Country Fairs and Fall Festivals 2016

Country Fairs and Fall Festivals 2016: The Country Fair and Fall Festival season kicks off the first weekend after Labor Day with big dos at Harvest Moon, the Yorktown Grange Fair and Norwalk Seaport Festival. Here’s 14 from the new Blues, Brews & Botany at NYBG to Stone Barns, Armonk’s Doney & Cider Festivall, Bedford’s Oktoberfest, John Jay’s Barn Dance and the Pound Ridge Harvest Festival – which, you know  if you’ve been following us, ROCKS THE ‘BURBS!

Where To Go: Country Fairs and Fall Festivals

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.

Yorktown Grange Fair – Thurs-Sun, 9/8-11: 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. A Taste of NY tent offers free tastings and sale items from local 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, 9/8: 5-10pm, Fri, 9/9: 4-11pm, Sat, 9/10: 10-am-11pm & Sun, 9/11: 10am-7pm. (Yorktown Grange Fair Grounds, 99 Moseman Avenue, Yorktown Heights; www.yorktowngrangefair.org)

Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard Festival Weekends – 9/10-10/30: They’re picking apples and rocking’ in September and October at Harvest Moon in North Salem. In addition to pick your own apples and pumpkins there are hayrides, pony rides, face-painting, farm animals, bounce house, and great live music. Food too: apple cider donuts, brick oven pizza, bbq, and their smoked turkey legs, and farm store. Other vendors include dog treats, kettle corn, lemonade, funnel cakes, pumpkin cheesecakes, Italian cheeses and sausages, local French cakes and more! (130 Hardscrabble Rd., North Salem; www.harvestmoonfarmandorchard) See our Apple Picking Westchester Guide for more apple info.

Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival – Sat-Sun, 9/10-11: 11am-8pm: Arts & Crafts show, harbor tour cruises, vessel tours, a Ferris wheel, a New England Seaport Village, 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 and Family Day specials on Sunday. (Norwalk Veterans Park, 42 Seaview Ave., Norwalk: www.seaport.org)

Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival, Duchess County Fairgrounds, Sat-Sun, 9/10-11:Sample and purchase wines from 49 Hudson Valley wineries, 14 craft beer brewers, 5 hard cider producers and 12 spirits distillers. There’s wine seminars and cooking demonstrations from Chef Kevin Des Chenes who was featured on Food Networks Beat Bobby Flay and live music. Fill up your pantry with 40 of Hudson Valley’s finest  gourmet food vendors and your ‘tum’ with 14 food trucks serving crepe suzette, lobster rolls, poutine and crab cakes to Cactus Jack’s old fashioned soda. (6550 Spring Brook Ave, Rhinebeck; www.hudsonvalleywinefest.com)

Local! John Jay Barn Dance, John Jay Homestead – Sat, 9/17: 5-10pm: Local celeb alert! It’s the event of the season in Bedford. The annual John Jay Barn Dance serves up a country BBQ, a pizza truck, a campfire and a dog and pony show – literally. The highlight of the evening is the music by local bands including Bedford’s School of Rock House Band. (John Jay Homestead, 400 Jay St., Katonah; www.johnjayhomestead.org)

Blues, Brews & Botany, New York Botanical Garden – Sat-Sun, 9/17-18: 12-5pm: Discover the connections between beer and botany during a weekend of live blues and bluegrass, craft beer tastings, and talks by expert brewers and Garden scientists. Grab a souvenir Tasting Tumbler included with your ticket to enjoy a flight of flavorful brews from New York State and beyond. Music from Moonshine Flats and The Paul Josephs Blues Band on the Conservatory Lawn. Plus lawn games like bean-bag, lawn darts and ladder toss. Ladder toss? www.nybg.org

Greenwich Audubon Fall Festival and Hawk Watch – Sat-Sun, 9/17-18: 11am-5pm: Live raptor shows, rehabilitated hawk releases, petting zoo with a bearded dragon, kangaroo, goats and baby animals, rock climbing wall, hayrides, guided hikes, games & crafts, local exhibitors and food. The Greenwich Audubon has some of the best hiking trails in the area. If you’re a hiker pick up a copy of Walking Trails in Greenwich and the Surrounding Area in their gift shop. (613 Riversville Rd., Greenwich; www.greenwich.audubon.org)

