masks on the ground everywhere, portapotties in need of attention and whole families not following the mask mandates- which ok, but then please don't come stand around those of us that want to be safe. AND it clearly states masks are required. I don't know if they just got swamped today or what but the experience was just "eh". We ended up leaving without picking apples. I hope this was just a flarp because usually it's great.

The ABSOLUTE BEST!! My friend and I went today and they had sooo many apples for apple picking, a sunflower farm for photos, a pumpkin patch and the best apple cider donuts and apple cider! I can't wait I'm literally coming back tomorrow again!! Don't worry there's plenty of apples for everyone!

My husband and I got married here last year and decided to go back for memory's sake today. In lieu of our visit, I thought I'd write a review as we had such a great experience with the event planning team there. Ashley and her colleagues were nothing but professional and kind throughout our time with them. Ashley knew the ins and outs of the vendors and the farm so it was so easy for us to let things go so that she could work her magic. The wedding planning was stress-free and it all turned out beautifully. The farm grounds are kept up well and I didn't have to do much to spruce up the space. We also opted for pies at our wedding and they were delicious - all our guests were raving about it. Cider donuts and ice cream are also a must. Overall, a wonderful, memorable day made possible by Smolak Farms and the team there, and we are so grateful and would highly recommend for weddings and parties!

I am a lifetime PYOer and strongly believe in our small farms are essential. Smolak was never on my PYO list because dogs aren't allowed in the fields and I always enjoyed picking with my canine companion. This year, friends suggested a trip and I was excited to finally give them a try! Their website had an insanely exciting variety of fruits (fall golden raspberries, late peaches, pluots, antique apple varieties!) I was dying to try. So-- two trips later, here's my take: there are many good things about Smolak Farms and they try to meet all the needy needs of every obscure demographic (urbane college hipsters, 30s couples with 2.3 children whose first child is named Gareth, foreign visitors to New England eager to 'rough it', etc.) It's small size and proximity to Boston allows hordes of visitors to "do it all" - pick cut flowers, buy stuff in the obligatory country gift shoppe, pick every fruit imaginable (even pluots aka 'dinosaur eggs'), feed wild animals and even have a barn birthday party. Their biggest issue, IMO, is their popularity. They have to charge insane prices to enter the fields because you have so many folks who either don't know how PYO works or have no farming background and don't know enough to have respect for the fields or trees. Where other orchards and Farms have staff providing field condition updates, their staff must focus on directing the hordes. Other folks reviews are spot on: the fields are over picked on or after busy weekends and you're left struggling to fill bags with inferior fruit. I wouldn't mind if I knew --or as others suggested-- I paid a lesser fee for less than optimum fruit (blight was on the Wolf River apples) or could get a refund on the three raspberry boxes I optimistically bought and could not fill. That said -- their baked food set up was delicious, coffee was yummy, cider donuts pretty yummy (not as good as some, better than others). It is a gorgeous farm. It's a part of our New England farming heritage. Kudos for keeping our culture alive. I hope with more work and planning, it can get to where it needs to go.

Went here after they reopened from the COVID-19 regulations. Place was pretty quiet when we go there, not a lot of people. Took a few to find where the strawberry picking was because there was no signs. Had to ask the staff into the store where to head to the farm. Strawberries were good size though! There was also a lot but you had to take some time finding the good ones. All of them were sweet once we cleaned them back home.

We went on a day that was overcast and a few showers, which didn't bother us at all. We were looking for pumpkins just to try our hand at carving. The farm store is alright, offered tea, coffee, an assortment of goodies from apple cider donuts to maple candies. The women that worked the counter were kind and helpful. We explored the corn maze and some of the apple orchard. This place is very kid friendly with hay rides and a small zoo with peacocks, alpacas, and a few hens! Not a lot of people were there which was nice. However, it all left something to be desired when we left. There's a lovely barn that you can host parties in, but it looks quite small. For me, this was a one and done. I don't think I'll be visiting again, but maybe that'll change once I have children.

