North Salem Fall Events 2026 and What to Know About Route 22

Today, October 12, was the date on the signs. Late last month, variable message signs along Route 22 started flashing it as the start of the culvert replacement at Valeria Circle. A few days later, North Salem News reported that the signs had been turned on "prematurely." According to that report, the state Department of Transportation said a contractor had activated them by mistake and that "a start date for this important culvert replacement project has not yet been established."

North Salem's fall calendar has the opposite problem. Every other date is fixed. Hammond Museum has posted its October and November programs to the hour. Old Salem Farm has its show weekends set through November 29. The library, the land trust and the Community Center have all published their schedules. Only the closure that will shape how people drive to these events has no date.

The closure is expected to last eight weeks or more. If it starts any time from today on, it ends no earlier than December 7. That makes November the part of the calendar most likely to happen with Route 22 closed at Valeria Circle. The rest of October may be the last stretch of normal traffic.

What the State Has Actually Said

One lane at Valeria Circle is already closed because the structure is failing. In September, North Salem News reported that Town Supervisor Warren Lucas called the culvert "collapsing." It carries the road over the stream that flows out of Candlewood Lake. That same report gave a tentative timeline of a full closure within two weeks lasting until the end of November. The October update replaced that timeline, and its only firm line was that no start date had been set.

North Salem News quoted the supervisor's social media post on how much notice to expect:

"They have told us they will be giving us notice of hopefully a few days before the closure. They can't directly control the contractor and the day they start; that is dependent on people, machinery, and other items they need for the job."

The detour has been published. Here is how it works, as described in the October 2 report:

1. Going south from above Valeria Circle. Take Route 22 north to Purdys, Route 116 west into Somers, then Routes 100 and 138 south to Goldens Bridge to rejoin Route 22 south.
2. Getting onto I-684 south. Use Exit 7 in Purdys. Exit 6A in Goldens Bridge is set up for northbound traffic only.
3. Leaving the Candlewood Lake development. Take Valeria Circle to Nash Road, turn right on Route 22, and head south to Goldens Bridge.
4. Going north on Route 22 from below the closure. Take Route 138 to Somers, then Route 100 and Route 116 back to Route 22.

Morris Road and both Valeria Circle entrances onto Route 22 are expected to be closed to through traffic. Local traffic will not be able to turn onto Route 22 from either road in either direction. The reason is the one-lane bridge on Valeria Circle. The state's traffic investigator told the town it "will be unable to support the traffic" from drivers trying to get around the work. In September, the supervisor named the residents most affected by the trip south: Salem Chase off Whip Mill Lane, Pinegrove Drive and Whittier Hills Drive.

I-684 adds to the problem. One northbound and one southbound lane are already closed for repairs. The state plans to move the barriers lane by lane until all six are done. The supervisor said this will push traffic onto Routes 138, 116, 121, 35, 100 and 202 "for quite some time."

The October Dates, While Traffic Is Still Normal

The rest of October holds several events that won't come back until next year.

Outhouse Orchards, at 139 Hardscrabble Road, has three Fall Friday Nights left: October 16, 23 and 30, each from 6 to 9 p.m. The Fall Festival itself ends November 1. It runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The farmers market on Back Street in Croton Falls, which went weekly this year, finished its season on October 10. That makes the orchard the main Saturday food stop in town for the next three weekends.

Saturday, October 24 is the busiest day on the fall calendar:

• North Salem Open Land Foundation's Fall Foliage Hike runs 10 a.m. to noon. The preserve hasn't been announced and will be sent to people who register.
• Old Salem Farm opens its first regional two-day show of the late season, running October 24 and 25.
• At Hammond Museum, an Indian classical music lecture-demonstration and concert runs from 3 to 7:30 p.m., with Indian food and the stroll garden in its autumn colors. A Garba celebration follows from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, or $10 if you also hold a ticket for the 5:30 p.m. concert.

The weekend before, on October 18, Hammond holds "Exhibiting Artists 'At Home'" from 1 to 3 p.m., free with admission.

Two days after the big Saturday, on Monday, October 26, Ruth Keeler Memorial Library at 276 Titicus Road hosts "Spotted Lanternfly: It's here, what now?" from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The talk is a joint program with North Salem Open Land Foundation and Cornell Cooperative Extension. It's also a sign of how far the library has come since spring. As North Salem News reported, the building reopened in early August after six months closed for mold remediation and restoration. A second fundraising phase is meant to pay for flexible furniture and shelving, quiet nooks for study and work, and better audiovisual equipment. Teen Dungeons & Dragons is back on the calendar on October 19 and 26.

On October 27, the town holds a public hearing on proposed improvements to the Pabst Water District.

November Is the Detour Month

If the closure starts this month, it will cover every November date below. If it starts at any point in November, it will cover the dates after its start and run well into December. Only a start after November 29 would miss the list entirely. Either way, November is when the published dates and the closure are most likely to overlap.

The November 4 session deserves a closer look. In September, the town's Highway Department was responsible for putting up the "Road Closed" signs at the Nash Road and Route 22 access points. The town hasn't said what will be on the agenda for "Around Town with Highway." It is, however, the one November date where residents can talk directly with the department handling the local side of this project.

Hammond's Diwali Celebration on November 14 includes diya decorating, henna, Indian dance and music, with vegetarian snacks from Masala Kraft for sale. Along with the October 24 concert and Garba, it makes up a run of Indian cultural programming at the museum this fall. The museum and garden are open April through December, and the 2026 closing day hasn't been posted.

Hardscrabble Road stays busy into the cold months. Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, at 130 Hardscrabble Road, says its Lumina event is "returning November 2026" but hasn't posted exact dates. Until the Fall Festival weekends end, the farm store and taproom are closed to the public on weekends except for festival ticket holders. On weekdays, the store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the cafe 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

How to Track a Date That Doesn't Exist Yet

North Salem News reported the supervisor's promise that the town will "continue to work to provide as much lead time as possible prior to the road closure but want to make sure the date is solid so that any actions at the local level are based on the most accurate information possible." In September, he said he planned to tell Google, which owns Waze, which roads would be off limits. He also warned that "the dates may move a bit." As of today, the town's Alert Center shows no active alerts. That page and North Salem News are where a start date is most likely to show up first, probably only a few days before work begins.

If your fall plans include a November Saturday at Old Salem Farm or an evening at the Community Center, the useful question is which side of Valeria Circle you'll be starting from. If you live north of the culvert and head south often, the late-October weekends may be your last easy trips for a while.

Knowing how a property connects to Route 22, I-684 and the roads around them is part of the local knowledge William Stuart brings to every North Salem conversation, closure or no closure. If you'd like to talk through how this season's road work affects a property you own or are thinking about, schedule a personalized consultation.