A Huge Fall Festival With Pumpkins, Apples And Hayrides Is Coming To This New Jersey Farm

Pumpkin season has entered the chat, and it is bringing a hayride.

Fall weekends are about to get considerably busier at this New Jersey farm, where pumpkins, apples, and classic farm fun come together for a full day outdoors.

The 2026 Fall Festival runs on Saturdays and Sundays from September 19 through November 8, with the farm open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hayrides are part of the fun, along with pumpkin picking, apple picking, and an all-ages activity area. In other words, wearing your good shoes might be a tactical mistake.

There is something about fall that makes wandering around a farm with an apple in one hand and a pumpkin plan in the other feel completely reasonable.

Ah, autumn. Suddenly spending an afternoon hauling produce around counts as entertainment.

The Welcome That Smells Like Cider And Fresh Hay

First impressions here arrive through the nose rather than the eyes. Warm donut oil, sweet cider, and that dusty-sweet smell of hay all hit at once before you’ve even parked properly.

Von Thun’s Country Farm Market sits on a working stretch of farmland, so the sounds match the scent. Tractors rumble in the distance while kids negotiate loudly over who gets to pull the wagon.

Weekends bring a real buzz, with music drifting across the grounds and families fanning out in every direction. Arriving early makes a noticeable difference, since the crowd tends to thicken around midday.

The layout keeps things manageable, which I appreciate more than I expected. Even though the property covers plenty of acres, it never feels like a place where you need a map and a survival plan.

Staff members are easy to find and quick to point you toward whatever you came for. Grab a wagon if you plan to pick, because pumpkins get heavy faster than anyone admits.

Pumpkin Fields Stretching In Every Direction

Orange everywhere. That’s the honest first reaction when the pumpkin field comes into view, rows and rows of them sitting right in the dirt where they grew.

Sizes run from tiny gourds that fit in a coat pocket all the way up to hefty jack-o-lantern candidates that require two hands and some determination. Decorative gourds and hubbards add color variety for anyone planning a porch display.

Picking your own turns into a small competition between family members, and it’s genuinely fun to watch people debate stem quality like experts.

A practical tip worth remembering: check the underside before committing, since soft spots hide well. Wearing shoes you don’t mind scuffing is smart, especially after rain.

On weekends a hayride carries visitors out to the main patch, which saves plenty of walking. There’s also a walk-to patch decorated with cheerful wooden cartoon characters that younger kids adore.

Photos happen constantly out here, and honestly the field makes almost everyone look good.

Apple Picking Among Heavy, Low Branches

Branches sag under the weight of the fruit by the time apple season peaks, and the orchard turns into one of the calmest corners of the property.

Varieties rotate as the weeks pass, from sweeter Autumn Gala types to sharper Stayman apples with real bite. Tasting differences between them is half the reason people come back.

Proper technique matters more than most visitors realize. Lift and twist upward instead of yanking, which protects the branch and the fruit buds for next season.

Shade between the rows makes this a comfortable spot even on warmer afternoons. Kids love being lifted up to reach the higher apples, which tend to be the best ones left.

Bring a bag you can carry comfortably, because enthusiasm tends to outrun arm strength. A dozen apples feels light at first and considerably less light three rows later.

Fresh-picked fruit tastes noticeably different from store apples, crisper and juicier, and that alone justifies the trip out here.

Getting Happily Lost In The Corn Maze

Tall stalks close in overhead and suddenly the rest of the farm disappears behind a wall of green. Voices echo strangely from other paths, which adds to the fun.

The maze is designed with a theme each season, and different phases let visitors choose between a shorter route and a tougher challenge. Some groups finish quickly, others wander far longer than planned.

Dead ends are part of the deal. So are the hidden checkpoints scattered along the way, which keep younger explorers motivated when their legs start complaining.

A few practical notes help here. Wear comfortable shoes, keep smaller kids within sight, and agree on a meeting point before you split into teams.

Shade is limited inside, so a water bottle is a good companion. The ground can be uneven, especially after a wet stretch of weather.

Finishing brings a genuinely satisfying feeling, the kind that makes everyone immediately want to try the harder version next time.

Bumping Along On The Classic Hayride

Few things say autumn quite like sitting on a hay bale while a tractor pulls you slowly past open fields.

The ride doubles as transportation and sightseeing, carrying visitors out toward the pumpkin fields on weekends and looping back to the main area afterward. It runs long enough to actually enjoy rather than feeling rushed.

Lines can build during busy afternoons, so an earlier time slot often means a shorter wait. Patience pays off either way.

