This guide was created to help make the month of October a little bit easier for you!
Topics:
Halloween Activities throughout the month of October
Pumpkins
Cider Doughnut Tasting
ACADEMY OF THE HOLY NAMES
Exploring our talents without worrying what others will think. Celebrating each other’s successes. Learning to lead. Discover a remarkably different educational experience for girls grades 6-12. At Academy of the Holy Names, all girls makes all the difference. Visit us to experience the AHN difference for yourself.
Register for our November 4 Open House at www.ahns.org, email [email protected] or call 518-438-7895 x202.
1075 New Scotland Road, Albany, NY 12208
Follow Academy of the Holy Names on Facebook and Instagram
Click here to visit their website.
Phone #: 518-438-7895
Email: [email protected]
CASTLE ISLAND BILINGUAL MONTESSORI
DUTCH APPLE CRUISES
Dutch Apple Cruises is located in downtown Albany, NY on the scenic and historic Hudson River! We offer sightseeing, sunset & special event cruises, that are open to the public. We also offer private cruise rentals for your next event. Please visit Dutchapplecruises.com for information, schedules & to purchase tickets!
1 Quay Street, Albany, NY 12202
Follow Dutch Apple Cruises on Facebook and Instagram
Click here to visit their website.
Phone #: 518-463-0220
Email: [email protected]
OLD BRICK FURNITURE AND MATTRESS COMPANY
Old Brick is a local, family-owned and operated furniture + mattress store with prices guaranteed to be 10-30% less every day! With 7 locations and coming to Clifton Park, NY Fall 2021, find furniture and accessories for every room in your home, plus take advantage of interior design services and financing to make your dream home a reality.
NEW YORK: Albany, Schenectady, Queensbury + Clifton Park — Coming Fall 2021!
VERMONT: Bennington, Manchester + Rutland
MASSACHUSETTS: Pittsfield
Follow Old Brick Furniture and Mattress Company on Facebook & Instagram.
PLAY HOLLOW
Play Hollow is a nature-inspired store for children and their families centered around sustainability and community. We have gifts, books, apparel, and toys that encourage children’s imagination, development, and connection. We also offer classes, children/parent workshops, and therapy services to help caregivers and their littles thrive.
40 Front Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Follow Play Hollow on Facebook and Instagram
Click here to visit their website.
Phone #: 518-309-3517
Email: [email protected]
ROBERT C. PARKER SCHOOL
FOREST TODDLER PROGRAM
Parker’s rich and diverse 77 acres campus sets the stage for wonder and curiosity. The program is simple by design. Our teachers let students follow their imagination and have the freedom to explore. Our mixed age groups, ages 18 months to 3 years, give the children — and their parents — a chance to learn from each other and experience the change in seasons.
4254 Route 43, North Greenbush, NY 12198
Follow Robert C. Parker School on Facebook & Instagram
Click here to visit their website.
Phone #: 518-286-3449
Email: [email protected]
SAINT GREGORY’S SCHOOL
Saint Gregory’s School is a private, independent Catholic school in Loudonville, NY which offers programs starting with Pre-K2 through eighth grade. Our beautiful 22-acre campus features two gymnasiums, a hill for sledding, an outdoor regulation basketball court, a large playground, an outdoor pool, and many beautiful classrooms. Its experienced faculty and staff deliver an excellent education filled with academic rigor, intellectual creativity, and a commitment to faith formation.
Interested in a tour or a conversation about Saint Gregory’s? Please contact any of the following:
Saint Gregory’s Main Office – (518) 785-6621
Kathryn Helm, Head of School, [email protected]
Eric Martell, Dean of Administration, [email protected]
121 Old Niskayuna Road, Loudonville, NY 12211
Follow St. Gregory’s School on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr & Youtube.
Click here to visit their website.
SCHUYLER FARMS
The Fall Festival, featuring our 7-acre self-designed corn maze, will have you coming back time and time again to “Get Lost”! There is something to do for everyone in the Fall. You can pan for real fossils and gemstones in our mining sluice, enjoy the zip lines, super slide, paintball target shooting, take a hayride to pick pumpkins, pet and feed our farm animals, grab a bite to eat at the cornfield cafe’, and so much more! If you are really brave you can dare to enter our ‘Field of Screams’ Haunted Maze on Friday & Saturday October nights!
