Harvest and Hallowe'en at Greenfield Village 2026

~Most do not think of Hallowe'en and Harvest as being a part of each other.

Yet,  it's true.

The pictures in this post were mostly taken either during Greenfield Village's Harvest Weekend or during the Hallowe'en event  (commonly known to most as Hallowe'en Nights,  though the official name is Hallowe'en In Greenfield Village)  You will see images and writings from the 18th and 19th centuries as well. 

"For the ancient Irish people,  the great festival of Samhain was one of the most important festivals of the year.  Usually celebrated around October 31st,  it marked the end of the harvest and the journey into the darkness of winter when the light would grown scarce.  It was also said to be the time when the spirits could pay a visit to the land of the living because the veil between earth and the spirit world was especially thin and permeable.  During this Celtic New Year people would leave their doors open to welcome their ancestors home,  a fire was left burning,  and they would leave out special food and drink to welcome those from the other world."

(click HERE for the Catholic history of this holyday) 

It's  a very wooden feel,  this season of autumn.

True  (click HERE).

Even though I've always loved the Autumn time of year,  and always looked forward to eating the first fresh ear of corn and seeing the first leaves to turn color,  I never fully realized the link between Harvest and Hallowe'en until more recently,  for over the years,  I continued on with my historic research,  and found out quite a bit more than I anticipated. 

It was only natural at early American harvest time gatherings,  in those days of long ago,  when the communities would come together for such harvest time activities as corn-husking parties,  apple paring parties,  the chore of cider making,  sugar and sorghum making days,  and even having thresherman dinner parties. 

So,  as history tells us,  after spending the day harvesting,  including shucking the corn and storing the ears or leaving them on the stalks to dry in shocks before husking,  a fine harvest dinner would be served from and for the farming family and all who helped to harvest.

Oftentimes such activities might take place in or near a cemetery,  and stories,  usually about the ancestral dead buried nearby,  would become an integral part of these autumn celebrations.  Over time,  these stories of people from the past would turn into ghost stories,  with many of our American ghost stories evolving from actual superstitions and rituals practiced by those who lived in the British Isles.

Harvest Moon~~~September 23,  2026

The Harvest Moon does not always occur in September.  Traditionally,  the name goes to the full moon closest to the autumn equinox,  which falls during October once or twice a decade  (this year of 2026,  as noted above,  it was in September).

October 8, 1772:

"John Lake is having a corn husking tomorrow. All the young people of the neighborhood should be there."

"October’s Full Moon is traditionally known as the Hunter’s Moon—a name that reflects the seasonal shift from gathering crops to preparing meat for winter.

Following the Harvest Moon,  fields are typically cleared,  leaves have fallen,  and animals are easier to spot in open landscapes.  At the same time,  game such as deer and other wildlife have fattened up over the summer and early fall,  making this an ideal time for hunting."

I snapped the above Hunter's Moon pic from my  suburban Detroit porch on the night of October 27.  I have corn stalks on my porch - my autumn decor' --- not amazing photography,  I know,  but still pretty cool. 

  

Perhaps the whole ghost thing came about due to early Christian beliefs:
All Saints Day  (originally called All Hallow's Day and is also known as Hallowmass)  falls on November 1st ---and Hallowe'en  (officially known as All Hallow's Eve),  falls on October 31st.  This Hallowtide is a multi-day Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints,  known and unknown.  Anglicans view All Souls' Day,  November 2nd,  as an extension of the observance of All Saints' Day /  All Hallow's Day  and it serves to  "remember those who have died,"  in connection with the doctrines of the resurrection of the body and the Communion of Saints.

If it sounds confusing,  read what I wrote again - for it truly is not.

This is what the sky looked like as we parked the car in the Greenfield Village lot.
Very ominous clouds...but no rain fell on us~~~
The look was very Hallowe'en...

