Does it only take one week for the Shore to change seasons?

We rode the roller coaster from stormy to steamy and everything in between, only to land in early October with the leaves taking on their orange tint right on cue.

That means we can waste no time in getting to our fall hit list. And while the pick-your-owns weren’t in the cards for us this weekend (one of us was severely jet-lagged from a work trip), we managed to at least check off one iconic destination, which we present to you below. Hopefully we’ll have more energy for the rest of October.

We know, we know. Delicious Orchards, for fall? Groundbreaking.

But we’d be remiss if we didn’t spotlight one of the jewels of a Monmouth County fall itinerary, and in particular because this year, the New Jersey apples have had a bad seed. Unusually warm weather followed by a sudden cold snap this April ruined more than 78% of the state’s apple crop, according to NJ.com.

If that news has you feeling like a crab apple, never fear! There’s still plenty to enjoy at Delicious Orchards. And yes, you can still chug the apple cider on tap.

A Brief History

The Barclay family opened a small orchard in Colts Neck in 1911. When Carroll Barclay took over operations after World War II, the business began shifting from wholesale to retail. A makeshift roadside stand opened in 1959 and soon grew into a year-round market selling produce and baked goods. At one point, Janet Barclay reportedly gave up her living and dining rooms to pie production, baking more than 3,000 pies a week with a group of local women.

In the early 1970s, a young produce stocker named Bill MacDonald joined the business and worked his way up through the ranks. Delicious Orchards gave him more than a solid career—he also met and fell in love with his coworker Linda, whom he later married. Today, Bill and Linda MacDonald, along with their four children, own the Delicious Orchards we know today.

Plan Your Visit

Delicious Orchards is a great way to spend a few hours on a sunny fall weekend, but fair warning: it gets mobbed. Going earlier in the day helps, or try a weekday after-work visit if you can, as they are open until 6 pm.

Your DTS Shopping Guide

If you don’t want to spend your trip spinning in circles or getting nearly taken out by a rogue tractor-shaped shopping cart, here’s your strategy.

Grab your pumpkins outside, then head in and prepare to be immediately confronted by the apple cider donuts. They come in old-fashioned, cinnamon, and powdered, and we’ll never judge you if you get all three.

Next, peruse the cheese section, because obviously you’ll be making a charcuterie platter with your apples. Nearby, you’ll also find an impressive selection of Schaller & Weber brats (from NYC) and other Oktoberfest accoutrement.

Then, the main event: apples and apple cider. The cider comes in several varieties. We snagged Honeycrisp this year, but you’ll also find Granny Smith and the OG version. Expect a crowd around the samples that might make you feel very overstimulated.

Before checkout, swing by the prepared foods and grab a few homemade soups to stash in the freezer for colder days. Then comes the ultimate impulse buy: Old Monmouth Candies. Hands up if you know the theme song.

Once you’ve brought your haul to the car, come back and reward yourself with lunch at one of the outdoor picnic tables. They serve paninis, burgers, fries and other casual lunch fare from the ordering window.

But whatever you do, save room for the apple cider slushie with vanilla ice cream. It is the shining star of a warm fall day at DO. They also have hot apple fritters.

Okay, we rest our case. And you thought the apples were a lost cause…

It’s looking like some perfect early autumn weather and sunny skies on tap this week:

Monday 10/5 - 71°/48° Sunny

Tuesday 10/6 - 63°/45° Sunny

Wednesday 10/7 - 66°/45° Sunny

Thursday 10/8 - 75°/54° Sunny

Friday 10/9 - 70°/51° Sunny

Saturday 10/10 - 67°/50° Sunny

Sunday 10/11 - 67°/51° Partly Sunny

And for the surfers out there, here are the weekly surf conditions in Belmar courtesy of Surf Captain:

And if there are any markets we should definitely feature this season, let us know!

This week is getting a little spooky, with a number of haunted happenings taking the stage. As mentioned in last week’s edition, The Brookdale Haunted Theater kicks off on Friday, October 9, running through October 30, as well as Allaire Village’s Night of Frights series.

But if you’re more of a Good Witch, join the Witches of Spring Lake as they Paddle for a Cause, or put on your pink for a Zumbathon at Bell Works to benefit Breast Intentions of Middletown.

As always, if there’s an upcoming event you’d like us to cover, feel free to pass it along!

Belmar - Line Dancing Mondays at Beach Haus Brewing (6 pm)

Holmdel - Complimentary Intro to Pickleball Clinic with Jersey Pickleball Club at Bell Works (9:30 am)

Loch Arbour - Trivia Night at Deal Lake Bar + Co (7:30 pm)

Oceanport - Weekly Trivia at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6:30 pm)

Belmar - Music Bingo Tuesdays at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm)

Red Bank - Trivia with Jenn at Jamians (7:30 pm)

Red Bank - Karaoke at Jamians (8 pm)

Tinton Falls - Bingo & Brews at Twin Lights Brewing (6 pm)

Asbury Park - Gardenia at Asbury Park Brewing (7 pm - live music)

Belmar - Trivia Night Thursdays at Beach Haus Brewing (7 pm)

Red Bank - Erez Lirov at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Tinton Falls - Trivia on Tap at Twin Lights Brewing (7 pm)

Holmdel - Brass Illusions at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm - live music, $5 cash entrance fee)

Lincroft - Brookdale Haunted Theater Begins (6 pm - get tickets)

Loch Arbour - Paul Marino at Deal Lake Bar + Co (5 pm - live music)

Manasquan - Jay & Amy at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm - live music)

Oceanport - Sean Collichio at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Coasst x AI IRL Coffee Meetup at The Residency, Anderson Market (9 am)

Red Bank - Jeff Levine at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Wall - Night of Frights Opening Night at Allaire State Park (6 pm - get tix)

Asbury Park - Strange Occurence at Asbury Park Brewing (7 pm - live music)

Holmdel - Damian & the DCO at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm - live music)

Loch Arbour - Kathleen Elle Duo at Deal Lake Bar + Co (8 pm - live music)

Long Branch - Long Branch Day at the Long Branch Free Public Library (1 pm - learn more)

Manasquan - Vinyl Trip at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm - live music)

Oceanport - Nicole & Christian at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6 pm - live music)

Red Bank - Red Bank Oktoberfest (1 pm - learn more)

Red Bank - Frank Rainey at The Molly Pitcher Inn (6 pm - live music)

Spring Lake - The Witches of Spring Lake Paddle for a Cause (10 am - learn more)

Wall - Night of Frights at Allaire State Park (6 pm - get tix)

Holmdel - Party in Pink Zumbathon with Fitness Factory at Bell Works (11 am)

Holmdel - Tom Vincent at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2-5 pm - live music)

Manasquan - The Inlet Celebration (11 am - 4 pm - learn more)

October 15: Fair Haven - Author Event: “Gather Around My Table” with NYT Cooking Contributor Kay Chun (7 pm - learn more)

October 23: Sandy Hook - Haunted History of Sandy Hook with historian Greg Caggiano & Ghosts on the Coast (7 pm - learn more)

October 24: Bradley Beach - Murder Mystery Dinner at The James Bradley Hotel (6 pm - get tix)

October 24: Shrewsbury - Fall Festival and Halloween Parade at The Grove (12-3 pm - learn more)

Did we miss an event? Let us know.

Thanks for reading, and if someone forwarded this to you, please subscribe via the link below. See you next week!