It’s Fall! Yay! The time for pumpkins, Halloween, fuzzy socks, and the season premiere of all our favorite shows is upon us again, and personally, I could not be more excited. Living in New York with the changing seasons is one of my favorite things, especially watching the leaves turn from summery greens to the beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows of fall. There are so many fun and exciting ways to celebrate this new season, especially right here on Long Island! Here are four of my favorite ways to do so!
- Pumpkin Picking at a Real Family Farm
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Picking out the perfect pumpkin is no small feat. After years of visiting farms and pumpkin patches with my family, I have narrowed it down to the top two locations for pumpkin picking on Long Island. Number one is Schmidt’s family Farm in Melville. This farm has a massive corn maze, a real farm stand with cider and treats, fields of pumpkins to choose from and pick directly off the vine, and even a vegetable garden where you can harvest and take home your own veggies. It is very photogenic and gives you the perfect fall experience! Number two is Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck. This farm has a big farm stand with homemade sweets and treats, including pies and cakes. Various other snacks around the farm include roasted corn and apple cider doughnuts. They have a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, and a ton of cute photo ops so you really can’t go wrong!
- Rise of the Jack-o-Lanterns Festival
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The Rise of the Jack-o-Lanterns Festival is a yearly tradition at various locations in NY, a prominent one being the gorgeous Old Westbury Gardens in Westbury on Long Island. The gardens themselves are beautiful in the fall, with stunning trees and plants, and the rise of the jack-o-lantern festival makes it even more gorgeous! The festival allows you to walk through the park in the evening and admire the thousands of gorgeous glowing hand carved scenes and the incredible sculptures made completely out of pumpkins – a perfect fall evening!
- Apple Picking
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When I think of fall, I immediately think of two activities – pumpkin picking and apple picking. Thankfully, Long Island is home to a plethora of locations where you can do both! There are tons of great apple orchards across the eastern end of Long Island that are sure to give you that quintessential fall feel as well as lots of cute spots for Insta pics.
- Watch the Sunset on the Long Beach Boardwalk
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Long Beach is one of the most popular south shore beach towns on Long Island. The namesake beach has a gorgeous 2-mile boardwalk that overlooks the crashing waves and soft sand. Although beach season is sadly over, your visits to Long Beach don’t have to be! The fall sunsets from the Long Beach boardwalk overlooking the waves have been some of the most beautiful I have ever seen! Fall is the perfect time to head on over and check out this gorgeous beach – it is free entry because the beach season is over. After watching the sunset, you can head on over to one of the town’s delicious restaurants down the block!
These are just a few of the many exciting fall experiences that Long Island has to offer. The island is full of opportunities to have an amazing fall! Pumpkins, apples, jack-o-lanterns, and gorgeous sunsets await!