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Harvest Festivals, Hayrides, and Pumpkin Patches in NYC for Families

Governors Island’s annual pumpkin patch, Pumpkin Point, returns to the historic Nolan Park. Photo courtesy of Governors Island

9/16/22 - By Rosalind Muggeridge

If you think you need to head out of the city for an authentic fall harvest experience, we've got good news: NYC is jam-packed with fall activities from pumpkin patches in NYC to hayrides and even our very own corn maze. So, grab the kids and get primed for fall fun.

If you're looking for a more traditional pumpkin-picking experience, be sure to check out our favorite pumpkin patches near NYC. You can find more seasonal picks in our Guide for Fall Activities in NYC.

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Pumpkin patches near NYC Queens County Farm Museum
Your little city slickers know their way around the streets, but can they navigate the Amazing Maize Maze?

NYC's Only Corn Maze

The Amazing Maize Maze – Glen Oaks, Queens

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Saturday, October 29; plus Monday, October 10
You need a lot of room for a good corn maze, so it's no surprise NYC's only corn maze is located on the grounds of the Queens County Farm Museum. Since the maze changes every year, tackling it has become a tradition for my family. Before you embark on your adventure, staff members explain how to find hidden clues and solve puzzles to help you successfully navigate to the exit. If you've got older kids who enjoy a challenge, try doing it by flashlight: The corn maze stays open until 9:30pm on Saturdays, October 15 and 22, plus Thursdays, October 20 and 27. Timed-entry tickets are required and must be purchased online in advance.

Pumpkin patches in NYC Decker Farms
Pick a pumpkin at Decker Farms on Staten Island. Photo courtesy of Historic Richmond Town

Pumpkin Patches in New York City

Decker Farm Pumpkin Picking Weekends – Richmond, Staten Island

Weekends Saturday, October 1-Sunday, October 30
This 19th-century farm is part of the Historic Richmond Town living history museum. Pumpkins are set out in a field for kids to "pick." There's also a hayride and a small hay maze. There are plenty of fall photo-ops, and fun extras like pumpkin chucking or decorating your freshly picked gourd. The Decker Farm Snack Wagon sells seasonal eats. Halloween-themed educational activities led by costumed interpreters. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.

Pumpkin Patch – Glen Oaks, Queens

Daily, Saturday, October 1-Saturday, October 29
You might come for the Amazing Maize Maze, but it will be hard to leave without a pumpkin! Admission to the Queens County Farm Museum is FREE, and you'll pay for the pumpkin you pick according to its size. Children are "picking" pumpkins lying on a lawn, but it's a fun experience for little kids, and there are lots of other farm attractions. Beware: You'll pay by the pound for your gourd, so choose wisely!

The William Vale transforms Vale Park into a family-friendly pumpkin patch for two October weekends.

Vale Park Pumpkin Patch – Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Saturday, October 15 and Saturday, October 22
The William Vale transforms Vale Park into a family-friendly pumpkin patch in NYC for two October weekends. Pluck your perfect pumpkin from the patch (priced by size), then hit the craft tables to transform it into a table-worthy decoration. Seasonal drinks for sipping and autumnal treats add to the fun.

Tens of thousands of pumpkins will populate historic Nolan Park during the final two weekends of October.

Pumpkin Point – Governors Island

Weekends from Saturday, October 22-Sunday, October 30
Hop on the ferry and set sail for this pumpkin patch in NYC at Governors Island. Pumpkins are strewn across the lawns at Nolan Park and seasonal photo-ops frame the scene. Visitors can take home one FREE pumpkin. Stick around to enjoy the action-packed island, which is now open year-round, and enjoy fall-themed arts and crafts, live music, autumnal eats, and more.

Pumpkin patches in NYC Queens Botanical Garden
Dust off your costumes—Halloween at the Queens Botanical Garden is back.

Queens Botanical Garden Pumpkin Patch – Flushing, Queens

Weekends, Saturday, October 15-Sunday, October 30
This popular pumpkin patch includes plenty of pumpkins to choose from, harvest-themed photo-ops with costumed nature creatures, grab-and-go fall crafts, and pumpkin-inspired adult beverages. Tickets include admission to the Queens Botanical Garden.

Fall Harvest Festivals in NYC

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival – Chinatown

Saturday, September 17
Celebrate the Chinese harvest season at this annual fest featuring crafts and a live performance from the New York Chinese Cultural Center. Admission is FREE but reservations are required.

