There’s enough red on the trees, crunchy leaves on the street, and strong winds to know that summer is long gone now. With the new school year rapidly picking up speed, the moments you get without AP coursework to complete and volunteer hours to earn are getting scarcer. Now that it’s fall, what can you even do with your free time anymore? There  is usually always something to do in the summer weather, but it can feel like there’s less to do as it gets colder. Well here’s a suggestion: Enjoy the season with these 4 festivals that celebrate autumn!

1. U-Pick Sunflowers: Fall Festival – Holland Ridge Farms, Cream Ridge

Flowers certainly aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fall. Or even the second. Or probably even the third. Flower festivals are usually reserved for the springtime, but Holland Ridge Farms’ sweeping sunflower fields might change your mind about that. Here at Holland Ridge Farms, you can make your own bouquets from a variety of seasonal flowers for just 50¢ to $1 a stem, or even take pictures against a gorgeous floral backdrop at designated photo spots. Flower-picking can be quite a work out especially with all the squatting, which most likely will make you hungry, but you’re in luck! You can visit tons of food trucks and buy fall-themed desserts from the local bakery. If you get tired of walking around, Holland Ridge offers pony and tractor rides on certain days.

1. Whippany Railway Museum: Pumpkin Patch Train – Hanover, NJ

Pumpkin picking is a classic fall activity, and this attraction gives it a unique spin: it’s on wheels. Most fall festivals typically have tractors or carts, but this festival runs on a train instead. Starting from the Whippany Railway Museum, this train takes passengers on a round trip of Whippany and nearby town Roseland in just under an hour. During this short trip, you can experience the scenic view of the fall colored leaves. Afterward, you can visit a pumpkin patch where younger passengers may pick and decorate their own pumpkins.

1. Six Flags Great Adventure: Oktoberfest – Jackson Township, NJ

Six Flags is an absolute must-visit place all year round in New Jersey, especially during the fall. It’s safe to assume that everyone living in New Jersey has been here at least once before. Six Flags has its own version of a festival during the autumn: Oktoberfest. From September to November, Six Flags locations serve German-inspired foods and drinks to emulate their fall celebrations. Some of these seasonal specialties include bratwurst, meat seasoned with sauerkraut, special chocolate cake, potato pancakes, and apple strudels. 

1. Heaven Hill Farm: Great Pumpkin Festival – Vernon, NJ

Everyone knows it’s not fall without pumpkins. Whether they’re the spice in your latte or the lantern on your porch, pumpkins are the symbol of fall. From mid-September to late November, Heaven Hill Farm throws a huge, quintessential fall festival in honor of this staple vegetable. The farm is filled with family-friendly, outdoor activities for all ages, including shooting apple-loaded cannons, pig racing, hay tunnels, paintball, and a corn maze. But that’s not even a fifth of the activities available there. You can tour the area in cars or on horseback or go on carnival rides if you want to stay in one spot. But most importantly, you can pick pumpkins from Heaven Hill’s patch, which are priced based on their weight. 

While the season is getting colder, there are plenty of options and these are just a few. If you ever catch a break this autumn, you must go to one of these festivals! It’s a great way to bond with family and friends as well as catching that one instagram picture. From train rides to pumpkin-picking, there’s an activity for everyone.