"The Farm Store and Taproom will not be open for regular weekend visits during this period." That sentence sits under a "NEW FOR 2026" heading on the Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard homepage. It covers every Saturday and Sunday from September 12 through November 1. If you've been driving to 130 Hardscrabble Road on a fall Saturday for a half-gallon of cider and a bag of donuts, that stop now requires a Fall Festival ticket.
Across the road, Outhouse Orchards at 139 Hardscrabble Road has a similar rule. Its FAQ says a festival ticket is required to reach the farm stand during the Fall Festival. With both farms running ticketed festivals on weekends, a quick stop for cider or donuts works best on weekdays, on Friday nights, and in November.
Both Sides of the Road, Side by Side
The two farms handle access differently, and those differences decide when a quick stop still works.
| Harvest Moon, 130 Hardscrabble Rd | Outhouse Orchards, 139 Hardscrabble Rd | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend store access, fall 2026 | Ticket holders only, Sept 12 to Nov 1 | Festival ticket required for the farm stand |
| Weekday store access | Farm Store, Hardscrabble Cider and Cafe open, no ticket mentioned | Festival ticket required during festival season, per FAQ |
| Apple picking | Weekend festival only, no weekday picking | Paid add-on with festival ticket |
| Picking bag prices | $15, $25, $40 | $35 quarter bushel, $50 half bushel |
| Admission | Pre-purchased tickets only, no walk-ins | Weekday $15.98 online, weekend $19.45 online, before tax |
Harvest Moon's ticket page lists pre-purchased tickets only and states plainly that walk-ins aren't accepted. Its bags hold about 3, 12 and 25 pounds. Outhouse charges more at the gate, $18 on weekdays and $22 on weekends, and its site says pricing varies by date. Outhouse's own pages aren't fully consistent. Its main festival page runs the season to November 1, its ticketing page says October 31, and its FAQ still carries a "Thanks for a great season! 2026 Dates TBA" banner above the ticket rule. Check the farm's current posting before you plan around a specific day.
Weekdays Are Where the Store Still Opens
On fall weekdays, Harvest Moon lists Farm Store, Hardscrabble Cider and Cafe access from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the Cafe closing at 3 p.m. That's the farm's festival-season schedule for anyone without a ticket. Picking isn't included on those days, and the homepage says there's "No apple picking during the week, ONLY during Fall Festival." A weekday visit gets you the store, the cafe and the taproom, but no orchard rows.
Hardscrabble Cider, the farm's cidery, says it pours pints of hard cider, local beer and cocktails seven days a week. Its fall festival update adds that all September and October weekend visits need a Harvest Moon ticket. A recent "On Tap This Week" list included Dry, "Black Dirt" Beet, Fruit of the Farm and The Standard, each at 6.5% ABV. The list isn't dated, so the taps may have changed.
Here's a weekday run that fits a lunch break or a school-day morning:
- Get to Harvest Moon's Farm Store at 130 Hardscrabble Road after 9 a.m., when the store and cafe open.
- Order from the Cafe before its 3 p.m. close.
- Save a pint at Hardscrabble Cider for late afternoon. The store side stays open until 6 p.m.
At Outhouse, the price difference is the weekday advantage. A weekday ticket costs $15.98 online, against $19.45 on weekends. The homepage lists festival hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Friday Nights at Outhouse
Outhouse runs a separate evening program. Fall Friday Nights go from 6 to 9 p.m. in the barnyard, with wood-fired pizza, local food trucks and live music. The farm also promises "some additional spooky entertainment" in October. Three dates are left: October 16, 23 and 30.
The October 16 Friday can start earlier. Halston Media's North Salem News roundup lists a Halloween Bake Sale that day at Waterview Hills, 537 NY-22 in Purdys, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Proceeds support the Putnam County Alzheimer's Association.
One weekend event at Outhouse is built for dog owners. The Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade on Sunday, October 25, is a free add-on to a ticket, and the ticket page calls it the seventh annual parade.
The Saturday Stop That Just Closed
The ticket rule leaves fewer easy weekend options this fall, partly because of another calendar. The North Salem Farmers Market ran Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Back Street in Croton Falls, with 25-plus vendors, children's activities and live music. Its 2026 season ended yesterday, October 10.
So with three weekends left in the festival, the Saturday market is done for the year and both Hardscrabble Road farm stands want a festival ticket. Weather adds its own uncertainty. Harvest Moon canceled today's Sunday, October 11 festival because of rain and worsening conditions, and told ticket holders to check their email.
Another apple option is nearby in Brewster. Salinger's Orchard at 230 Guinea Road runs a year-round market and bakery and sells 26 apple varieties. It doesn't offer pick-your-own.
A Fall Weekend Away From Hardscrabble Road
If the weekend isn't about apples, North Salem has a full calendar off the orchard road.
The Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden at 28 Deveau Road has five exhibitions running into November: Heaven Come Down, Fang, Kurt Steger In the Garden, Ground Shift and Poetry of Place. The listed date ranges end November 15. Three programs are coming up between now and mid-November:
- October 18: "Exhibiting Artists 'At Home,'" an informal conversation with four exhibiting artists, with tea. Free with museum admission.
- October 24: An Indian classical music program with a free lecture-demonstration and student performance, followed by a $15 concert, with Indian food and the autumn Stroll Garden.
- November 14: A Diwali celebration with Indian dance, music, food, art and activities. Free with museum admission.
Old Salem Farm has regional horse shows on the same weekends. Its schedule, updated October 6, lists October 24–25, November 7, November 15, November 21–22 and November 28–29. The horse show season runs four weeks past the orchards' last festival weekend.
For a walk, the North Salem Open Land Foundation promotes its preserves for walking, birding, dog walking and horseback riding. Baxter Preserve, at 80–170 Baxter Road, covers 167 acres, with a mile of easy meadow trails connecting woodland and a pond. For something longer, the county's Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park at 201 Hawley Road has 1,082 acres and five lakes. It's open daily from dawn to dusk all year, and the county posts 2026 trail maps.
November 2 and the Thanksgiving Window
Harvest Moon's weekend closure ends with the festival on November 1. After that, the farm moves on to Thanksgiving. Its Thanksgiving Offerings page lists:
- Pasture-raised turkeys at $6.50 per pound
- A $50 Thanksgiving CSA share
- Pies, mostly $24.95, with blueberry at $26.95 and Colonial at $36.95
- Pumpkin cheesecakes at $36.95 and $47.95
Orders can be placed in the Farm Store Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or by phone or online. Pickup is Tuesday, November 24, and Wednesday, November 25, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Outhouse hasn't posted its post-festival farm stand hours. Its homepage only lists 2027 Summer Saturday Nights with dates "TBA."
Seasonal rules like Harvest Moon's weekend change are what the Blanchet Team tracks across North Salem and Northern Westchester. If you want a local read on how a town's calendar actually runs, from orchard weekends to the quieter weekdays in between, we're glad to talk it through. Work With Us.
