As a community with origins in agriculture, it’s no surprise that even today, Milton is known for its many farm experiences. From fruit picking to petting zoos, summer concerts and fall festivals, there are endless activities and events to enjoy at Milton’s local farms.
Andrews Scenic Acres Farm Market & Winery
Opened in 1980 by Bert and Lorraine Andrews, this treasured local farm is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. While ownership may have changed, Andrews Farm Market & Winery still operates with the same commitment to providing a welcoming environment for the community to explore agriculture, enjoy delicious farm-to-table food and make special memories.
What to Experience
Whether you’ve been visiting for decades or are planning a trip for the first time, a trip to Andrews’ is always filled with good old-fashioned family fun, with just a hint of nostalgia. Here’s what to see:
- Petting Zoo: Perhaps the most popular attraction at the farm, guests can meet chickens, goats, pigs and alpacas. Approved feed is available to purchase for a quarter in a vending machine, as feeding the animals other items found nearby can make them sick.
- Playground: Kids love the playground’s old-school, rustic vibe, with tire swings, classic monkey bars, wooden climbers and wide metal slides. You can even play some tetherball.
- Miniature Play Village: Little ones can let their imaginations run wild in playhouses including a castle, jail, school and more.
- More Play Areas and Photo-Ops: Andrews has two straw bale climbing areas, various farm-themed photo-ops, and a sandbox.
- Seasonal Experiences: When the expansive floral fields are in bloom, they create a wonderful photo backdrop – just don’t trample the flowers. When corn is in season, Andrews creates a large-scale maze for some added fun. Around Halloween, there is a small ‘gently haunted’ forest walk with some not-so-spooky décor.
- Local Wine: In addition to growing 20 different crops, Andrews has made a name for itself as the only vineyard in Halton, producing a variety of fruit and dessert wines for over 30 years. Wines are available to sample and purchase in the winery shop.
- Market: The market store sells a wide selection of farm-fresh produce, baked goods and locally made food and drinks.
- Special Events: The farm hosts special events throughout the year, including makers’ markets, renaissance fairs, Halloween celebrations and harvest festivals. In the winter, it also hosts indoor holiday events, such as movie nights.
Pick-Your-Own Offerings
Admission includes a tractor ride to the picking fields, and anything you choose to pick is an additional cost, charged by weight. Guests can bring their own baskets or purchase cardboard ones in the market store.
- Spring: rhubarb, asparagus, strawberries and peonies
- Summer: strawberries, currants, raspberries, blueberries, apples, sunflowers and dahlias
- Fall: raspberries, apples, sunflowers, dahlias and pumpkins
Helpful Info
- Walk-ins are welcome, though tickets are discounted when pre-purchased online.
- Entry is free for kids five and under, and for seniors on Mondays (excluding holidays). Seniors also get a discounted rate the rest of the week.
- Washrooms with composting toilets are available on-site.
- The grill opens on weekends, serving classic BBQ fare like hot dogs and hamburgers, along with a selection of freshly made ice cream.
Springridge Farm
Since the turn of the 19th century, this family-owned farm has been a cherished destination for many locals. Many will remember it as a popular spot for fruit picking, particularly cherries, which once spanned 50 acres. In 1960, Springridge was purchased by the Hughes family in 1960, and in 1975, they began welcoming guests to explore the wonders inside the farm, beyond the cherries.
Today, it’s still run by the Hughes family, and while the farm has evolved over the 65 years they’ve owned it, it is still brimming with wholesome activities and fresh produce to pick – including cherries.
Whether you’re looking for a fun family day-trip with lots of activities, or want to do some shopping, then snack on freshly-baked treats in the open air, Springridge has something for everyone.
What to Experience:
For the full experience, guests can purchase admission to the Fun Farmyard – kids will love all the activities, and parents will love kicking back in the Adirondack chairs while they play. Even without a ticket, though, the farm is still worth a visit to relax outdoors and enjoy the farm vibes.
- Barn Market: Find unique gifts, from kids’ toys to housewares and fashion, in the farm’s popular shop – available to access without admission. Along with giftware, visitors can take home some Springridge preserves, jams, sauces, honey, and prepared foods, plus lots of other Canadian-made goods.
- Bakery and Front Porch Servery: Whether you’re in the mood for some comfort food, classic baked goods or picnic-style eats, you can find them at Springridge. The bakery serves a variety of sweet treats, including cookies, tarts and pies, some of which use recipes passed down over more than 75 years. The Front Porch Servery offers a lunch menu of soups and sandwiches, plus the renowned Sandbox Special kids’ meal, served in a sand bucket, from 11 – 4 p.m.
- Outdoor Seating: If you’re grabbing food from the market store or the Front Porch Servery, grab a seat at one of the picnic tables under the Patio Pavilion, where you can enjoy farm views while you eat. There are also more seating areas scattered around the grounds outside of the Fun Farmyard, including some near enclosed fire pits that are lit seasonally.
