New York Apple Picking and Fall Festivals

9/21/08 - By Anna Fader

[UPDATED: 9/21/08]

Growing up in New York City, one of our family traditions was going apple picking in the Hudson Valley every Fall. It's a tradition I've enjoying continuing with my own kids because it's a great day out in the country, it's economical (considering the price of apples from FreshDirect), and it's even trendy (if you're into the locavore thing). It's a great activity for Columbus Day Weekend, but there are also a bunch of free Apple Festivals right here in NYC if you don't feel like taking the kids traveling.

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New York is the second largest apple producing state so when it comes to pick your own farms, there are plenty of options. Anything from basic farms to ones that offer hayrides, petting zoos, corn mazes and more. I even found out about some apple farms that you can reach by public transportation if you don't have a car on Gothamist.

If you don't feel like leaving the city you can stop by the Queens County Farm's Apple Festival on Sunday, October 5th. There'll be games, a corn maze, hayrides, apple cider pressing demos, and the country's biggest apple cobbler. You won't be able to pick apples, but there will be plenty on hand and you can pick your own pumpkins! (Pumpkin picking and the corn maze are possible through October 28th.) This event is free, but some of the activities are not.

We've posted a bunch about the Queens County Farm, but you've probably never heard of the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum in Brooklyn. It's New York City's oldest structure and home to a museum about early Dutch life in NYC. On Saturday, September 27th, you can check it out at the free Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum Apple Festival where there'll be games and crafts, apple fritters and cider pressing, and workshops on cooking fresh produce from their weekly Farmers Market and an authentic local Brooklyn jug band. A little bit of the Hudson Valley right here in New York.

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About the Author

Anna Fader

Founder of Mommy Poppins

A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.

Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.