Deardorff Orchards (8282 Parley Lake Rd, Waconia) is a 120-acre farm near Lake Waconia, Carver Park Reserve and Parley Lake, with more than 3,000 apple trees and an 1888 barn. Parley Lake Winery's tasting room is inside the same barn. For the 2026 apple season the orchard is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6pm.
Advertisement
Deardorff Orchards: The Farm
The orchard grows Minnesota varieties including SweeTango, Zestar! and Honeycrisp, and its site also describes Haralson, a tart apple suited to pies. The farm sells apples, fresh cider, pumpkins, honey and gift items in season. A tractor-pulled wagon ride is complimentary with a purchase of apples or wine. The orchard's website does not describe pick-your-own, so if picking your own apples is the plan, check with the orchard before you go.
What Ripens When
Availability changes week to week with the crop. In general, Zestar! is an early-season apple, Honeycrisp comes in around mid-season, and Haralson is a later apple. Popular varieties sell out first, so go early in the season and early in the day if you want a specific one, and check the orchard's website before driving out.
Parley Lake Winery: In the Same Barn
Parley Lake Winery (8280 Parley Lake Rd), founded in 2008, pours wines from cold-climate Minnesota grapes grown on the farm, and some of the orchard's apples go into its wines. The tasting room has a wrap-around deck overlooking the Lake View Stage and the Itasca vineyard, plus an art gallery of local artists. Hours are Friday 4 to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday noon to 6pm, starting the first weekend in May. Groups need a reservation, and party buses are not allowed. Live music and food trucks are posted on the winery's events page.
Go Early
The most popular varieties sell out first. Visit early in the season and early in the day, and check the orchard's site for current availability.
Two Stops, One Barn
Deardorff Orchards and Parley Lake Winery share the 1888 barn on Parley Lake Road: apples for the kids, a tasting for the adults.
Parley Lake Winery listing →Make It a Full Fall Day
The orchard is a short drive from downtown Waconia. A fall Saturday can cover the orchard in the morning, lunch at Iron Tap downtown or El Loro (520 Cherry Dr), the Scarecrow Tour route in October, and a glass at Sovereign Estate Wine on the north shore of the lake.
Plan Your Fall Visit
Apples, the Scarecrow Tour, fall color and fall fishing.
Advertisement
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there an apple orchard near Waconia, MN?
- Yes. Deardorff Orchards at 8282 Parley Lake Road, Waconia, is a 120-acre farm with more than 3,000 apple trees, including SweeTango, Zestar! and Honeycrisp. For the 2026 season it is open Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 6pm.
- Can you pick your own apples at Deardorff Orchards?
- The orchard's website does not describe pick-your-own, so check with the orchard before you go. It sells apples, cider, pumpkins and honey in season, and gives a complimentary tractor-pulled wagon ride with a purchase of apples or wine.
- Is there a winery at Deardorff Orchards?
- Yes. Parley Lake Winery's tasting room is in the orchard's 1888 barn. It is open Friday 4–8pm and Saturday–Sunday noon–6pm from the first weekend in May. Groups need reservations, and party buses are not allowed.
- What else is happening in Waconia in fall?
- The Scarecrow Tour runs October 8–18, 2026, and D.E.A.R. Day, the Chamber's shopping day, is November 7, 2026.