1124 Route 29, Schuylerville, NY 12871
Follow Schuyler Farms on Facebook and Instagram
Click here to visit their website.
Phone #: 518-695-5308
Email: [email protected]
SUSAN ODELL TAYLOR SCHOOL
The Susan Odell Taylor School challenges our students in a nurturing and joyful educational environment that empowers all to succeed as critical thinkers, lifelong learners and citizens of a diverse and changing world. We are now enrolling for the 2022 – 2023 school year. For a tour of our school, contact Meagan Duncan, Director of Student Affairs, [email protected]. Visit taylorschool.org for more information.
Pinewoods Campus (PreK-4th Grade)
116 Pinewoods Avenue, Troy, NY 12180
Sage Campus (Grades 5-8)
75 First Street, Troy, NY 12180
Follow Susan Odell Taylor School on Facebook and Instagram.
Click here to visit their website.
Phone #: 518-274-4994
Email: [email protected] – Meagan Duncan – Director of Student Affairs
HALLOWEEN ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE MONTH
Fright Fest at the Great Escape
Select Dates between October 2nd – October 31, 2021
Dare to enter the Halloween event of the season, featuring family-friendly attractions during the day…and thrills once the sun goes down.
Click here to visit their website.
The Fall Festival at Schuyler Farms
Fridays and Saturdays in October
The Fall Festival, featuring our 7-acre self-designed corn maze, will have you coming back time and time again to “Get Lost”! There is something to do for everyone in the Fall. You can pan for real fossils and gemstones in our mining sluice, enjoy the zip lines, super slide, paintball target shooting, take a hayride to pick pumpkins, pet and feed our farm animals, grab a bite to eat at the cornfield cafe’, and so much more! If you are really brave you can dare to enter our ‘Field of Screams’ Haunted Maze on Friday & Saturday October nights!
Click here to visit their website.
Brick or Treat – LEGOLAND New York
Every Saturday & Sunday in October
Click here to visit their website.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
September 17th-November 21, 2021
Meander through an 18th-century landscape and discover a breathtaking display of more than 7,000 illuminated jack o’ lanterns—all designed and hand-carved on site by our team of artisans. New for 2021, gawk at the always-impressive New York City skyline’s pumpkin treatment and take a stroll under the sea in our immersive river display. Complete with synchronized lighting and an original soundtrack, this one-of-a-kind event is not to be missed!
Click here to learn more.
Boo at the Zoo – Bronx Zoo
October 2nd – October 31, 2021 (Saturdays & Sundays)
Click here to visit their website.
Grafton Lakes State Park – Multiple Events
Black as a Bat – October 1, 2021
Spidey Senses – October 2, 2021
Cemetery Walk – October 3, 2021
Halloween After School Series: Oct 6th: Pumpkin Explosions, Oct 13th: Pumpkin Decay, Oct 20th: Fall Colors, Oct 27th: Build a Bat Box
Pitch Black Walk – October 6, 2021
Full Moon Cemetery Walk – October 20, 2021
Full Moon Wolf Walk – October 22, 2021
Bat Campfire Program – October 29, 2021
Fall Fun Day – October 30, 2021
Owl Chat – October 31, 2021
Click here for more information about the above events.
Howe Caverns Haunted Cave Tour
Throughout the month of October
Click here to visit their website.
The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show – Stockbridge, MA
Multiple Dates
The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show is BACK! This year with more pumpkins, more fun, and an expanded schedule! Explore our famous gardens as we transform Naumkeag into a celebration of autumn with over 1,500 jack-o-lanterns, hundreds of mums, pumpkins and countless gourds – most of which were grown right here at Naumkeag! Advanced purchase of timed tickets is required (one ticket per person).
Click here to visit their website.
Virtual Pumpkin Carving Contest hosted by the Bethlehem Public Library
October 11th – 29, 2021
We invite you to carve a silly or scary jack o’ lantern and send us a photo in order to participate in this year’s virtual pumpkin carving contest!
