Year-round and second-home owners alike know that autumn is unmissable in the area we serve. While our incredible foliage makes even your daily commute an exciting event, our local hotspots are alight with special fall programming! Our New York agents have weighed in with their decades of expertise in the area to give you a list of 7 can’t-miss things to do in Columbia County this season.
1. Visit the Newly Reopened Crandell for FilmColumbia
After nine months of closure and over $4 million spent on renovations, we’re thrilled to see our neighbors at the Crandell Theatre re-open for their annual film festival. The Crandell is a historic piece of art. The theatre’s team has focused on bringing the theatre back to its 1927 Spanish Renaissance-style glory while incorporating updates to the technology behind screening their carefully-curated selection of movies.
The theatre is scheduled to debut the renovation on October 15, with FilmColumbia kicking off just two days later. The 10-day festival gives film fanatics the opportunity to see the next award-winning indie film before the rest of the country catches onto the hype. FilmColumbia is also known for their incredible special events and guest speakers; this year, actor Stephen Lang (best known as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar) is the festival’s honoree.
2. Dress up for FlannelFest at Chatham Berry Farm
Visiting the Greenhouse Cidery and food pop-up Yummy Kitchen at Chatham Berry Farm is always a great time (their outdoor fires make it a great place to spend the evening all the way through November!), but the farm really packs a punch for FlannelFest.
On Saturday, October 11, Chatham Berry Farm invites you, your kids, and even your pets to don their favorite flannels and celebrate the fall season. The event is free, but FlannelFest asks you to consider coming with a contribution for their pet food drive to benefit the Columbia Greene Humane Society. From 12pm-9pm, you can enjoy live music, cream puffs, and soft serve alongside the usual tasty ciders and Yummy Kitchen’s asian-inspired bites.
3. Watch classic horror movies at Story Screen Cinema in Hudson
What’s October without some chills and thrills? After seeing the next best thing at FilmColumbia, you can head to Hudson’s Story Screen Cinema for their masterfully curated Halloween events.
Story Screen’s lineup is truly impressive, no matter your taste. They’re playing mainstream hits like Casper and The Birds, as well as wacky cult classics like Critters (complete with pasta specials!). You can even see Buster Keaton’s 1928 rendition of The Fall of The House of Usher with a live score.
4. Take a Scenic Hike in the Hudson Valley
We have no shortage of beautiful trails that are free to explore in the area. Some of our agents’ favorites include:
Ooms Conservation Area
This park, located just outside of the village of Chatham, is perfect for those seeking an easier hike with stunning views. Ooms contains 3 miles of trail loops within 180 acres, complete with lots of places to sit, rolling grasslands, and Sutherland Pond.
High Falls Conservation Area
You can visit Columbia County’s highest waterfall by taking a short, about half-mile trail into the woods in Philmont. This is a popular hike that is well-marked and relatively flat, so you’re bound to run into your neighbors of all ages at this hotspot!
Harvey Mountain State Forest
For those seeking a more moderate hike, there are plenty of trails in Austerlitz's Harvey Mountain to explore. There are a variety of ways to hike up to the top–most are estimated to take you around 2 hours on average.
In addition to walking paths, Harvey Mountain and Beebe Hill combined offer 30 miles of trails suitable for anything from biking to camping to horseback riding and more!
5. Visit the best farms and farmstands in Columbia County
Many of the beautiful, sprawling farmlands you pass in Columbia County have farmstands and events that welcome the public, and are especially great for families seeking their next autumn tradition! We asked our agents to narrow down to just a few of their favorites:
Woodlife Farm in New Lebanon
Woodlife Farm has something for you to enjoy no matter the season, and we encourage you to come hungry. You can eat right at their market, or pick up locally-sourced groceries to stock up your kitchen at home. Woodlife is famous for their bourbon barrel-aged syrup!
Woodlife encourages patrons to spend the day enjoying all the farm has to offer. You can take part in their seasonal pick-your-own offerings of flowers, produce and Christmas trees. They even bring in outside entertainment including live music, car shows, special theme dinners and more!
Golden Harvest Farm in Valatie
Our team cites Golden Harvest Farm’s roadstand as their go-to for picking up apples, cider donuts, mums, pumpkins, and other fall delights.
If you have more time than a quick grocery run, we’d recommend stopping into the Harvest Spirits distillery–on Fridays, you can enjoy live music alongside their ciders, beers, spirits and mocktails. While the distillery is open year-round, you can only enjoy food from the farm’s smokehouse until the end of November.
Samascott’s Orchard & Garden Market in Kinderhook
Samascott’s Orchard is about a mile away from their Garden Market, and each hotspot has its own unique offerings.
At the orchard, their pick-your-own offerings expand far past the traditional apples and pumpkins: in the fall, you can also find plums, pears, strawberries, grapes, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, squash, peppers and much more! Just stop in or check their website to find out what’s currently available. If you’re planning a group outing, you can even rent special orchard bikes that can seat 4-6 people, and have crates attached to carry your bounty around the farm.
Most of Samascott’s scheduled events take place at the garden market. The farm will bring in food trucks, maker markets, and is famous for their intricate corn mazes that feature a different design each year. Inside the market and greenhouse, you’ll find everything from flowers to prepared foods, to fresh produce, to nonperishables and more–including their 100% pure apple syrup.
Our agents recommend making a stop on your Electric Trail bike ride (which runs behind the market) to try out the garden market’s homemade ice cream!
6. Bring the family to kid-friendly fall festivities
While most of our selection is appropriate for all ages, our agents have a few favorites in mind for entertaining younger kids:
Chatham OctoberFeast
This festival right in the heart of downtown is free-to-attend and jam-packed with activities! On Saturday, October 4, you’ll find live music scattered throughout Chatham from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..
If you have a love of fall and competitive nature, this is the place for you. Bring your best carved pumpkin along to be judged alongside your neighbors–and watch all the contestants come to life with a jack-o-lantern lighting at 7 p.m.. You can also dress your dog in their Halloween best to take part in the dog costume contest & parade!
Kids’ activities will run all day long, from hayrides, to pumpkin decorating, cider pressing and more. Your kids can even watch a magic show or visit with some local goats.
Hawthorne Valley’s Fall Festival
You can visit Hawthorne Valley in Ghent for their annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 11.
The festival combines fun with opportunities to learn more about biodiversity and agriculture; the youth organization Greenagers will be onsite giving guided tours of their Biodiversity trail throughout the day. You can also stop by the farm store’s demo tent to chat with local vendors and enjoy samples of their wares.
Everyone in the family is bound to enjoy their selection of live music, but kids will love the marionette performance by The Magical Puppet Tree!
Trunk or Treat Events in Columbia County NY
We sell lots of homes in Columbia County whose primary appeal is privacy. But lack of neighbors makes for poor trick-or-treating! Here are a few trunk-or-treat options for your little ones around the county:
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The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing in Valatie:
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Monday, October 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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Copake Memorial Park in Copake:
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Saturday, October 25 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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FASNY Museum of Firefighting in Hudson:
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Sunday, October 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
7. Tour the Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse in Kinderhook
Take a historical tour that’s perfect for the Halloween season! The current schoolhouse dates to about 1850, but an earlier school on the same site was home to schoolmaster Jesse Merwin. Merwin was a lifelong friend of the writer Washington Irving, and is cited as the inspiration behind the school headmaster Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
While Irving spent most of his life in and around New York City, he drew inspiration from his travels in the Catskills and along the Hudson River for lots of his stories, including Rip Van Winkle!
If you're seeking a Columbia County home to call your own, don't hesitate to get in touch. Our agents would love to guide you into a lifestyle that suits you in every season!
