Kelder’s Farm: A Top-3 Pumpkin Patch and a Catskills Cabin Weekend

Kelder’s Farm in Kerhonkson, Ulster County, was voted the No. 3 pumpkin patch in the country this fall. It is the only New York farm in the top 10 of the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice list published on September 16, and NewYorkUpstate.com picked up the story on October 8. Last year the same list had Kelder’s at No. 9.

Here is why that matters to us: Kelder’s is about an hour from both of our Catskills cabins, and its fall festival ends on Sunday, November 1. That leaves three full weekends and change. Below are the verified hours and prices, real drive times from Hunter and Tannersville, and a weekend that puts the pumpkin on the deck by dark.

What the ranking is, and what it isn’t

10Best lists start with nominations from an expert panel, and readers vote on the final order. That makes this a popularity contest among good farms, not an inspection. Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine, took No. 1, and Devine’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, was No. 2. The 10Best write-up singles out Kelder’s “massive corn maze,” its hayride, the animal barn with Highland cows and goats, and more than 35 farm attractions.

That last part is the honest description. Kelder’s is a family day out, with a jumping pillow, a combine slide, mini golf, a candy cannon and what the farm bills as the world’s largest garden gnome, built around a working farm that grows more than 50 crops. If you want a quiet field and a wheelbarrow, go on a weekday. If you have kids, go on a weekend: the hayride only runs then.

Hours, dates and prices for fall 2026

All of this comes from Kelder’s own site, checked on October 9. The Hudson Valley Fall Festival runs September 12 through November 1. The farm is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Wednesdays, so skip October 14, 21 and 28. Hayrides run on weekends only, the corn maze is fall-only, and the candy cannon fires at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The season closes with the Pumpkin Smash on November 1.

Two things to know before you buy. First, buy online: it is $3 to $5 cheaper per person than the gate. Second, the Pick & Play ticket includes one pumpkin of any size from the u-pick field, so it costs $7 more than Farm Day and saves the trip to the register. The farm market in the big white barn is open without admission if you only want produce, jams or cheese. Outside food and nonalcoholic drinks are allowed, and admission is good all day, so you can leave and come back with your wristband on. Food runs 11 a.m. to about 5:30 p.m., the grill is weekends only through October 31, and the Loading Dock Taproom pours beer, wine and hard cider for those 21 and over.

The drive, measured

From Clove Creek, the route runs south on Route 214 to Phoenicia, east on Route 28 past the Ashokan Reservoir, then south through Olivebridge to Route 209. It is the prettier drive, and Phoenicia is a good lunch stop on the way; our sister site’s Phoenicia field guide has the list. From Blue Heron, the router takes Route 23A down the Kaaterskill Clove to the Thruway and Route 209. On a peak weekend, the Clove is the slow part.

This is still peak week up high. Our Catskills peak foliage guide covers what the October 7 report shows, and Route 28 is one of the better color drives in it.

An hour each way for a pumpkin sounds like a lot. It sounds like less when the drive is the foliage.

A two-night weekend built around the patch

Friday: arrive before dark. Check in, light the fire pit and keep the evening small. Route 214 has little to no cell service, so load your maps before you lose signal.

Saturday: Kelder’s by 10 a.m. Leave the cabin around 8:45. The first hour is usually calmer than midday. Do the corn maze and the hayride first, pick your pumpkin last so you are not carrying it around, and stay for the 4 p.m. candy cannon only if you have kids who will riot without it. Back at the cabin by 5:30.

Saturday night: carve on the deck. Newspaper down, a pot of something on the stove, and the pumpkin lit for the evening.

Sunday: stay close. A walk, a late breakfast in Tannersville or Hunter, and the drive home. If you want a second farm stop, read our apple picking guide after the April freeze first and call ahead. If one long drive per weekend is your limit, our Hunter Mountain fall foliage guide keeps Sunday within a few miles of the cabin.

Which weekend? October 10–12 is the holiday weekend, with weekend prices on Monday, October 12, and the biggest crowds. October 17–18 and 24–25 are the sweet spot. October 31–November 1 is Halloween plus the Pumpkin Smash finale, and it is the last chance of the year. If you can take a weekday, Thursday, Friday, Monday or Tuesday all work. Wednesday does not.

Where to stay: two cabins, one hour out

Clove Creek Cabin in Hunter, NY, is the one for the carving night: two bedrooms for up to four guests, an indoor fireplace, a hot tub, a sauna and a Solo Stove fire pit on the deck, and an outdoor Ooni pizza oven. It is rated 4.95 on Airbnb. Check dates for Clove Creek on Airbnb. For food, trails and the mountain, see the Hunter field guide.

Blue Heron in Tannersville, NY, is a quieter two-bedroom for up to four guests, about a five-minute walk from Tannersville’s restaurants and shops. It allows pets and has a fire pit. If the dog comes along, know Kelder’s pet rule: leashed pets are allowed in the farmyard and the parking lot, but not in the picking fields, the orchard or the farm market, and the farm asks you to leave pets home if you can. Check dates for Blue Heron on Airbnb. The Tannersville field guide covers the walkable part of town.

Juniper Ridge, our tiny cabin in Jefferson, Schoharie County, is coming soon and not bookable yet. Join the Juniper Ridge list to hear when it opens.

More fall reading: our October weekend plan for two works the same pace without the kids, and our Fly Creek Cider Mill day trip covers another readers’ choice winner, voted America’s best cidery. For how the Catskills did on USA Today’s other fall lists, see our Catskills fall comparison.

FAQ

Which New York pumpkin patch made USA Today’s 2026 top 10?

Kelder’s Farm in Kerhonkson, Ulster County, was voted No. 3 in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for best pumpkin patch, published September 16, 2026. It is the only New York farm in the top 10. Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant, Maine, was No. 1. Kelder’s was No. 9 in 2025.

When is Kelder’s Farm open for fall 2026?

The Hudson Valley Fall Festival runs September 12 through November 1, 2026. The farm is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Wednesdays. Hayrides run on weekends only. The season ends with the Pumpkin Smash on November 1.

How much are Kelder’s Farm tickets?

Bought online, Farm Day Admission is $18.95 on weekdays and $23.95 on weekends and Monday, October 12. Pick & Play, which adds one u-pick pumpkin of any size, is $25.95 and $30.95 online. Gate prices are higher. Children 2 and under and adults 80 and over are free, and all sales are final.

How far is Kelder’s Farm from Hunter and Tannersville?

Without traffic, about 1 hour 5 minutes (39 miles) from Clove Creek Cabin in Hunter, NY, and about 1 hour (44 miles) from Blue Heron in Tannersville, NY. Allow more time on fall weekends.