5 fall traditions to experience on Long Island this year
Steve Breest of Flanders and his daughter Ariana Breest, 16, eat corn on the cob in Riverhead. Credit: Marisol Diaz
Fall is coming, and so are many things that we associate with the season — from u-pick apples and pumpkins to corn mazes and hayrides to haunted houses. Here’s a bucket list of ideas to keep your fall traditions going this year.
1. Pick your own
Apples, pumpkins and more are ready for you to pick right off the branch or vine this fall. The u-pick farm options on the East End are aplenty, and a trip to the fields is sure to stock your pantry full of fresh fruits ready for baking or snacking.
Brooke Roberts, of Centereach, enjoys a raspberry pint of hard cider from Woodside Orchards in Aquebogue on Sept. 27, 2019. Credit: Randee_
Be sure to check what's ripe and in season before you head out. If a warm apple pie is the end goal of your picking, consider reaching for those Granny Smiths at Lewin Farms (812 Sound Ave., Calverton, lewinfarm.com), The Milk Pail (1346 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, milk-pail.com), Woodside Orchards (116 Manor Lane, Riverhead, woodsideorchards.com) or a variety of other farms. Apples are in season through October at most locations. If you're eyeing that perfect jack-o'-lantern canvas, slot in your farm trip for early to mid-October.
2. Spend the day on a farm
Isabella Dos Santos, 9, of North Patchogue, enjoys a day on the farm. Credit: Felica Vogel, Patchogue
A picturesque autumn day on Long Island features a trip to the farm stand more often than not. Family-friendly farms have resumed their dining, drinking and playing options just in time for peak season. Enjoy a day sipping cider at Harbes Family Farm, where the kids can roam the Barnyard Adventure and meet goats, rabbits and more. An obstacle course, complete with ropes walks, tunnels and balance beams, is sure to intrigue. (715 Sound Ave., Mattituck, 631-482-7641, harbesfamilyfarm.com)
3. Get lost in a maze
Some sunflower fields will be in bloom again mid-September, so you still have a shot at scoring that perfect Instagram shot. Rottkamp’s Fox Hollow Farm and Sidor Farms typically expect their fields to last through the month. Call ahead to make sure farms are open as weather can impact bloom. (Rottkamp’s, 2287 Sound Ave., Baiting Hollow, 631-727-1786; Sidor Farms, 8632 Wickham Ave., Mattituck, 631-644-2200)
Greg Lane, an actor dressed as a cowboy, greets visitors as they walk through the 8-acre corn maze at Harbes Farm. Credit: Randee Daddona
If corn is more your scene, try F&W Schmitt Farm's corn maze in Melville (pay to enter, schmittfarms.com). Further east, try the Robin Hood-themed maze at Harbes Orchard in Riverhead, where you can play trivia as you work your way through to the end (pay to enter, harbesfamilyfarm.com).
4. Sip on cider and snack on treats
Gillian Hudson, a pourer at the Riverhead Ciderhouse, fills a glass of cider. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Fall is just as much about the flavors as it is the activities. Breweries, cider mills and wineries are serving up locally made ciders with a crisp apple taste. At the Jericho Cider Mill, where people line up to buy it by the gallon, a frozen apple slushie is on tap when you visit (213 Jericho Oyster Bay Rd., 516-433-3360, jerichocider.com). The Riverhead Ciderhouse serves up the hard ciders, with flavors including original apple, raspberry, peach and cranberry (2711 Sound Ave., Calverton, 631-591-0217, riverheadcider.com). Sweet and savory snacks from roasted corn in the husk to the beloved apple cider doughnuts and pumpkin pies also are waiting to be enjoyed at local farm stands this season.
5. Get spooked
The Bloodworth Haunted Mansion and the other scary attractions will reopen this fall at the Bayville Scream Park in Bayville. Credit: Daniel Brennan
Haunted houses are a mainstay of Long Island's spooky season. In recent years, many attractions have streamlined admission with advance ticket purchase for reserved timed slots and added more options for express or VIP access. It's too early to tell what's new this season, but Bayville Scream Park took haunted social distancing to new heights last year with an added drive-thru experience that involved live theatrical performances and a movie screening. (From $23; 516-624-4678, bayvillescreampark.com)
