NEWSLETTER
When it comes to fall, New York has it all! Whether you prefer basking in the glow of thousands of jack-o’-lanterns, admiring bright foliage on a scenic gondola ride, or discovering all the pumpkin spice and apple-flavored goodies, the Empire State is bound to have a festivity for every autumn enthusiast. From Clayton’s Punkin Chunkin’ to the famed Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, and Oktoberfests scattered throughout the state, grab your crew and get into the spirit of the season with these 24 fall festivals.
Harbes Family Farm Apple Festival (Long Island)
Photo courtesy of Harbes Family Farm
Get your fall on at Harbes Family Farm’s family-friendly Apple Festival! From September 12-13, stop by the Riverhead farm for apple picking throughout the 15-acre orchard. Don’t worry about having to walk far with the Apple Express which will chauffeur you to the best apples, promising fun for the whole family. While you're visiting don’t miss out on the Robinhood Trivia Cornmaze and live Music from Matt Taylor. Plus, there are pig races, hayrides, bounce pillows, and “Lil’ Farmers PlayLand” at the Barnyard Adventure open throughout the harvest season.
Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze (Hudson Valley)
Credit: @sleepyhollowspellbound on Instagram
Prepare to be amazed as you stroll through more than 7,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns at one of the top-rated Halloween events in the country. Taking place at the historic 18th-century Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, prepare to be amazed with larger-than-life pumpkin displays, special effects, and an all-original soundtrack–there’s literally never a dull moment! Stroll through the Pumpkin Promenade, meet life-sized pumpkin dinosaurs, and snap a pic of iconic New York landmarks carved into pumpkins.
Adirondack Balloon Festival (Adirondacks)
For more than 50 years, an array of vibrant hot air balloons have filled the sky over the Adirondack Mountains each fall for the Adirondack Balloon Festival in Queensbury. A one-of-a-kind experience, festivalgoers can expect fun for the whole family, with live musical performances, kids’ activities like bounce houses, crafts, and games, food vendors, special events like the dazzling “Moonglow” night flights, and a craft fair featuring over 50 vendors.
Margaretville Cauliflower Festival (Catskills)
Credit: Heaven McArthur
Celebrate locally-grown cauliflower, community, and family fun at the Margaretville Cauliflower Festival! Backdropped by beautiful fall colors along the western Catskills, this free festival is not to be missed featuring more than 25 vendors and artisans, tasty cauliflower-inspired creations like pickled cauliflower martinis, a tractor parade, kids activities, live performances, and fresh Catskills-grown cauliflower for sale from Finch Farm. Make it a weekend getaway and stop by area restaurants like Mornings Cafe in Arkville, offering cauliflower-centric specials.
Apple Harvest Festival (Finger Lakes)
Courtesy of Ksenia Verdiyan
Three days of festivities await at the 44th annual Apple Harvest Festival in Ithaca. The streets of the lively downtown are transformed into an apple wonderland, decorated with everything from fresh farm stands and apple-inspired products (including tasty baked goods) to live music, food trucks, and tons of apple cider donuts.
Cape Vincent Oktoberfest (Thousand Islands-Seaway)
Credit: @abc50_thefunstation on Instagram
The 18th annual Cape Vincent Oktoberfest returns to the Village Green this September. The festival kicks off with a family-friendly Volksmarch and continues throughout the day with live German music and dancing. Take a stroll through the Beer & Wine Garden for samples of authentic German beer and tastings from New York State wineries and breweries. There will of course be a tasty lineup of traditional Bavarian fare like pretzels, bratwurst, sauerkraut, braised red cabbage, German potato salad, and apple strudel. There’s even a kid zone for the littles to get in on the fun.
Saratoga Giant Pumpkin Fest (Capital-Saratoga)
Credit: @sunnysidegardensllc on Instagram
Witness the northeast’s best giant pumpkin growers as they compete in the 11th annual Saratoga Giant Pumpkinfest. Prepare to have your mind blown as you admire pumpkins weighing thousands of pounds — past winners have weighed in at more than 2,000 pounds! You’ll also have the opportunity to walk through the Saratoga Farmer’s Market right next door, try tasty treats at food vendors, explore special exhibits, and snap a selfie with giant pumpkins.