Click here to visit their website.
Outdoor Movie Night: Monsters, Inc. hosted by the Bethlehem Public Library
October 6, 2021
More than just a movie night! Bring a blanket and get ready to bundle up on the green for an outdoor showing of Monsters, Inc. In addition to watching the movie, we will have Halloween and fall themed crafts for you to work on. All ages are welcome. Movie is rated PG. NOTE: Movie will be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.
Click here to visit their website.
Enjoy classic Halloween Films of the 80’s & 90’s on the big screen – Washington County Fairgrounds
Click here to follow the Washington County Fair on Facebook.
Halloween Rock Painting Party at Via Aquarium
October 9, 2021
Halloween is fast approaching! While visiting the aquarium, paint your own custom Halloween rock to use as decoration!
Click here to follow Via Aquarium on Facebook.
Candlelight Tours – Schenectady County Historical Society
Multiple dates
Click here to learn more.
ValleyCats Fall Festival
October 15 & 16, 2021
Join us at #theJoe on October 15 and 16 for movies on the field, trick-or-treating, and more fall festivities! For more information, stay tuned to our social media channels or call 518-629-CATS!
Click here to follow the Tri-City ValleyCat’s Facebook page.
Boo at the Zoo – Bailiwick Animal Park
October 16th, 23rd & 30th
Click here to follow Bailiwick Animal Park’s Facebook page.
Spooky Stories and S’Mores! – East Greenbush Town Park
Friday, October 22, 2021
Click here to follow the Town of East Greenbush Community and Recreation Department on Facebook.
Trunk or Treat (Saratoga Regional YMCA)
October 23, 2021
FREE & Open to the public
Get dressed up in your Halloween best and come enjoy some family fun at our 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat family event.
Decorate your trunk and bring candy to share with all of our families who’ll be trunk or treating (families decorating their trunk are asked to provide their own candy).
Please register in advance if you plan to decorate your trunk by calling 518-583-9622.
Click here to follow the Saratoga Regional YMCA on Facebook.
Trunk or Treat at Up Yonda Farm, Environmental Education Center
October 23, 2021
We’ve got lots planned, including “trunk-or-treating” for the kids from decorated car trunks, the pumpkin decorating contest, and more!
Click here for more information.
Trunk or Treatment and Fall Fun (Community Coalition for Family Wellness)
October 23, 2021
Come enjoy a safe and fun evening full of Fall fun!
Click here to follow the Community Coalition for Family Wellness’s Facebook page.
Kids Halloween Party – SPORTIME Schenectady
October 23, 2021
Follow SPORTIME Schenectady on Facebook for more information.
Spooktacular Harvest Festival at the Utica Zoo
October 23rd & October 24th
Click here for more information.
Fall Festivities 2021 presented by Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association
October 23-24 & 30-31
Click here to follow Downtown Saratoga Springs’s Facebook page.
Halloween Hoot on the Back Lawn – Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Join Diane Payette (aka Grama Tippy-Toes) for some Halloween songs and silliness! Everyone is encouraged to wear costumes.
Click here for more information.
Family Movie Monday: It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown – Mechanicville District Public Library
Monday, October 25, 2021
Follow the Mechanicville District Public Library on Facebook for more information.
Trunk or Treat at Elm Avenue Park
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Click here to follow the Town of Bethlehem NY Parks & Recreation’s Facebook page.
Halloween Parades at the East Greenbush Community Library
Wednesday, October 25th & Thursday, October 26th
Dress in your costume for a short Halloween Storytime for toddlers and preschoolers out on the library lawn, then we’ll line up for a Trick-or-Treat parade! Weather permitting. Please register to ensure we have enough treats!
Click here for more information.
Outdoor Halloween Movie Night – Town of Bethlehem NY Parks & Recreation
Thursday, October 28, 2021
Bring your chair or blanket and join us for a FREE Halloween movie (2019 Addams Family) and s’mores in Elm Avenue Park! Pre-registration required. Register online
Follow the Town of Bethlehem NY Parks & Recreation on Facebook for more information.
