If you think you need to head out of the city for an authentic fall harvest experience, we've got good news: You can pick the perfect pumpkin, go on a hayride, meet farm animals, and even get lost in a massive corn maze right here in NYC. And, though most festivals are on hold for now, there's still plenty of outdoor seasonal fun to enjoy.
So head out to these local fall festive happenings, all located within the five boroughs. Looking for more fall fun? Check out our NYC Fall Fun Guide for the best of the season.
Your little city slickers know their way around the streets, but can they navigate the Amazing Maize Maze?
NYC's Only Corn Maze: The Amazing Maize Maze – Glen Oaks, Queens
Fridays and Saturdays beginning Friday, September 18; Friday, Saturdays, and Sundays from Friday, October 2-Friday, October 30; Maze is also open on Columbus Day, Monday, October 12
You need a lot of room for a good corn maze, so it's no surprise that NYC's only one is located on the grounds of the Queens County Farm Museum. Since the maze changes every year, tackling it has become a tradition for my family. Before you embark on your adventure, staff members explain how to find hidden clues and solve puzzles that help you successfully navigate to the exit. If you've got older kids who enjoy a challenge, try doing it by flashlight: The corn maze stays open until 9:30pm (with two staggered entries at 5:30pm and 7:30pm) on October 3 and 24. Timed-entry tickets are required and available for advance purchase only.
Pick a pumpkin at Decker Farms on Staten Island. Photo courtesy of Historic Richmond Town
Pumpkin Patches in New York City
Decker Farm Pumpkin Picking Weekends – Richmond, Staten Island
Weekends October 3 through October 31
This 19th-century farm is part of the Historic Richmond Town's living history museum. Pumpkins are set out in a field for kids to "pick." There's also a hayride and small hay maze. There are plenty of fall photo ops, foods to sample, and vendors peddling their wares. If you visit during Old Home Day on Sunday, October 18, you can also see costumed artisans performing old-school trades such as stone carving and tinsmithing. Timed-entry tickets are required for entry and can be purchased in advance beginning Friday, September 18 online. Masks and social distancing are required, and hand-washing and sanitizing stations are available.
Pumpkin Patch – Glen Oaks, Queens
Weekends October 3 through October 25, plus Columbus Day
You might come for the Amazing Maize Maze, but it will be hard to leave without a pumpkin! Admission to the Queens County Farm Museum is FREE; pumpkin prices vary. Like Decker Farm, children are "picking" pumpkins lying on a lawn, but it's a fun experience for little kids, and there are lots of other farm attractions. Beware: You'll pay by the pound for your gourd, so choose wisely!
While pumpkin patches are slim pickings as of this writing, we're working to confirm whether other annual favorites like those at the Queens Botanical Garden or Governors Island's Pumpkin Point return in 2020 and will update this post as new information is available.
Carnegie Diner Pumpkin Patch – Midtown West
Daily through Saturday, October 31
A pumpkin patch in Midtown Manhattan might sound too good to be true, but the Carnegie Diner is drumming up business with its adorable street-side installation. Stop by for a photo op; if you find a gourd worty of your carving skills, they're all available for purchase. Enjoy some outdoor dining of classic diner treats while you're there.
Pumpkin Day — Greenpoint Brooklyn
Saturday, October 18
Community organization Town Square hosts this day of outdoor Halloween fun on the Brooklyn waterfront. Visit the pumpkin patch to pluck a perfect pumpkin, then head over to the craft table to decorate it with paint, glitter, and colorful ribbons.
Vale Park Pumpkin Patch – Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 18 and Sunday, October 25
The trendy William Vale Hotel transforms Vale Park into a family-friendly pumpkin patch for two October weekends. Pluck your perfect pumpkin from the patch, then hit the craft tables to transform it into a table-worthy decoration. Scarecrow-making and seasonal drinks for sipping add to the fun.
The Queens County Farm Museum is the place to be for fall-themed fun in city limits.
NYC Fall Harvest Festivals
So far, these fall fests are confirmed, but we'll keep an eye out for more. Be sure to click through to the listings and confirm the final details before you head out.
September Sundays – Glen Oaks, Queens
Sundays, September 13, 20, and 27
Enjoy some fall fun on select Sundays at the Queens County Farm Museum, which features audience crop circles, hayrides, and the New Orleans-inspired bluegrass band Mama Juke. While you're there, hit the farm's Amazing Maize Maze. You can enjoy a homemade brew from the beer garden or peruse local food vendors. Plus, don't forget to grab some freshly harvested items from the farm stand on your way home.
Annual Harvest Festival – Upper East Side
Saturday, October 17
Choose and decorate your own pumpkin from the patch on the Mayor's Lawn. Kids can also try their hand at making Halloween slime and take a stroll through the Spooky Trail. There will be no timed tickets for this event, and all activities are first come, first served.
Step back in time at Old Home Day at Historic Richmond Town. Photo courtesy of Historic Richmond Town
Old Home Day – Richmond, Staten Island
Sunday, October 18
Watch costumed artisans reenacting 18th and 19th-century trades. They'll be pressing cider, making candles and lace, embroidering and quilting, stone carving, and tinsmithing at Historic Richmond Town. Afterward, hit Decker Farm's pumpkin patch to pick your pumpkin, let kids get lost in the hay bale maze, and hitch a hayride.
Trick or treat your way through the Boo at the Zoo. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher
Boo at the Zoo – Bronx Park, the Bronx
Thursdays-Sundays, October 1-November 1, plus Monday, October 12
While not a harvest fest, per se, Boo at the Zoo is an annual not-to-be-missed fall fun fest, so we're including it here. Not only can you get up close with the animals of the newly-reopened Bronx Zoo, but you can pepper your visit with seasonal fun. See a magic show, traverse the candy trail to collect treats, see cool jack-o-lanterns on the pumpkin trails, watch pumpkin-carving demos, and embark on a scavenger hunt to find all the masked animals who call the zoo home.
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