Wind moves across the open ground out there, and it feels wonderful when the sun is strong. Little ones usually spend the whole ride pointing at things.

Hay sticks to clothing, which is simply part of the experience and never bothered anyone I’ve noticed. Dark jeans hide it best.

From the wagon you get a real sense of scale, seeing just how much land stretches out beyond the main festival area. Cameras come out constantly, and the slow pace makes photos surprisingly easy to take.

Games, Slides And Barnyard Mischief

Energy runs high in the activity zone, where the noise level jumps and nobody seems to mind.

Barnyard basketball, a bubble barn, a straw maze, pedal karts and apple blasters give kids plenty of outlets. Parents tend to find a bench nearby and let the chaos unfold.

Wooden train structures and toy tractors keep the smallest visitors busy while older siblings tackle the more physical stuff. Mini bowling turns unexpectedly competitive.

Popular attractions draw lines on weekends, so spreading out your visit helps. Hitting a couple of activities early, then returning later in the day, avoids the worst of the waiting.

What makes this section work is variety rather than flash. Nothing is overly engineered, and the simple setups hold attention just fine.

Farm animals add another layer, with chickens and goats drawing crowds of curious kids. Watching a toddler meet a goat for the first time is honestly worth the trip on its own.

Donuts, Cider Slushies And The Farm Market Shelves

Cinnamon sugar in the air does most of the advertising around here.

Apple cider donuts come out warm and disappear fast, and the apple cider slushy has developed a loyal following among visitors who swear by it. Popcorn is another easy win.

Inside the market you’ll find homemade honey, jams, syrup, locally grown vegetables, fresh flowers and seasonal produce. Artisan soaps and crafts sit alongside the food, making it a decent stop for small gifts.

There’s also a section with saplings, including herbs and flowering plants for anyone with garden ambitions.

Food trucks set up during festival weekends with straightforward options like burgers, chicken tenders, corn dogs and empanadas. Some vendors prefer cash, so carrying a little is a smart move.

Waiting happens during peak hours, which is worth planning around if you have hungry kids. Eating slightly earlier or later than everyone else solves most of that problem neatly.

Photo Spots Hiding Around Every Corner

Cameras stay out here longer than anywhere else on the property, and it’s easy to understand why.

Painted wooden cartoon characters line the walk-to pumpkin patch, giving kids something silly to pose beside. Old tractors and farm trucks make excellent backdrops for family shots.

The orchard rows create natural framing, especially in late afternoon when the light goes soft and golden. Sunflower trails have drawn photographers in past seasons too.

Morning slots tend to offer emptier fields, which matters enormously if you want a clean shot without strangers in the background. Midday light is harsher and less flattering.

A small tip from experience watching others: let kids pick their own pumpkin first, then photograph them holding it. The genuine pride on their faces beats any posed smile.

Nothing here feels built purely for social media, which is refreshing. The scenery works because it’s real farmland doing what farmland does in October.

Weekday Visits And The Quiet Side Of The Fields

Midweek changes the whole character of the place.

Without the festival crowds, the fields feel wide open and picking becomes unhurried. Families with toddlers especially benefit from the slower rhythm and shorter waits.

Weekday hours generally start at ten in the morning, while weekends open an hour earlier at nine. Planning around those times helps you get the most out of a visit.

Some weekend-only attractions won’t be running midweek, so expectations should be adjusted accordingly. The tradeoff is space, quiet and easy parking.

Working farm life carries on regardless, and there’s something grounding about watching it happen without a festival soundtrack.

Water is worth packing since there aren’t drinking stations on the grounds, though bottled water is sold in the market. Sun protection helps too, as shade in the open fields is limited.

Anyone who prefers calm over commotion should absolutely aim for a Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

A Harvest Tradition Worth Repeating Each Year

Some places earn their reputation slowly, season after season, and that’s the feeling out here.

Land in this part of New Jersey has been farmed for generations, and the harvest celebrations reflect that long relationship with the soil. Strawberries arrive in spring, berries follow in summer, then apples and pumpkins close out the year.

Families return annually, often with the same wagon and the same routine. Kids grow taller between visits while the pumpkin field stays reassuringly the same.

What sticks with visitors isn’t any single attraction but the combination of all of it, the smells, the noise, the dirt on everyone’s shoes.

Von Thun’s Country Farm Market manages to feel both lively and genuinely agricultural, which is a harder balance than it sounds.

Plan your own autumn afternoon at Von Thun’s Country Farm Market, 505 Ridge Rd, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852, and bring an empty trunk for everything you’ll inevitably carry home.