Jonamac Orchard

Our take

What the record actually confirms

Jonamac Orchard is located at 19412 Shabbona Rd in Malta, DeKalb County, with a phone number of 815-825-2158 and a website at jonamacorchard.com. The research notes describe it as a three-generation family farm run by the McArtor family since 1984, which gives it a real, checkable history distinct from a newer or corporate-run operation.

An opening weekend, without a confirmed year

The site states that “Apple Picking begins August 29 & 30th,” and that “All activities will be open Labor Day Weekend.” Those are specific, dated-sounding claims, and the page was read live during the 2026 season on September 2, 2026 — but because the text itself never types out “2026,” the source note treats this as inferred-from-context rather than a hard confirmation, and the confirmation field is left blank per the same standard applied throughout this file. Practically, this is very likely 2026 information given when it was read, but it’s worth a quick call to 815-825-2158 if the exact date matters to your plans, particularly since Labor Day weekend timing shifts from year to year.

More than an apple orchard

What stands out most in the research notes is how far Jonamac has expanded beyond picking apples. It operates flower fields, a cider house serving both hard cider and wine, and a corn maze that runs as a haunted nighttime attraction — a notably different lineup from orchards in this file that stick to a hayride and a petting zoo. That breadth positions Jonamac closer to a full agritourism destination than a pure u-pick farm, which is worth factoring in if your visit is specifically about picking apples versus wanting a fuller day of fall activities.

The cider house detail is worth separating out from a typical “cider donuts” mention: this record describes hard cider and wine being served on-site, which is a different, more adult-oriented offering than the sweet cider and donuts most other orchards in this file confirm. If you’re expecting a donut-and-fresh-cider stop, that’s not specifically what’s confirmed here; if a cider house pouring hard cider and wine sounds appealing, that is confirmed.

No apple varieties, no u-pick pricing

Despite fairly specific opening-weekend dates, the record has two real gaps: no apple varieties are named anywhere, and no u-pick pricing is given. That’s a meaningful limitation for anyone trying to plan around a specific apple or budget a family visit — this record can tell you roughly when the season starts, but not what you’ll be picking or what it will cost once you’re there. Given how much else Jonamac has built out (flower fields, a cider house, a haunted maze), it’s plausible that apple picking is a smaller part of the overall visitor experience here relative to some of the more apple-dedicated orchards in this file, though the record doesn’t state that directly.

A haunted corn maze as a distinct after-dark offering

The corn maze doubling as a nighttime haunted attraction is a specific, checkable detail worth calling out, since it implies separate daytime and nighttime programming rather than a single all-ages maze experience running throughout the day. Anyone bringing young children for daytime apple picking should be aware the same attraction shifts tone after dark, according to the record, even though exact hours for either version aren’t given.

Bottom line for planning

Jonamac Orchard reads as a broad, multi-generation family farm that treats apple picking as one part of a bigger fall lineup — flower fields, a cider house with hard cider and wine, and a corn maze that becomes a haunted attraction at night. The August 29-30 opening weekend and Labor Day activities are useful planning anchors, even without an explicit year stated on the page, but with no apple varieties or u-pick pricing in the record, a call to 815-825-2158 is the way to fill in the specifics before visiting.