Harvest Nights at Newfields

Every year, my friends and I go to Harvest Nights, but this year my fiancé and I decided to make it a special Halloween double date! As always, we loved the spooky pumpkin decor--there are literally hundreds of pumpkins all around, and they do such a great job setting the spooky mood. While they pretty much keep things the same every year, it's still a wonderful fall activity that never gets old.Since it was Halloween, they had one of the main museum halls open with a DJ spinning 90's to early 2000's music, which was a good time! They also had a best costume contest (we didn't participate, but it was fun to watch), some great vendors like Uncle Nearest whiskey and a gin sampling station. There was a booth offering spooky cocktails with the spirits being sampled, which was a nice touch. We grabbed the spiked apple cider with Uncle Nearest bourbon, and let me tell you, it was divine! As millennials, of course we had to hit up the photobooth. One of the coolest additions this year was the spooky decor at the Lilly House--something we hadn't seen before since we typically visit during the regular or Christmas seasons. It really added to the night!Overall, we had a great night and loved the Halloween twist on this event. If you're looking for a fun and festive fall activity, Harvest Nights is always a great choice.

One of my favorite Newfields visits each year is Harvest Nights. The weather is not too yucky and the pumpkins and decorations are awesome. I love walking through the grounds and seeing how many hummingbirds I can find carved into the pumpkins. My mother loved hummingbirds. But the other carvings are great too. The Lily House is decorated with Halloween decorations as well and, as long as it's not too crowded in there, I like to take my time and really take it in and maybe get some ideas too. Outside of the Lily House is a video displayed on the front of the house. There are some nights too where they have trick or treating for the kids, and adults if you want to partake. It takes about 1.5 hours, unless you're a fast walker and not a looker. :) Don't forget to stop by the gift shop after.

It was a fun and festive event. Probably better for kids. I probably wouldn't pay to go again but it was cute and entertaining. But a lot less to do/ see than we expected.

Newfields is getting better and better at these seasonal types of events. While the event is called Harvest Nights, rest assured that there's a strong emphasis on Halloween and this is not simply some Fall festival of sorts.If you know the Newfields setting, then you already know that it's really a pretty cool location for this type of event with historic areas, lots of greenery, and a ton of room to place displays. During Harvest Nights, you wander through thousands of glowing jack-o-lanterns in the Garden on the "Pumpkin Path of Peril." You can feel the Ghost Train, see Three Graces during a party at Mischief Manor (projected on Lilly House's facade), and join a party actually inside Lilly House. There's even a premiere level for the event that will provide access to Lilly House's second floor (which has never been opened for public). As is always true for Newfields events, snacks and beverages are available (for purchase) with sponsors such as Elysian Brewing, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Hotel Tango, Just Pop In!, and Half Liter. Parking can be a mess during prime times as this has become a very popular event. Accessibility is good, though not what I'd consider great. This is particularly true with the premium level, though Newfields is pretty good historically at accommodation. A word of note: Non-members always pay more for these events, though special "value nights" actually are priced the same for non-members as members ($15 for youth, 6-17), $24 for adults, $22 for seniors 55+ with premiere package at $44. It's worth noting, however, that the week leading up to Halloween is considered "peak" every single night. So, pricing is the highest. I'd check the website for details, though this is a decent investment for those with families. While some folks do balk at this due to pricing, as a once a year event it's actually pretty cool and I've seldom heard people complain about it. I do wish access was just a notch higher, however, if you're with a companion, loved one, or family you should be just fine and can easily partake in all the major features of the event. As a matter of note, memberships at Newfields are fairly reasonable in pricing. For example, $55 for an individual or $85 for a couple. Newfields has events throughout the year and members ALWAYS get discounts. Access Pass holders should also explore event options as they can differ!

