"We're ending fall with a SMASH!" That's how Abma's Farm describes its Giant Pumpkin Drop on Saturday, November 7. A giant pumpkin gets hoisted into the air over the farm at 700 Lawlins Road and dropped at 2 p.m. Entry is free, and the day runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with hayrides, a live band, brats and fall treats. Kids get face painting, slime making and fairy hair by Fairy Braid Bar. Bolero Snort Brewery returns to pour beer for the adults.
After November 7, most of Wyckoff's holiday calendar needs a ticket, a booking or a preregistration, and several events fill up before the day. The farm's own October calendar shows how fast that happens. The Spooky Singalong for Littles with Miss Carly Bubbles on October 28 sold out and now has a waitlist. The holidays will follow the same pattern.
The Last Open-Door Day at the Farm
This fall, Abma's runs on reservations. Fall hayrides and pumpkin picking started September 21 and need advance online booking. The pumpkin patch is reachable only by hayride and can't be reached on foot. New this year, petting zoo admission is sold separately from the hayride, so a family that wants both buys two tickets.
The Pumpkin Drop keeps that ticketing but adds a free front gate. Walking in, watching the drop and listening to the band cost nothing. Hayrides, the petting zoo and pony rides each have their own ticket link, and the farm notes that some activities cost extra. If your plan is a hayride at 1 p.m. and a good spot for the 2 p.m. drop, book the hayride ahead. If you just want to stand in a field and watch a giant pumpkin hit the ground, you can simply show up.
Fall's last ticketed event for little kids lands on Thursday, October 29, with Not Too Spooky Stories at 10 and 11 a.m. Resident storyteller Ms. Kathy reads, kids come in costume, and a treat follows.
Twelve Days Later, the Farm Switches to Holidays
Abma's holiday season starts on Thursday, November 19, before Thanksgiving, with a DIY Holiday Candles night at 6 p.m. Guests make two scented candles and settle in with Tomasello sparkling wine and a charcuterie spread. Booking is required. It's the farm's first adults-first event of the holiday stretch, and if you're planning a night out with friends before the Thanksgiving rush, it's the one to grab.
From there the farm's calendar moves among the Christmas tree rows:
- November 27 and 28: Tree Farm Mini Photo Sessions with Emily Photography, set among the Christmas trees and lights. The farm suggests picking a tree after your session or heading up to the market for hot cocoa and donuts. An "Elf Pass" bought at booking gets your photos back within five days.
- November 27, 28 and December 5: Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Kids can write letters to Santa at the farm or bring one from home for the North Pole mailbox.
- December 8, 9, 12 and 19: Story Time and Photo with Santa. Santa and Mrs. Claus read, tell jokes and lead songs, then pose for photos. It's held in a tent, so dress warmly. Every time slot gets the same story, and the farm recommends it for ages 2 and up.
All three need advance booking. The Thanksgiving-weekend dates are probably the ones to lock in first. Friday and Saturday after the holiday are the only days when both the photo sessions and the Santa visits run at the farm, and that's also when visiting family is most likely to be in town.
The Weekend of November 21 and 22
The Saturday before Thanksgiving is the busiest day on Wyckoff's November calendar. On the same Saturday, two holiday shopping events open their doors a short drive apart.
The Wyckoff Family YMCA holds its 16th Annual Big Holiday Shop on Saturday, November 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 691 Wyckoff Avenue. The Y lists more than 30 vendors, plus free admission and free parking.
On the same day, Grace United Methodist Church at 555 Russell Avenue holds its Christmas Fair, listed on Patch. It has vendors, raffle baskets, an attic treasures table, children's crafts, face painting, and Santa photos from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Families who want a Santa photo before the sessions at the farm should plan around that two-hour window.
One possible order: the Y when it opens at 10, then Russell Avenue in time for Santa at 11. That covers both events before lunch.
On Sunday, November 22, the YMCA hosts its Holiday Tree Lighting Family Event from 3 to 4 p.m. at the same address. It has carols, cocoa, crafts, a short performance and a visit from Santa. It's free, but preregistration is required. Free here doesn't mean drop-in, so register when you sign up for anything else that weekend.
This is the YMCA's own lighting. The Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce runs a separate tradition, Santa Comes to Wyckoff and the Town Tree Lighting at Town Hall, with Santa and his elves, donuts, hot chocolate and giveaways for children. Check the Chamber's events page for this year's date before you build a December weekend around it.
The Season at a Glance
| Date | Event | Where | Free entry? | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 29 | Not Too Spooky Stories, 10 & 11 a.m. | Abma's Farm | No | Tickets required |
| Sat, Nov 7 | Giant Pumpkin Drop, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. | Abma's Farm | Yes | Only for hayrides, petting zoo, pony rides |
| Thu, Nov 19 | DIY Holiday Candles, 6 p.m. | Abma's Farm | No | Yes |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Big Holiday Shop, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Wyckoff Family YMCA, 691 Wyckoff Ave. | Yes | No |
| Sat, Nov 21 | Christmas Fair, Santa photos 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Grace UMC, 555 Russell Ave. | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sun, Nov 22 | Holiday Tree Lighting, 3–4 p.m. | Wyckoff Family YMCA | Yes | Preregistration required |
| Fri–Sat, Nov 27–28 | Tree Farm Mini Photos; Santa photos | Abma's Farm | No | Yes |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Santa photos | Abma's Farm | No | Yes |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Zabriskie House Holiday Open House, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. | Zabriskie House | See township | Not listed |
| Dec 8, 9, 12, 19 | Story Time & Photo with Santa | Abma's Farm | No | Yes |
December 5 Covers Both Sides of the Calendar
The first Saturday of December pairs a booked event with an open one. Abma's has its last Saturday of Santa photos before the story-time sessions take over. The township's 2026 municipal calendar lists the Zabriskie House Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in that same week, and the calendar grid puts it on Saturday, December 5. The township describes Zabriskie House as a landmark built around 1730 that holds Early American furnishings. Confirm the date with the township closer to the day.
A morning Santa photo at the farm and an afternoon at one of Wyckoff's oldest buildings fit easily into five hours. It also makes a good plan for out-of-town guests who have already done the pumpkin patch and the Pumpkin Drop.
Library Hours Change on the Busiest Weeks
The Wyckoff Public Library closes early on Wednesday, November 25, and stays closed Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27. It also closes Thursday and Friday, December 24 and 25, and closes early on Thursday, December 31. The Thanksgiving closure covers the same Friday that Abma's opens its photo sessions and Santa visits. Plan library pickups for earlier in that week.
For year-round favorites to pair with these dates, our Wyckoff weekend guide to farms, shops and nature has more, and the Wyckoff neighborhood page collects our local coverage in one place. If a holiday brunch is part of the plan, Wyckoff's Sunday Mornings Now Come in Two Very Different Moods covers where to go.
At The Reitz Group, we follow Wyckoff's calendar because our neighbors live by it. When the season puts your own plans in motion, whether that's hosting family at the house or wondering what it's worth before the new year, we're glad to help with the same care. Request Your Instant Home Valuation whenever you're ready.