The telling of ghost stories on Hallowe'en derives from both the Druids'  belief that the ancestral dead arise on this night and the Christian directive to honor the souls of the departed at Hallowmas.

These tales of the ancestral dead were told and retold by the elders to a spellbound crowd,  late at night,  after all of the activities were done,  when the moon was fully risen and the trees outside shook with the autumn wind.  That's when people gathered around a fire and told one another tales of the silenced dead lying in graves nearby.   In Celtic beliefs,  as mentioned at the top of this post,  there is a veil,  which is a thin barrier that separates the living from the spirit world.  On Hallowe'en night,  this veil is believed to be at its thinnest,  allowing spirits and ancestors to cross over and interact with the living.

Washington Irving shows such a scene in his Legend of Sleepy Hollow short story from 1820  (and the story itself takes place about 30 years previous).  In this tale,  Ichabod Crane was invited to an autumnal gathering at the home of the wealthy Van Tassel farm,  and later in the evening,  after food had been eaten and dancing was done,  "Several of the Sleepy Hollow people were present at the Van Tassel's,  and,  as usual,  were doling out their wild and wonderful legends.  Many dismal tales were told about funeral trains and the mourning cries and wailings heard and seen near the tree where the unfortunate Major Andre was taken.  Some mention was made also of the woman in white,  that haunted the dark glen at Raven Rock,  and was often heard to shriek on winter nights before a storm,  having perished there in the snow."

"Some mention was made also of the woman in white..."

The colonial farmer of the 18th century relied on his family for labor.  Aside from his crops of wheat,  corn,  squash,  cucumbers,  and other produce,  he also raised cotton,  hemp,  and flax.  It could be argued that of  the four seasons that make up the year,  fall just may have been the most laborious of all,  for there was not too large a window of opportunity to ensure the fruits of the spring and summer labor would all be harvested.  Gathering the yield is what life centered on during the months of September,  October,  and November.

Toward the end of September,  Greenfield Village held their annual Fall Harvest Weekend.  This is my favorite weekend of the year at the Village,  for Harvest time is shown from the 18th century through the early 20th century.

Let's step back to the 1880s first over at Firestone Farm:

Apples were still more for cider than eating.

Cutting up the apples to be mashed.

And here they are,  being pressed/squeezed into cider with the hand press.

In this picture we see fall plowing,  perhaps for the winter wheat to be planted.  Winter wheat,  planted from mid-September through early October,  may be harvested as early as June or as late as September or October of the following year,  depending on the region. 
The red building you see in this photograph is the mid-19th century cider mill.

A couple of Snow Apples on the table near the burning Daggett hearth.
I knew my friend Norm and I would want a snack while at Greenfield Village,  so I tucked them in my linen bag and brought them in for a photo.

Sam Daggett was an apple man.  He had a large orchard and made & sold large quantities of cider,  though I've not heard which variety  (or varieties)  he actually grew,  but you can bet in the 1760s  he did not grow Honeycrisp or Cortland or even McIntosh.  Those varieties came later  (Honeycrisp was developed in the 1960s -- Cortland are from the 1890s,  and McIntosh were from either the 1790s or the 1810s,  depending on which book you read).  How ever,  the Snow Apple,  also known as Fameuse,  was a very popular variety at that time,  and it could very well had been  'his'  apple.  "The Snow Apple was celebrated for its tender, crisp,  sweet flavor,  subtle strawberry aroma,  and its stark,  beautifully bright-white flesh."

It is my high hope that one day my dream of seeing a small collection  (or orchard)  of heirloom apple trees near the Daggett Farm House and being historically utilized will come true.

Handing a Snow Apple to Norm.

Some experts trace the variety back to the 1600s in France,  while others believe they were originally developed from French seedlings in Canada.  These fruits were first recorded in Canada and the United States in the 1700s.  Snow apples were cultivated in England in the 17th century and soon spread to America, becoming a popular food for settlers.  The Snow Apple was popular in Connecticut,  where the Daggett house originally stood,   particularly during the 18th century when it was widely cultivated.

