Country Fairs and Fall Festivals

The Country Fair and Fall Festival season kicks off this week with big dos at Harvest Moon, the Yorktown Grange Fair and Norwalk Seaport Festival. Here’s 14 from NYBG to Stone Barns, Armonk’s Fall Festival, Bedford’s Oktoberfest, John Jay’s Barn Dance and the Pound Ridge Harvest Festival – which, you know  if you’ve been following us, ROCKS!

Apple Picking: Apple picking season is here. Check out our Fall Survival Checklist to find out where to pick apples and when. Fall Survival Checklist: Apple Picking.

Harvest Moon Fall Festival: North Salem’s Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard’s Fall Festival is one of our area’s biggest annual events. Every weekend in September and October you can go for the apple picking and stay for the hay and pony rides, the face-painting, farm animals, great live music, and their famous apple cider donuts and smoked turkey breast BBQ. Plus, kettle corn, funnel cakes, pumpkin cheesecake and a gourmet pizza truck. Sat-Sun, 9/12-11/1: 9am-5pm. (Harvest Moon, 130 Hardscrabble Rd., North Salem; www.harvestmoonfarmandorchard.com)

Yorktown Grange Fair: Westchester’s only true country fair has showcased home grown and home made vegetables, flowers, baked goods, livestock, poultry, needlework, and photography since 1923. Expect antique tractor and animal parades, livestock exhibits, horse competitions, hay rides, magic shows, watermelon, pie eating, balloon blowing, nail driving and rubber chicken throwing competitions, (the stuff memories are made of) carnival rides, and funnel cakes. New this year, A Taste of NY tent offers free tastings and sale items from New York food and beverage vendors. Musical entertainment includes Chain of Fools (Motown), Unfunded Mandate (classic rock), Strawberry Fields (Beatles tribute), and Lori and Mike Barr (folk). Thurs, 9/10: 5-10pm, Fri, 9/11: 4-11pm, Sat, 9/12: 10-am-11pm & Sun, 913: 10am-7pm. (Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds, 99 Moseman Avenue, Yorktown Heights; www.yorktowngrangefair.org)

Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival: Arts & Crafts show, harbor tour cruises, vessel tours, a Ferris wheel, a New England Seaport Village, Go Green environmental demonstrations, and a Kids Cove with circus and puppet shows, music, and arts & crafts (for the kids), an International Food Court with craft beer (for the adults), celebrity oyster slurping contests and … OYSTERS, OYSTERS, OYSTERS. With musical entertainment on Saturday night (last year the headliner JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS) and Family Day specials on Sunday including free admission, discount rides, kids’ specials at food courts and special entertainment. Yowza! How did we miss this all these years? Fri, 9/11: 6-11pm, Sat, 9/12: 11am-11pm, Sun, 9/13:11am-8pm. (Norwalk Veterans Park, 42 Seaview Ave., Norwalk: www.seaport.org)

Local! John Jay Barn Dance: It’s the event of the season in Bedford. The annual John Jay Barn Dance serves up a countryBBQ, a pizza truck, ice cream sundaes, and the Johnny Peers Muttville Comix, an act featuring dogs rescued from shelters. The highlight of the evening is the music by local bands. Last year’s bands included The Celenza Boys, Locke Ness, 52 Pick-Up, and the ever-popular Bad Dog. Sat, 9/19: 5-9pm. (John Jay Homestead, 400 Jay St., Katonah; www.johnjayhomestead.org)

Local! Armonk Fall Festival – featuring Jamie’s 5k Run for Love: This Armonk Chamber of Commerce celebration features live music, an apple pie eating contest, donut fishing … and plenty of cider and donuts. The event begins immediately after Jamie’s 5K “Run for Love”. Sun, 9/20: 9:30am-2pm. Races from 9:30-11:30am. (Wampus Park, Maple Ave., Armonk; www.armonkchamberofcommerce.org)

The Edible Academy Family Garden Picnic – NYBG: Bring the whole family for an afternoon of outdoor discovery, and join special guests Chef Carla Hall, co-host from ABC’s The Chew, along with chefs from Mario Batali’s acclaimed restaurants—Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge and Anthony Sasso of Casa Mono—for live cooking demonstrations and a delicious picnic. Kids of any age will enjoy kitchen crafts, organic vegetable gardening activities, live music, and more! Sun, 9/27: 12:30-4:30pm. (New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx; www.nybg.org)

Local! Oktoberfest on the Village Green returns: This one, under the big tent on Bedford Green, was a big hit last year and it’s back. The festivities include craft beers, including a custom made “Bedford Brew”, wine tastings, seasonal food live and the impeccable charm and grace that is Bedford Village. Last year’s band was Lo Tide, the Bedford School of Rock house band. The Bedford Historical Society that maintains nine historical buildings including Historical Hall, the one room school house, the Lounsbery Building and the Court House and Bedford Museum sponsors this event. Sat, 10/3: 6:30-10pm. (Bedford Green, Bedford Village; www.bedfordhistoricalsociety.org.)