Naples Grape Festival (Finger Lakes)
Known as the Grape Pie Capital of the World, Naples, NY comes to life each September with live music, arts and craft vendors, and all things grapes. This two-day outdoor festival, located on the southern tip of Canandaigua Lake, sees more than 40,000 visitors each year. Sample all kinds of grape goodies including grape pies and grape ice cream, watch semi-professional bakers compete in the grape pie contest, grab a bottle of Finger Lakes wine to-go, and more.
Hudson Valley Garlic Festival (Hudson Valley)
Credit: @thenikkiweston on Instagram
Calling all garlic lovers! Save the date for an exciting weekend celebrating the harvest of garlic, or as it is lovingly referred to by aficionados: the stinking rose. Since 1989, the festival has been bringing together fans from all over to Saugerties, seeing around 30,000-50,000 visitors each year. There’s all kinds of activities to do around the celebration. Peruse more than 30 local garlic farm stands, watch live cooking demonstrations, stroll through craft vendors or the garlic marketplace that features all kinds of garlic-inspired goodies, listen to live music all day long, and sample unique garlic-flavored food (like garlic ice cream!). Just be sure to pack some breath mints for the ride home.
Oktoberfest at Whiteface Mountain (Adirondacks)
Credit: @whiteface_mt on Instagram
Mark your calendars for a Bavarian-style weekend celebration at Whiteface Mountain’s Oktoberfest, rated one the five must-visit Oktoberfests in North America by SKI Magazine! This family-friendly festival will feature authentic live music from die Schlauberger, The Adlers, Schachtelgebirger Musikanten (Scha-Musi), the 3 Alphorns, and live dancing from the Alpenland Taenzer dancers. Try some delicious food and German beer, make crafts with the kids, and get the whole family together for a Cloudsplitter Gondola Ride through the scenic fall beauty of the Lake Placid area.
Locktoberfest on the Canal (Greater Niagara)
Credit: @canal.street.marketplace on Instagram
Spend a day on the canal celebrating harvest season at the 13th annual Lockport Locktoberfest. Try flavorful festive food and drinks from 55+ local farms and food trucks while you learn about the unique history of the area and witness the original Flight of Five Locks in motion. There’s also tons of free activities for kids, live music all day long, and a beer tasting tent, all located on Lockport’s Canal Street.
Colors In The Catskills (Catskills)
When: October 3-4, 10-11, and 17-18, 2026
Admission: Free
Courtesy of Rob Sharpe
Three weekends of Catskills fun await at Hunter Mountain Resort! Revel in the vibrant atmosphere complete with live music, beer tents, food trucks, steinholding, kids games, and the doxie derby. If you’re looking to take in the gorgeous fall foliage from above, go for a hike up to the fire tower or travel 3,200 feet up to the summit on a scenic skyride.
Warwick Valley Applefest (Hudson Valley)
Applefest began in 1989 as a simple harvest celebration. Today, it’s consistently named one of the top 100 events in the country, seeing over 30,000 visitors each year! Experience the extraordinary variety of Warwick's apples, culture, and entertainment with more than 200 craft vendors, dozens of food vendors, 50 local non-profit exhibitors, music and entertainment on several stages all day, a children's carnival, farmers' market, Apple Pie Baking Contest (with slices for sale!), and much more.
Peace, Love, & Pumpkins at Bethel Woods (Catskills)
Courtesy of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Take an enchanting walk through hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns and glowing pumpkin art at Bethel Woods’ annual Peace, Love & Pumpkins event. Marvel at displays featuring Woodstock festival icons, dinosaurs, mermaids, witches, and other scary surprises. Themed nights run throughout the month including the Night Market (weekends) with 50+ craft and food vendors and Boos & Booze nights (21+) where guests will be able to stop at stations for Halloween-themed cocktails. There is also a Sensory-Friendly Experience , where individuals with sensory sensitivities can experience a sensory-friendly version of the event with trained staff present.
Narrowsburg Logging Days (Catskills)
Join the New York State Lumberjack Association for a day celebrating Narrowsburg’s logging history. This fun family-friendly event will feature 12 competitive logging events including the Lumberjack Contest, all with the iconic Narrowsburg Bridge as a backdrop. There will also be a vendor market, musical performances, a baking contest, beard & mustache contest, a kids’ activities area, and educational lectures related to wood and forests, and more.
