Top Fall Harvest Festivals

The changing of the leaves marks the onset of the autumn season and with it, the fall harvest. Get your fill of apple butter and hayrides in a few of our favorite harvest festivals taking place this season.

Shady Brook Farms Pumpkin Fest

Dates: Through October 31
Location: Shady Brook Farms, Yardley, Pa.

Shady Brook Farms in Yardley is harvest central, with wagon rides, pick-your-own pumpkins and apples, giant corn maze and face painting.

Linvilla Orchards Pumpkinland

Dates: Through November 4
Location: Linvilla Orchards, Media, Pa.

Through November 6, Linvilla Orchards transforms into Pumpkinland. Massive scarecrows and fall figures mark the beginning of the harvest season as over 100 tons of pumpkins sprout up in piles around the landscape.

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail Harvest Festival

Dates: September 29-30, October 6-7
Locations: Various wineries, Chester County.

Featuring wine tastings and hayrides around the vineyards, the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail Harvest Festival will help you find all the best ways to warm up to fall.

Apple Butter Frolic

Date: October 6
Location: The Mennonite Heritage Center, 565 Yoder Road, Harleysville, Pa.

This 39th annual festival pays homage to Pennsylvania Dutch culinary traditions featuring food, family-friendly activities, arts and crafts, horse and buggy rides and farming demonstrations. Some enticing fare to expect: homemade chicken pot pie, ground cherry pie and funnel cake.

Quiet Valley Harvest Festival

Dates: October 6-7
Location: Turkey Hill Road, Stroudsburg, Pa.

Ever want to try your hand at butter churning? Sample Dutch-oven cooking and more at the Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm’s Harvest Festival.

Insider Tip: Check out the reenactment of camp life during the Civil War.

Reading Terminal Market Harvest Festival

Date: October 13
Location: Reading Terminal Market, 12th and Arch Streets

Featuring fresh produce, wines, cheeses and much more of this year’s Pennsylvania harvest, Reading Terminal Market Harvest Festival will celebrate fall by shutting down Filbert Street for hayrides and other festive activities and filling the market will fall flavors.

Family Tip: Filbert Street will be closed to traffic to make way for an authentic hay ride around the market.

Franklin Square Pumpkin Fest

Date: October 20
Location: Franklin Square.

Get your fill of Square Burger and tons of other harvest fest treats at this family fundraiser for Franklin Square. Be sure to check out the costume parade, Halloween-themed mini golf, pumpkin painting and and all the other festive attractions they have in store.

Bucks County Pumpkinfest

Dates: October 20-21
Location: Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, Doylestown, Pa.

Fun-filled family festival features local artists carving giant pumpkins—plus pony rides, petting zoo, inflatable rides, games and other children’s activities.

Pumpkin Days Celebration at Tyler Arboretum

Date: October 20
Location: Tyler Arboretum, 515 Painter Rd, Media, Pa.

Check out some gorgeous fall foliage while enjoying some sips and snacks of fall at Pumpkin Days. Don’t miss the haunted house, scarescrow-making, moon bouncing and other fun activities.

Chrysanthemum Festival

Dates: October 27 – November 18
Location: Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa.

More than 20,000 blooming chrysanthemums take over Longwood’s four-acre conservatory during the Chrysanthemum Festival. Longwood’s experts have trained these fall favorites, creating cascades of color drape the Conservatory walls like flowery waterfalls.

Peddler’s Village Apple Festival

Dates: November 3-4
Location: Peddler’s Village, Lahaska, Pa.

It’s all about the apples at the 2012 Peddler’s Village Apple Festival. Get your fill of apple butter, cider, dumplings, pie and more while browsing through local crafts.

Insider Tip: Come hungry and try your luck at the apple pie-eating contest.