The Best Fall Day Trip From Bennington, Manchester, and Springfield: Liberty Ridge Farm Is Closer Than You Think

Families in Bennington and Manchester, Vermont and Springfield, Massachusetts have a genuinely outstanding fall day trip within easy reach, and it is one that a lot of people in the region haven't found yet.

Liberty Ridge Farm in Schaghticoke, NY is about 45 minutes from Bennington, roughly an hour from Manchester, and around an hour and a half from Springfield. For a full-day fall festival experience, those are very manageable drives, and what's waiting at the other end makes every mile worth it.

The Liberty Ridge Farm Fall Festival runs September 12 through November 1, 2026 at 29 Bevis Rd. in Schaghticoke. For families with kids ages 3 to 10, this is one of the most complete fall farm experiences in the Northeast. One admission ticket covers 50+ farm activities, pumpkin picking via trolley ride to the patch, live farm shows, farm animals, and the 11-acre corn maze that becomes the centerpiece of the day for kids 6 and up.

Here's how a day trip from Bennington or Manchester works well: the farm opens mid-morning, so a 9am departure from Bennington or a 9:30 departure from Manchester puts you at the farm shortly after it opens, ahead of the crowd. You have the whole day to work through the maze, the barnyard, the shows, and the patch. The Barnyard Grill serves food on-site, so no need to pack a cooler. You're back home by dinnertime with a pumpkin in the trunk and photos your family will look at again and again.

From Springfield, the drive crosses through some of the prettiest fall foliage corridor in the Northeast, making the trip itself part of the experience during October. A Saturday or Sunday morning departure with a stop for coffee before you hit the highway puts you at the farm by late morning with plenty of time ahead of you.

For families using the Punch Card add-on, the gem mining, train ride, pumpkin shooters, and animal feed cone give kids in the 3-to-10 range the kind of small, specific victories that make the day feel extra full.

Tickets are not locked to a specific date, so you can buy in advance and choose your fall Saturday or Sunday when the weather and schedules align. Everyone ages 3 and up needs a ticket; children 2 and under are free.

Get tickets and plan your day trip at libertyridgefarm.com/things-to-do/fall-festival.