Tractor Fest at the Fenimore Farm & Country Village (Central New York)
Credit: @thefarmersmuseum on Instagram
Step back in time and celebrate fall at the Fenimore Farm & Country Village’s annual Tractor Fest. This family-friendly celebration is a Cooperstown staple, featuring over 60 tractors from area clubs and organizations, games, kids area, food trucks, demonstrations, live music, Kiddie Tractor Pull, Tractor Parade, and more.
West Mountain Fall Festival (Adirondacks)
Head to West Mountain this fall for a three-weekend-long event celebrating the harvest, fall foliage, and everything else that makes the fall in the Adirondacks so magical. There’s fun for the whole family with scenic chairlift rides, an aerial treetop adventure course, live music, mountaintop picnics, mountain biking, scenic hikes, food and craft vendors, brewery tastings, pumpkin painting, mountaintop yoga, and a petting zoo with pony rides!
Lafayette Apple Festival (Finger Lakes)
Spend a weekend in Lafayette celebrating the official fruit of New York State at the Lafayette Apple Festival! Indulge in a variety of apple-themed treats like apple pies, apple turnovers, dumplings, and pressed apple cider, or head to the apple sample station to try out local apples. There’s a midway for the young and the young at heart with a Ferris wheel, over 500 craft vendors, pony rides for the kids, live music, and more.
Flaming Leaves Festival (Adirondacks)
Credit: @lakeplacidolympicsites on Instagram
Immerse yourself in the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of fall at the Olympic Jumping Complex’s Flaming Leaves Festival. Dance to live music, explore craft, food, and beer vendors, and take in the beauty of the season all while elite ski jumpers soar overhead among a backdrop of the high peaks at one of the premier ski jumping events of the season, the FIS Continental Cup.
Peek’n Peak Fall Fest (Chautauqua-Allegheny)
When: October 10-11, 17-18, 2026
Admission: Free
Courtesy of Peek'n Peak Resort
Revel in all things fall with two weekends of festivities at the 38th annual Fall Fest at Peek’n Peak Resort. Take in the brilliant foliage, explore the juried craft show and farmers market with more than 100 vendors including beekeepers, wood smiths, and artisans from all over the state, watch pumpkins fly through the air from the pumpkin cannon, take a ride on the ski lift, zoom down the zipline, and more! The kids will be entertained for hours with all kinds of activities including pony rides, a rock wall, and face painting.
Punkin Chunkin’ (Thousand Islands-Seaway)
When: October 17, 2026
Admission: Free
Ever wondered what happens to the pumpkins that don’t get used for jack-o’-lanterns? Head to Clayton’s Punkin Chunkin’ and find out as you watch pumpkins catapult through the air into the St. Lawrence River. This staple of the Thousand Islands has fun for the whole family with a kids and adult Chunkin, a barbeque contest, and a farmers market to explore.
Long Island Oyster Festival (Long Island)
Credit: @ashferbiju on Instagram
Stop by one of the East Coast’s largest waterfront festivals! This seaside celebration in Oyster Bay sees more than 150,000 attendees each year and features live entertainment, ships, pirate shows, midway rides, and of course the iconic oyster eating and shucking contests. There’s also a dazzling food court where culinary pros and chefs serve up dozens of unique oyster, clam, and seafood-inspired delights.
Rosendale International Pickle Festival (Hudson Valley)
When: October 18, 2026
Admission: $5 per person, kids under 12 free
Attention pickle lovers! Take a trip to pickle paradise at the 29th annual Rosendale International Pickle Festival. Held each year on the third Sunday of October at the Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz, expect a day packed with pickles with a home pickling contest, the Pickle Triathlon which features a pickle eating contest, pickle juice drinking, and a pickle toss, and hundreds of food vendors!
Holiday Valley Beer & Wine Festival (Chautauqua-Allegheny)
Cheers to the ultimate celebration of craft beverages at the Holiday Valley Beer and Wine Festival! Experience exceptional brews, fine wines, live entertainment, and unforgettable fun alongside idyllic mountainside views and picturesque beauty of the Village of Ellicottville. Make it a weekend getaway and snag tickets for Holiday Valley’s Crawl Outta Fall event on November 6.
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