Green Meadows Farm Corn Fest – Marine Park, Brooklyn

Saturday, September 17-Sunday, September 18
Visit with farm animals, take a hayride, chow down on corn, play on the farm playground, and drive a big bulldozer at Green Meadows Farm, located next to the Aviator Sports Center. There are plenty of photo-ops, especially in front of the decorated selfie barns.

Scarecrows and Pumpkins – Bronx Park, the Bronx

Saturday, September 17-Sunday, October 30
Check out the pumpkins at Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. There are friendly scarecrows (and a few scary ones too) and a scavenger hunt in the garden to search for signs of fall. Discovery Center plaza is stocked with a variety of pumpkins and gourds to examine up close.

GreenThumb Harvest Festival – Harlem

Saturday, September 24
Join in as the community gardening season comes to a close with this eco-friendly fest featuring cooking demos, workshops, yoga, games, and gardening-themed booths.

Pumpkin patches in NYC Old Home Day
Watch costumed artisans reenacting 18th- and 19th-century trades at Old Home Day.

Old Home Day – Richmond, Staten Island

Saturday, October 15-Sunday, October 16
Watch costumed artisans reenacting 18th- and 19th-century trades. They'll be pressing cider, making candles and lace, embroidering and quilting, stone carving, and tinsmithing at Historic Richmond Town. Afterward, hit Decker Farm's pumpkin patch to pick your pumpkin, let kids get lost in the hay bale maze, and hitch a hayride.

Halloween Harvest Festival – Coney Island, Brooklyn

Weekends from Saturday, September 30-Sunday, October 31
Luna Park's annual harvest fest kicks off in September and runs through Halloween weekend. While exact activities have yet to be announced, past seasons have included a pumpkin patch, spooky crafts, dance contests, Halloween-themed temporary tattoos, and more. Of course, you'll be able to enjoy all those famous Luna Park rides, too.

Harvest Festival – Randall's Island

Saturday, October 1
Hit the isle's Urban Farm for seasonal fun, including pumpkin decorating, face painting and glitter tattoos, fresh apple cider and doughnuts, tours of the crops, scarecrow contests, crafts, lawn games, entertainment, and more. Afterward, explore the attraction-packed island. FREE

Oktoberfest – Sunnyside, Queens

Saturday, October 1
The members-only Sunnyside Gardens Park opens its gates to the public for this annual festival. Enjoy games, live music, a variety of crafts for kids, carnival rides, and classic German-style food and beverages served in the park’s woodlands. FREE admission, but there are fees for activities.

Trick-or-treat throught the Bronx Zoo during Boo at the Zoo
Boo at the Zoo is a fun, safe, and festive way for kids to celebrate Halloween. Photo by Ally Noel

Boo at the Zoo – Bronx Park, the Bronx

Weekends, Saturday, October 1-Sunday, October 30; also on Monday, October 10
While not a harvest fest, per se, Boo at the Zoo is an annual not-to-be-missed fall fun fest, so we're including it here. Not only can you get up close with the animals, but you can pepper your visit with seasonal fun. See a magic show, traverse the candy trail to collect treats, see cool jack-o-lanterns on the pumpkin trail, watch pumpkin-carving demos, explore a spider web maze, and more. Take note: The Prospect Park Zoo hosts its own seasonal Boo at the Zoo, too.

Harvest Festival – Upper East Side

Sunday, October 16
Head to the lovely Carl Schurz Park for a small pumpkin patch, hayrides, and more seasonal fun. FREE

Join Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy as they celebrate the changing of the seasons at the Harvest Festival! Photo by Katherine Gray

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy's Harvest Festival – Brooklyn Heights

Saturday, October 22
A pumpkin patch, arts and crafts, face painting, music, and games await at this year’s festival on the Pier 6 lawns. FREE

Halloween Harvest Festival – Long Island City, Queens

Saturday, October 29
It's a high-flying pumpkin festival at Socrates Sculpture Park, where you can send a pumpkin flying on a catapult. Enjoy a dog costume contest, partake in pumpkin art and costume workshops, plus enjoy face painting and more seasonal fun. FREE

This post, originally published in September 2010, is updated annually.

Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of the events/organizers

About the Author

Rosalind Muggeridge

When not busy trekking across NYC with her two little explorers in tow, Rosalind Muggeridge is covering events for Mommy Poppins for Brooklyn and Queens. Her career includes 10 years in the nonprofit world followed by four years as the events editor at Brooklyn Parent Magazine. She can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.