Ladies and gentlemen, do not waste your hard-earned money here. Today was one of the worst New England farmers market experiences I've ever had. I used to love this place but it's gone downhill so quickly and today was a huge disappointment. The bakery counter is ran by rude high school/college kids, and the displays had so many flies/bees crawling all over the baked goods which I'm 100% certain is a health code violation. I asked one of the employees if we could have the fresh donuts that hadn't yet been placed in the case with the flies and this snarky college-age girl said in the rudest and matter-of-fact voice "they're all the same." Terrible customer service. For $2 a donut I expect something fresh and delicious, not what they offered. The "hot cider" was lukewarm and tasted like Mott's apple juice. Apple picking is a ripoff at $25 for a bag of 10 apples... $2.50 per apple? Wtf. The whole place was swarming with dogs, children and way too many people. Their "pumpkin patch" is literally a fenced in mud pit with about 40 pre-picked pumpkins scattered around. You're better off getting some at Trader Joe's for 1/3 of the price. They do have free parking in a dirt lot and they have port-a-potty restrooms for the public. OVERALL: Super crowded, dirty and disappointing. Don't waste your time or money.

I came here on a whim with some of my friends having no clue what to expect, but Smolak Farms turned out to be a solid place for a fall adventure. Everyone else in the surrounding area thought so, too, because this place was packed! And with that being the only downside to our whole experience here, I'd say that's a good problem to have had. What attracted me to Smolak Farms was the breadth of activities for really anyone. Whether your young professionals like we were or young families or young children, you could find something here to enjoy. We had our hearts set on apple picking (cliche, I know), and we fulfilled our autumnal desires. For a pretty penny, we were able to wander the orchards and pick whatever crisp treasures we wanted to fill our bags. Even in mid-October, there were still a ton of apples from which to choose, so we were satisfied. Our apple fantasies didn't stop there, though. We waited on line for 45 minutes - 45 MINUTES - to get our hands on some apple cider doughnuts. It was absolutely ridiculous, I know, but to the victor go the spoils, and we were the definition of victorious. Their doughnuts were fresh from the oven and put in boxes immediately to our stomachs' content. The wait was so worth it. So as your planning your seasonal activities and trying to find the perfect place to spend a cool afternoon, add Smolak Farms to your list. Take the road trip out of the city and into the epitome of fall.

We came with only two things in mind: get pumpkins and see some of the animals. The animal enclosures were actually nicer than we expected them to be with a decent range of animals. There were zero petting areas which was a little discouraging, but probably for the best. The pumpkin patch wasn't somewhere you'd spend a lot of time searching through or taking pictures at. It was more for function than style. The price of our two huge pumpkins was great in my opinion compared to other farms I've been to in the past. $23 for two. You probably won't spend too much time here unless you do the corn maze (we did not) as there aren't really any activities or places to roam. It's a short and to the point farm, but it was enough for us.

Took the family here today. We had a great time. Loved the apple picking and the apple cider donuts. More on that later......... The farm was so nice and really breath taking at moments. As your driving take note of the amazing homes in the area. There so nice and I got the sense of old town American but BellAir style homes. For the holidays they are probably really nice. Pulling into the parking lot is hard as it's not paved so rocks and dust that flys in the air as you drive. Be careful driving because a lot of stupid people allow there kids and dogs run freely in the parking lot. It may not be ever day but I saw it so much I took note of it. Apple picking was fun got lots of fresh apples both red and green (making apple pie and caramel apples) The farm is big so the farmer owns device what section of the apple orchard to allow people to pick from. lLots of apples on the ground and I would say those are the best ones. My daughter was not having it tho. The orchard is hilly so get on s pair of good shoes. Also bring a bottle of water for you can pick a apple off the tree and enjoy it right there. The apple cider donuts were freshly made in the convenience store and sold outside. The line is long some people waited 2hrs. We just waited till the line was lot as long and got ours in 5 mins. They have both sugar and sugar free both donuts lake any apple and/or cider flavor. The good thing it that they are warm, soft and sweet. It's best to get a bag or 3 and a cold apple cider and hop on the hayride. My wife really enjoyed it. They run 3 hayrides one after another so the wait time is not long. Unless you get a time we're 2 drivers are on break. So lady was going off about waiting 35/40 mins. She was yelling "I'm going on Facebook to complain" She was one of those people that could not enjoy the Beauty of the farm for what it is.(on a side note she got a call and had to pull out her old cheap flip phone so you know she has to go home and turn on her windows 97 computer that takes 1hr to start up-I'm just saying) The ride it self is about 15 mins. The guy that we got tickets form told us it was 25/30. Try to get a center seat too far in the back and you can smell and taste the tractors exhaust. The pumpkin patch was not what I was thinking. The "patch" was very small and they are already picked and just placed on the ground in a area up front next to the parking lot. Kinda sad because I really wanted to cut off my own pumpkin. I got 2 large and a few small ones. Try to bring cash if you can they do accept CC/DB but it's slow to process. They have a ATM machine but you know that $5. People do bring there dogs so feel free to do so. The farm also sells ice cream and Christmas trees. From the website you can't see the prices so that's a bit shady. Parking-FREE Apple Picking- 1.) Small Plastic Bag-$20 2.) Small Wooden Basket-$30 3.) Large Wooden Basket-$45 HayRide- $4 per person kids 2 years and younger free Pumpkin patch- .60 cents per pounds. Jumping house and slide-$15 per child. Forgot how much donuts are. With these prices and the large volume of people you can see why some people are against farm subsidies.