Halloween Parade hosted by the Saugerties Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary
October 29, 2021
Follow the Saugerties Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary on Facebook for more information.
Halloween Fun!
October 29, 2021
Join us on Clifton Common for a hauntingly fun time!
Click here to follow Clifton Park Office of Parks, Recreation and Community Affairs.
Kids Halloween Party at June Farms
October 29, 2021
This is a limited, ticketed event, so get your tickets soon!
Click here to follow June Farm’s Facebook page.
Halloween Weekend – River Street Market
Friday, October 29, 2021 – Troy Night Out
Saturday, October 30, 2021 – Vendor Market
Click here for more information.
Fins & Frights 2021 at Via Aquarium
October 30, 2021
Click here to follow Via Aquarium on Facebook.
Trunk-or-Treat – Kelly’s Kitchen
October 30, 2021
Click here to follow Kelly’s Kitchen on Facebook.
Trunk or Treat – Mechanicville Police Department
October 30,2021
Follow the Mechanicville Police Department on Facebook for more information.
Trunk or Treat: Dalmatian Edition – FASNY Museum of Firefighting
October 30, 2021
Click here for more information.
Trick or Treat in the Park – Art Omi
October 30, 2021
Click here for more information.
Good Shepherd’s Annual Trunk or Treat – Glenville, NY
October 30, 2021
Click here for more information.
Haunted Trail at the Library
October 29-31, 2021
Click here to follow Brunswick Community Library on Facebook.
Halloween Events Added (Updated 10/21/21):
Annual Halloween Parade – City of Amsterdam
Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 1pm
Follow the City of Amsterdam Tourism Marketing & Recreation on Facebook for more information.
Halloween Mask Making for Kids
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Join us for a family friendly event at our Mohawk Harbor Retail Store. FREE mask making event for the kids! Come and explore our new Superstore, let the kids use their imaginations on the patio making fun Halloween Masks!
Follow The Costumer on Facebook for more information.
Trunk or Treat hosted by the Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 4-6pm
Follow Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Facebook for more information.
Children’s Day at Headless Horseman – Ulster Park, NY
Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 11:30am-4pm
Click here for more information.
Horsin’ Around for Halloween
Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 2pm
Follow Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga on Facebook for more information.
UAlbany Basketball Trick or Treating at SEFCU Arena
Sunday, October 24, 2021 from 2-4pm
Click here for more information.
Spooky Skulls (Virtual Event) hosted by Wilton Wildlife Preserve
Friday, October 29, 2021
Click here for more information.
Trunk or Treat hosted by Aviation Mall
Friday, October 29, 2021 from 4pm-6pm
We will be co-hosting a Truck or Treat event with The Southern Adirondack Independent Living Center on Friday, October 29th from 4 pm to 6 pm. It will take place in the front JCPenney parking lot. All your favorite community organizations will be handing out goodies from decorated themed vehicles. This is an all-inclusive event where community agencies will be handing out goodies to trunk or treaters. COVID precautions such as face masks and social distancing will be in place during the event. If you would like more information, please call S.A.I.L. at 518-792-3537!
Click here for more information.
Halloween Events at 5 City Parks – City of Albany Department of Recreation
Friday, October 29, 2021 from 4-6pm
These events will provide residents with the option to either drive-through or walk-through to show off their costume, receive candy, and a pumpkin!
Follow the City of Albany Department of Recreation on Facebook for more information.
Colonie Creepy Craze hosted by Colonie Center
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Click here for more information.
Trunk or Treat hosted by In Nae Sport Taekwondo – Glenville, NY
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Follow Nae Sport Taekwondo on Facebook for more information.
Trunk or Treat hosted by Calvary Latham UMC
Saturday, October 30, 2021 from 2pm-4pm
Join us for a wonderful afternoon of trunk or treating and stay and play on our decorated playground and enjoy some s’mores. All ages welcome!
Follow Calvary Latham UMC on Facebook for more information.
Halloween Paint & Sip – World Awareness Children’s Museum
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Click here for more information.
