GOSHEN- Orange County dazzles in its fall colors and farms and downtowns come alive with family-fun festivals and vibrant scenery to greet the crisp air and celebrate the bountiful harvests.
Fall festivals abound, where visitors in cozy sweaters, light jackets, and reddened cheeks delight in hay rides, pumpkin picking, live music, delicious foods, and much more.
“Fall in Orange County, N.Y., is a gorgeous and invigorating time to celebrate all that is wonderful about this region,” said Amanda Dana, Director of Orange County Tourism & Film. “The season highlights the ways in which we enjoy the best of all worlds here – country air, farm-fresh foods and spectacular scenery just 50 miles north of New York City.”
Some of the fall festivities:
New York Renaissance Faire, 600 Rt. 17A, Tuxedo Park, N.Y.:
Saturdays and Sundays through October 8
Weekend adventures in a 16th-century village are lively and memorable in the cooler air at the New York Renaissance Faire. Revel in the merriment while strolling among more than 100 artisans and other vendors, enjoying shows throughout the day and cheering for your favorite knight in a jousting competition. Don’t forget to munch on a giant roast turkey leg.
Fall Wrap-Up Carnival, Blue Arrow Farm, 86 Glenwood Rd, Pine Island, N.Y.:
September 20 to 22, 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; September 23, 1 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sept. 24, 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Help Blue Arrow Farm celebrate the festive fall season with rides, games, music, classic midway foods and other family activities. On September 23, the Garden State Comic Fest adds hilarity to the fun.
The Good Vibes and Hay Rides Fall Festival, Wagon Wheel Farm, 363 Sarah Wells Trail, Goshen, N.Y.
September 23 and 24, noon to 6:00 p.m.; September 25, noon to 5:00 p.m.
The good vibes come with hayrides, bouncy castles, pumpkin picking, food truck treats, ice cream, live music, beer, hard cider and more. The promise from the farm owners: “We welcome autumn with open arms and baby cows!”
Fall Foliage Festival, downtown Port Jervis, N.Y.
September 24, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Port Jervis’s 30th annual downtown Fall Foliage Festival comes to life with a family-friendly street fair featuring more than 100 vendors, live entertainment and much more. Enter or watch the Classic Car Show. Pre-1998 cars welcome. Line up at 10:00 a.m. Trophies awarded.
Annual Fall Festival, Main Street, Cornwall, N.Y.
September 24, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Over the past 51 years, the Cornwall Fall Festival has grown from a modest sidewalk sale to a community event filling Main Street with vendors, entertainment and fun.
Dogwood Acres Fall Festival, Dogwood Acres Family Farm, 749 Rt. 17M, Middletown, N.Y.
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Columbus Day, September 29 through October 29
Celebrate fall with family fun at the garden center.
Warwick Applefest, Warwick, N.Y.
October 1, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A must-attend family event, Applefest celebrates the harvest with more than 150 craft vendors, an apple pie baking contest, more than 75 food vendors, a children’s carnival, live music and entertainment on four stages. It is presented by the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Sugar Loaf Fall Festival, Sugar Loaf, Chester, N.Y.
October 7 and 8, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sugar Loaf, a destination for eclectic and beautiful crafts, arts and wares, greets the changing colors with artisan and retail vendors, live music, a wine bar, a beer garden, food vendors and eats at local restaurants.
Fall Festival, Goshen Village Green, Main Street, Goshen, N.Y.
October 14, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Add a chili cook-off to the hay rides, cornhole, local artists, craft vendors and more for a celebration of fun and great food. Presented by Illuminate Goshen and the Central Orange County Italian American Association, it includes the third annual Mike Nuzzolese “A Little Taste of Italy.”
