The Halloween season is upon us and that means it's time to pick pumpkins, carve jack o' lanterns, devise creative costumes, visit haunted houses and celebrate all the warm harvest feelings that emerge this time of year. What to do, where to go, and how to get there? We've got some ideas for you! For all you thrill-seekers, New York is your oyster when it comes to haunted experiences. The Haunted History Trail of New York includes dozens of paranormal locations that span across 31 counties! Plan a spooky weekend getaway at a haunted inn, embark on a ghost hunt, or tour ghost-inhabited old home. For an easy car-free trip, visit Dutchess County on Metro North Railroad for a haunted tour of Bannerman Island, majestic ruins on the bank of the Hudson, which has a haunted history dating back to the 18th century. Spend a spooky weekend in Central New York, where you can embark on a "subliminal, demented, original style walk-through horror attraction" at the Cayo Industrial Horror Realm! No car? Hop on Amtrak up to Utica and take a 5 minute cab over the warehouse of horror. After your frightful experience, delight in the fall foliage and explore one of the hundreds of "CNYFresh" locations in the region, including farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, cider makers, farm-to-table restaurants and more! Book a ReachNOW, drive through the breathtaking fall foliage, and spend a weekend in Delaware County or Sullivan County in the Catskill Mountains of New York! Attend the annual kid-friendly Harvest Moon Ball in Andes or partake in a murder mystery dinner at Burn Brae Mansion in Glen Spey. Built in 1908, this recently restored mansion has been the subject of number paranormal investigations. Enter if you dare! In case you need to take the edge off of a night
The Halloween season is upon us and that means it’s time to pick pumpkins, carve jack o’ lanterns, devise creative costumes, visit haunted houses and celebrate all the warm harvest feelings that emerge this time of year. What to do, where to go, and how to get there? We’ve got some ideas for you! For all you thrill-seekers, New York is your oyster when it comes to haunted experiences. The Haunted History Trail of New York
DID YOU KNOW over half of the country’s maple syrup comes from Vermont and New York State? Celebrate the maple sugaring season this March at a Maple Weekend, Open House or festival near you via Amtrak, Metro-North, Zipcar or bus! Hudson Valley, New York: Crown Maple at Madava Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.crownmaple.com White Oak Farm + Hilltop Hanover Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.whiteoakfarm1.com Soukup Farms Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.soukupfarms.com Finger Lakes, New York: Wellspring Forest Farm & School Maple Weekend: 3/18-3/19 www.wellspringforestfarm.com Catskills, New York: Roxbury Mountain Maple Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.roxburymountainmaple.com Vermont: Smugglers’ Notch Resort MapleFest: 3/18 – 4/2 www.smuggs.com/maple Woodstock Village Green Maple Madness: 3/25 – 3/26 www.woodstockvt.com/upcoming-events St. Albans, VT Vermont Maple Festival: 4/28-4/30 www.vtmaplefestival.org Town of Poultney MapleFest Craft Fair: 3/25-3/26 www.poultneyvt.com Sugarhouses Statewide Maple Open House: 3/25-3/26 www.vermontmaple.org/openhouse
DID YOU KNOW over half of the country’s maple syrup comes from Vermont and New York State? Celebrate the maple sugaring season this March at a Maple Weekend, Open House or festival near you via Amtrak, Metro-North, Zipcar or bus! Hudson Valley, New York: Crown Maple at Madava Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.crownmaple.com White Oak Farm + Hilltop Hanover Farm Maple Weekends: 3/18-3/19 & 3/25-3/26 www.whiteoakfarm1.com Soukup Farms Maple Weekends:
