Top 20 Fall Activities in Rockland County

UPDATED JULY 2019: There's nothing like fall in the Hudson Valley. Plan an exciting season with our top 20 best autumn activities all over the county. Don't miss Halloween fun, apple picking, pumpkin picking, Oktoberfest, 5Ks and walks for good causes, and plenty more family activities. 

1. Apples Abound

Pick your own apples throughout September and early October at Orchards of Concklin in Pomona. Find more u-pick apple orchards and farms in our full guide.

2. Explore the JCC

Families are invited to Touch-a-Truck at the JCC Rockland in West Nyack in mid-September. The event is presented in partnership with Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland and PJ Library Rockland. Search for more family fun in the area at nymetroparents.com/calendar.

3. Sign of the Season

Courtesy Tenafly Nature Center

Once you’ve plucked those crisp fruits, bring them to Tenafly Nature Center in nearby Bergen County, NJ, to make fresh apple cider on weekend dates in September and October.

4. Germany Comes to Rockland

On weekends in September and October, Anthony Wayne Recreation Area in Harriman State Park hosts its Oktoberfest fall festival featuring authentic German music, food, beer, and vendors. While you’re there, take a stroll and enjoy the park’s fall foliage.

5. Get lost!

In a corn maze, that is. In addition to picking your own seasonal produce, Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ features a corn maze, sunflower maze, hay pyramid, farm animals, wagon rides, pony rides, and more throughout the fall. Visit our corn maze guide for more information. 

6. Piles of Fun

Take in the fall foliage at the Hudson River Valley Ramble hike at Stony Point Lighthouse and Battlefield weekends through October, where costumed guides will also discuss the history of the site. Find more places to view the season’s colorful leaves here.

7. Hungry Hollow Harvest Hoedown

Hungry Hollow Co-op hosts the annual Harvest Festival in late September, celebrating local agriculture with live music, locally sourced food and refreshments, children’s activities, and more at its location in Chestnut Ridge. 

8. Ciao, Bella!

At the annual Italian Festival at Congers Station Park, held either in late September or early October, you can celebrate Italian culture with live entertainment, food and desserts from local restaurants, themed crafts, and specialty vendors.

9. Why Walk Now

Join the Greater Hudson Valley Autism Speaks Walk at Palisades Credit Union Park in late September. Plus, find more causes to walk for. 

10. Pumpkins Galore

Tom Nycz

Don’t miss The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze, an outdoor walkthrough experience featuring thousands of hand-carved pumpkins, at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson (Westchester County). The Blaze opens in late September and runs through November. Get details at nymetroparents.com/blaze.

11. Prepare for Halloween

Daily in October, take a hayride to the fields and pick your own pumpkins at Dr. Davies Farm in Congers or another pumpkin farm in the area.

12. Plenty of Fun in Pearl River

In early October, head to the Pearl River Day Festival and enjoy food, music, and entertainment as you browse the town’s shops, restaurants, and other local businesses. For kids, there’s usually face painting, pumpkin painting, balloon twisting, bouncy attractions, and more. Check the website for details.

13. Fall’s Favorite Fruit

Learn how to press apple cider then enjoy a cup, nibble on apple cider doughnuts, and enjoy live entertainment in early October at the Heritage Apple Festival at Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison, in nearby Putnam County. 

14. Fun on the Farm 

Take a day trip to nearby Putnam County in early October for Little Folk Farm Days at Green Chimneys in Brewster. Kids can ride the ponies, take hayrides, watch live shows, do crafts, and play games at this nonprofit that focuses on animal therapy and nature education. 

15. Go Pink

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Nyack Hospital hosts Blow Away Breast Cancer, which includes a 5K walk/run and a host of other activities that help raise money and awareness for this important cause. 

16. Celebrations of Cultures

Fiesta Latina at Haverstraw King’s Daughters Public Library’s Village Branch in early October celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with food, songs, music, and crafts. Registration for the event is held in early September.

17. Spooky Season Staple

Dancing ghouls, marching bands, floats, stilt-walkers, and giant puppets are all part of the very popular Nyack Halloween Parade, held in late October. Prizes are awarded for best costumes and best floats, and the parade is typically followed by a monster mash-style party at Nyack Center.

18. Halloween at the Zoo

New Jersey’s Bergen County Zoo opens its doors for trick-or-treaters and special nighttime visits with the animals during its Zoo Boo festival in late October. Don’t miss a ride on the Erie Express haunted train! 

19. Those Shoes Were Made for Dancin’ 

The old-fashioned Family Barn Dance with Live Fiddle Music, held at Congers Lake Memorial Park Auditorium in early November, is hosted by West Nyack’s Blue Rock School. Expect folk dancing, traditional fiddle tunes, and refreshments. Event proceeds benefit one of the school’s scholarship funds.

20. Turkey, Pomp, and Circumstance

It’s worth the trip into the city—at least once—to experience the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has become as much a part of Turkey Day celebrations as family feasts, post-consumption naps, and football. 

MORE SEASONAL FUN IN ROCKLAND COUNTY