Pies and pastries, jellies and jams, cider and crisps, is there any dish that a juicy apple can’t improve upon? While the old adage about an apple a day may not be entirely true, the transforming powers of the ripe red, green or golden fruit are undeniable. The season for apple picking is soon upon us. Celebrate at one of these six orchards hosting apple festivals in and around New York City.
Sherwood Jayne Farm | Long Island Apple Festival | September 25 | East Setauket
Set on the historic and verdant grounds of the Sherwood-Jayne House, the Long Island Apple Festival is a gala for the gala, among other varieties of apple. Sack races, apple relay races and a tour of the 18th century house will result in a new appreciation for the culture and cuisine existing out in Suffolk County. A pie baking contest will yield best-looking pie and best-tasting pie awards, re-affirming that apple-based foods are in a delicious league of their own. Tickets are $7, $5 children and seniors.
How to get there: Take the LIRR to Huntington. East Setauket is a five-minute taxi or bike ride from there.
Dubois Farms | Apple Daze Festival | October 1st & 2nd| Highland
While you might leave in a daze after noshing on too many apples, cobblers and cakes, there is no confusion that Dubois Farms’ Apple Daze Festival is two days of family fun, all in honor of Fall’s favorite fruit. Pick your own fruits and vegetables, from apples to nectarines to tomatoes, and catch a tractor-powered wagon ride around the grounds, or take in the fall foliage at a canter, courtesy of the farm’s three friendly ponies. While the kids visit with the farm’s animals, sit back, sip cider, and enjoy Autumn in Ulster County.
How to get there: Take the Metro-North Hudson line to Poughkeepsie. The Farms are only a 30-minute bike ride or 10 minute taxi ride away.
Queens County Farm | Kick Off to Fall Festival | October 1 | Floral Park
For layer upon layer of flaky, apple-filled goodness, head to Queens County Farm’s Kick Off fest from 11am-4pm. Arrive early and enjoy bites of donuts, apples, and award-winning apple pie, and wash it down with a glass of Queens County Farm’s fresh-pressed cider. With free admission, activities and apples, all you need to bring is your appetite.
How to get there: Take the Q46 bus from Port Authority to Union TP- 248th Street.
Warwick Farms | Applefest | October 2 | Warwick
Warwick holds a long legacy of apple festivals, with the approaching October 14th edition marking the 24th anniversary of the celebrated Applefest. From 10am to 5pm, hundreds of craft vendors, six stages of music and entertainment, an apple pie contest and more overtake the Hudson Valley hotspot for a massive party that is all about the apple. Named one of the top 100 events to attend in the country, support the great Empire State and stop into the vibrant valley to take a bite out of the acclaimed Applefest.
How to get there: Take the Metro-North to Tuxedo on the Port Jervis line and catch a taxi to the festival or take bus 196 or 197 to Warwick. The bus will drop off in a park and ride 3/4 mile from the festival.
Cairo Farms | Apple Harvest Festival | October 8-9 | Cairo
The annual Apple Harvest Festival has something for everyone, and with a line-up of activities that spans from a book sale to a 5K to kite flying, there is no arguing that visitors of all ages will spend a fun-filled day honoring Cairo’s local orchards and farms. Plant yourself in Angelo Canna Park on Columbus Day weekend and enjoy live music, farm fresh food and take a snapshot or two of the changing scenery of Cairo in Fall. Visit the pie contest or help out at the scarecrow contest to conjure up fear in the heart of any apple-loving animals.
How to get there: Consult oM’s guide to renting a hybrid car in Manhattan.
Weed Orchards | Apple Festival | TBD | Marlboro
Weed Orchards finds apples so nice, they’re celebrating them thrice, with three days of apple-oriented festivities at the Apple Harvest Festival. Join KISS FM DJ Krista Jones for a game of Apple Toss or Ring Around the Apple at an orchard that takes the celebration of their apples as seriously as the preparation. Reap the benefits of Weed Orchard’s dedication to this fruit and bite into an apple cider donut, muffin or more for a sweet and savory treat, honoring the Orchard’s successful harvest with every bite.
How to get there: Take Metro-North to Poughkeepsie and then take a waiting taxi the 20 minute ride to the Orchards.
Photos: Carol Munro, wayneandwax
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram