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Filoli is welcoming guests to stroll in the estate's 7-acre Gentleman's during Orchard Days, every weekend in October through Oct. 31. Courtesy Filoli
Filoli is welcoming guests to stroll in the estate’s 7-acre Gentleman’s during Orchard Days, every weekend in October through Oct. 31. Courtesy Filoli

Filoli might be best known for its manicured formal gardens, but not everything that grows at the Woodside estate is ornamental. An orchard that once supplied the historic home still offers a bountiful harvest each year, and to celebrate fall, the estate is holding Orchard Days, welcoming visitors to its Gentleman’s Orchard every weekend in October.

It may have a highbrow name, but the 7-acre Gentleman’s Orchard is a workhorse, home to 500 trees that provide apples, pears and peaches for Filoli’s fruit butters and hard ciders — some of the orchard’s bounty is also donated to local food pantries that serve people in need, according to Filoli’s website.

The Gentleman's Orchard at Filoli boasts about 500 trees, some unique heritage varieties, that supply apples, pears and peaches for fruit butters and hard ciders produced by the estate. Courtesy Filoli
The Gentleman’s Orchard at Filoli boasts about 500 trees, some unique heritage varieties, that supply apples, pears and peaches for fruit butters and hard ciders produced by the estate. Courtesy Filoli

During Orchard Days, visitors can stroll through the orchard, enjoy some cider, learn about some of the heritage varieties of fruit that grows there, hear live music and shop for handmade items created by local artisans, such as jewelry, ceramics, glass art and textiles. Each weekend features different musicians and artisans.

Orchard Days take place Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31, and on Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, Oct. 11. Live music is featured each afternoon, 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, visit filoli.org.

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