EscapeMaker.com will partner with Dutchess Tourism Inc. to run popular Farm Fresh Tours program with Metro-North Railroad through 2017. EscapeMaker.com, NYC’s guide to local getaways since 2000, announced today that it has secured a contract with Dutchess Tourism, Inc. to administer the development and operation of their successful Dutchess County Farm Fresh Tours program through 2017. For 10 years, Dutchess Tourism, Inc. has operated the Farm Fresh Tours program, which offers guided day trips to local farms and producers in and around Dutchess County by providing bus shuttle service to train passengers arriving at Metro-North stations in Poughkeepsie and Beacon, among others. The objective has long been to encourage car-less travelers to hop on a train from New York City and spend a day exploring local agriculture, a driving economic force and way of life in the Hudson Valley. Many Dutchess farms are family-owned and welcome visitors to “pick-your-own” produce, make purchases from their farm stands, or join them during family-oriented festivals. Apple picking, wine making, visiting breweries or learning about cheese making are all examples of agritourism, which supports local farmers and producers. “One of our major focuses for the past several years has been to seamlessly connect the dots between customers eager to learn about where their food comes from and the local farmers who work tirelessly to produce goods to the region,” says Caylin Sanders, founder and CEO of EscapeMaker.com. “Having worked with the amazing team at Dutchess Tourism for 12 years and with our expertise for bringing New Yorkers out of the city to experience the endless offerings of the Hudson Valley, jumping at the opportunity to take over the program was an obvious and organic choice for us. Our missions are aligned.” EscapeMaker.com will continue to offer many of the existing farm and destination itineraries,
EscapeMaker.com will partner with Dutchess Tourism Inc. to run popular Farm Fresh Tours program with Metro-North Railroad through 2017. EscapeMaker.com, NYC’s guide to local getaways since 2000, announced today that it has secured a contract with Dutchess Tourism, Inc. to administer the development and operation of their successful Dutchess County Farm Fresh Tours program through 2017. For 10 years, Dutchess Tourism, Inc. has operated the Farm Fresh Tours program, which offers guided day trips to
Shoppers at GrowNYC’s Union Square Greenmarket will be greeted with a special treat on March 17th, 2017 when EscapeMaker.com, New York’s guide to local getaways and farm escapes, hosts its second annual Maple Fest. The event will run from 10am – 4pm on the north side of the square and will feature maple product samples, dancing maple trees, competing pancakes and more. Attendees will get to taste maple yogurt, maple candy, icy local treat “sugar on snow,” and compare a variety of syrups at a maple tasting bar. The event kicks off the 2017 series of agritourism-themed events designed to promote Greenmarket farmers, producers and winemakers within a day’s drive or train ride of New York City. EscapeMaker will be on hand with general agritourism info on how to visit farms, farm stores, breweries and wineries whether by car, bus, ZipCar, Metro-North Railroad or by Amtrak. Beginning at 10am, market-goers can listen to live music, watch maple-inspired cooking demos, and enjoy free samples of a variety of local maple products from New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. There will also be an opportunity to learn about agritourism getaways through literature and conversations with the representatives from a number of tourism regions. Attendees can find information about Maple Weekends via Amtrak in Vermont, craft beverage trails in the Finger Lakes, charming bed & breakfast stays in the Hudson Valley, Farm Fresh Tours via Metro-North Railroad in Dutchess County, and more. “We’re thrilled to be back for our second year of special agritourism-themed events with GrowNYC,” said Caylin Sanders, President and Founder of EscapeMaker.com since 2000. “Our 2016 events were a huge success in terms of interacting with Greenmarket shoppers, providing agritourism education and inspiring local getaways and vacation packages. We look forward to building upon that enhanced shopping experience – beginning with
Shoppers at GrowNYC’s Union Square Greenmarket will be greeted with a special treat on March 17th, 2017 when EscapeMaker.com, New York’s guide to local getaways and farm escapes, hosts its second annual Maple Fest. The event will run from 10am – 4pm on the north side of the square and will feature maple product samples, dancing maple trees, competing pancakes and more. Attendees will get to taste maple yogurt, maple candy, icy local treat “sugar
