The air is crisp, the apple cider is fresh pressed, and the leaves are glowing with vibrant color. Orange County, N.Y. kicks off the season with Halloween thrills and chills—perfect for those who dare, complete with fall festivals, scenic drives, pick-your-own pumpkins, and orchard days. Finish it off by stocking up on farm-fresh foods for your Thanksgiving table.
“Wrap yourself in your favorite sweater and come to Orange County, N.Y.,” said Amanda Dana, Director of Orange County Tourism & Film. “Pick pumpkins, sip cider from apples harvested locally, bump along in a hayride, wander through a corn maze, and, if you’re brave enough, try one of our spooky Halloween parks. With all the treats and chills you could want just an hour from New York City, you’re sure to make Orange County your home this autumn.”
Here are examples of the fall festivals, Halloween scares and pumpkin-picking farms in Orange County, N.Y. Visit www.pickocny.com for many more:
Fall Festivals🎃🍂
Fall Foliage Festival, downtown Port Jervis:
Sept. 28, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The 32nd annual autumnal celebration brings Port Jervis’s historic downtown to life with more than 200 vendors, a classic car show, a beer and cocktail garden, live music on three stages, a petting zoo and pony rides. Learn more here.
Oktoberfest at Drowned Lands
251 State School Rd., Warwick, N.Y.
Oct. 11, noon – 10 p.m.; Oct. 12, noon – 8 p.m.
The award-winning craft brewery is going big for Oktoberfest with two full days of stein specials, German-style craft brews and hearty food favorites. Think brats, pretzels and more. Test your strength in a keg toss competition. Get into the spirit by breaking out the lederhosen and dirndls. (German attire encouraged.) Learn more here.
Good Vibes and Tractor Rides Fall Festival
Wagon Wheel Farm, 363 Sarah Wells Trail, Goshen, N.Y.:
Oct. 4-5 and 11-13, noon – 6 p.m.
Come for the pumpkins and sunflowers, stay for the bounce-house park, live music, fresh cider doughnuts, food trucks, friendly contests, pony rides, and kettle corn. Then toast the day with local beer, wine, and hard cider. Learn more here.
Pumpkin Picking
Apple Ridge Orchards
101 Jessup Road, Warwick, N.Y.
Pick-your-own pumpkin beginning Sept. 20. Kids can also meet new friends at the petting zoo and romp in the play area. Visit the farm stand for the famous apple cider and cider doughnuts. Movie night! Come on Oct. 10 for an outdoor showing of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. Bring a blanket and settle in for the show! Learn more here.
Piersons Farm
1448 Route 211, Middletown, N.Y.
Pick your own pumpkin beginning Sept. 23. While you’re there, test your skill in a four-acre corn maze. Looking for a lighter challenge? Try the three-quarter acre maze! And that’s just the start, kids can hop on hayrides to feed the cows, ride the barrel train, meet barnyard friends, zip down the slides, scramble across the giant spider-web climb, and more. Learn more here.
Rocky Bar Farm
52 Rocky Bar Road, Westtown, N.Y.
Visit the farm to pick the pumpkin that’s just right for your family. While you’re there, pop into the Halloween shop for spooky supplies and decorations. Before you go, grab some fresh produce to bring home. Learn more here.
Wright Family Farm
329 Kings Highway, Warwick, N.Y.
There’s way more here than pumpkins! Little ones and big kids can race pedal tractors, ride the cow train, scoop and dig in the corn box (like a sandbox with corn kernels), hop on hayrides, get lost in the corn maze, and even take a pony ride. Learn more here.
👻Spooky Thrills👻
Pure Terror Scream Park
1010 Route 17M, Monroe, N.Y.
Why settle for spooky when you can test your mettle in the face of pure terror? The park holds the Guinness world record as the longest walk-through horror attraction. Ten massive haunted sections, such as Bedlam State Asylum, Resurrection Cemetery and Pumpkin Alley, bring on the fright with Hollywood-level sets, professional scare actors and cutting-edge special effects. Learn more here.
Haunted Boo Barn and Trails
Thunderbird Farms, 13 Van Sickle Road, Pine Island, N.Y.
New chills await around every corner in both the barn and the trails. Test your courage against lurking horrors and eerie whispers in the barn’s maze of terror or brave the frightening trails, now longer and more terrifying than ever. For the most courageous of visitors, a combo ticket gains entry to both attractions. Learn more here.
Wine and Spirits Ghost Tour
Hudson Highlands Nature Center, 110 Muser Drive, Cornwall, N.Y.
Combine wine tasting with spirits – the spooky kind – in a night of intrigue, apparitions and fun. “Soul-mmelier” Rob Lipkin will pour the vintages in the 160-year-old farmhouse while Carl Heitmuller recounts sightings and sounds of the “entities,” including personal accounts from three decades at the Nature Center. Learn more here.
Sleep in an architecturally significant B&B, or book a room at a nationally known hotel. Casual travelers as well as visitors looking for luxury will find a wide range of properties to consider. There are lodging options for everyone – Try our user-friendly lodging search below and come stay with us in Orange County, NY.
