Apple Season Opens Across the Valley This Weekend
Accord, NY · September 6, 2026
Crisp air off the ridge is giving the valley an unmistakable autumn edge today. Take that second cup of coffee out to the porch before the holiday weekend slips away.
The Lead
Friday night marked the checkered flag on the regular points season at Accord Speedway, capping months of modifieds roaring under the lights. As the engines quiet down on Whitfield Road, the valley’s late-summer rhythm immediately hands the baton to the orchards. Saunderskill Farms opened its gates this weekend for the year's first pick-your-own apples, sending families into the rows for early McIntosh and Gala varieties.
For residents along Route 209, this annual Labor Day pivot marks the true dividing line of the local calendar—when Friday dirt-track dust gives way to cider donuts and loaded half-peck bags. Aside from the occasional fall special like November's Gobbler race, the speedway's weekly rumble is done until spring. The orchards, however, are just warming up. Farm stands across the hamlet will be running daily harvest hours through October.
Today's Outlook
- High 73°F · Low 61°F — Overcast
- A cool, cloud-covered Sunday calls for a light layer before heading outside.
What's On Around Town
Saunderskill Farms: U-Pick Apples Saunderskill Farm (5100 Route 209), 8:00 AM–4:00 PM Kick off harvest season with early apples and warm cider donuts.
Kingston: Hooley on the Hudson T.R. Gallo Waterfront Park, 11:30 AM–8:00 PM Three stages of live Irish music and dance along the Rondout.
Sunday Open Skate Skate Time (5164 Route 209), 1:00–7:00 PM Roll through the afternoon with open skating, arcade games, and cafe snacks.
Spotlight & Story
- Gnome Chomsky
- Fabricated in 2006 by Maria Reidelbach and John Hutchison, the 13.5-foot concrete sentry at Kelder’s Farm briefly held the Guinness World Record for the planet’s largest garden gnome. He still greets passing traffic along Route 209 with an unblinking grin.
Accord Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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