Schwartz Orchard hosted a Business After Hours event Tuesday, Sept. 24, in connection with the Centralia Chamber of Commerce.

Roughly 50 members were treated to an evening of mingling, catering by Taco Jo’s, and of course, the orchard itself; which included tons of seasonal décor, a surplus of mums and pumpkins, their signature apple cider donuts, and much more.

Speaking with the attendees midway through the two-hour event, owners Adam and Gina Smith offered a glimpse of things to come and an update on this season’s harvest.

To begin, Gina said the orchard would remain open throughout the winter to provide a new, post-harvest attraction.

“The orchard is not going to close at the end of the season. We are going to be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays over the winter,” Gina announced. “We are going to have Schwartz Orchard sweets, like kind of a bakery, on the weekends.”

Gina also discussed the orchard’s many pumpkins for sale, and announced plans for a glow maze this October.

“We planted pumpkins this year, and I think we are going to have to attach pumpkin patch to our name because we have so many…if you need pumpkins, we will have them,” she said. “Saturday nights in October, we are going to have the corn maze open at night. We’re not going to do a scary one.”

Speaking on the orchard’s season thus far, Adam said things were moving fast and furious.

“[Harvest] has been really quick this year. Apples are about a month ahead of schedule. Everything was. Strawberries were really early; peaches were really early [too],” Adam said. “We just take it as it comes. I’ve never known it to be this early, and I’ve been here virtually my whole life.”

Business After Hours is a free networking event hosted by and designated for members of the chamber of commerce.

Schwartz Orchard

618-532-8058

1942 Copple Rd., Centralia, IL

Schwartz Orchard