Autumn is a beautiful season to get outside with the family to carve a pumpkin, sip warm apple cider, or take a hayride - and Westchester is a great place to find lots of activities. Check out our picks for the best festivals in the area.
The 7th Annual Harvest Fest is a community celebration of the farm at its most fruitful time, with live music featuring Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could, theatrical performances by Story Pirates, hayrides, workshops, and farm games. October 2 at 10am. $20. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills. 914-366-6200. www.stonebarnscenter.org.
Welcome fall and 500 scarecrows at the Scarecrow Autumn Festival. The day will include live music and square dancing, old-fashioned country games, Atka the ambassador wolf, a showcase of local farmers and their produce, fortune telling, and food. October 9 at 11am. $15; $5 children 4-12. Lyndhurst, 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown. 914-631-4481. www.lyndhurst.org.
There are tons of activities at Teatown's Annual Fall Festival. Carve a pumpkin, dress a scarecrow, take a scenic hayride, pet the animals from Muscoot, ride the zip line with SavATree, create an eco-craft, and enjoy musical entertainment by Joe Duraes, Steve Kirkman, Spuyton Duyril, Glen Roethel, and Montgomery Delany. Plus, shop at the Marketplace for Teatown Tea, Tom Cat Bakery breads, Stuart's Farm treats, apples, cider, and other seasonal goodies. October 16 at 11am. $10-$22; $2 children. Teatown Lake Reservation, 1600 Spring Valley Road, Ossining. 914-762-2912. www.teatown.org.
Take a trip to Brewster for the Fall Harvest Festival, where you can enjoy hayrides, a bouncy castle, wildlife presentations, border collie and draft horse demonstrations, the Scholastic book fair, live music by Last Fair Deal, vendors, educational programs, and more. October 16 at 10:30am. $5; $10 children; FREE children under 12; $3 per activity. Green Chimneys, 400 Doansburg Road, Brewster. 845-279-2995. www.greenchimneys.org.
Greenburgh Nature Ceter's Fall Festival includes cider making, a petting zoo, scavenger hunt, and live music. Special tree climbing and pruning demonstration by Bartlett Tree Experts. The scarecrows and pumpkins created at the scarecrow building and pumpkin carving contests will be left at the Center to be used at the parade on October 24. October 17 at 1pm. $8 advance tickets before October 14; $10 day of. Greenburgh Nature Center, 99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale. 914-723-3470. www.greenburghnaturecenter.org.
Also see: Family-friendly Halloween events in Westchester County, NY