From Cobwebs to Coyotes: Halloween in the Pine Bush
Saturday, October 30th and Sunday, October 31, 2021
Click here for more information.
Halloween Carnival hosted by St. Vincent de Paul Church – Albany, NY
Saturday, October 30, 2021 from 2pm-4pm
Follow St. Vincent de Paul Church on Facebook for more information.
Trunk or Treat Spooktacular hosted by Triple Threat Athletics
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Follow Triple Threat Athletics on Facebook for more information.
PUMPKINS
Altamont Orchards – Altamont, NY
Autumn on the Farm – Rexford, NY
Boehm Farm – Climax, NY
Boomhower Farm – Selkirik, NY
Bowman Orchards – Rexford, NY
Ellms Family Farm – Ballston Spa, NY
Engelke Farm – Troy, NY
Hanehan Family Farmstead – Saratoga Springs, NY
Herringtons Pumpkins – Buskirk, NY
Indian Ladder Farms – Altamont, NY
Kristy’s Barn – Schodack, NY
Love Apple Farm – Ghent, NY
Pick-a-Pumpkin – Esperance, NY
Riverview Orchards – Rexford, NY
Samascott Orchards – Kinderhook, NY
Sand Flats Orchards – Fonda, NY
Schuyler Farms – Schuylerville, NY
Stanton’s Feura Farm – Feura Bush, NY
Sunnyside Gardens – Saratoga Springs, NY
Swartz Dairy and Produce – Castleton-on-Hudson, NY
Windy Hill Orchard-East – Castleton-on-Hudson, NY
Yonder Fruit Farms – Valatie, NY
CIDER DOUGHNUT TASTING
Here are some things to think about when setting up a cider doughnut tasting.
- Decide what farms/businesses you will purchase doughnuts from.
- How many people will be participating in the tasting?
- How many doughnuts will you purchase from each business?
- How many pieces will you cut each doughnut into?
- What is your budget?
- Some businesses may run out of doughnuts at the end of the day so try not to go at the end of the day!
- Keep in mind that some farms may be very busy on the weekends during peak apple season.
We bought three doughnuts from each business. We decided to only cut up two doughnuts so that we could compare the other doughnuts.
Cider Doughnuts
Below is a list of some local businesses that sell cider doughnuts. If you know any other local businesses that sell cider doughnuts, please send an email to [email protected]
Altamont Orchards – Altamont, NY
Bellinger’s Orchard – Fultonville, NY
Billy Bob’s Orchard – Putnam Station, NY
Bowman Orchards – Rexford, NY
Calhoun’s Farm Stand – Troy, NY
Carrot Barn – Schoharie, NY
DeVoe’s Rainbow Orchards – Halfmoon, NY
Ellms Family Farm – Ballston Spa, NY
Engelke Farm – Troy, NY
Fo’Castle Farm Country Store – Burnt Hills, NY
Gade Farm – Altamont, NY
George’s Market & Nursery – Colonie, NY & Latham, NY
Golden Harvest Farms – Valatie, NY
Hicks Orchards – Granville, NY
Indian Ladder Farms – Altamont, NY
Kristy’s Barn – Schodack, NY
Lakeside Farms Cider Mill – Ballston Lake, NY
Lansing’s Farm Market & Greenhouses – Coloniie, NY
Love Apple Farm – Ghent, NY
McWhorter’s Orchard – Argyle, NY
Philip Orchards – Claverack, NY
Riverview Orchards – Rexford, NY
Rogers Family Orchard – Johnstown, NY
Samascott Orchards – Kinderhook, NY
Sand Flats Orchards – Fonda, NY
Saratoga Apple – Schuylerville, NY
Schuyler Farms – Schuylerville, NY
Smith’s Orchard Bake Shop – Ballston Spa, NY
Stanton’s Feura Farm – Feura Bush, NY
Sunnyside Gardens – Saratoga Springs, NY
Windy Hill Orchard-East – Castleton-on-Hudson, NY
Yonder Farms Cider Mill & Bake Shop – Colonie, NY
Yonder Fruit Farms – Valatie, NY
