Long Island farm fall festivals add new activities with beloved attractions
Caitlin Mulligan, 38, of Wantagh, walks with her daughter Darcy, 6, through the Secret Garden at Waterdrinker Family Farm in Wading River. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
It’s "showtime" for fall festivals, hayrides, corn mazes and pumpkin crafts at farms across Long Island. Yet, if you’ve been to one fall festival, you haven’t been to them all. Each has its own style and features a unique combination of fall activities.
At the White Post Farms Festival in Melville, kids can meet the new animatronic dinosaurs or chow down on freshly roasted corn.
At the Hicks Nurseries fall festival in Westbury, Otto the kid-friendly ghost will greet guests before they conquer the hay maze.
Here are five fall festivals in Nassau and Suffolk with new activities and returning favorites. See websites for weekday and weekend activities as well as events on special dates.
Danielle Socias, 36, of Kings Park, jumps on the Jumbo Jump Pad with her three sons, Dominic, 8, Christopher, 3, and Joe, 6, at Waterdrinker Family Family Farm in Wading River. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
From cornholes to hobbit holes at Heritage Farm & Garden
6050 Northern Blvd., East Norwich
Visitors and their dogs can wander through a corn maze with cutout monsters. Come out at the other end and meet pigs, donkeys, goats, chickens, ducks and a goose. Decorate pumpkins with soft foam stickers ranging from monster eyeballs to sea creature snouts to dinosaur teeth. Climb through hobbit holes (tunnels above the ground made of grass). Take photo ops beside pumpkins made of hay, Frankenstein's Monster, SpongeBob or a make-believe cow. Play lawn games ranging from corn hole to giant Jenga. Kids can do two different scavenger hunts and win prizes. Afterward, head to the cafe, where apple cider doughnuts await you.
COST $10; buy crafts a la carte
MORE INFO 516-922-1026, heritagefarmandgarden.com
Festival rides and goat mountain slides at Harbes Family Farm
715 Sound Ave, Mattituck; 1223 NY-25, Jamesport; Harbes Orchard; 5698 Sound Ave., Riverhead
Frances Beaubrun, 26, of Middle Island, shops for the perfect bunch of sunflowers at the Harbes Apple Festival in Riverhead. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
All three Harbes locations feature different activities. At Harbes Family Farm (Mattituck), hop on a musical hayride around the 100-acre farm. During a Dynamo Dog Show, pooches do tricks (weekend of Oct. 25 and Oct. 26). Romp through two pick-your-own-pumpkin patches and a "Wizard of Oz"-themed corn maze.
Those fall activities join many other favorites that extend from the summer such as gliding on goat mountain slides, wandering through the Gnome Hedge Maze, bopping on jumbo jumpers, playing with apple blasters, romping in giant playgrounds and brushing and feeding the new miniature Highland cows. Mingle with many other animals and cheer for the pigs during their pig races.
At Harbes Orchard in Riverhead, those who are small and tall can pick apples from dwarf trees, pick pumpkins and race through a Robin Hood themed corn maze. The Harbes Farm Jamesport location also features a Robin Hood corn maze plus jumping pads, sunflowers, a trike track and gemstone mining. All three locations have supersweet roasted corn, pumpkin ice cream and of course, apple cider doughnuts.
MORE INFO Mattituck: 631-482-7641; Harbes Orchard: 631-683-8388; Harbes Farms Jamesport: 631-494-4796, harbesfamilyfarm.com
Prizes for pets, pumpkins and people at Hicks Nurseries
100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury
Little pumpkin Valentina Miranda sits in with the gourds at Hicks Nurseries in Westbury. Credit: Linda Rosier
"We’re doing a lot of different giveaways to celebrate our 50th fall festival anniversary," says Eleni Roselli, director of marketing at Hicks Nurseries. There are new activities and prizes galore.
On Oct. 5, there’s a pumpkin weigh-off contest. "In the past, pumpkins have weighed up to 1,000 pounds or more," Roselli mentions. Local pumpkin growers can win prizes in different categories including "Best Pumpkin Grown By A Child."