Colonial beer brewing was an important task.  In fact,  there are hops growing behind the Daggett House for the specific purpose of brewing beer.

Hops for beer brewing.

While wild hops already grew across North America,  European settlers brought their own cultivated varieties for brewing.

A close up of the hops growing in the Daggett kitchen garden.

Richard Pillatt,  social historian from Camden,  New Jersey,  tells us a story of beer's importance in our history:

"After we announced  (that we were doing a historic beer-brewing demonstration)  this summer,  I was in a nearby restaurant eavesdropping on some people who were discussing our publicity,  and one of them asked the other,  'what does BEER really have to do with history?'  Well,  in terms of daily life in 18th-century Camden County,  one word easily answers that question:  'Everything,'  I said.  Beer played a central role in the social,  economic and political life of almost all our regional ancestors.  It provided daily nutritional sustenance,  it was made from the crops that they grew and bought and sold in huge quantities,  and it was the key lubricant in the networks of local taverns that were the culture's primary social and political venues."

Beer brewing at the Daggett Farm House.

Although there were those who drank to get drunk  (just like in our modern 21st century),  most in the colonial times drank beer because it was healthier than water.  They did not necessarily drink to get inebriated.

With that being said...along with apple cider,  ale and beer were major dietary staples in the colonies.  Literally everyone partook.  It was the common item which spanned generations,  from cradle to grave;  everyone drank beer or cider:  women and men,  farmers,  laborers,  merchants,  lawyers,  and craftsmen.

You would think they would all be drunk,  according to our modern manner of thought,  but beer was mostly just another beverage for health's sake.  Alas,  they were quite sober.   Much more sober than the false information that is spread around in current times.  

I'm just trying to correct another myth...

Every fall we can be a witness to 18th century beer brewing.
The brewers go through each step of the process,  and speak of the ingredients used.

Though I spy the hops in the upper right corner,  the rest of the ingredients displayed I cannot,  with any kind of  certainty,  name.

During harvest weekend at the Daggett Farm House there are activities both outside...

...and inside where we see cooking utilizing fall ingredients such as apples.

There was also wool dyeing,  a week after the harvest presentation.

They used to do it all at Daggett,  but it's been at the McGuffey Cabin this year.

To be honest,  I believe it works better at Daggett.  Well,  at least they're showing it.

Looks like the ladies are discussing the process.

All natural dyes are used,  which will be noted in the photos below.

Each colored skein is tagged with the ingredient that gave it its color.

My wife and I used to watch in awe...now she does it in the same manner.

Look at the vibrancy!

It is a wonderful presentation.

Our colonial ancestors lived in a colorful world.

But Greenfield Village also shows Hallowe'en traditions,  both old and new.  In fact,  for a couple of years they intertwined the holiday with the harvest.  The problem was the visitor had to have a separate Hallowe'en ticket to enjoy the Harvest,  which had always been free to members.  And the presenters did not show nearly as much.   So,  in that respect,  I'm glad the Village went back to their old way of showing the harvest separately,  which is actually my personal favorite weekend of the year.

As the sun began to set on Peter's Field at Firestone Farm.

Traditional holds about Jack-of-the-lantern  (Stingy Jack)  and how he made a deal with the devil not to take his soul.  According to one version of the story,  when Jack died he was too sinful to go to heaven,  and the devil had already promised not to take his soul.

So Jack had nowhere to go.  When he complained to the devil that without light,  he couldn’t see where to go,  the Devil gave him an ember from the flames of Hades to guide him in the darkness of the afterlife.

Jack took a turnip,  his favorite food,  carved it into a lantern and put the ember inside it.  With his lantern ready,  he began to wander in search of a resting place endlessly.

Besides the ritual bonfires  (meant to ward off evil spirits)  that are lit on this day,  mumming and guising  (trick-or-treating)  were also rituals performed during Samhain.

