Here on the North Shore, harvest season on the farm means the sweet, spiced scent of warm cider donuts in the crisp air, the crunch of fallen leaves under-foot, a riot of fiery foliage in the trees, fat orange pumpkins straight off the vine, and hayrides rumbling through the orchards. Celebrate the season with these fall festivals and happenings on the farm.
APPLETON FARMS Ipswich and Hamilton
“Fall, for sure, is a time of bounty and beauty for us,” says Appleton Farms property director Ellie Harbeck. In addition to the grasslands, wet-lands, fields, and forest on the 658-acre property, Appleton is a working farm that celebrates its fall bounty with Farm Days, a weekend long family festival featuring music, beer, wood-fired pizza, games, crafts in the craft barn, a “meet the machines” area where kids (and grown-ups) can get an up-close look at tractors and other farm equipment, hands-on farm activities, games like tug-of-war and cornhole, and chances to learn about the property’s ecological and farming stewardship. This year’s event is September 19 and 20. On October 3, the farm’s Oktoberfest features a live German oompah band, beer and ice cream vendors, wood-fired pizza, and even a traditional—and competitive—German Hammerschlagen game. “Oktoberfest is a space where people can just feel free to come and enjoy, be playful, and explore the property,” Harbeck says.
CIDER HILL FARM Amesbury
“People come from all over the world to experience New England in the fall,” says Valerie Rosenberg, program director at Cider Hill Farm, where that experience is turned up a notch with apple picking, cider donuts, pumpkin whoopie pies, a pumpkin stand, tractor rides, live music, pop-up markets, a farm store, outdoor yoga, and so much more.
Fall Fridays on the Farm events kick off the weekend each Friday afternoon throughout the season with apple picking, guest food trucks, the farm’s own hard cider, and free live music. The weekends are even more jam-packed, with a rotating lineup of food trucks, live music, and a hard cider bar, along with all the farm’s other happenings. Other fall events include the kids’ trick-or-treat, Sweet Halloween, on October 17, 18, 24, and 25; a farm-to-table Cider & Bites event on October 17; and a Fall Cider Run 5K on November 7. “We never forget that people are coming to the farm to create really long-lasting memories,” Rosenberg says.
WRIGHT-LOCKE FARM Winchester
The historic Wright-Locke Farm has been part of the fabric of the Winchester community for hundreds of years, and today, it’s not only a working farm but also a nonprofit educational facility that celebrates the land, food, conservation, history, and sustainability. That’s true in the fall, too, when the farm’s colors transform, its last harvests are reaped, and the land prepares to rest, says Tracy Kinsey, communications and outreach coordinator. That comes with celebration, too, from farm suppers, like one on September 17, and even Oktoberfest, which Kinsey calls the farm’s “last big bang” of the season. “It’s a big celebration of autumn and the harvest season. And it’s free,” she says. This year’s festival, held on September 27, features a beer tent from Arlington Brewing Company, food vendors, and live music from four local bands.
SMOLAK FARMS North Andover
From its summertime Whim Dinner series to outdoor Yoga on the Hill to the farmstand and animal viewing area, Smolak Farms is a year-round favorite. “We’re like an epicenter of family fun activities,” says Rachel Mazzone, education and activities manager at Smolak Farms, which has been family owned and operated for generations. But there’s something special about the farm in the fall, thanks to its Fall Festival Weekends, which run every Saturday and Sunday in September and October and feature apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, face painting, and other autumn activities.
There’s also a farm stand featuring gifts, jellies, honey, and baked goods, including their famous apple cider donuts which Mazzone says “are to die for.” According to general manager TJ Kwangwari, they’re actively adding more activities, especially for kids. “We’re having them stay for a full day of family fun,” he says.
thetrustees.org/place/appleton-farms
More to Explore:
Here are a few more places to discover.
Get lost in a corn maze at places like Crescent Farms in Haverhill, Connors Farm in Danvers, and Marini Farm in Ipswich.
Pick your own apples at Mann Orchards in Methuen, Ingaldsby Farm in Boxford, and Brooksby Farm in Peabody.
Sip locally made wines, ciders, and more at Alfalfa Farm Cellars in Topsfield, Russell Orchards in Ipswich, and Marble Ridge Winery in North Andover.
Celebrate the Pumpkin Festival every October weekend at Chris’s Farm Stand in Haverhill.