Visit Welland Community Orchard
Tucked away in View Royal, Welland Community Orchard is home to nearly 200 fruit trees and vines, including rare apple varieties. Pack a picnic or make it a stop on a bike ride along the Galloping Goose.
Where: 1215 Stancil Lane, View Royal. There’s a small parking lot at the end of the lane.
Yes, you can taste the fruit! LifeCycles, which cares for the orchard, welcomes visitors to pick a little to eat during their visit. Follow these guidelines:
- Check what’s ripe. Look for the current flagging-tape colour posted on the garden shed, then find trees marked with that colour.
- Snack here. Pick only what you’ll eat in the orchard. To take fruit home, join an organized harvest or volunteer day.
- Keep feet on the ground. Avoid climbing trees or pulling branches.
Check LifeCycles’ orchard page for visiting information, workshops and tours.
Attend Apple Day at Sea Cider
Sea Cider’s annual Apple Day is a great excuse to spend an afternoon at a cidery. Head out for apple pressing, orchard tour, and kids’ activities, plus food trucks, music and cider for the grown-ups. Admission is free, and dogs are welcome too.
When: Sunday, September 27, 2026
Where: Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, Saanichton
Explore Woodside Farm in Sooke
An apple orchard maze sounds like something my kids would happily get lost in. You’ll find one at Woodside Farm in Sooke, along with farm animals, gardens and a farm shop. Check their upcoming Farm Days before heading out, and make a little Sooke adventure of it!
Where: 7149 West Coast Road, Sooke
Take an apple taste test at the market
We tend to buy the same apples at the grocery store, so it’s fun to try something different at the market. Tart ones, sweet ones, and extra crunchy ones!
The Moss Street Market runs Saturdays from 10am to 2pm, May through October. Apple Lucious Organic Orchard from Salt Spring Island, pops up starting in late August with an amazing variety of apples.
My kids love tasting a few different kinds and choosing their favourites. We take home a mixed bag, though the snacking apples don’t usually last long!
Spotted apples on a neighbourhood walk?
It’s tempting to reach for an apple hanging over a fence, but ask the homeowner before picking. For parks and other public spaces, check posted signs and the rules for that particular location rather than assuming fruit is available to harvest.
A community orchard with clear picking guidelines, such as Welland, makes it much easier to know what’s welcome.
Have more backyard apples than you can use?
If your tree produces more than your family can manage, take a look at LifeCycles’ Fruit Tree Project.
The program connects Greater Victoria fruit-tree owners with volunteers to harvest fruit that might otherwise go to waste. The harvest is shared among participants and community organizations.
Tree owners can register their trees and request a harvest through LifeCycles. If you’d like to help pick, the website also explains how to become a volunteer.
Bring apple season home
You don’t need a big outing to enjoy the season. A few apples and an afternoon at home is perfect.
- Bake apple muffins. These apple muffins from Cookie and Kate make a lovely addition to school lunches or an after-school snack. Kids can help measure, stir and fill the muffin tin.
- Make an apple crisp. Try this apple crisp from Ambitious Kitchen for a cosy weekend dessert.
- Try apple stamping. Use apple halves, washable paint and paper to make fall artwork or homemade wrapping paper. Made to Be a Momma has a simple tutorial.
Whether you come home with a bag from the market or simply enjoy a taste at the orchard, apple season is a lovely excuse to get outside and notice what’s growing around us.
