🎃 Pumpkin-picking plans | Inquirer Cherry Hill
Plus, ‘forever chemicals’ found in the Cooper River.
Hello, Cherry Hill!
Springdale Farm Market is among the nearby spots for pumpkin picking this fall. Also making headlines, “forever chemicals” were found in the Cooper River, a school board member has resigned, and a display of colorful perennials is heading to the Route 70 median.
— Laura Smythe (cherryhill@inquirer.com)
Inquirer Cherry Hill
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Pumpkin picking, apple cider doughnuts, corn mazes.
If you’re a fall enthusiast like I am, chances are your ears just pricked up. The next couple of weeks are prime time for donning your favorite cozy flannel and getting outside to enjoy the crisp air.
Springdale Farm Market at 1638 S. Springdale Rd. is among the top nearby spots to do just that. Stop by any day to pick a pumpkin from the market, or go all in with a pumpkin-picking hayride this weekend.
The Inquirer has details on the seasonal offerings here, part of our guide to 19 farms in our region for pumpkin picking and fall fun.
🌰 In other fall farming news: Sunflower picking and less-common crops such as chestnuts and jujubes are cropping up on farms’ fall offerings as the area’s climate warms and unusual weather events — including a surprise spring freeze — occur.
💡 Community news
“Forever chemicals” were found in nearly every waterway tested in recent years in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including the Cooper River, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.
New Jersey plans to plant a colorful array of flowers, shrubs, and grasses along the Route 70 median when the $155.1 million state-funded reconstruction wraps up this winter, 70and73 reports.
A 23-year-old Cherry Hill man was killed in a hit-and-run in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood last week, NBC10 reports.
The “small-format” Macy’s store at Garden State Park along Route 70 is expected to close, according to 42Freeway. The location opened in 2024.
In the early 1900s, tales of the Jersey Devil roaming Gloucester and Camden Counties got the attention of this very paper. Just in time for spooky season, reporter Nick Vadala unpacks the sightings that caused mass panic and how it all unraveled as a hoax.
🗺️ Other nearby news
If pumpkin picking isn’t quite your jam, there are plenty of other fall events to celebrate the season in South Jersey.
The Philly region’s first Spirit Christmas store has opened in Marlton for anyone eager to stock up on decorations early this season.
🏫 Schools briefing
School board member Kurt Braddock has resigned, the board president announced last week. While voters will have their say in three other vacancies on the board in November’s election, officials plan to appoint a replacement for the remainder of Braddock’s term, which was set to expire at the end of 2027. Residents can apply for the role until 4 p.m. on Nov. 9.
Cherry Hill decided last week not to adopt a provision that would have allowed families to opt-out of using AI in school. The district is among many in our region wrestling with how AI should be used in the classroom.
🍽️ On our plate
Black sesame, known for its nutty, earthy flavor, is having a moment in the culinary world. It’s cropping up in menu items across the region, The Inquirer’s Kiki Aranita writes.
Cooler weather have you craving a night in? Nearby Karachi Kafe has made our list of best spots for takeout, based on The 76, or The Inquirer’s guide to the area’s most essential restaurants. Food and Dining Reporter Kiki Aranita highlights the mutton karahi curry or the Zinger Burger, a spicy chicken sandwich. But the “space is so over the top, you really should dine in,” she writes.
Small-batch ice cream spot Ooty’s is moving forward with construction of its forthcoming location at 1900 Greentree Rd.
Safwa, a specialty coffee shop and teahouse, is expected to open in Saw Mill Village next month, reports South Jersey Food Scene. The shop has locations in Somerset and Westbury, N.Y.
🎳 Things to do
🥟 Asian Dumplings: Try your hand at whipping up some chicken-and-prawn dumplings from scratch at this hands-on, chef-guided cooking class. ⏰ Friday, Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m. 💵 $64.80 📍 FoodieHall
🛼 Squishy Skate-O-Ween: Lace up your skates and take a spin around the rink to find hidden pumpkins. ⏰ Sunday, Oct. 25, 12:30-3:30 p.m. and 4:30-7:30 p.m. 💵 $14 📍 Hot Wheelz
🎶 V Shayne Frederick Trio: Unwind from the week with dinner and live jazz tunes. ⏰ Sunday, Oct. 25, 6-9 p.m. 💵 No cover charge for the music 📍 Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
🏡 On the market
Marble floors, plus a chef’s kitchen, theater, gym, and private apartment are just a few features of this six-bedroom, six-and-a-half bathroom home. Outdoors, you’ll find a five-car garage and a large deck overlooking the expansive and wooded backyard.
See more photos of the property here.
Price: $1,990,000 | Size: 8,499 | Acreage: 1.02
📈 Cherry Hill market report
Median listing price: $485,000 (down $30,000 from August) 📉
Median sold price: $527,500 (up $24,500 from August) 📈
Median days on the market: 36 (down two days from August) 📉
This Cherry Hill market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for September from realtor.com.
🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:
Staffer Patricia Madej contributed to this newsletter.
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