Been here two years in a row now. For repeat customers: lower those expectations as it doesn't change as frequently as I think most of us would hope it would. Many of the same features, small changes. It leads me to suggest going every other year unless this is your jam. When comparing to winter lights, however, I do think Harvest reigns the (pumpkin) king. More diversity in the options of things to see, better flow, all around better experience. Here's to hoping they bring more changes for repeat customers!

Harvest Nights definitely gave what it was supposed to give! It owes me & my family absolutely nothing. We arrived last night, and it was cold...and rainy, but we were determined to have a good time. After we received our bags for Art or Treat, we were checked in and began walking the winding Pumpkin Path of Peril. All of the outdoor artwork and sculptures were illuminated eerily, and it definitely set the tone for our group (ages ranging from 5 years old to 51). Good times were had by all. Once we reached the snack area, we stopped for provisions. Two bags of caramel corn, one Bavarian pretzel, hot cocoa, spiked hot cocoa (super yummy and did its job keeping me warm) and a beer later, we were back on the path. The treat stations were nice, but I think what we enjoyed most were the lighting effects. There were floating apparitions in the trees of the wooded areas. There was an entire show projected onto the front of the Lilly House! And I definitely cannot forget to mention the family-friendly haunted house that was hosted inside. I think my 10-year-old nephew enjoyed that the most out of our spooky bunch.This was good, clean family fun and the kids had a ball. If I were to do this again, I'd pay closer attention to the weather!

Love, love, love Newfields. Have been a member for years. We regularly come to many special events throughout the year. I do feel Harvest Nights is a weaker option, though, compared to many of their other special events. Especially after going two years in a row, I realized just how much was repetition and I was hoping for a few new surprises. The light show projected on the mansion was the same, all the Lily House rooms were decorated (mostly) the same, food options were the same, etc., and some of the spaces were pretty sparsely decorated so you're just walking in the dark (especially towards the end). I don't think Harvest Nights is worth the money unless they do a major refresh each year. Excited for Winter Lights again this year, though!

I've been wanting to check out Harvest Nights for a while. I'm glad I went, but it's not something that I would go out of my way for. It is especially fun on a pretty fall night to grab a few beers and go... but there were a lot of stryofoam pumpkins and I think it was just kinda short for the amount.. we weren't overly impressed. So I'm rounding up from a 3.5 here cuz it's a non profit, and was still fun :)

We made a family visit to Harvest Nights and we're pleasantly surprised to find several new scenes and pleased that some of our old favorites were still there. The weather was decent and it made the trip a little more enjoyable than the rainy day earlier in the day. The worst part was the parking. It probably took about 20 minutes to get into a parking spot. They do have people directing the traffic but it was still very crowded. We had bought tickets for a 7:30 time slot and it was almost 8 before we got parked and waited to get into the ticket scanning area. I guess next time we'll plan to arrive earlier and allow for the traffic. It is definitely worth the trip.

This was my first visit to Newfields during the Harvest Nights and I think it was a pretty enjoyable experience. The parking was directed perfectly, which is something I was a bit worried about since the email prior to your visit asks that you arrive directly on time - no later and no sooner. My friends and I have looked forward to going to this event for a while now, as it's something that we often hear about, but never actually acted on. When first entering, it was pretty laid back but we were definitely under the impression that the first path was everything to it. For the most part, we just followed the crowd and eventually found our way to the rest of the attraction. Unfortunately, these crowded areas also became harder to maneuver because they had the more "intriguing" attractions. I think this is the only gripe I have about the event because of the fact that this can cause a hindrance to your experience. There's some interactive videos played in some areas, and on the sides of the pathways, there's statues and sculptures created by artists, which I think should get a major shout out! At the same time, these things can be hard to see when you're shuffling with the crowd and looking to get out of the commotion. Despite this, the experience still remained pretty positive. The lights were great and I actually really enjoyed the pumpkins with different images and faces. I was actually surprised by the fact that you can't hear any of the traffic nearby as well. It may have been the music and overall chatter that helped drown it out, but that's definitely something I was a little worried about going into the beginning of the experience.