PICK
Several farms- including Burch Farms, Rahal Farms and Sceiford Quality Fruit- offer pick-yourown grapes during the fall. It ' s a great way to try various varieties of grapes including caco( tender, sweet light red grape), concord( everyone ' s favorite purple jelly), fredonia( sweet and juicy, extra large blue / black grape), niagara( intensely fruity, sweet green grape used for white grape juice), steuben( sweet bluish black grape that forms long, tapering clusters). Or pick up a pint at a roadside stand or farm market like Orton ' s Fruit Market.
SIP
Did you know Arrowhead Winery makes six varieties of juices- apple, cranberry, tart cherry and concord grape, diamond grape and steuben grape. A few weeks ago, they debuted a grape soda made with concord grapes. Named Professor Bob ' s Grape Soda, it was a collaboration with Bob Green, a North East resident and long-time instructor in viticulture and the study of wine making and grapes.
SHOP
Looking for a little bit of grape history? North East offers a number of antique and vintage stores where you can find grape crates, jugs, historic postcards, collectible juice glasses and more.
North East is also home to Welch ' s. And while you can ' t get inside the plant you can find the products made in North East in grocery stores in Erie and around the world. The North East plant produces jams and jellies, along with all flavors of Welch ' s juice in all sizes and varieties from family sized to single serve bottles in 100 percent juice, diet, light and zero sugar varieties. Check out new products like four berry spread a blend of strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry or grape lemonade. The new Welch ' s Real PB & Js are frozen sandwiches perfect for packed lunches and should be hitting stores soon.
TASTE
And last but not least, comes dessert. Pick up a homemade grape pie during Wine Fest from Holy Cross Episcopal Church, 51 W. Main St. Or anytime this fall from Bretz Bakery Co., 3 Grahamville St., Burch Farms Country Market & Winery, 9210 Sidehill Road, or Orton ' s Fruit Market, 5900 Station Road. The Straw Hat Ice Cream Shop, 207 S. Lake St., also offers craft grape ice cream, milkshakes, dairy free yogurt and concord grape parfaits from Northern Scoop Craft Ice Cream, made from concord grapes grown in North East. Try a cluster of chocolate covered grapes, or grape marshmallows from Julie ' s Sweet Treats, 6 E. Main St.
Want to make your own wine? Or just learn more about what it ' s like to be a grape farmer? Check out this new website lakeeriewinegrapes. com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLAN YOUR GRAPE GETAWAY VISIT NECHAMBER. ORG
HARBORCREEK & NORTH EAST ❘ FALL 2026 27