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Best Fall Festivals in NYC this Autumn for Families

Try your hand at corn husking and more analog entertainment during the Queens County Fair. Photo courtesy of the Queens County Farm Museum
Try your hand at corn husking and more analog entertainment during the Queens County Fair. Photo courtesy of the Queens County Farm Museum
9/4/22 - By Rosalind Muggeridge

Kick off autumn at one of the season's fun-filled (and mostly FREE) fall festivals in NYC. Top annual fall festival favorites include the Richmond County Fair and the annual Brooklyn Children's Book Fair. There are also some cool under-the-radar events you may not have heard of, including a sweet Honey Fest in Rockaway Beach and an Italian fair in the Bronx that is a lot less crowded than Little Italy's San Gennaro. Mommy Poppins is hosting a little bash in Brooklyn Heights, too!

So, banish the back-to-school blues by hitting one (or more) of these family-friendly fall festivals in NYC, and find more fun on our curated list of the best things to do this September with kids.

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book up quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.

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The Feast of San Gennaro takes to the streets of Little Italy again this September. Photo by Teri Tynes
The Feast of San Gennaro takes to the streets of Little Italy again this September. Photo by Teri Tynes

Top Fall Festivals in NYC this September

14th Annual NYC Unicycle Festival

Various locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens–FREE
Thursday, August 31-Sunday, September 3
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus rolls out its 14th annual NYC Unicycle Festival across New York City, bringing together recreational riders, world-class performers, mountain and off-road unicycle enthusiasts, and mono-wheel vehicle inventors.  READ MORE

West Indian American Day Junior Carnival Parade

Prospect Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, September 2
The streets of Crown Heights fill up with music and culture as the annual Junior Carnival makes its way through Brooklyn. READ MORE

Children's Festival

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 2-Monday, September 4
Aviator Sports Center hosts this Labor Day Children’s Festival, featuring pony rides, bouncy houses, Millions of Bubbles, hayrides, petting farm, selfie stations, hay wagon slide, Milk Katie, a Talking Cow, the Bunny Barn, water mist zones, a playground and more. READ MORE

Richmond County Fair

Richmond, Staten Island
Saturday, September 2-Monday, September 4
An old-fashioned county fair in New York City, the 42-year-old Staten Island tradition features family fun and entertainment for all ages, including circus performers, crafts and rides for the kids, live music, plenty of eats, and contests. READ MORE

40th Annual Queens County Fair

Floral Park, Queens
Friday, September 8-Sunday, September 10
The Queens County Fair is back, and with it, the opening weekend of The Amazing Maize Maze. Step back in time and enjoy pie eating and corn husking contests, hayrides, carnival rides, and midway games. READ MORE

Curtain Up Broadway Festival Celebration

Midtown West–FREE
Friday, September 8-Sunday, September 10
Curtain Up Broadway Festival brings Broadway to the streets in the heart of New York City: Times Square. Stretching between 45th and 47th Streets, the festival includes interactive events and performances that are all live, free, and open to the public. READ MORE

Back-to-School Party on Car-Free Montague Street

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, September 9
Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents host a back-to-school party during Open Streets on Montague, with two full blocks of free kids activities, performances, games, arts and crafts, soccer, dungeon building, Ninja warrior training, face painting, kids' fitness classes, and much more. READ MORE

NYC Honey Fest

Rockaway, Queens–FREE
Saturday, September 9
Now in its 12th year, the NYC Honey Fest celebrates the buzzing pollinators that live in NYC. Enjoy art, food, music, film, kids’ arts and crafts, and a bee-product marketplace. READ MORE

Indieplaza Fest

Midtown West–FREE
Saturday, September 9
A big celebration of independent music, merchandise, and workshops stretches across Rock Center's expansive outdoor plazas and includes a headline performance by Nation of Language, as well as a lineup of up-and-coming artists. READ MORE

Community Day 2023

Lower East Side–FREE
Saturday, September 9
Henry Street warmly invites the community to its annual Lower East Side celebration, Community Day, with live performances from LES Creative People In Action, free food, a bubble show from Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and more. READ MORE

Kew Gardens Community Arts Day 2023

Kew Gardens, Queens–FREE
Saturday, September 9
Kew Gardens dives into fall with a Community Arts Day celebration that includes local music, art experiences for children and adults, and an opportunity to meet some reptiles brought to Kew Gardens by Alley Pond Environmental Center. READ MORE

City Island Fall Arts & Crafts Fair

City Island, Bronx–FREE
Saturday, September 9-Sunday, September 10
Featuring fine art, jewelry, photography, wood crafts, candles, soaps, body care, crochet, face painting and more, the City Island Art Fair hosts 50+ vendors and local businesses displaying their work on the sidewalk from Bay Street to Schofield Street in the center of City Island.  READ MORE

BRIC Hip-Hop Block Party

Downtown Brooklyn–FREE with RSVP
Sunday, September 10
Head to BRIC House for a day of family art-making, musical performances, panel talks, and workshops inspired by the building blocks of hip-hop. READ MORE

