Long Island farms offer fall fun for families

This fall, families can head to local farms and nurseries to meet and greet animals, make festive crafts and enjoy autumn festivals.

Meet the animals at Harbes Family Farm 

715 Sound Ave., Mattituck; 631-482-7641, harbesfamilyfarm.com

This farm features countless activities. To name a few: meet and greet farm animals, visit a bunny village, race down a huge goat mountain slide, milk a make-believe cow, drive on a trike track, play in a sports zone, scramble on a spider climber and watch pig races. Admission to the Barnyard Adventure includes access to the field along with a musical hayride and pig races (weekends). New this year: encounters with mini Highland cows on weekends through Nov. 2.

There are also farm animals, jumbo jumpers, bounce pillows and a sports zone with baseball, football and basketball tossing games. Kids can also enjoy the Lil' Farmers PlayLand for preschoolers, a trike track, obstacle courses and a musical animatronic chicken show. Farm stand with roasted corn and doughnuts. Pick your own pumpkin (price per pound). The Wizard of Oz maze, a 6-acre corn maze ($5 weekdays, $6 weekends, and holidays). Value Combo with hayride: $11. Hayride is available on weekends and holidays only.

• HOURS 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat.-Sun. through October.
• COST $17.95 Mon.-Thurs. $26.95 on Fri. and $28.95 Sat.-Sun. and holidays for Barnyard Adventure granting access to sunflower fields. Free ages 2 and younger; credit card only

Conquer the hay maze at Hicks Nurseries

100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury; 516-334-0066, hicksnurseries.com

The Hicks Fall Festival runs daily, including school holidays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 26. Weekday activities include the hay maze ($8) and free yard games such as cornhole, scarecrow ring toss, bowling and a 3-hole mini golf course. Additionally, the Country Kitchen is open daily, offering cider doughnuts, fudge and apple cider.

Kids can join Otto the Ghost's free animated walk-through story daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31. On weekends, visitors can enjoy the activities above and more. A pay-one-price wristband costs $25, available online or in-store, and offers unlimited hay maze access plus three different crafting activities.

Take a free picture with Otto on weekends and school holidays between 10 a.m. and noon or from 1 to 4 p.m. through Oct. 26. Free fall events include The Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off competition, which takes place on Oct. 5, with registration beginning at 10 a.m. and judging starting at 11 a.m. Hicks will host its free annual Pet Parade at 5 p.m. on Oct. 15; registration begins at 4 p.m.

• HOURS 8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily 
• COST Free admission; pay-one-price wristband costs $25 for hay maze and crafting activities 

Take a hayride at White Post Farms 

250 Old Country Rd., Melville; 631-351-9373, whitepostfarms.net

Autumn fun continues every weekend (and Columbus Day) through Oct. 26 at the White Post Farms Fall Festival. Visitors can take hayrides, pick pumpkins (sold by the pound, $6 minimum per pumpkin), feed animals, take a pony ride and check out live entertainment. The venue's BBQ smokehouse will have food available for purchase, while snacks include apple cider doughnuts, roasted corn, coffee and hot apple cider, cookies, corn dogs, pies and banana bread. Free with your admission ticket, view the dinosaur exhibit featuring life-size replicas. The farm offers activities including magic shows, a circus show, a comedy dog show, an acrobatic pig show, pony rides ($6.95), a kiddie train ($5) and a petting zoo.

• HOURS 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends Sept. 20-28, 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends Oct. 4-26 and Columbus Day. Last admission is 5 p.m.
• COST $39.95 plus tax at door cash discount. $43.95 plus tax online with a credit card.

Play games at Waterdrinker North Fork

4560 Sound Ave., Riverhead; 631-878-8653, water-drinker.com

At the Riverhead location, try the haunted corn maze, play on the playground or go pumpkin picking. Activity Alley will offer jump pads, giant basketball hoops, a John Deere tractor and a Noah's Ark play sculpture.

There are also pedal carts and a mini golf course. The Manorville location has its own corn maze called the Tulip Tunnel of Terror, a reference to Waterdrinker's annual Tulip Festival at that location. Manorville also has pumpkin picking, an activity alley with jump pads, a wooden playland, pedal carts and mini golf.

