Fall Activities (COVID Edition)
Are you sitting at home with nothing to do this season? Well I can help you with that. There are so many places near you on Long Island that can get you in the fall and Halloween spirit. You can pick and carve pumpkins, go apple picking, bake some new fall recipes, go to haunted houses, and even take a nature walk! I’m here today to share with you some of these ideas, and share the safety precautions some places are taking because of Covid-19!
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of fall and Halloween is pumpkins! In Huntington, the Elwood Pumpkin and Christmas Tree Farm is a great place to get some fresh pumpkins. You can pick any pumpkin you want, right off the stem. They also offer hayrides, which can be great for kids. If you have a dog, the Elwood Pumpkin and Christmas Tree Farm is a great place for you and your dog to come visit. They are dog friendly and all dogs are welcome in the pumpkin patch!
While in the pumpkin patch, you must wear a mask and keep six feet apart. Also, on the hay rides, the amount of people on at a time will be limited. Another place to visit to go pumpkin picking is F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm in Melville. As you can see by the farm’s name, it is a great place to come to with your family. It has so many things to do such as playgrounds, mini golf, hayrides, pony rides, vegetable/sunflower picking, and of course, pumpkin picking. Although, due to Covid, when the farm gets filled with a certain amount of people, they will close, which will allow them to make space for more customers. They are also asking if you have or are showing any symptoms to stay home.
One thing many people do to get ready for Halloween is put out decorations. One decoration may include jack-o-lanterns, also known as carved pumpkins! After enjoying your day at a pumpkin patch with friends, go back home and carve your pumpkin. Traditional jack-o-lanterns have faces, but what you carve on your pumpkin is all up to you! The ideas are endless. For this activity, there are no precautions for Covid. One thing to be sure of when around your friends is that no one shows signs of Covid.
Another activity that is perfect for fall is walking through a corn maze! Stakey’s Pumpkin Farm has a great corn maze! Because of Covid, they have made some changes to their activities that go on in the farm. One of the changes is that there will be no bouncehouse, no punch cards, and face painting will be hand/arm painting. They are located in Aquebogue, which is about an hour away. If you are not looking to take the haul out to Aquebogue and are looking for something closer, F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm is only about twenty minutes away. At F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm, you can pick pumpkins AND have fun walking through their corn maze. Every year, they have a different theme for their corn maze, and this year's theme is “Arabian Nights, Legend Of The Lamp.” Their corn maze is seven acres and you and your friends can race each other through it or try to go through it together. While in the corn maze, you must keep your mask on.
Are you a fan of horror movies? Do you not scare easily? Going to a haunted house is a great activity for you to do this Halloween season. One of the best known haunted houses on Long Island is Bayville Scream Park. At Bayville Scream Park, they have seven different attractions. They also hold special events. This year, from November 6th through the 8th, the event that they will have is “Glowstick Fright Night.”
During this event, you will walk through the haunted house in the pitch black, with only one glowstick. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, they are reducing the amount of people the park can hold. They are also enforcing social distancing and are requiring masks to be worn at all times. If you are looking for somewhere not as scary, F&W Schmitt's Farm has many options for you. They offer a daytime haunt and a nighttime haunt. During the day, all of the lights are on and there are no actors inside. At 7pm, the haunt comes alive! Inside, there are live actors, animatronics, and plenty of surprises to scare everyone. At F&W Schmitt's, the health and safety of their customers is their number one priority. Before arriving at the farm, tickets must be purchased ahead of time, to prevent overcrowding. Customers and staff must wear a mask at all times and have to get their temperature taken before entering. Also, while inside the haunted house, the actors will keep their distance.
Now that you have ideas of what to do and the precautions you must take in order to do these activities, go enjoy the fall season! Grab a few friends, or even some family members, and go outside and enjoy the fall weather. Have a safe and happy Halloween!