"Every year, we do a pet parade and costume competition. The pets are adorable. We’ve had dogs, cats, even parrots," Roselli says. This year, the competition takes place on Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. New categories for winners include Best Child and Pet, Funniest Costume, Most Original Costume, Best Group and Best Overall.
When you arrive at the festival, decorate a picture frame, decorate a plant pot with a mum inside it and take it home, or decorate your own hand-picked pumpkin. Otto, Hicks’ signature ghost, is back. Take a photo with him or participate in his latest interactive show about saving Halloween. Play traditional festival lawn games. Grab freshly roasted corn on the cob, doughnuts dipped in fudge and nibble on apple cider doughnuts.
MORE INFO 516-334-0066, hicksnurseries.com; pricing: many activities free, 3 crafts: $30 non-members
Singing pigs and animatronic dinos at White Post Farms
250 Old Country Rd., Melville
White Post Farms in Melville has added a new Dinosaur Adventure with animatronic dinosaurs. Credit: Newsday/Beth Whitehouse
The fall festival is sprinkled with a bit of everything. Animal lovers can meet and greet four-legged friends ranging from giraffes to lemurs to zebras to pigs. Feed goats with milk bottles or take a pony ride. If animatronic animals are more your style, watch an automated chicken show or visit three animatronic dinosaurs in the new, permanent dinosaur exhibit. "It’s very cool. It’s like walking into an evening at dusk with dinosaurs. You can even watch a dinosaur hatching an egg," says Nancy Gangi, operations manager.
During the festival, numerous shows rotate throughout the day. Rodeo Rick makes his show debut as he combines comedy with magic and interactive dancing. During the Pork Chop Review, a family of singing pigs do stunts and grunt a farm song. "The song is led by a farmer, and the pigs will make a sound as if they’re singing along," Gangi explains.
Aunt Christine Middleton and grandmother, Karen Priore, enjoy a day at White Post Farms with their nephew and grandson, James. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Take a train ride around the farm. Hop off and play in a huge pile of hay and so much more. If you’ve worked up an appetite, munch on freshly roasted corn, tacos, pulled pork, corn dogs and sweet treats.
COST $43.95 plus tax online; $39.95 plus tax (cash only) at the gate; cash only at farm. There is an ATM on premises.
MORE INFO 631-351-9373, whitepostfarms.com
Secret garden that's new, a pirate maze, too, at Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden
663 Wading River Rd., Manorville; 4560 Sound Ave., Riverhead
Luna Larios, 9 months, of Shirley with her mom Jessie in the sunflowers at Waterdrinker Family Farm in Wading River. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
"The cool thing about Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden is we’re always doing something different every year. We’re always expanding and listening to what our customers want," owner Marc Weissr says. There are fall festivals at Waterdrinker's two locations and most activities are the same.
"This year in Manorville, the new fun spot is the Secret Garden," Weiss explains. "You can go through archways covered with flowers and get lost in space." A few steps away, you’ll find a chicken coop, miniature golf and traditional festival lawn games.
In Riverhead, the Jungle Greenhouse is back for its second year and is decorated with exotic foliage that resembles a jungle and is fun for photo ops. There’s also a life-sized pool table where kids can kick the balls into the holes.
Marco Caruso, 5, of Mt. Sinai, pushes through the corn maze at Waterdrinker Family Farm. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Both farms feature haunted corn mazes with themes — such as a pirate maze. "The mazes are spooky but not scary," Weiss says. There are hayrides, pumpkin fields, barnyard animals, pedal cars and popular jumbo jumping pads (think of a bounce house without walls). People of all ages jump on the pads. We’ve had grandparents on them," Weiss comments. There are also wooden Amish-built playlands where kids can climb on and around Noah’s Ark, a fire truck, pirate ships and a castle.
COST $20 per person
MORE INFO 631-878-8653, water-drinker.com