The traditional illumination for guisers or pranksters abroad on the night was provided by turnips or mangel wurzels,  hollowed out to act as lanterns,  lit with coal or a candle,  and often carved with grotesque faces.

Turnip lanterns usually represented supernatural beings and were used to chase evil spirits.  Guisers used them to scare people,  while in some cases they were set on windowsills to guard homes against evil.

I plan to carve a turnip one year.
I think they look very cool and period.

Irish immigrants brought the jack-o’-lantern custom to North America.  Here,  turnips were slowly replaced by pumpkins to make the iconic Halloween decorations,  and eventually became the plant of choice.

According to folklore researchers,  the original story and the tradition of making Jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween come from Ireland.

In the United States,  the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general before it became a symbol of Halloween.  In fact,  it was in 1895 when an article on Thanksgiving entertaining recommended giving a lit jack-o'-lantern as a child's prize in Thanksgiving games.  The poet John Greenleaf Whittier,  who was born in Massachusetts in 1807,  wrote the poem  "The Pumpkin"  (1850),  which mentions Thanksgiving but not Halloween:

"Oh!—fruit loved of boyhood!—the old days recalling,

When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!  When wild,  ugly faces we carved in its skin,

Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!"

However,  the carved pumpkin lantern's association with Halloween is recorded in the  November 1st,  1866 edition of the Kingston,  Ontario Daily News:

"The old time custom of keeping up Hallowe'en was not forgotten last night by the youngsters of the city. They had their maskings and their merry-makings, and perambulated the streets after dark in a way which was no doubt amusing to themselves. There was a great sacrifice of pumpkins from which to make transparent heads and face, lighted up by the unfailing two inches of tallow candle."

Over the past few years,  Greenfield Village has taken it upon themselves to improve the Hallowe'en event.  Years ago,  visitors simply followed a pumpkin-lit path through a portion of the Village and had trick-or-treat stops for the wee ones.  But ever since Covid,  they changed the event drastically - gave it nearly a complete revision,  of which I am personally happy about.  Instead of following a path,  Greenfield Village opened up for visitors to pretty much roam throughout freely to witness and enjoy a much larger variety of activities for young and old.  For the past couple of years they have been working on turning the Liberty Craftworks area into the Village of Sleepy Hollow.

~Most of my family,  as we strode toward the makeshift Sleepy Hollow~
"This road leads through a sandy hollow,  shaded by trees for about a quarter of a mile,  where it crosses the bridge famous in goblin story, and just beyond swells the green knoll on which stands the whitewashed church."

Taken the night we visited for the Hallowe'en event.

Now,  for the most part,  it is Sleepy Hollow in name alone.  Buildings named after those from the original Sleepy Hollow village in New York State.  However,  there is more to it than meets the eye,  as you shall soon see...

A couple of weeks before our Hallowe'en visit.

What kind of town would be without a tavern?
None that I can think of,  for taverns were everywhere in towns and villages of the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the same manner that bars are today..

The Spofford Saw Mill was originally built in the late 1600s.  However,  it is to my understanding that much of its original structure has been replaced over the years.

And for Sleepy Hollow,  it has been renamed---just for the few weeks.

The pumpkin in the upper window.

This was turned into an old-time tavern called Stark Tavern.  Taverns were often located in central areas,  providing a space for community gatherings,  business dealings,  and lodging and food n drink for travelers.

Adult beverages were sold and served.

And,  yes,  Stark Tavern is an original part of Sleepy Hollow.

But not this  Stark Tavern.

This is one for Greenfield Village.

Stark's Tavern is associated with Sleepy Hollow as it is one of the historic taverns in the area,  known for its connection to local folklore and ghost stories.

The tavern is part of the legends surrounding Sleepy Hollow,  particularly those popularized by Washington Irving's writings.

This Tripp Saw Mill is from 1855.

