An AUsome LifeIn pursuit of the Good New England Life
The journalWarren, Rhode IslandA Halloween family field note
A young boy at a farm Halloween gathering holds white skeleton glasses in front of his eyes, with a cookie in his other hand.
Skeleton glasses. Cookie in hand. Not a bad way to start a Halloween story.

A family afternoon at Frerichs Farm

Halloween,
farm style.

A cookie, some spectacular skeleton glasses, corn to sift—and a farm that made a special Halloween invitation to autistic families.

An AUsome Life · Published October 7, 2026
From an earlier family visit

Some photographs bring back a whole afternoon. These are the ones with a yellow Black Panther shirt, a bit of Halloween mischief, and the three of us sitting close together in the October sunshine.

They were taken at Frerichs Farm in Warren, Rhode Island. They still make me smile.

Opened from the family album

A little skeleton
and a lot of personality.

The Halloween glasses deserve their own place in the album. White plastic bones frame a tiny skull, held up in front of one eye. A cookie is being kept very firmly in the other hand. The shirt is bright yellow, and absolutely none of the photograph looks like it needed organizing by an adult.

Behind him, people are sitting under a big tent. The grass is green, the light is lovely, and it is the kind of unplanned photograph that ends up meaning more than the ones we spend ten minutes trying to pose.

For us, these little moments are the story. Not how many attractions we did, or how much we fitted into an afternoon. Just the part we actually enjoyed.

A young boy pours sand from a paper cup over a tabletop activity with corn kernels and a small wooden sifting frame.
Pour, sift, watch, repeat. A good activity does not have to hurry.
Two adults and their young son together in the sunshine during an outdoor farm visit, with bright orange ride rails behind them.
All three of us together in the autumn sun.

A small activity, a real memory

There was a table
full of sand and corn.

The sifting station was a wonderfully simple thing: a shallow tabletop, scattered corn kernels, a wooden screen, and a paper cup for pouring. It offered something to do with your hands and something interesting to watch happen.

I love that we kept a picture of it. Sometimes the most absorbing stop of the day is not the grand attraction. It is an ordinary little activity that makes sense immediately, with no instructions required.

The invitation that mattered

Connor’s Halloween Party.

Frerichs Farm has hosted a special gathering called Connor’s Halloween Party, created for people on the autism spectrum and their families. It has been offered free of charge, with an RSVP, as a chance for families to enjoy some autumn fun together.

That intention is part of why I wanted this farm in our family journal. A place can have pumpkins, wagons, treats and games, but there is something extra meaningful about an event that deliberately says to families like ours: this day is for you, too.

Previous descriptions of the party mention activities such as the Western Town, pirate ship, bubbles, a scavenger hunt, a bouncy house and food. Activities can change by year, and a designated autism event is not a guarantee that every sound, surface or crowd will suit every person. Still, the invitation itself matters.

A note on dates: Despite being a memory from an earlier visit, this is not necessarily a discontinued event. Frerichs Farm listed Connor’s Halloween for October 3, 2026 (rain date October 4). That date has passed; check the farm’s official party page and calendar for any future celebration and RSVP details.

In the middle of it all

Three of us,
a patch of sun.

We took several family selfies, and not one needed to be perfect. In one, our son looks away from the camera. In another, he turns toward us. The sun makes its own plans.

We were there together. That is the picture I wanted to keep.

The bright orange railings behind us, the blue jackets, the rows of white tents in the distance—those details make this feel like a specific day, not just a generic autumn outing.

A candid family selfie in which a child looks to the side while two adults smile beside him on a sunny farm day.
A second photograph from the same few sunny minutes.

Little pieces of the day

The camera kept rolling.

There are a few short videos from the farm ride, too: a look at the tractor, an orange railing against the sky, and the happy disorder of everybody trying to get a view. I am keeping them here with the photographs, because sometimes a moving picture brings the whole place back.

A view from the orange-railed farm ride.
The tractor, heading out in the sunshine.
One more moving piece of our afternoon.
Open another photograph from our Halloween album
A candid side-angle view of an adult in dark sunglasses and a child, with sunbeams and orange farm ride rails overhead.
The sun was not going to be subtle that afternoon.
The young boy holds Halloween skeleton glasses and a cookie beneath an outdoor event tent.
One more look at those wonderful glasses.

For a visit of your own

Frerichs Farm, at your pace.

Frerichs is a family-run nursery and seasonal farm on the Kickemuit River, with fall activities, pumpkins and events. Our photographs are from an earlier visit; please check what is offered now rather than treating an old family album as this year’s schedule.

Open directions to Frerichs Farm ↗

Confirm event parking, check-in and any separate party arrival instructions with the farm.

Find the special party

Connor’s Halloween has been a free, RSVP-required event for autistic individuals and their families. Check for the next date, party size rules, registration confirmation, age guidance and any rain-date arrangements.

Connor’s Halloween page ↗

See what is on this autumn

Frerichs also lists seasonal farm activities and its annual giant pumpkin weigh-off. Check which activities are included in general admission and which require a separate fee or registration.

Farm calendar ↗

The useful details

A little planning makes
room for the good part.

Ask about the ground underfoot.

Our photos show outdoor grass and a sandy play station. Ask about the route from parking to activities, wet-weather surfaces and any firm or step-free alternatives for strollers, wheelchairs and visitors who prefer steadier footing.

Ask what the ride actually involves.

If the tractor or pumpkin ride is operating, ask about loading, how long it lasts, how loud it may be, seating and whether someone can choose to watch instead. Previewing a short video can help make the sequence more predictable.

Find the quiet route out.

Outdoor events can still have crowds, music and unexpected noises. Ask whether there is a less busy arrival time, room to step away, and a straightforward route back to the car if a break is needed.

Plan communication and care needs.

Keep familiar communication supports close, with a simple way to say “more,” “break” or “finished.” Ask about restrooms, accessible facilities, food options, supervision requirements and any other practical support your family needs.

These are planning questions, not verified statements about current accessibility accommodations or sensory provisions. Please check directly with Frerichs Farm before visiting.

Before you go

The small, sensible list.

The photograph I come back to is still the one with the cookie and the skull glasses. There is no grand lesson in it. Just a child having an October afternoon his own way, and a place that thought about welcoming families who are not always included in the usual invitations.

I'm glad we went. And I'm very glad we kept the photographs.

Family photographs and three short home videos from an earlier visit; exact visit date not supplied. Farm address, telephone number, and Connor’s Halloween information checked against the official farm website October 7, 2026. Activity descriptions and accommodations should be confirmed for any future event.