Hello, Fall.

The valley is almost ready. The hillsides are about to turn, the farm stands are gearing up for peak season, and that particular crispness in the air is getting closer every morning. Schoharie County does fall better than most, and this year there is plenty to show up for. Here is everything worth putting on the calendar before the season takes off.

Two Festivals Worth Circling

Schoharie County knows how to throw a fall festival. Two of the best happen every year, and both are worth building a weekend around.

Sharon Springs Harvest Festival

Sharon Springs brings the community together each fall for a harvest festival that feels exactly like the village itself — warm, unhurried, and full of good things. Local vendors, seasonal food, live music, and the kind of small-town energy that makes you want to stay longer than planned.

Fall Festival at the Old Stone Fort

Set on the grounds of one of the most historically significant sites in the county, the Fall Festival at the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie is a celebration of the season and the place in equal measure. Living history demonstrations, local crafts, seasonal food, and the stone fort itself as a backdrop. A genuinely special fall afternoon.

Get Out There

The season has a way of moving fast. These two spots are reasons to go outside sooner rather than later.

Pick a Pumpkin Pumpkin Patch

Pick a Pumpkin in Esperance has been drawing families for over 40 years, and the reason is simple — it keeps getting better. There is a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a four-story treehouse, hayrides, a pumpkin theater, a hay castle, and a snack bar with cider donuts. Bring the kids. Stay for the donuts. No further justification needed.

Terrace Mountain Orchard

Up in the hills above Schoharie, Terrace Mountain Orchard does fall the way it should be done. Fresh air, apple trees in every direction, pick-your-own apples, cider, and donuts. Open September through October, Friday – Sunday from 9 AM to 4 PM. The kind of place that reminds you why the season exists.

The Farm Stands Won’t Last Forever

Fall is the season farm stands were made for. Think squash in every shape and color, pumpkins stacked by the cartload, fresh-pressed cider, mums, ornamental gourds, canning tomatoes, and the last sweet apples of the year. It is the kind of haul that fills the back of the car and makes the drive home feel like the best part of the day.

A word of warning though: many of Schoharie County’s farm stands are seasonal, and once they close for the year, that is it until next spring. Use the map below to find what is near you and go while you still can.

See the Full Fall Calendar

There is more happening across the county this fall than any one blog can hold. Harvest dinners, art walks, rummage sales, live music, and a dozen other reasons to come back every weekend until the season is over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Photos: @traveling_trisarahtops54 · visitschohariecounty.com