Fall Harvest Festival

Manor Heights, Staten Island–FREE
Sunday, September 10
The Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC hosts a fun fall family fest with inflatables, carnival games, crafts, and more. READ MORE

West Side County Fair

Upper West Side–FREE
Sunday, September 10
Summer on the Hudson's biggest event of the season—the West Side County Fair—returns, bringing with it a full afternoon of county fair magic in Manhattan. READ MORE

Ferragosto 2023

Belmont, the Bronx–FREE
Sunday, September 10
The Belmont section of the Bronx hosts the annual Ferragosto festival in the original Little Italy: Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street. READ MORE

Flatiron Jewish New Year Street Fair

Chelsea
Tuesday, September 12
The Jewish New Year's Street Festival is a pre-holiday celebration for young families in Lower Manhattan. Come by for fun music, Kosher food, activities, and shows to celebrate the new year. READ MORE

The 97th Annual Feast of San Gennaro

Little Italy–FREE
Thursday, September 14-Sunday, September 24
The San Gennaro Festival honors Italian-Americans in professional baseball this year with its blocks-long street festival, dubbed the "Feast of all Feasts!" Enjoy food, entertainment, and vendors along Mulberry Street from Houston to Canal. Actress Kathrine Narducci serves as grand marshall. READ MORE

Poseidon Parade

Rockaway, Queens–FREE
Saturday, September 16
Family-friendly and art-centered, this annual march celebrates self-expression, community, and beauty of the Rockaway shore. READ MORE

Making Moves Dance Festival 2023

Jamaica, Queens–FREE
Friday, September 22-Sunday, September 24
For 14 years, Making Moves Dance Festival, presented by JCAL, has served as a platform to promote new, emerging, and underrepresented dance companies. This year presents an exciting lineup of talented dancers and choreographers. READ MORE

Green Thumb Annual Harvest Fair

East Village–FREE
Saturday, September 23
GreenThumb's annual celebration honors thousands of community gardeners and greening professionals across New York City for their work during the season and gives them the opportunity to show off their harvests. READ MORE

NYSoM SuperHero Festival 2023

Ridgewood/Liberty Park, Queens–FREE
Saturday, September 23
NYSoM Fall Blockbuster presents its sixth annual Superhero Festival. The festival features a SuperHero Carnival inside Evergreen Park, character-themed games for prizes, classic arcade games, and meet-and-greets with superheros. READ MORE

Woodlawn Family Fun Day

Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx–FREE
Saturday, September 23
Head out to Van Cortlandt Park for a fun afternoon awash with music, face painting, a helmet giveaway, and more. READ MORE

College Point Street Fair

College Point, Queens–FREE
Sunday, September 24
College Point boasts the only NYC Street fair that offers free rides, including a bouncy house. Games, fair food, and more await. READ MORE

Brooklyn Americana Music Festival

Various locations in Brooklyn–FREE
Thursday, September 28-Sunday, October 1
Americana musicians perform original and traditional songs on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, upright bass, ukulele, and more, spanning a range of genres including country, folk, blues, old-time, bluegrass, and jazz. READ MORE

Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival

Downtown Brooklyn–FREE
Friday, September 29-Saturday, September 30
The Downtown Brooklyn Arts Festival is an annual celebration of the neighborhood's cultural community and the artists, writers, and performers who inspire the borough’s creative spirit. READ MORE

Submerge: NYC Marine Science Festival

Midtown West–FREE
Friday, September 29-Saturday, September 30
The Hudson River Park presents Submerge—a free, two-day science extravaganza devoted to raising awareness about our coastal waters.  READ MORE

Mid-Autumn Family Moon Festival

Lower East Side/Chinatown–FREE
Saturday, September 30
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) with mooncakes, magic, and the Jade Rabbit on the moon! Stop by for an afternoon of storytelling, drop-in arts and crafts, mooncake making, and more. READ MORE

West Side Fest

Various locations on the West SideFREE
Saturday, September 30
Go West, young families, for a daylong celebration of all the West Side has to offer. Participating organizations, including the Atlantic Theater Company, the Whitney, the High Line, and the Joyce provide fun activities for all ages. READ MORE

Brooklyn Book Festival

Prospect Heights–FREE
Saturday, September 30-Monday, October 2
The 2023 Brooklyn Book Festival celebrates its 18th anniversary of presenting free literary programming. This year's fest includes events both in-person and virtual. Kid-friendly programming abounds during Children's Day on Saturday, September 30. READ MORE
Step back in time at the Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park. Photo courtesy of the event
Step back in time at the Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park. Photo courtesy of the event

Family-Friendly Fall Festivals in NYC this October

Harvest Festival

Randall's Island–FREE
Sunday, October 1
The Randall’s Island Park Alliance hosts a free, family-friendly celebration of fall. Enjoy live musical performances from Pete Nater and Associates, plus a Boogie Down Books pop-up shop, and more. READ MORE

