As the warm weather begins to come to an end and the leaves start to change colors, everyone is getting into fall festivities. In and around Concord, there are many places to visit to get into the fall mood such as apple orchards, haunted houses, and pumpkin farms.
Of the many places to visit, haunted houses are popular ones. Many in the CHS student body enjoy DarkSyde Acres located in Jonesville. Their haunted house includes five buildings to walk through while being scared by their many characters. Along with the five haunted houses, they also have a haunted maze. The owners share, “It is our 16th year of fear, and we are under new ownership this year as well as a new management team.”
Sophomore, Marissa Mandrelle visited the haunted house with her friends. She shares, “It was really scary, and everything was so sudden. There was no point where nothing was scaring us.” Mandrelle adds that her favorite part of the haunted house was when she walked through a tube that started to close in on her, and when she came out saw strobe lights. Mandrelle explains that readers should visit DarkSyde Acres: “If you like to be scared, that is the place you should go.”
Another popular haunted house is Jackson’s Underworld located at 1318 Wildwood Ave. Their haunted house is four stories high and 115,000 square feet. Throughout the entire experience, there are people constantly jumping out at you to give you a big scare. Their website explains that: “This year, [they’re] dialing up the dread like never before, to deliver what is undeniably the most harrowing yet exhilarating haunted experience in the United States.” They are open 7 pm to 12:30 am Fridays and Saturdays, and 7 pm to 11 pm on Thursdays and Sundays.
Students also enjoy visiting the apple orchards nearby. Sweet Seasons Orchard is a popular one amongst the student body. The owner shared, “We are a small family orchard, and try our best to provide quality everything! We press our own unpasteurized cider, [and] make our own donuts, pies, [and] cookies. Love our customers, and have the best customers in the world! It’s a beautiful drive down our road at this time of year. Please come see us!” The orchard also has tons of pumpkins for sale to be carved or set around as decorations. They are located at 1587 Allman Road. Their hours are 10 am to 6 pm every day, so if you get the chance, stop by and look around.
The CHS cross-country team will sometimes run to Sweet Seasons Orchard during their season. Runner, Paige Morris explains she likes how they have: “A variety of food and everything is delicious.” She shares that she likes it when the team runs there because she has a reason to run; and when they arrive there are apples, cider, and donuts for them. Morris also shares why she thinks someone should visit Sweet Seasons Orchard. She says, “ Someone should visit if they’re looking for a quick, but delicious spot. It is very inviting and warm.”
Another popular apple orchard is Meckley’s Flavor Fruit Farm. Their farm is known for its delicious apple cider. They are also known for their bakery, where they make fresh donuts, pies, and bread each morning. While they are known for their much-wanted merchandise, they also have tons of events and festivals constantly through the fall season. There are corn mazes, bonfires, pumpkin patches, and festivals. They are open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with times varying throughout the week.
Located three miles west of Concord on M-60 is Blossom Farms. They are open daylight until dark seven days a week. During the fall season, they are known mainly for their pumpkins, which is also what they are currently selling the most. Blossom Farms also provides many other products such as mums, straw, and decorative corn. Son of the co-owners and sophomore student Lane Blossom explains that someone should visit because of the “vast selection of products”. He also shares that they are providing hayrides. Many of the students also enjoy visiting to get their pumpkins to carve for Halloween.
Fall is a fun season for all of these businesses, and if you are looking for a good experience as well, look into visiting them!
