A University of Nebraska research-and-demonstration orchard a few miles from Arbor Day Farm, with U-Pick apples priced at $1.80/lb and specific 2026 event weekends named — plus wine tastings and live music that go beyond a typical apple stop.
U-Pick apples $1.80/lb, per the orchard's own site
Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard sits a few miles from Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, and it distinguishes itself with more detailed public programming than most competitors — wine tastings, live music, and barbecue alongside the apple picking itself. This is partly because Kimmel operates in part as a University of Nebraska research and demonstration orchard, not purely a commercial operation. Pricing is refreshingly specific: $1.80 per pound for U-Pick apples, a more granular figure than the flat bag pricing common elsewhere in the region.
Rather than posting a single start-to-end date for the whole apple season, Kimmel’s own site names specific weekends: a dedicated U-Pick weekend on October 12-13, 2026, and apple u-pick also available during the Scarecrow Festival weekend of September 26-27, 2026. That’s useful, dated information, but it’s structured differently than a typical orchard’s season calendar — it tells you two specific weekends worth planning around, without necessarily confirming what a random Tuesday visit in between would look like.
Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Gala, Ginger Gold, and Summerset are the five varieties named on the farm’s site. Notably, the orchard itself flagged this list as provisional, pending confirmation of what’s actually ripe by the time visitors arrive — a level of honesty about seasonal variability that’s worth appreciating rather than treating the list as a locked-in guarantee.
The hayrack ride out to the trees is a standard touch, but wine tasting, live music, and barbecue are less common additions among the orchards in this research, and they point to Kimmel positioning itself as a fuller day-trip destination rather than a quick in-and-out picking stop. The Apple Barn itself sells pies, doughnuts, and cider, rounding out the food side of a visit.
Because Kimmel’s page names specific weekends rather than a continuous season, this record can’t say with confidence what a visit outside October 12-13 or September 26-27 would look like — whether apples are pickable on ordinary days in between, and if so, under what hours. Calling 402-873-5293 to ask about off-weekend availability is worth doing if your schedule doesn’t line up with either named date.
Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard is at 5995 G Road in Nebraska City, in Otoe County. The coordinates on file are Nebraska City center estimates rather than a geocode of the G Road address. Because it sits only a few miles from Arbor Day Farm, a visitor could reasonably plan to see both properties in the same day, though each keeps its own separate hours, pricing, and season structure.
Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard offers real specificity — dated event weekends, per-pound pricing, and named varieties — layered with more visitor programming (wine, music, barbecue) than a typical apple stop. Pairing a visit here with nearby Arbor Day Farm makes sense given the short drive between them, but plan around the named October 12-13 or September 26-27 weekends specifically, or call ahead for an off-weekend visit.
The farm's own site names one specific 2026 U-Pick weekend, October 12-13, plus a separate Scarecrow Festival weekend, September 26-27, with apple u-pick also available then. No single season start/end range was posted.
Named event weekends (the October 12-13 U-Pick weekend and the September 26-27 Scarecrow Festival) suggest those specific dates will be busier than an off-festival weekday.
You're hoping for a single clear season-long window — the farm's own site names specific event weekends rather than a continuous start-to-end date range.
Kimmel Orchard sits a few miles from Arbor Day Farm, also in Nebraska City — worth considering as a pair if you're already making the trip out.
$1.80 per pound, per the orchard's own site — a more granular structure than the flat bag pricing used at some other orchards in this region.
The site names October 12-13, 2026 as a dedicated U-Pick weekend, and also mentions apple u-pick is available during the Scarecrow Festival weekend of September 26-27, 2026.
Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Gala, Ginger Gold, and Summerset are named, though the orchard itself flags these as provisional pending confirmation of what's actually ripe.
Yes — hayrack rides out to the trees, live music, wine tasting, and an Apple Barn selling pies, doughnuts, and cider.
It operates in part as a University of Nebraska research and demonstration orchard alongside its working farm role, which shows up in more detailed public programming than most competitors nearby.
2026 dates had not been published when we last checked. In past seasons it has run: Weekends during Apple Harvest Season (Aug-Oct). Check with the orchard before driving out.
Prices start at $1.8. U-Pick apples $1.80/lb, per the orchard's own site
Yes — it's a pick-your-own orchard.
Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Gala, Ginger Gold, Summerset — note that what's actually ready to pick changes week to week through the season.
5995 G Road, Nebraska City, NE 68410, in Otoe County. It is one of 3 orchards we track in Nebraska City Area.
We track 3 orchards in Nebraska City Area, 3 of which let you pick your own apples. At $1.8 to start this one sits right on the regional median of $1.8.
One caveat worth repeating: this orchard had not published its 2026 dates when we last checked, while 0 of the 3 orchards we track in Nebraska City Area had. Treat any date you see elsewhere as last year's until the orchard confirms it.
There is 1 other orchard we track in Otoe County. All Nebraska City Area orchards →
Map pin is set to the town centre. Navigate to the street address above, not the pin.
kimmelorchard.org
Checked September 2026.