Each window with a pumpkin head.

The Fairfield Rice Mill was built in 1787,  though it is now in use as a pottery shop.

However,  for Hallowe'en and Sleepy Hollow they  called it the Storage Publik House.  A publik house was another name for a tavern,  so patrons could get beer,  though this was a publik house in name only---just for aesthetic purposes.

A pumpkin in the lower floor window.

But I like the way they look in the upper wooden window frames.

Next we have the Weaver's Shop,

This building,  which now houses historic weaving and textile machines such as looms and spinning wheels,  was originally built in 1840.

For Hallowe'en,  it was renamed the Morin Apothecary.

Apothecaries were both pharmacists and general medical practitioners. 

Again,  it was an apothecary in name only for the Sleepy Hollow scenario.

Again,  looking into the 2nd floor window...another pumpkin!

The glass blowing shop was also renamed for the event to the Wiseley Forge.

There was also a professor who could help those afraid keep the goblins and spirits away,  including The Headless Horseman.

For the past few years my wife and I have been treating our family to this Hallowe'en event.

They must like it---they keep coming back!

Most of my family - my wife and myself,  our three sons,  our daughter-in-law,  and our six grandkids.
I love  'em every one~

Now we'll head to the print shop.  Did you see what I did there?  lol

And then there was the print shop,  ran on this night by Andy.

Printed right here using an antique printer.
Yes,  both of these prints were printed on a historic printing press right there inside this building.

The free print.

The poster print for purchase.

If you look inside the shop,  you can see two separate prints,  of which I have one of each.

