Cider Season in Centre County

This story originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Town&Gown magazine.

For generations, the Way family has grown apples on its farm in Halfmoon Township. With those apples as a base, the farm has become a must-visit Centre County destination, where visitors can enjoy fresh products from the farm store, café, and bakery or celebrate the seasons at the farm’s festivals.

Now, owners Jason and Megan (Way) Coopey are taking the Way Fruit Farm apple harvest to the next level by launching Halfmoon Hard Cider, complete with a tasting room at the farm that adds to Centre County’s strong cider and overall craft beverage scene.

Farmer Jason (as he is known on Instagram) says it was a natural step for the apples the family has produced in its orchards for decades and decades.

“You know, for 200 years we’ve baked apples, we’ve sauced them, pressed them into juice,” says Jason with a chuckle. “It took us 200 years, but finally we figured out that we could also ferment them. It just seemed like a natural progression for all that we do. Our fresh cider is so good and such a hit locally that it just made sense for us to take that same cider and make a hard cider out of it.”

Indeed, and what a great next step it turned out to be. With a focus on drinkability, Jason says he was looking to produce ciders that are not high in tannin or sweetness.

“So, it is in that zone that is my preference, where it is not so sweet that it is disgusting, but not so niche that it is hard to take,” says Jason. “So, it is just a very easy drink to decipher that most people can know and enjoy.”

That description rang true when I took a taste in the new tasting room tucked away in the store. With three different hard ciders and a nonalcoholic carbonated cider for all ages on tap, there were plenty of great options to choose from. Cans will be available soon (maybe even by the time you are reading this) for those looking to take some home.

They also partnered with Bellview Winery to provide a selection of reds, whites, and rosé, available by the bottle or the glass. Based in New Jersey, Bellview made a natural connection for the farm because its owner is semiretired and now spends much of his time in Central Pennsylvania, Jason says.

“They do a really great job, and they grow all of their own grapes. So, we grow all of our own apples in our ciders, and they grow all their own grapes, so it just made sense for us to partner with a grower-producer,” says Jason. “It has been a great partnership that I think people will enjoy.”

That all sounds good to me, and with a fridge that also features locally crafted beers and sodas, the tasting room seems like a great place to hang for a moment and enjoy a little craft beverage out on the farm, which is exactly what Jason has in mind for the place.

“You know, people enjoy places to go, you know, third spaces, where people can go and hang out, meet people, and do things,” says Jason. “I think this is going to add to our atmosphere of that. We still have the family atmosphere of the whole place, but a parent can come out and enjoy something, so I think it adds to that third-spot atmosphere that we have here.”

And with the farm’s fall festival season about to hit full swing this October, it is the perfect time to get out to the farm with the family and check out all that Way Fruit Farm has to offer, maybe try a sip or two, and make some friends. Everyone is welcome down at the fruit farm.

“We have a great melting pot, which is what we try to do as a farm as a whole where we have every race and ethnicity, every different income class all blended together in a nice, wholesome atmosphere,” says Farmer Jason.

Indeed, they continue to grow into something special out there in Halfmoon Township, and now they have added another level to an already thriving cider scene in Centre County.

After all, we are already blessed to have the fun orchard atmosphere of 814 Cider Works, the excellent downtown vibe of The Press: Cider & Craft Beverage Taphouse, the local goodness of Keewaydin Cider Mill at Otto’s Pub and Brewery, and the tasty elixirs from Mad McIntosh Cidery that are served at Titan Hollow in Bellefonte.

Fall is the perfect time to taste them all, and now we have another great option to sip on. Cheers! T&G

Vincent Corso enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at Central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.