• HOURS Manorville: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; Riverhead: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun. (Closed Mon.-Tue.)
• COST Entry to the Manorville location (663 Wading River Rd.) will be $20 per person for ages 2 and older; entry cost for the Riverhead location is $15 per person for ages 2 and older. Food will be available for an additional fee, as will pumpkins and sunflower stalks.

Walk through a corn maze at Lenny Bruno Farms 

740 Wading River Rd. (LIE Exit 69S), Manorville; 631-591-3592, lennybrunofarms.com

The farm features a corn maze; hayrides; bounce house; pumpkins to pick off the vine; meet-and-greet with bunnies, goats and pigs; play area; photo-ops; farm stand; roasted corn; mums; cornstalks; and hay bales.

• HOURS 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.- Sun. through the weekend after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28-30) for produce. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends Oct. 4-5, 11-12, 18-19 through Oct. 26 for The Great Pumpkin Palooza.
• COST The Great Pumpkin Palooza: $15 per person for ages 3 and older

Pick pumpkins at Lewin Farms 

812 Sound Ave., Calverton; 631-929-4327, lewinfarm.com

Visitors can pick pumpkins from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekends and Columbus Day through Oct. 26. The farm also sells specialty gourds, squash, straw bales, cornstalks and roasted corn on weekends and holidays. Try to escape the nearly 5-acre corn maze.

• HOURS 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekends and Columbus Day through Oct. 26, weather permitting. 4 p.m. closes in November; farm stand: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Tuesdays.
• COST Pumpkins 79 cents per pound (best to call for u-pick availability), $45 a canvas Lewin Farms' bag, $40 all the pumpkins one person can carry. Corn maze $8, $7 ages 3-12.

Hop on a wagon ride at F&W Schmitt's Family Farm

26 Pinelawn Rd., Melville; 631-271-3276, schmittsfarm.com

The 6-acre maze is best for children 6 and older, and it can take one to two hours to complete. The maze isn’t scary; there are no live actors inside.

The farm also offers a playground; wagon rides; straw pyramid; duck races; mega slide; mechanical pig/bee races; basketball hoops; an animal farm area with sheep, llama, turkeys, goats and rabbits, pony rides; photo opportunities; and a pumpkin field. 

• HOURS Noon-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends, weather permitting, Sept. 21-22, Sept. 23-24, Sept. 27-28 and daily beginning Oct. 1 through Oct. 31.
• COST $23 admission is required for all ages; includes playground, wagon rides, straw pyramid, duck races, corn maze, mega slide, mechanical pig/bee races and basketball hoops. Animal farm admission $6 to enter, buy food to feed the animals ($5); pony rides ($11). Pumpkins are 80 cents per pound.

Ride tricycles and pedal carts at Fink's Country Farm

6242 Middle Country Rd., Wading River; 631-886-2272, finksfarm.com

The farm is offering plenty of fun this season. There’s a jump pillow bouncer for kids. Watch an animatronic chicken show or climb on a real fire truck and slide down. Attendees can ride tricycles and pedal carts and sift sand for gems. During festivals, hop on a hayride for unlimited rides and explore a corn maze.

The barnyard is filled with friendly animals including Marley the goat, Jennie the cow, Handsome the peacock, Bubba the bull, Mama Mae the donkey, plus chickens, pigs, ponies, rabbits, turkeys and baby emus. During festivals, look for live music (noon-4 p.m.), character appearances (11 a.m.-4 p.m.), pony rides (fee), apple cannon (fee), roasted corn (fee), hot cider (fee) and the pumpkin patch. Weather permitting.

• HOURS 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Farm stand sells cornstalks, mums, produce, straw bales, pumpkins and holiday decorations. Barnyard: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., daily, excludes holidays and festivals, last admission 4 p.m. U-pick pumpkin patch: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., open to barnyard patrons, and 4-5 p.m. free entry to pick a pumpkin. Fall Harvest Festivals: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., last admission at 4:30 p.m., Sept. 13-through Nov. 2. 
• COST Barnyard $11 ages 3 and older, includes access to the u-pick pumpkin patch. Fall Harvest weekends $25 admission for either Saturday or Sunday for  ages 3 and older.