Hot Ticket Alert! Annual Stone Barns Harvest Fest: 12th annual celebration and fundraiser is a hot ticket so order early. Live music, hands-on farming activities, food crafting, farmer’s market, hayrides, farm Olympics and more. Sat, 10/3: 10am-3pm. (630 Bedford Rd., Pocantico Hills; www.stonebarnscenter.org)

By Ted Gilman

Greenwich Audubon Fall Festival and Hawk Watch: Live animal shows, birds of prey, guided hikes, nature themed games, environmental exhibits, and eco-friendly vendors help celebrate the annual hawk migration passing over the site’s “Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch.” Plus, a honey harvest, food from Café Bon, Annie Bananie’s Ice Cream, Wave Hill Bread and hawks, hawks, hawks. Sat-Sun: 10/3-4: 11am-5pm. (613 Riversville Rd., Greenwich; www.greenwich.audubon.org)

Rose Garden Dinner – NYBG: Join the New York Botanical Garden in honoring rose enthusiast Julie Andrews and our own Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden Curator, Stephen Scanniello, at the 25th anniversary of the Rose Garden Dinner. The evening offers the opportunity to enjoy cocktails and exclusive tours among the acclaimed blooms of the Rockefeller Rose Garden followed by an elegant dinner in the Garden Terrace Room. Thurs, 10/8: 5:45-10pm. (New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx; www.nybg.org)

Columbus Day Pumpkin Picking at Muscoot Farm: Take a hayride to the pumpkin patch or walk to the vegetable garden to pick your pumpkin. Visit the farmer’s market, farm animals, (check out the pygmy goats and miniature donkeys) 12 historic buildings, (love the ice house and blacksmith shop) and 7 miles of hiking trails from easy to moderately strenuous. Sun-Mon: 10/11-12. (Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Local! The Pound Ridge Harvest Festival ROCKS: Featuring traditional German fare: bratwurst, fire-grilled corn, apple cider, pretzels and specialties from Albano’s, North Star, Plum Plums and Asia Hamachi, a country BBQ from Scott’s Corner Market a craft beer garden pouring cold Magic Hat  a root beer garden for the kids and contests, games and kids activities for kids. Their featured act this year is the Grammy Award-wiining alt-rock band Soul Asylum, whose 1993 triple-platiunum album Grave Diggers Union featured their hit song “Runaway Train” that got the Grammy nod for the year’s best single. They played at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. More music from the Fox Lane Rock Ensemble. Take that Armonk, Bedford & Chappaqua! Pound Ridge ROCKS!  Sat, 10/17: 2-6pm. (179 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge; www.poundridgeharvestfestival.com)

Autumn Celebration at Muscoot Farm: Celebrate the fall with an afternoon of music, games, hayrides, crafts, a Model A Ford show, blacksmithing demonstrations and a Farmers Market. Sun, 10/18: 12-3pm. (Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Harvest Hoedown for Open Door Foundation at Brynwood Country Club: The Open Door Foundation’s Harvest Hoedown benefit comes to Armonk. This event, honoring former Foundation Board member Joyce Rheingold, and chaired by Sue Green Fuirst of Chappaqua features a special harvest menu, square dancing and bluegrass music by Love Canon. Love Canon’s eclectic bluegrass repertoire ranges from traditional mountain tunes like “Hide Head Blues”, and “Talkin’ In Your Sleep” to Appalachian interpretations of New Wave classics like Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule the World” and The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does”. For more than 40 years, The Open Door Foundation has provided top quality medical, dental and behavioral health care to low-income people in Westchester and Putnam counties through their centers in Mt. Kisco, Brewster, Port Chester, Ossining and Sleepy Hollow. Fri., 11/6: 7-11pm. (Brynwood Country Club, 568 Bedford Rd., Armonk; www.opendoormedical.org)

More stuff to do here.  More Apple Picking

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