If you like mediocre pumpkins, rotting apples and literally nothing to do, look no further. After making the 45 minute drive, my boyfriend dog and I were stoked to see a real pumpkin patch, only to have it closed off. We walked over to the only other dog friendly spot, the outdoor stand for pumpkins to find green pumpkins. Green. Not orange. The smell of rotting apples is expected at an orchard, sure, but near the farm stand? Where there's food? Yuck. Overall super disappointing and will not be back. Do not recommend. If -1 star was a choice, would've picked that.

This is a nice country farm with nice people. The cider donuts were delicious and they were some of the best donuts I have ever had. The apple cider is better than what you can find in the stores. There is plenty of good parking and it is not too far from rt 114. There are also animals for the kids. Call ahead to see if they have apple picking. At the time I wrote this review, it is a great time of year to visit.

If I could give a ZERO rating I would have. Worse apple picking experience in 30 years of doing this. Poorly organized, directed to a orchard where we had to walk a half mile to an orchard that was picked clean and many , many trees with rotted apples. Young people working directing people to empty orchards. Poor poor management.

My husband and I recently got married at Smolak Farms and had the absolute best day of our lives. From the second we booked the venue with Ashley we knew we were in great hands. She made the process seamless and works closely with fantastic vendors ( Deb from Butlers and Bars and David's Catering). Our guests are still raving about the natural beauty of the farm, the fresh food and the delicious drinks. The staff were all professional, welcoming and seemed to really enjoy what they do. We can't say enough great things about Smolak and their crew !

I attended a family friend's wedding at Smolak on Saturday 9/11/21. What a BEAUTIFUL place! Great weather, delicious food, the pies and donuts were to die for, and the Smolak staff so professional and attentive. So why 3 stars? The amount of alcohol served to quests who should not of been served was concerning. Although most were not driving because transportation was provided it was still concerning to see no precautions at all as to limits to quests. There were many besides myself wondering if Smolak was more concerned in pleasing patrons than the possibility of a liability issue.

Today we decided to go to Smolak Farms and strawberry pick. We called to see what we need to do and they told us to come to the farmstand. We get to the farmstand and they tell us that we have to drive down the road to go strawberry picking. Why couldn't they just tell us this when we called? So we get to the field to Strawberry Pick and we paid two dollars per adult +8 dollars for the quart. And we're in there for maybe half an hour. So we leave and my husband is ahead of me and my little six-year-old boy has a handful of strawberries in his hand. I have the quart in my hands and saw that they had bags. I stopped to ask for a bag so that the berries wouldn't spill all over the place. The man at the booth tells me I overpicked and he needed to charge me for another quart because my little boy had a handful of berries in his hand. Told me he could charge me 3 times for over picking. The man threatened to call the police telling me I am being difficult. All I said is you are going to charge me because my little boy has a handful of berries? Anyways that will be the last time I go to this farm.

Went apple picking at the farm, was told to use access point D which is up on a massive hill. Most of the trees had no apples or had rotting apples. Apple signs were wrong as well. Went purposely on a Friday to avoid weekend crowds but was very disappointed. Smolak seems to favor wedding events over providing decent apples.

