Our farms might be a bit more off the beaten path than they are on the North Fork, but all that good fall fun isn’t exclusive to Sound-bound sister prong. The Hamptons has the full monty of bountiful farm stands, orchards and pumpkin patches. Here, locals and visitors alike can snag quintessential fall goods, snap photos with giant pumpkins and enjoy life al fresco before the winter chill sets in.
Some offer U-Pick and farm stands, so you can decide whether you want to “work” the fields for a day of family fun, or simply grab and go. And some spots go all out with hay rides, corn mazes and roasted sweet corn that needs to be tasted to be believed. Choose your flavor of adventure at the best spots to pick apples and pumpkins in the Hamptons.
Seven Ponds Orchard, 65 7 Ponds Road, Water Mill, 631-726-8015
Produce aplenty is ripe for the picking at Seven Ponds Orchards. Apples from Gala to Zestar, winter squash, berries and pumpkins are all available here. Guests can also pick sunflowers that pair perfectly with pumpkins for festive indoor or outdoor home displays. Catch a lift on the hayride for a tour of the fields, or let the kids hop aboard the cow train for a moo-moo here or a choo-choo there (but hopefully no a-choos).
Milk Pail U-Pick Farm, 50 Horsemill Lane, Water Mill, 631-537-2565
Classics like Empire, Gala and Honeycrisp apples are among the fruits people can pick straight from a tree at Milk Pail. Guests can also try for the u-pick apples version of spooky by adding the “mystery apples,” or unlabeled Cornell University apples, to their bag. Speaking of which, a one-size bag fits all in these parts (or up to six people ages 6 and up), but it holds half a bushel (20 pounds). Pumpkins and squash are also for the picking — you’ll pay per item for those seasonal essentials.
Hank’s PumpkinTown, 240 Montauk Highway, Water Mill, 631-726-4667
For a Harbes-style experience in the Hamptons, look no further than Hank’s. Don’t let the name fool you: The impossible-to-miss spot run by Hank and Lynne Kraszewski is far more than a pumpkin patch, though that’s clearly a big draw. Fun for all ages includes a corn maze, apple picking, gem mining and a market with roasted sweet corn that hits all the right notes. The 21-plus crowd can toast to all the fall things with Hank’s Hard Cider, a small-batch creation by the next generation of Kraszewskis, Hank Jr., and Kristin. Choose from semi-sweet, peach, Hudson or dry — all taste as crisp as a fall morning. PumpkinTown is open through Halloween.
Fairview Farm at Mecox, 19 Horsemill Lane, Bridgehampton, (631) 537-6154
Pumpkin pickers can grab the classic orange gourd in addition to squash at Fairview Farm at Mecox. But the eight-acre corn maze full of seemingly sky-high stalks up to 10 feet tall is what keeps people coming to the farm from east and west. Some of the best finds as you weave your way through? Stunning Mecox Bay vistas. Families can take aim with a corn cannon and dig into the farm’s signature popcorn. Bonus: This farm is open through November 5, in case Halloween celebrations got in the way of your pumpkin picking-plans.
