After a sweet summer of splish-splashing, we decided to keep the good times rolling and fall in love with autumn, too! There are so many festive, fun fall trips in the New York/New Jersey area; it was hard to choose between them all!
When you factor in kids’ sports and church on Sundays, weekends fill up quickly. Knowing this, we managed to fit a few fun field trips into our already packed schedules. Here’s a list of my family’s favorite fall events (now say that three times fast!):
Blessing of the Animals at Morristown’s Fall Festival
In case you didn’t know: Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals and the environment. On or around October 4, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Francis. The Blessing of the Animals is an annual ceremony celebrating the unique bond between humans and animals. Definitely check out your local parish for a Blessing of the Animals service.
We just happen to go every year to the Morristown Fall Festival. The dogs get blessed on the front lawn of Morristown United Methodist Church on the green and then we explore the 150+ exhibitors showcasing local businesses, restaurants, and community groups for the remainder of the afternoon. It’s a nice, FREE family event to kick off the fall season.
Sunflower Festival at Holland Ridge Farms
Located at 86 Rues Road, Cream Ridge NJ, Holland Ridge Farms is a flower lover’s dream! The family owned and operated business has two busy seasons: fall and spring. U-Pick Sunflowers typically runs from the last week of September to the last week of October. In addition to sunflowers, the farm has for picking the most gorgeous gladiolus, lilies, dahlias, and calla lilies. There are also mums on site for photos, but not for picking. This place is an influencer’s dream, haha. There are so many bright backdrops and done up displays for plenty of Instaworthy shots. Case in point:
If you’re interested in next year’s U-Pick Sunflowers, look for online ticket sales to begin in early September. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time for specific arrival times: 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm. There are no refunds, changes, or exceptions. Rain or shine, the flowers are still there!
Seastreak Fall Foilage Tour on the Hudson
My favorite part of fall is watching the leaves change color. The fiery reds, those bright yellows, and the glowing oranges are enough to put an instant smile on my face. When my guy suggested we view some of the world’s most picturesque landscapes from a narrated ferry ride up the Hudson River, I was all in!
The Seastreak Ferry can be boarded from New Jersey (Highlands) or New York (Pier 11/Wall Street). The boat then follows the majestic Hudson River under the George Washington Bridge, past the Cloisters, and hugs the coastline long enough for some breathtaking views of the Palisades. Other notable locations we pass by include Hastings-on-the-Hudson, Tarrytown, Ossining, Croton Point, Haverstraw, Stony Point, Bear Mountain, and West Point. You then have three options for your upstate NY disembarkment: Bear Mountain, West Point, or Cold Spring.
We chose to stop in Cold Spring, NY for the afternoon. Once off the boat, we had almost four hours to walk, talk, shop, and dine in one of New Yorkโs most idyllic villages. It was a full day of fun! We were wiped by the time we got back on board. Had we stayed awake, we would’ve seen the autumn colors by sunset. I happened to wake up as New York City started to light up for the night. We slept so well that night, haha.
ACTIONABLE STEPS: Book a fall outing for your family! Many local spots will have special events throughout the season. Know of other fun fall trips for the NYC metropolitan area? Share details in the comments below!
