Fall planning guide
The Best Weekends to Visit a Michigan Cider Mill This Fall (and How to Skip the Line)
Every fall we get the same question at the donut window: “When’s the best time to come?” After 150 years of running this farm, we’ve got a pretty good answer. It depends on what you’re here for. Here’s the honest guide to timing a cider mill visit in Michigan, straight from the family that’s been doing it since 1876.
From the Long family · Commerce Township, Michigan · Updated for fall 2026
Week by week
The Michigan Cider Mill Calendar, Opening Day to Thanksgiving Eve
Sept 12 & 13
Opening weekend, the sleeper
The Fun Farm opens for the year. The corn maze has a brand-new design cut into it, the first apples are in the barn, and the crowds haven’t figured out it’s fall yet. Good weather, short lines, and the corn is still tall enough to get lost in.
Late September
When it gets real
The last two weekends of September are among our busiest of the whole year. Pumpkins are coming off the vine, the mums are hitting the stand, and every school in Oakland County has a fall photo due. Buy your Fun Farm tickets online ahead of time. It’s $2 less than the gate, and on busy days an online ticket guarantees your spot even if walk-up entry pauses.
Early October
The first two weekends of October Peak
Full stop. The colors are turning, the pumpkin patch is loaded, and the weather is usually as good as Michigan gets. It’s also the weekend everyone else picked. Arrive when the Fun Farm opens, do the hayride and the maze first, and save the donut line for the afternoon when it thins out. Fridays in October are Discount Day, and the crowds are a fraction of Saturday’s.
Mid to late Oct
Pressure lets off, colors stay
Still busy, still beautiful, but a little easier each weekend. The u-pick pumpkin patch stays open through the last weekend of October, and this is the stretch when the Moonlight Corn Maze runs on select nights. Dates get posted on Facebook and the farm update line at (248) 360-3774.
November 1
Last Fun Farm day
The Fun Farm’s final day of the season. If you’ve been meaning to get out here all fall, this is your last shot at the maze until next year.
Nov to Thanksgiving Eve
The best-kept secret on the calendar
The play side closes, but the Cider Mill keeps going every day until the night before Thanksgiving. No lines, no tickets, just cider and hot donuts on a cold morning. A lot of families make it their Thanksgiving-week tradition: grab a gallon for the table on Wednesday and you’re done.
Opening weekend, corn still tall
Late September, patch is ready
Thanksgiving week, zero line
Beat the crowd
How to Skip the Cider Mill Line
1
Buy Fun Farm tickets online
$2 cheaper than the gate, and you walk past the ticket window. On the busiest Saturdays it’s the only guaranteed way in. Tickets are here.
2
Come early or come late
The donut line peaks from about 11 to 2 on fall weekends. First hour and last hour are the quiet ones.
3
Make it a Friday
October Fridays are Discount Day at the Fun Farm, and it feels like a private farm compared to Saturday.
4
Weekday donut runs
Monday through Thursday there’s rarely a line at the barn at all. No ticket, no wait.
5
Season Pass if you'll come three times
$45.76 against a $19 online day pass, so it pays for itself on the third trip. Most families who buy it end up coming five or six.
6
Do the far stuff first
Hayride and maze at open, slides and pillows midday, donuts on the way out. Backwards from the crowd, every time.
In the barn this week
What's Ready When at a Michigan Cider Mill
September
First Pressings
Early apples like Paula Red, McIntosh, and Gala, the first cider of the year, and the corn maze at full height.
Late Sept to Oct
Pumpkins & Mums
Honeycrisp, Cortland, and Jonathan come in, pumpkins hit the patch, and Bobby’s mums line the stand.
October
All 15 Varieties
Usually all in by mid-month, including Northern Spy and Evercrisp. The pumpkin patch is at its fullest. Full apple chart.
November
The Late Keepers
Fuji and Ida Red, cider by the gallon, and hot donuts every day until Thanksgiving Eve.
What’s picking on any given day is on the farm update line and Facebook. The orchard doesn’t always follow the calendar.
Timing questions
Cider Mill Timing Questions We Get Every Fall
What's the least crowded weekend at a cider mill?
Opening weekend in mid-September, and any weekend after Halloween. Both have full cider and donuts, and the September one still has the Fun Farm.
Is it worth going to a cider mill on a weekday?
For cider and donuts, it’s the best way to do it. No line, no ticket, in and out. The Fun Farm side is weekends only, so plan the kids’ trip for a Saturday or Sunday.
How early should we get there on a Saturday in October?
When the Fun Farm opens. The first hour is calm, parking is easy, and you’ll finish the hayride before the line for it forms.
Do I need a ticket to get cider and donuts?
No. The Cider Mill barn is free to walk into every day of the season. Tickets are only for the weekend Fun Farm.
When does the cider mill close for the year?
The Cider Mill runs daily through Thanksgiving Eve. The Fun Farm’s last day is November 1.
Pick Your Weekend. We'll Have the Donuts Hot.
Buy Fun Farm tickets online and save $2, or just show up any day for cider and donuts. We’re at 1540 E Commerce Rd in Commerce Township.