October brings colored leaves, cool breezy walks through town, cider and donuts and all things Halloween. Who doesn’t love a good pumpkin carving session? Or a haunted hayride, corn maze or maybe a cider tasting? The fall opportunities in Brockport and the surrounding areas are endless, with a variety of options perfect for kids, students and adults alike.
Hurd Orchards in Holley, NY, is roughly a 10-minute drive from SUNY Brockport campus and offers pumpkin and apple picking and numerous luncheon events. Visitors can also indulge in some of the freshly baked goods offered at their bakery – pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, apple pie and thumbprint cookies are just a few. The gift shop has beautiful dried flowers hanging from the ceiling, every kind of homemade jam one can imagine, fresh produce, homemade soaps, all kinds of things. Being so close to campus, this family-owned farm is the perfect afternoon getaway for students to enjoy a little bit of fall.
Another great option right down the road from campus is Robb Farms. Located in Spencerport, NY, the farm is only about a 15-minute drive from SUNY Brockport. Visitors can enjoy apple and pumpkin picking, as well cider and donuts. Their cider is pressed right on the farm and made from hand-picked apples. Donuts are also made fresh daily; the selection offered includes Cinnamon Sugar, Blueberry, Sour Cream, Apple Crisp and Pumpkin.
Cobble Creek Farm offers a little bit of everything. Also located in Spencerport, NY, this farm is worth the 15-to-20-minute drive from campus. Cobble Creek is open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and sells 10-dollar tickets to enjoy a whole day full of activities. The ticket includes an eight-acre corn maze, goats and pigs excited to visit with customers, a 30-minute fall foliage hayride around the farm, duck races, corn cannons and more. Pumpkin picking, a farm market and the Verhulst Haunted Hayride are also available.
As much as everyone loves pumpkins and cider, Halloween isn’t complete without getting a little spooked. The Verhulst Haunted Hayride is back for the 2021 season and is located at Cobble Creek Farm. Tickets are $28 per person for the roughly 35-minute experience including the hayride and haunted corn maze. Close to campus and the only hayride offered in the Western New York region this season, the Verhulst Hayride is perfect for a haunted outing with friends, family or even a date night.