To me these are two fine souvenirs,

of which I also got one for my grandkids

~~~~~~~

So now we'll head over to the gristmill.

The Loranger Gristmill was built in 1832 and was in operation until 1928,  making it in use for approximately 96 years.  As you can see,  this is a water wheel mill.

In  "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,"  Washington Irving describes the gristmill as a quaint and picturesque setting.

And it truly is.

And we see two more pumpkins in the upper windows of the gristmill.

The gristmill not only serves as a significant backdrop in the story,  but also as a place where Ichabod Crane interacts with other characters,  particularly during social gatherings,  which highlights the cultural rural aspects of the setting.  So at Greenfield Village,  it's the Loranger Gristmill where the Sleepy Hollow story of  was wonderfully told.

And our story-teller came out to a full crowd of interested listeners.

If one can hold even young children's attention like this young lady did,  then you know they are good at what they do.

Storytellers in the 18th and early 19th centuries often employed a variety of styles,  blending realism with moral lessons and fantastical elements. 

She was quite animated in her telling of the tale,  including swishing her cloak when describing the autumn winds a-blowing.

The incorporation of fairy tales and folklore became popular,  appealing to both children and adults.

As darkness began to cover the land,  candles were lit inside the structures,  including the gristmill...which is characterized in the story by the  "burble and rush of the water over the wheel."

To hear such a story be told in such a manner,  an autum ritual was carried on,  for it was at Sleepy Hollow's Van Tassel farm autumnal gathering,  as part of many evening gatherings back in those early American days,  stories were told.:

"The chief part of the stories,  however,  turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow,  The Headless Horseman,  who had been heard several times of late,  patrolling the country;  and,  it was said,  tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the church yard."

Greenfield Village certainly does especially well with their depiction of  Washington Irving's  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,  for it was after hearing the Sleepy Hollow story,  we stepped over to the Firestone Farm field,  renamed the VanTassel Farm,  to watch for Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman to bring the pivotal moment - the highlight - of the tale to life right before our eyes.

This is the part of Firestone Farm known as Peter's Field.
But for Hallowe'en in Greenfield Village,  it becomes the VanTassel farm.

Now,  just so you know,  in Irving's story,  Ichabod did not meet up with the Headless Horseman at the VanTassel farm,  but,  rather,  in the surrounding wooded area.  For the event at Greenfield Village,  it works out best in the farm field manner.

From the gristmill porch,  I was able to capture the moment when the Headless Horseman chased Ichabod Crane down the dirt pathway.

It was due to hearing the story being told that our grandkids enjoyed this even more this year as well.

Even though it wasn't very dark out yet,  it was still a cool Hallowe'en site to see~

Ichabod spots the Headless Horseman~!~

Toward the gristmill!

And off they rode until next time.

They did a much better scenario/presentation than last year,  in 2025.

"All the stories of ghosts and goblins that he had heard in the afternoon now came crowding upon his recollection.  The night grew darker and darker;  the stars seemed to sink deeper in the sky, and driving clouds occasionally hid them from his sight." 

Here are a few souvenirs from this celebration:

Here is the program handout.

The front of this year's shirt.

The pottery plate I purchased.

It was in,  I believe,  2020 or 2021 when Greenfield Village began utilizing their steam locomotives for this event.  To many,  it is the highlight of the night.  I think it to be top notch!

"Enhance your visit with add-on experiences like the Hallowe'en Express,  a fan-favorite train ride that winds along a ghoulish and surprising journey through Greenfield Village."

Off to the train depot~~~

Brimstone Station  (aka Smiths Creek Depot)

Aboard the train we all went - cramming all of us onto two and a half bench seats.

My son and his nephew.

As we pulled out of the station...we saw a hobo...

We also rode behind the roundhouse where the steam locomotives are kept over night.

Taking the night train into the woods with its headlight and candlelit lanterns guiding the way is my favorite part of the evening ride.

It would not be a harvest holiday without a farm!

The lasers inside the Ackley Covered Bridge were very cool,  though I must admit I like the fog machine they used to have a little better,  with a recording of hoofbeats galloping across..

The moon shone brightly on the night we were here,  so I did my best to capture it.

The Daggett Farm House looking eerie...from a distance...

The Giddings House also looked rather spooky.

I took this with my phone's camera.  It tends to gather every bit of light and fully expand on it.  This would have actually been a cooler photo if it was more like what I saw in the dark.

As we left the Village for the parking lot,  I snapped a final photo for the night.

Ghost sightings seem to have been around since civilizations began.  From what I've read, there are numerous references to ghosts in Mesopotamian religions – the religions from the earliest times and places such as Sumer,  Babylon,  Assyria,  and other early states in Mesopotamia.  Traces of these beliefs survive in the later Abrahamic religions that came to dominate the region.  The concept of ghosts may even predate many belief systems.  Ghosts were thought to be created at time of death,  taking on the memory and personality of the dead person.

But,  since I've come to learn and understand that Harvest and Hallowe'en truly have a strong connection - that Hallowe'en was not necessarily originally about spooks and witches and goblins - and when I intersperse it all with Catholicism practices,  I now look at the Hallowe'en Holiday/Holyday with a different mindset.

Until next time,  see you in time.

Now,  a short history of Greenfield Village's Fall Harvest/Fall Flavors weekends:

The original Fall Harvest Weekend ended with the 2005 season,  but,  like very recently,  after many complaints,  was brought back in 2010 under the guise of Fall Flavors Weekend.  That lasted through the 2019 season.  From 2020 through 2024,  it was shelved once again.  More complaints from many of us,  which brought it back this year of 2025,  thankfully.

I've written many blog posts about their harvest weekends over the years,  though I have nothing on the earlier ones.

For further information on Hallowe'en's history,  click HERE

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2012

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2013

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2014

Fall Colors at Greenfield Village 2014

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2015 

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2016

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2017

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2018

Fall Harvest/Flavors at Greenfield Village 2019

In search of Autumn Past at Greenfield Village 2022

Fall and Harvest at Greenfield Village 2023

Fall and Harvest at Greenfield Village 2025

HERE is also a history of Autumn in the 18th century

Hallowe'en's history  click HERE

~~~~~~~~~~~