I came here the other day for apple picking. Spent $40 for the larger size bag of apples, as well as paying $2 per person as an entrance fee (not sure if that charge is covid related or not, however I don't remember this charge from the last time I was here.) There was also a charge to enter the pumpkin patch and none of the pumpkins even looked good. As far as the apple picking went... I wasn't very impressed this year. The grass was pretty long/hard to walk on especially going up and down the hills. There weren't many types of apples to choose from. Mac and Courtland seemed to be the most abundant. A lot of the apples were also stuck together on the trees which was odd.

One of my favorite places for a field trip! For the past few years in the summer, our middle school summer program would come to Smolak farm for their educational tour. This includes a hayride around the farm, blueberry picking, and snacks (apple cider donuts and lemonade). If there wasn't enough time to finish the entire tour, the staff would pack the snacks up for us to bring back home. I can see that our students really enjoy the schedule of the trip, especially having some snacks at the end of the tour in a well-decorated barn! The duration of our visit is 1.5 hours. The staff there are really friendly to us. They really enjoy working there and working with youths. I would definitely recommend others to go, especially summer programs since I've only been here in the summer with my program!

Wonderful location for family fun. Lots to do and see. The kids enjoyed the animals and hay ride, as well as activities. My only concern was that the farm stand was extremely overcrowded. I could not stay to make my purchases as I am certain the number of people in the building far exceeded the occupancy limits. There were no staff members available to control the crowd.

My first trip to Smolak Farms was in September 2014, about three months after first having moved to Massachusetts. My husband and I (and a few other friends) attended the BAE Systems event where Smolak Farms & BAE partner/host an event at the farm for active-duty military members and their families. As part of their community investment program, the event provides each active duty family a free basket (half bushel) to fill with as many apples as you can pick/fit in your basket, a pack of apple cider donuts, and a pumpkin (normally sm/md sized). I think it's absolutely wonderful of Smolak Farms & BAE Systems to provide this type of event for military families and it helps us experience the best parts of Massachusetts, especially as non-residents of this beautiful state! Parking is spacious, and we've never had a problem with parking (normally because we arrive right when they open). There are volunteers posted around the farm to direct you where you need to go, and each volunteer is always so helpful and cheerful! Check-in at the front is a breeze. They have some animals there, though we didn't see the animals too much, we did get a glimpse of the deer / buck they have there. There is also an ice cream shop you can visit before heading to the orchards or on your way out (if you need to replenish those calories you burned picking apples / fruits)! They have a variety of pick your own fruits. This season in 2016, I saw signs for a variety of apples, plums, and berries. Tips: -In 2014, they gave us apple pickers to use, however in 2016, they didn't give us apple pickers so we were limited to whatever we could reach on the trees (unless you have a 6 foot 2 husband like I do!) -Research each apple variety they offer (on their website) prior to arriving so that you know which orchard lanes you want to walk down or not. We're not fans of Macintosh apples and since they grow a lot of Macintosh apples here, we were able to avoid having to walk down 3-5 lanes of all Macintosh apples. -Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Probably shoes that cover your entire feet. I saw some people walking in sandals which is totally fine if you don't care what lands on your feet. As with all fields, there are bugs here and lots of ants on the apples that have fallen on the ground and half-eaten or rotted and you don't want to accidentally step on those mounds of ants with sandals. -There are a lot of bees here. In September 2014 there were a lot flying around, and this year in September 2016 there were a lot flying around as well. You have to let mother nature run its course, but if you're like my husband and I who hate having bees fly around our arms and hands, you'll be quick to just grab a bunch of apples off one tree and RUN! -Lots to do here: fruit picking, ice cream shop, gift shop, barn, picnics, pumpkin patches, corn field, etc. -Have fun! Note: This review is my opinion based on my experience only and may not reflect on the business as a whole. What experience I had may not be the same for someone else.