48th Annual Atlantic Antic

Brooklyn Heights–FREE
Sunday, October 1
The largest street fest in New York City, the Atlantic Antic, is a mile long and spans four neighborhoods from 4th Avenue to Hicks Street. The fest features more than 500 merchants and vendors and hosts 10 stages of live performers. READ MORE

Little Red Lighthouse Festival

Washington Heights–FREE
TK
Celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse with Urban Park Ranger presentations, readings of The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge children’s book, fishing clinics, live music, food vendors, and activities for the whole family! READ MORE

Sunnyside Gardens Park Annual Oktoberfest

Sunnyside, Queens
Saturday, October 7
Sunnyside Gardens Park transforms its picnic grove into an authentic Biergarten with German-style beer, traditional German food, and live music and entertainment for the whole family. READ MORE

Indigenous Peoples Day

Randall's Island–FREE
Saturday, October 7-Monday, October 9
Head to Randall's Island for a celebration of NYC's indigenous people. This three-day fest includes performances of spoken word, live music, and guest speakers. Food and wares are available for purchase. READ MORE

Fall Fest at the Atlantic Terminal Mall

Downtown Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, October 14
The Atlantic Terminal Mall, Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents host a family festival with arts & crafts, pumpkin painting (take home your own decorated pumpkin), block building, music & more! Kids are encouraged to come in costumes. READ MORE

Festa D'Italia & Motori D’Italia

Silver Lake, Staten Island
Saturday, October 14-Sunday, October 15
Celebrate Italian culture at Staten Island's Casa Belvedere with live entertainment, homemade Italian delicacies, games, rides, crafts, all you can eat contests and a display of exotic cars and motorcycles. READ MORE

Annual Harvest Festival

Upper East Side–FREE
Sunday, October 15
Carl Schurz Park's annual harvest fest packs a punch with plenty of festive fall activities for the whole family. READ MORE

Flatbush Frolic

Flatbush, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 15
One of NYC's largest street fairs, featuring thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors, Flatbush Frolic dizzies up Cortelyou Road with food, games, pony rides, carnival rides, music, and more.  READ MORE

Fungus Festival 2023

Randall's Island–FREE
Sunday, October 15
The New York Mycological Society (NYMS) hosts NYC’s first Fungus Festival, welcoming mushroom-curious amateurs and experts of all ages. READ MORE

CelebraciĂłn Latina

Upper West Side–FREE
Sunday, October 15
Ballet Hispánico celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with Latinx dance, music, art, food, and culture! Festivities include live performances from Ballet Hispánico’s Pa'lante Scholars, free dance classes, live music, and food from local vendors. READ MORE

Open House New York

Citywide
Friday, October 20-Sunday, October 22
This year's Open House NYC once again offers a hybrid of virtual experiences, self-guided explorations, and in-person tours. Enjoy food trucks, pop-up eateries, outdoor activations, and more. READ MORE

Brooklyn Bridge Park's Harvest Festival

Brooklyn Heights–FREE
Saturday, October 21
Celebrate the fall season at the 12th-annual harvest festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park. A fun procession kicks off the event, which includes arts and crafts, storytelling, lawn games, and more—plus BBP's signature pumpkin patch. READ MORE

Carroll Park Fair

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, October 21
The annual Carroll Park Fair returns! Find some bargains and meet your neighbors. Face painting, music, crafts, housewares, art, books, clothes, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and more. READ MORE

Children's Halloween Festival at Bleecker Playground

West Village–FREE
Sunday, October 22
This annual celebration begins with a toddler-friendly costume parade around the nabe to the Bleecker Street Playground, and includes face painting, craft tables, and trick-or-treating. READ MORE

Woof Fest: Howl-oween

Midtown West–FREE
Sunday, October 22
Bring your dog to Manhattan West Plaza for spook-tacular canine activities and treats in celebration of Halloween! Show off your pup’s paw-fect costume on the red carpet for a chance to win prizes. Costumes are encouraged for human and pups alike. READ MORE

Halloween Howl & Healthy Hound Fair

Upper East Side–FREE
Sunday, October 22
The Howl is Carl Schurz Park's annual dog costume event. More than 200 creatively costumed pups strut their stuff before a blue-chip fashion industry coven of judges. READ MORE

25th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest

Fort Greene, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, October 28
It's time to get your costume—and more importantly, your pup's—ready for Fort Greene Park's annual Halloween Festival and dog costume contest. READ MORE

Halloween Harvest Festival

Long Island City, Queens–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Socrates Sculpture Park's high-flying Halloween harvest festival is back with its 3rd-annual “Flight of the Gourds” pumpkin carving contest and compost launch. Celebrate the autumn season with pumpkin art workshops, creative costume making, face painting, and the epic launch of the pumpkin catapult! READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Multiple locations around NYC
Indian Field Comfort Station, Van Cortlandt Park
Multiple locations in Brooklyn
Multiple locations in Manhattan
Little Red Lighthouse (in Fort Washington Park)
Citywide and online
Carroll Park Carroll Gardens
Socrates Sculpture Park