It's the sweetest time of the year, EscapeMakers! Every spring for a few short weeks, maple sugarmakers across the Northeast open the doors of their sugarhouses for maple weekends, inviting visitors to discover the sweet flavors and traditions involved in making maple syrup. Between Vermont and New York State, more than half of the country's maple syrup production takes place just a train ride away from NYC via Metro North Railroad or Amtrak! And with the days getting warmer, now is the time to start planning for your escapes to the long list of sugarhouses within reach. Vermont is the nation’s leading producer of maple syrup. Producing over 1.3 million gallons of syrup, Vermont generates 42% of the country’s maple syrup from more than 1,500 sugar houses statewide. In 2014, Vermont produced 1,230,000 gallons of the sweet, sticky goodness. Vermont Maple Open House Weekend takes place this year on March 25-26. The sites and activities at the many sugarhouses in the region range from tours to pancake breakfasts to maple tapping demonstrations to samples of maple syrup, candy, creams and more. Check out some hot spots like Nebraska Knoll Sugar Farm, Corse Maple Farm, or Green Mountain Sugar House...or get the full list of all participating Vermont sugarhouses here and plan your maple weekend escape! New York is second leader in maple production in the USA, following Vermont. In 2014, New York produced 546,000 gallons of maple syrup, which makes up over 17% of the entire country's supply. With locations at approximately 160 farms and museums, Maple Weekend across New York State takes place March 18-19 and March 25-26. Visitors will find sugarhouse tours, free samples, activities and so much more! Check out Roxbury Mountain Maple in the Catskills (Sullivan County), or the Hudson Valley's White Oak Farm (Westchester County),
It’s the sweetest time of the year, EscapeMakers! Every spring for a few short weeks, maple sugarmakers across the Northeast open the doors of their sugarhouses for maple weekends, inviting visitors to discover the sweet flavors and traditions involved in making maple syrup. Between Vermont and New York State, more than half of the country’s maple syrup production takes place just a train ride away from NYC via Metro North Railroad or Amtrak! And with
Dear EscapeMakers — it's apple season in the Big Apple! Come and get your free apples, apple pie, apple cider, cider donuts and more at our special agritourism event: Apple Palooza at the GrowNYC Union Square Greenmarket Friday, September 15th from 10am-4pm! FREE! ALL AGES! Free samples, live music, apples, cider, baked goods and more! Sponsored by the New York Apple Association! Plus, pick up free info from our local travel getaway partner agritourism destinations like Sullivan County Catskills, Amtrak, Westchester County Tourism, NY, Dutchess Tourism, Inc., New York Apple Association, Delaware County, Ithaca and Tompkins County, and more! GrowNYC Greenmarket partners sampling to be announced! Check back for updates in the coming weeks.
Dear EscapeMakers — it’s apple season in the Big Apple! Come and get your free apples, apple pie, apple cider, cider donuts and more at our special agritourism event: Apple Palooza at the GrowNYC Union Square Greenmarket Friday, September 15th from 10am-4pm! FREE! ALL AGES! Free samples, live music, apples, cider, baked goods and more! Sponsored by the New York Apple Association! Plus, pick up free info from our local travel getaway partner agritourism destinations
Looking for a fun day trip or weekend activity with family or friends? Celebrate quintessential summer days at a local county or state fair near you! From now through October, there are ferris wheels to be ridden, giant stuffed animals to be won, and outrageous fried food to be eaten. Check out some of the top fairs near NYC below and plan your trip today! Ulster County Fair, NY 8/2 – 8/7 ulstercountyfair.com New Jersey State Fair, NJ 8/5 – 8/13 njstatefair.org The Vermont State Fair, VT 8/16 – 8/20 vermontstatefair.org Steuben County Fair, NY 8/16 – 8/21 steubencountyfair.org Dutchess County Fair, NY 8/23 – 8/28 dutchessfair.com The Great NY State Fair, NY 8/25 – 9/5 nysfair.ny.gov Little World’s Fair, NY 8/19 – 8/21 grahamsvillefair.com Durham Fair, CT 9/22 – 25 durhamfair.com Long Island Fair, NY 9/24, 25, 30 & 10/1, 2 lifair.org Bloomsburg Fair, PA 9/24 – 10/1 bloomsburgfair.com The Big E, MA 9/16 – 10/2 thebige.com
Looking for a fun day trip or weekend activity with family or friends? Celebrate quintessential summer days at a local county or state fair near you! From now through October, there are ferris wheels to be ridden, giant stuffed animals to be won, and outrageous fried food to be eaten. Check out some of the top fairs near NYC below and plan your trip today! Ulster County Fair, NY 8/2 – 8/7 ulstercountyfair.com