I feel like I really want to like this farm because it is cute and has so much potential. I just feel like the set up is a mess. It's a very crowded farm so I feel like they need to utilize their space better. The huge tractor comes to pick people up right in the middle of where it's beyond packed with people pretty much entering the farm or waiting for the porta potties ( another thing I don't like - please invest into some bathrooms ) So it's awfully hectic around that area. And they seem to be doing a fall festival on weekends now..again cute idea! But just a lot crammed in. The tent with food we liked going too in previous years, we couldn't do because there just wasn't enough tables. I feel like if you're expecting large crowds and serving food, just get more tables. And the band was WAY TOO LOUD!!!We only stood in there for a few minutes but I wanted to get the heck out because it was unbearable to listen too especially with my baby. I don't know how people sat in there without wanting headphones. All in all it is a cute space with lots of potential. I just feel like there's other farms set up a little better and more organized, where I feel like this farm just isn't worth coming back too and way too chaotic.

It was pretty quiet when we got there. I think we were the only guests there at the time. Grabbed some ice cream with the family and then went out back so my son could see the animals. It was a nice time, didn't try the doughnuts like everyone suggested but I'm not much of a deserts guy.

I usually don't write reviews because I understand not every place can be perfect but I am very upset with Smolak and the lack of responding to customers. We recently visited Smolak farms to get our Christmas tree on november 29th, they had a great selection I will give them that especially for 12 foot trees. The tree we picked out looked spectacular until we got home..... the second we got our tree up and into the stand and cut open the netting, one whole side of the tree and ALLLLL of the branches fell off instantly!!!!!!!! It looked like someone chopped up the whole back side of the tree with clippers!! We tried to put lights on the tree a few days later and more and more branches continued to fall. My family and I were extremely upset we spent 160$ for half of a tree. It looks like whoever wrapped up the tree in netting was CARELESS and LAZY. We ended up emailing smolak farms to reach out with these pictures hoping to get a response or even an offer for a new Christmas tree however it's been two weeks and no answer!! It is very unprofessional for a company to not respond to customer concerns and I am very upset with smolak. I use to love coming here for Apple picking and pumpkin picking and apple cider donuts but I will never come back here again due to this awful experience. Please see pictures attached.

The day started off pretty well. My friend and I arrived at 1 PM and it was pretty quiet because it had rained earlier today. We went to the antique apples area first and asked the really helpful gentleman to explain the different costs and sizes to us. Unfortunately basically every tree was picked clean. All the "antique" apples only had like 5 trees of each of the special kinds like pink pearl and lady. So of course they were completely gone at this point. A lot of the remaining trees that looked promising ended up having a lot of rotten apples. Additionally, the rows were only labeled on one end with small sticks, some of which were fallen over. It was hard to figure out where one type of apple started and ended. Maybe having labels on both ends of the rows would be helpful. By 3 PM the place was super crowded. My friend and I bought one of the baskets (a bushel?) to split and it was $50 total. So $25 each. To me, that's kind of steep considering the quality and quantity of apples. We picked about half of it before deciding to rest because it was pretty hot and humid today. My main peeve came soon after. We had gone to the store to get some cold cider and cider donuts (really delicious, by the way) on our break and because our hands were filled we decided to stop by the car to drop off the donuts first. Well I guess because we were carrying our bushel with us still (remember, it was only half full), we walked back to the antique orchard with our bushel from the parking lot. First, the person managing the road/crosswalk started pointing at us and gesturing to the lady working the table. She then called out to us asking if we had paid for our bushel. The following conversation went like this: Us - Yes, we paid earlier. Her - With who, me? Us - No with the guy working before. Her - Why were you guys coming from the parking area? Us - We were dropping off our donuts? Her - Oh...ok.... With a very, very unconvinced voice and look on her face. I sorta get it. It looks suspicious coming from the parking lot with a basket already. But we had the little ribbon on the handle saying we paid. I don't know if apple stealing is a huge problem here but it really put a bad taste in my mouth with the tone of voice and gesturing. I told my friend but we think it would have been nice to be told up front the condition of the apple orchards. Also I would suggest that these prices might work during the peak of the season (end of September maybe) but that they should be lowered as the season winds down due to the quality of the apples. Honestly, it's an adorable farm. There's a small pond, a pumpkin patch, an ice cream shop, animals, and even the regular shop and seating areas were really festively decorated. But unless you want to shell out the money for mediocre apples, I'd probably go somewhere else.