About The Cellars of Royal Farms
Royal Farms is a family fruit farm on US-31 near Atwood, south of Charlevoix. Patrick McGuire and his high school sweetheart Sara Veliquette settled here to farm, and when the business needed a name, it came from Sara's year as National Cherry Queen. The farm holds Michigan's MAEAP environmental certification and has been recognized with a National Outstanding Young Farmers award.
The Cellars of Royal Farms is the farm's tasting room for wine and hard cider. Cherries run through the wine list: a sweet black cherry wine, a tart cherry wine and one made from Balaton tart cherries, along with dry and semi-sweet whites, a dry sparkling white and a dry red. The ciders come from the farm's own older and vintage apple varieties; one is made with no residual sugar, and another is lightly hopped with Michigan hops and tinted pink with cherry. You can order wine and cider flights and sit inside, on the patio or in the wine garden. Leashed dogs are welcome on the back patio and outdoor areas.
A few steps away, the farm market sells seasonal fruit and vegetables, and the bakery turns out pies, pastries, bread, meat pasties and an award-winning cherry coffeecake made from scratch. In fall, a five-acre corn maze is set up as a scavenger hunt, with a prize for finding all six stations within 30 minutes, and weekend hayrides run through the orchard and vineyard when the weather cooperates.
Lavender Hill Farm near Boyne City is about 40 minutes northeast. Combine a July lavender visit with a cherry-season stop for pie and a cider flight.
What to do
- Taste cherry wines, including a Balaton tart cherry wine
- Order a flight of hard ciders made from the farm's older apple varieties
- Buy a pie, a meat pasty or cherry coffeecake from the bakery
- Shop the farm market for seasonal fruit and vegetables
- Find all six stations in the fall corn maze
- Ride a weekend hayride through the orchard in fall
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Fall 2026: farm market and tasting room open daily; corn maze and weekend hayrides through the fall
- Hours
- Fall hours posted on their website (2026): tasting room Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; farm market Sunday–Thursday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Friday–Saturday 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Good to know
- Age
- 21 or older to taste or drink alcohol
- Dogs
- Leashed, outdoor areas and back patio only
Tips for your visit
- Call ahead about hayrides, which run only on fall weekends and depend on the weather
- The bakery can ship non-perishable gift items by phone order, but not alcohol
- Pick up after your dog on the patio
- Plan a designated driver if you are tasting both wine and cider flights
Pair it with a lavender farm
Lavender Hill Farm · about 40 minutes away
Lavender Hill Farm near Boyne City is about 40 minutes northeast; visit the lavender in July, then come back down US-31 for pie and a cider flight.
Getting there
Questions
Where does the name Royal Farms come from?
Co-owner Sara Veliquette had just finished her year as National Cherry Queen when the farm needed a name.
Are dogs allowed?
Leashed dogs are welcome on the back patio and outdoor areas.
What kinds of wine do they make?
Mostly cherry and other fruit wines, plus dry and semi-sweet whites, a sparkling white and a dry red.
Is there a corn maze?
Yes, a five-acre scavenger-hunt maze in the fall.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Boyne City & Lake Charlevoix, Michigan
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
