Fall on the farm is more than a single weekend. It unfolds over weeks as the orchards change, new apple varieties ripen, pumpkins arrive, sweet cider starts flowing and the calendar fills with music, food, children's programs and some of our favorite annual traditions.

Whether you're planning a classic apple-picking day with the family, looking for an easy Friday afternoon outside or saving a date for a grown-up night on the farm, here are 10 fall happenings to put on your 2026 calendar.

1. Country Fair | September 5–7

We’re kicking off harvest season Labor Day Weekend with three days of old-fashioned farm fun.

The Country Fair brings together summer apple picking, peaches, blueberries and flower cutting alongside children’s old-timey games, hayrides, baked potato bar, makers market, guest animals, free live music, food trucks, cider tastings and plenty of classic fair-inspired food. Festival admission is free; pick-your-own, food, drinks and certain activities are purchased separately. It’s a fun transition point on the farm: one foot still in summer and the other headed straight into apple season.

2. Fall Fridays | September 4 - October 23

There’s something especially nice about the farm on a fall Friday afternoon. Every Friday from 2:30–5:30 pm, start the weekend early with afternoon apple picking, free live music, guest food trucks and hard cider on the lawn. Stop into the Farm Store for apples, pumpkins and seasonal goods, grab something to eat and settle in for a few hours outside. Dates are weather dependent. Think of it as a slightly quieter way to get your fall farm fix before the weekend begins!

3. Apple Picking Season | Late August–Mid October

Of course, the heart of fall is the orchard.

Cider Hill Farm grows more than 60 apple varieties across five orchards, which means apple picking changes throughout the season. Early varieties give way to classic September favorites and later-season apples for eating, baking and cider making.

Because we’re harvesting a living crop, what's available changes constantly. Picking tickets and current varieties are updated as we monitor the orchards, weather and ripening fruit. On fall weekends, hayrides also run to add a little extra farm fun to your visit.

Come once—or come back a few times and taste your way through the season.

4. Free Live Music + Outdoor Hard Cider Bar | Weekends Through Late October

Bring a blanket, find a spot on the lawn and stay awhile. Our free, family-friendly live music series runs throughout fall, generally from 10 am - 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, with 2 bands playing each day. Friday afternoons also feature music during Fall Fridays. The Outdoor Hard Cider Bar serves our estate-grown Cider Hill Cellars hard cider, with non-alcoholic options available, too. The lineup changes every weekend, so check the Live Music Calendar before you visit and discover a local musician or band while you're here.

5. Fall Children's Programs | September + October

Our littlest farmers have their own fall calendar, too. Children's programming is designed to connect kids with agriculture, animals, nature and the local community through approachable, hands-on experiences. September brings the Lettuce Harvest children's program and free Story Time with Amesbury Public Library, while special animal visits continue into October. Look for visiting alpacas, bunnies and even Halloween-style horse visits as the season continues.

These programs are a great reason to visit during the week - or add something extra to a festival weekend.

6. Pumpkins, Mums + All the Signs of Fall | Starting Early September

Sometimes the best fall happenings aren't scheduled at all. Beginning in early September, the farm starts filling with pumpkins, specialty gourds, mums, hay bales, corn stalks and other signs of harvest season. Our pumpkin wagon returns for annual family photos, the Farm Store shifts into autumn and fresh-picked apples make their way inside from the orchards. And shortly after Labor Day, we begin pressing the season's sweet apple cider. Pair a jug with a dozen cider donuts and you've got one of our favorite New England traditions.

7. Fall Food Trucks + Local Makers

Come hungry. Fall weekends bring a rotating lineup of local food trucks and artisan makers to the farm, adding even more local flavor to apple season. The schedule changes throughout September and October, with everything from pizza and burritos to Indian food, North Shore favorites and other guest pop-ups joining our own farm food offerings. It's one of our favorite ways to use busy fall weekends to introduce thousands of farm visitors to other small businesses from our region.

8. Sweet Halloween | October

Costumes + the farm = one very sweet October tradition. Sweet Halloween returns on October 17-18 & 24-25 with family-friendly trick-or-treating around the farm, plus seasonal food, live music and plenty of opportunities to enjoy one of the final big weekends of fall. Children collecting treats require tickets, while accompanying adults do not. Treats include a mix of food and non-food surprises, making the experience about exploring the farm just as much as filling a treat bag. Add costumes, pumpkins, cider donuts and fall foliage and you've got a pretty adorable way to celebrate Halloween.

9. Cider & Bites: A Grown-Up Trick-or-Treat | October 17

We didn't forget about the grown-ups. On Saturday, October 17, our 21+ Cider & Bites: A Grown-Up Trick-or-Treat takes guests on an evening stroll through the fields and orchards.

Follow the path from tent to tent to collect eight unique cider pours paired with eight flavorful bites, with live music, fall views and photo stops along the way. It’s a chance to slow down, taste through different blends and experience the farm after a busy harvest day from a completely different perspective. Adults only, 21+.

10. Fall Cider Run 5K | November 7

And finally, run through the land that grew the season. Our Fall Cider Run 5K Run & Walk returns Saturday, November 7 from 10 am–1 pm, taking participants on a farm course through orchards, fields and forest. This isn't a flat road race—the route includes hills and uneven farm terrain—but runners and walkers of all levels are welcome. Participants receive a race shirt, bib, souvenir glass, finisher medal, cider donut and hard cider at the finish line. There’s even a free KIN Kid Zone on race day, giving families something to enjoy while runners are out on the course.

Make a Fall Day of It

There is no single "best" day to experience fall at Cider Hill Farm. That's part of what makes harvest season special. Come early in the season for warm-weather apple picking and flowers. Return in September as more apple varieties ripen and sweet cider begins pressing. Spend an October afternoon with pumpkins, live music and hot cider. Then close out harvest season with a run through the orchards in November.

Before visiting, always check our website for the day's picking conditions, tickets, event schedules and weather updates. Pick-your-own availability is crop and weather dependent, and the fall calendar continues to evolve throughout the season.

We can't wait to share another New England fall with you on the farm.