Crane family turns orchards into annual holiday light display

With cherries and peaches in the summer and apples and pumpkins in the fall, Crane Orchards in Fennville has been enticing visitors to its u-pick farm for years.

Recently, the sixth-generation-family-owned farm expanded its amenities with a new-found use for the barren orchards in the winter: A lightshow.

Now in its third year, the Crane Orchards Lightshow draws hundreds of car-packed guests to drive a mile-long stretch through the orchards, decorated with millions of lights in a handful of holiday themes.

This unique off-season use of the orchards and roadways is another great example of family farms in Michigan finding creative ways to generate revenue. Agritourism is big business, generating tens of millions of dollars a year for farms. Their creative efforts include corn mazes, pumpkin patches, u-pick flowers and more. 

What’s happening: The recasting of the farm’s u-pick apple orchard as a twinkling wonderland of lights builds on the family’s history of creating off-shoot businesses and also pays homage to a family member’s love for art. Besides the u-pick orchards, the family runs the Crane’s Pie Pantry and Restaurant in Fennville and Crane’s in the City, an eatery and pie and dessert shop in downtown Holland. Crane Orchards, farmed since the 1880s, also features a corn maze in the fall. 

The lightshow has been a perfect opportunity for co-owner Trevor Crane to put his art studies at Central Michigan University to good use, he says. It all began as a Covid-era dream of Trevor, his brother and co-owner Taylor Crane and their friend and coworker Kevin Krugielki, with input from his parents.

“We all had a certain part,”  he says, noting he kicked out the drawing, Kevin fabricated the image with rolled steel and Taylor wired it up with lights.

About the lightshow: The lightshow features four themed settings: Santa’s Workshop, a Dr. Seuss-inspired CraneVille, fruit picking and a winter wonderland. A playlist of Christmas songs provides a soundtrack on the car radio. The drive takes about 20 minutes. The orchard light show uses the fruit trees as a backdrop and honors a love of art handed down through Trevor’s grandmother, Luetta Crane.

The style of the light show “was kind of inspired more by our grandpa and grandma, “ Trevor Crane says. “I thought it just fit the theme of the way she loved Christmas and just the way she painted. Again, all the ideas just came together.”

The back story: The property containing the orchards has been farmed since the 1880s. In 1917, Henry Blakeslee Crane and his wife, Muriel , both graduates of Michigan Agricultural College, started farming Crane Orchards, according to the farm’s website. The family grows different varieties of apples, peaches and sweet cherries for u-pickers to choose in season. Their youngest son, Robert, and his wife, Luetta, took over operations in 1950.

In 1972, the couple opened Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant and Bakery, adjacent to the orchard, with Luetta’s decorative touches throughout. That business is now operated by two of Robert and Luetta’s daughters and their grandson, with many other family members taking part in daily operations. Today, Robert and Luetta’s youngest son, Rob, and his wife, Maria, and their two sons, Taylor and Trevor, run the farm. In 2011, Crane’s was one of the first orchards to offer u-pick Honeycrisps, a new apple variety. Cars were lined up down the road on the opening day of picking. 

The big picture: A handful of holiday lights shows are popping up on Michigan farms, says Janice Benson, who is executive director of Michigan Agritourism, based in Traverse City. Others are offering walk-through light shows, live Nativity displays and visits with Santa and reindeer. 

“As farmers look for new ways to extend their season, this can sometimes be a good fit, as it’s a potential way to bring in additional revenue during the slower and cooler months of November and December,” Benson says. 

“It’s a relatively new tradition for (Crane’s), but they’ve found this to be a great opportunity for their business,”she says, “and the local residents love to see the beautiful holiday lights through the orchards. It’s magical.”

Not every winter activity is holiday themed, however, Benson says. 

“We’re seeing more outdoor activities, like snowshoeing events that allow people to get outside, exercise and experience the beauty of the farm in a different season,” she says.

Some farms are even pushing their seasons at the other end, with an earlier opening in the spring, she adds.

 “In recent years, Easter egg hunts are an increasingly popular attraction at local farms. Everyone is so anxious to get outside at that time of year and it’s becoming a favorite new tradition for many families.”

It all adds up to a healthy boost to Michigan agriculture’s economy, Benson says. Agritourism generates an estimated $56.6 million in sales per year in Michigan, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

What’s next: The drive-through experience has garnered rave reviews and an annual following, says co-owner Trevor Crane.  Going forward, he says, “the sky’s the limit.”

The Crane Orchards Lightshow is open 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 6 p.m. -10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, through Dec. 28. Admission is $20 for vehicles with up to 8 passengers; $25 for vehicles with nine or more passengers. No buses, RVs, commercial vehicles, limos, semi-trucks, or vehicles towing trailers are permitted.