To be clear, this post isn’t actually about a festival. In Rochester, one can’t use the word lightly. It is, however, about the celebration known as October. All of a sudden, you can hike in the woods without breaking a sweat and the whole world is alive with the sights and smells of autumn. The official 2016 festival schedule may be over, but there are still plenty of reasons to get outside. You’ve got apples to pick, pumpkins to carve, and corn mazes to navigate. So get out there already!

Powers Farm Market pulls out all the stops for Halloween. Enjoy hot cider, cider slushies, fry cakes, affordable Honeycrisp apples, grape pie, and lots more. But that’s just inside. Outside, it’s a pumpkin-patch wonderland! The whole family can tour two immense corn-husk teepees which house playful, colorful haunts. Haunted hayrides are available on weekend evenings. And don’t forget to pick the perfect pumpkin before you head home. A note of warning — there’s ample parking, but the market can get crowded close to Halloween. Leave enough time, plan plenty of snacks, and cultivate calm.

G and S Orchards is a real, working farm that sells their fruits and vegetables through a retail Farm Stand, You Pick, and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares. It’s a great place to spend a day with your family experiencing nature’s bounty and making memories. Check their website for apple and pumpkin picking hours throughout the month of October.

Wickham Farms (Penfield)

When you take the family to Wickham Farms, be sure everyone is ready for a full day of active fun! While you’ll find the standards like U-Pick apples and a pumpkin patch, the highlights here include hayrides, batting cages, a 2.5-acre corn maze, miniature golf, and a big barn full of fall fun. The farm’s attractions aren’t lighted, so head to Penfield well before dusk.

For a full list of Rochester-area pumpkin patches, check out this list from Kids Out & About.