- Animal Barn: Visit with rabbits, chickens and goats in the barn, and keep an eye out for any goats climbing up their own spiral staircase tower.
- Giant Sandbox: For sandbox lovers, there’s no better place to play in Milton than the Fun Farmyard at Springridge. Not only is this huge sandbox covered, offering protection from the elements, but it’s also equipped with tons of sand toys, including a seated excavator and lots of trucks.
- Climbing Areas: Along with the traditional straw bale climbers, the Fun Farmyard also has a “spider” climber made of heavy-duty rope.
- Ride-on Toys: Young visitors love the Fun Farmyard’s large pedal tractor pavilion, where they can zoom around to their hearts’ content. For toddlers, it also has farm hoppers, small inflatable bouncing animals, just right for little ones.
- Tractors Galore: Tractors abound throughout the farm. Along with tractor-drawn wagon rides, visitors can check out antique tractors, including a crank steam tractor, and even two animatronic tractors, Zac and Daisy, that sing and dance.
- Singing Chickens: Animatronic singing chickens, housed in their own coop, perform multiple shows throughout the day. If the show isn’t on when you stop by, you can hit the poke for a joke button for a kid-friendly laugh.
- Tube Slides: The playground boasts four large tube slides made with spacious plastic culvert pipes, so even kids who normally shy away from tube slides will have a blast.
- Escarpment Lookout: Take a short trek up the hill to the lookout for an incredible view of the Escarpment and the farm.
Seasonal Produce and Trees for Sale
While Springridge does not offer fruit or vegetable picking, it does offer farm-fresh produce for sale in its market seasonally. Here’s what’s available:
- Summer: Strawberries, peas, sweet peas, cherries, sour cherries, corn, blueberries and peaches
- Fall: Apples, pumpkins and gourds
Along with produce, Springridge sells corn stalks and hay bales in the autumn. In the winter, it sells fresh pre-cut Christmas trees ranging from five to 15 feet.
Helpful Info
- Walk-ins are welcome; pre-booking is not required, and tickets are not available for purchase online.
- Entry is $10 on weekdays and $14 on weekends for all guests ages 2 – 92. For frequent visitors, season passes are available to buy online.
- Admission only applies to the Fun Farmyard; there is no charge to visit the Barn Market & Bakery.
- Washrooms with composting toilets are available on-site.
Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm
While you can find Chudleigh’s Apple Blossoms in many major grocery stores today, or grab a sweet treat at the relatively new Blossom Café on Main Street, the farm is the start of the Chudleigh’s success story.
After establishing it as a commercial orchard in 1955, the family began welcoming visitors just over a decade later in 1967. Through the years, it’s continued to grow, becoming a beloved destination for visitors from across Ontario and beyond.
What to Experience
Chudleigh’s has established itself as one of the most popular farms to visit in all of Ontario – and for good reason. Whether you’re looking for an adults-only evening out with live music and fun, laid-back vibes, or a family outing where play is the order of the day, you’ll find it at Chudleigh’s.
- Playground: This large play area has multiple oversized slides attached to the spacious, rustic climbing structure. There are haybales scattered around the play area in addition to a sizable straw bale mountain, and kids also enjoy digging into the straw ground cover.
- Petting Zoo: Meet, pet and feed a variety of animals, including some not commonly found on local farms like peacocks and deer, along with miniature ponies, goats, chickens, pigs, sheep, alpaca, donkeys, ducks and more. Cups of animal feed are available to purchase for $1.
- Nature Trail: Enjoy a stroll through the woods leading to some picture-perfect rope swings, and even a creek that flows into Lake Ontario. In the Fall, this is a lovely spot to view the changing leaves.
- Summer Concerts: Following some upgrades, Chudleigh’s has expanded beyond the traditional farm experience to become a go-to entertainment destination from day to night. On select weekend days, the farm hosts kid-friendly concerts.
On select Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings during the summer, it hosts popular tribute bands playing hits from some of the biggest names in rock, pop and country, like Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Led Zeppelin and much more. Concerts take place outdoors in The Porch, where you can enjoy the ambiance of the patio string lights, plus some food and drinks, at your picnic table.
Pick-Your-Own Offerings
As a renowned orchard, Chudleigh’s has an extensive variety of apples available to pick seasonally, including four of its very own rare varietals, only available at the farm.
- August: Sunrise, Ginger Gold, Wealthy
- September: Silken, Mcintosh, Gala, Cortland, Honeycrisp, Kerr Mini, Red Delicious and Northern Spy
- October: Golden Russet, Golden Delicious, Ambrosia, Mutsu and Fuji
Helpful Info
- Walk-ins are not accepted; tickets must be purchased in advance online and are not for sale at the door.
- Tickets include a three-hour timeslot for each visit. Guests are not permitted to stay beyond the duration of their timeslot.
- Entry is $14.50 for adults, $13.50 for seniors, $12.50 for kids ages 4 to 12 and free for infants up to the age of three. Special events typically require separate tickets.
