On Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8, Vernon runs two seasons at once. Heaven Hill Farm holds the final two days of its Great Pumpkin Festival, with the farm market open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. A few miles away, the Mountain Creek Ski Swap fills South Lodge with winter gear to sell or swap. The fall calendar ends and the winter calendar begins on the same weekend.
That weekend changes how the rest of the month looks. The weeks around it are the handoff, and each event has a fixed date. Here's how the sequence runs from Halloween weekend to Thanksgiving morning.
Halloween Weekend Wraps Up the Mountain's Fall Season
Mountain Creek stretched its 4th Annual Fall Fest this year with two dates marked "NEW!" on its schedule. Saturday, Oct. 31, runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the shortest Fall Fest day of the season. The festival includes Sky Rides, a mountain coaster package, pumpkin activities and guided hikes.
Halloween itself mixes fall and winter. The Trick or Creek Jump Jam runs at Lower Dominion from noon to 3 p.m. on Oct. 31, followed by an after-party at the Biergarten. Participation is free for all participants. Mountain Creek also lists its Last Run Down for Nov. 1, the same day Fall Fest ends.
The night before, Friday, Oct. 30, the Hession Foundation holds its first Unmasking Hope masquerade gala at Red Tail Lodge. The cocktail reception starts at 6:30 p.m. The Hession Foundation shows up again later in the month, which ties the resort's fall and winter events together.
Families have another Oct. 30 option. Vernon Recreation's official calendar lists Trick-or-Trail that evening from 4 to 7 p.m. The recreation news page shows a different date, so go by the calendar entry.
The Farm Season Runs One More Week, on a Short Harvest
After Fall Fest ends, the farms keep going. Heaven Hill Farm's Great Pumpkin Festival season runs from Sept. 12 to Nov. 8, 2026. The calendar lists Nov. 1, Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 as festival days, each with farm market hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For one week after the resort's fall event ends, Heaven Hill carries the season alone.
This year's harvest is thinner than usual. Pochuck Valley Farms, the market and deli at 962 McAfee-Glenwood Road in Glenwood, says a late-April freeze destroyed 99 percent of its apple crop and canceled apple picking for 2026. The farm was established in 1912, and its notice says this is the first time in 114 years it won't have a crop.
Pochuck didn't close. The farm says it plans to make cider and baked goods from the apples it can pick. Starting in October, it's offering small pumpkins to pick across the street for $6 each, and it's asking people to support the farm by visiting the store. If you're used to an October picking trip on McAfee-Glenwood Road, this year the farm store is the place to go. Pochuck lists Thanksgiving as a closed day and allows service animals only, no pets.
November 7 and 8, Side by Side
On the handoff weekend, the two schedules overlap like this:
| Day | Heaven Hill Farm | Mountain Creek Ski Swap, South Lodge |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, Nov. 6 | Not a listed festival day | Drop-off and sale, 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 7 | Festival day, market 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Sale, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 8 | Final festival day, market 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Sale and pick-up, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. |
If you're selling gear, Friday is the only drop-off window, and anything that doesn't sell has to be picked up by 3 p.m. Sunday. Heaven Hill's market stays open until 6 p.m. on Sunday, three hours after the swap closes. You can do both in one afternoon: pick up your unsold gear at South Lodge first, then head to the farm while it's still open on its last day.
After the Swap, Events Move to South Lodge and Cobblestone Village
Once the farms close for the season, Vernon's calendar shifts to the resort base area.
- Ullr Fest, Saturday, Nov. 14. The resort holds its annual Ullr Fest for passholders at South Lodge from 4 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $25, and all ticket proceeds go to the Hession Foundation. The band is listed as coming soon. The same page explains how to lock in the Vernon resident rate for a 2026/2027 season pass: bring a tax or utility bill and a photo ID. Your ZIP code alone doesn't qualify you. The address has to be inside Vernon Township, because several local ZIP codes cross into neighboring towns.
- Holiday Market, Saturday, Nov. 21. Vernon Township's Annual Holiday Market is at Cobblestone Village at Mountain Creek from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with local vendors, food, music and holiday shopping. That time comes from the township's Oct. 16 announcement. Mountain Creek's own Holiday Market page lists an 11 a.m. start, so plan on 10 if you want first pick of the vendor tables.
- Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K, Thursday, Nov. 26. Vernon Recreation's calendar entry lists 7 to 10 a.m. The recreation news page lists 8 to 10 a.m. If you're registered, confirm the start time with Vernon Recreation before race morning.
December is still open on the township side. Vernon Recreation lists Quiet Time with Santa and the Tree Lighting with dates still TBD. On the resort side, Mountain Creek's season pass page confirms both 2026/2027 passes are reservation-free, and the Value pass blacks out Dec. 24 to Jan. 3, Jan. 16 to 18, and Feb. 13 to 16.
Two New Places for the Weeknights Between
The handoff weekend is busy, and the weeknights around it are quiet. Vernon got two new places this fall to fill them.
The Fox and Bear Bed and Breakfast has a new owner, Denise Falco, and its café has reopened as the Mossy Owl. The Advertiser News North reported a soft opening on Oct. 1 and 2 and a ribbon cutting on Oct. 3. Former employee Denise Jurewicz is back as café manager. The specialty drinks are named after local places: the Vernon Valley Latte, the Pochuck and the Wawayanda Cold Brew. Falco told the paper:
"The café will be local and community driven."
The B&B's Chandelier Room will also serve as a gathering space for local meetings and events, according to the same report.
In McAfee, the McAfee Yarn Shop held its grand opening on Oct. 3 at Colonial Plaza. Advertiser News North reported that the shop sells yarn and craft supplies, offers classes and hosts weekly social stitching nights. A weekly stitching night is a good fit for the dark early evenings between the end of foliage season and the first ski day.
Earlier Hours at Wawayanda
Hiking changes in November too. Wawayanda State Park switches to winter gate hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 1, and they stay in place through March 31. The park page also says hunting is allowed in designated areas and links to the park's hunting map. Statewide, NJDEP's 2026–27 hunting digest lists permit muzzleloader deer season dates of Nov. 23 to 25, Nov. 27 and Nov. 30. Check the park's hunting map before you plan a late-November loop. The DEP page is the official source on where hunting is allowed.
The Werner Group tracks Vernon's handoff from farm season to ski season when we price and market homes here. If you're curious what yours is worth heading into ski season, Get Your Free Home Valuation.
