By Kathryn Taleporos | October 3, 2022
As the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves begin to change, we transition from summer into the fall season. Fall in Albany means new activities such as “leaf peeping,” fall festivals, apple picking, and many more.
Double rainbow over on-campus fall foliage
Photo Credit: Kathryn Taleporos
New York’s state fruit is the apple, and there’s an abundance of apple farms open during autumn. The closest one to University at Albany is Indian Ladder Farms, which is about 20 minutes away from the uptown campus by car. Indian Ladder offers pick-your-own apples seven days a week. According to their website, guests can currently pick five different types of apples.
In addition to apples, Indian Ladder offers pumpkin picking and baked goods, including apple cider donuts.
Apple picking is not the only fall activity available. Double M Haunted Hayrides have been a part of capital region Halloween traditions for over 25 years. The hayrides consist of a tractor ride, as well as walking through various haunted environments.
“Around each and every corner there's a frightful scene,” according to Double M on their website.
Real-life haunted houses are also a spooky activity available this fall. The capital building in Albany offers tours that explore the eerie past of this historic building.
“Capitol Hauntings tours explore the legends, folklore, and tales of unexplained occurrences connected to the historic State Capitol,” according to the New York state website.
The fall festivities in the capital region include less frightening options as well, Harvestfest at the Crossings Park in Colonie, New York, is a family-friendly fall tradition.
Another essential part of the fall experience is the changing colors of the leaves. In New York state, the drastic change and beauty of the leaves has led to the phenomenon known as “leaf peeping,” where people seek out the best spots to find the prettiest leaves.
Albany.com lists several popular places in New York where “leaf peepers” can view the beauty of the changing leaves. The list includes Washington Park in downtown Albany as one of the top places, which is accessible to UAlbany students by bus. The Pine Bush Preserve, about 3 miles from the UAlbany Uptown campus, is also listed on the site.