Local! Armonk Cider and Donut Festival & Byram Hills Pre-School Ass’n Fall Carnival – with Jamie’s 5k Run for Love – Sun, 9/18: 10am-2pm: This Armonk Chamber of Commerce celebration features live music, carnival rides, a bounce house, face painting, pizza, ice cream … and plenty of cider and donuts. Love the donut bobbing (pictured here) and pie eating contests. The event is held in conjunction with Jamie’s 5K “Run for Love”. Races from 10am-12pm. (Wampus Park, Maple Ave., Armonk;  www.armonkchamberofcommerce.org)

The Edible Academy Family Garden Picnic – New York Botanical Garden, Sun 9/25: 12:30-4:30pm: Chef Carla Hall, co-host of ABC’s The Chew hosts a day of culinary workshops and a delicious picnic featuring her Southern Kitchen chicken and gourmet fixin’s! Activities for kids include kitchen crafts and games, organic vegetable gardening, live music and tree climbing! Proceeds benefit NYBG’s Edible Academy, hub of the children’s organic vegetable gardening program. (2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx; www.nybg.org)

Hot Ticket Alert! Annual Stone Barns Harvest Fest – Sat, 10/1: 10am-3pm: Their 13th annual celebration and fundraiser is a hot ticket so order early. THIS EVENT ALWAYS SELLS OUT! Live music, hands-on farming activities, food crafting, a seasonal food and farmer’s market, hayrides and a turkey parade. (630 Bedford Rd., Pocantico Hills; www.stonebarnscenter.org)

Hudson Valley Bacon Bash – Sat, 10/8: 2-6pm: It’s the ultimate day for bacon lovers! This one day family friendly event is set on a 40 acre estate overlooking a lake minutes from Rt. 84 and 87 in Walden, NY. The event features bacon themed food and craft vendors, a bacon competition where you can be the judge, live bands and bacon themed games. Sounds like a total pig-out to us. And we mean that in a good way. (Orange County Farmer’s Museum, 9 Union St., Montgomery, NY; www.baconbashny.com)

Columbus Day Pumpkin Picking at Muscoot Farm – Sun-Mon, 10/9-10: 12-3pm: 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. (Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org

Local! Bedford Hills Neighborhood Association Oktoberfest – Fri, 10/14: 6:30-10:30pm: The menu is set and DJ Kyle is booked for this 10th Anniversary Celebration of BHNA at the Bedford Hills Train Station. www.bhna.org

Local! The Pound Ridge Harvest Festival ROCKS, Pound Ridge Town Park – Sat, 10/15: 1-6pm: At this time of year the featured musical act is always a mystery. But when we say the PRHF ROCKS we mean it. They promise Grammy Award winning acts and have delivered The Smithereens, The Spin Doctors, Soul Asylum and Toad the Wet Sprocket in recent years: Plus contests, games and activities for kids and families. There’s a craft beer garden for adults from Magic Hat Brewery, a root beer garden for kids, and BBQ for all. New location this year in Pound Ridge Town Park. (179 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge; www.poundridgeharvestfestival.com)

Harvest Festival, Stamford Museum & Nature Center – Sat-Sun, 10/15-16: 11am-3pm: Enjoy apple-cider and pumpkin-carving demonstrations, a scarecrow-making contest and hayrides. Wear a costume for the daily costume parade. Learn about colonial life from the 5th Connecticut Regiment through their recreation of camp life, military drills, crafts, uniforms, and weapons of the period. Other activities include an apple slingshot, farm animal demonstrations, live music with Jay and Ray, face-painting, storytelling and children’s crafts. (39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford; www.stamfordmuseum.org)

Autumn Celebration at Muscoot Farm – Sun, 10/16: 12-3pm.: Celebrate the fall with an afternoon of music, games, hayrides, crafts, a Model A Ford show, blacksmithing demonstrations and a Farmers Market. (Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

More stuff to do here.

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