The beginning of October means that fall is officially here, and while some are experiencing summertime sadness, many are excited to partake in fall festivities.  Luckily for New Yorkers, the city is filled with activities to explore for people with all sorts of interests.   

Pumpkin picking is a fan-favorite activity during the fall season. Although New York City itself doesn’t have any patches, there are several areas outside of the city that do. New Jersey has many patches that range from an hour to an hour and a half from Midtown Manhattan. If the trip to New Jersey is too much of a hassle, there are patches in upstate New York and in New Rochelle that could be closer, depending on your location. With Halloween coming up, carving or decorating pumpkins is a great way to get into the seasonal spirit. If decorating is not your strong suit, then using pumpkins for food is always a go-to option. If you’re up for it, you can use the fresh pumpkin to make your own pumpkin spice lattes and see if you can match Dunkin’ or Starbucks.  

Alongside pumpkins, apples are the other fruit in season right now (yes, pumpkins are considered fruit). Apple picking is another popular fall activity, but, like pumpkin patches, there are really no apple orchards in the city. That means you’d have to travel the same distance, about an hour to an hour and a half, to find orchards outside of the city. New Jersey and upstate New York (with New Rochelle) serve as the notable apple orchard locations. Prime picking season is considered September to October which means there are still a few weeks left to get the freshest apples.   

Going back to the Halloween theme, there are several haunted houses that you can explore with locations in New York City. All five boroughs have variations of haunted houses you could attend. New Jersey’s “Field of Terror” and Six Flags’ “Fright Fest” are other spooky alternatives that can get your heart rate up.   

New York sports fans can look forward to a busy schedule this upcoming month. The Jets and Giants have four games each in October. The Islanders and Rangers start their season mid-October, while the Knicks and Nets start their season late-October. In baseball, the Yankees are fighting to extend their season into the fall and make a post-season run.   

For those into entertainment, there are several shows and movies that will be releasing this fall. Every year you can catch the new Halloween movies and whichever Adam Sandler movie he feels like making and starring in.   

Every season is what you make of it and there is no shortage of opportunities to make this fall one to remember. As you drive by your town and randomly see yearly Spirit Halloween stores in obscure locations, it’s important to remember that fall’s lifespan is not a long one. Target will soon start promoting their Christmas items and many stores will soon follow, if they haven’t already. Enjoy the fall season while it’s here.