With the arrival of fall, we have brought together all the events you won’t want to miss happening in NYC! You can find parades, festivals, food, and culture all around the city this fall leading up to the holiday season. Enjoy the uniqueness of the city that never sleeps during the foliage season at events like Cider Week and the annual Food and Wine Festival, while also having fun at upbeat events like the Governors Ball, the Rolling Loud Music Festival, and more!
- Halloween Celebrations
- Culture & Parades
- Food & Markets
- Film & Performing Arts
- Sports & Fitness
- Architecture & Visual Art
Click Here for the Full NYC Fall Guide
Halloween Celebrations
Event Date: 10/2 – 10/31
Head over to the Bronx Zoo for their annual family friendly Halloween tradition! Boo at the Zoo features many of the best fall activities including pumpkin carving, costume parades, candy trails, magic shows, and more.
Event Date: 10/31, 7 PM
New York’s Village Halloween Parade is the only nighttime parade in NYC and the largest Halloween parade in the world. Show up in costume to experience this incredible event and get ready to see ghosts and ghouls begin at Spring Street and march up sixth avenue, or tune in live on NY1. Many consider this iconic parade to be one of the best fall events in NYC!
Event Date: 10/31, 4 PM – 7 PM
As the sun sets on the night of Halloween, prepare for the spooky night ahead by watching the glowing pumpkin lanterns float along the water.
Culture & Parades
Event Date: 9/24 – 9/26, 11:45 AM – 10 PM
An ever-evolving festival, Governors Ball brings you a festival experience like no other, filled with music, art, food, and community. With four different stages and over seventy acts, this year’s Governors Ball will showcase artists such as Billie Eilish, Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, Phoebe Bridgers, Carly Rae Jepsen and many more.
Event Date: 9/26 – 10/4
The Brooklyn Book Festival is the perfect place for book lovers to celebrate literature and connect with readers and authors across all backgrounds. Authors being interviewed throughout the festival, both in person and virtually, include Tami Charles, Kevin Nguyen, Brandy Colbert, and more.
Event Date: 10/4 – 10/10
The New Yorker festival brings together well-known individuals in politics, journalism, television, and the arts. In the past, this festival has featured names such as Ta-Nehisi Coates, Sleater-Kinney, Mindy Kaling, Elmore Leonard, Matt Groening, Sherman Alexie, and Zaha Hadid.
Event Date: 10/7 – 10/10
New York ComicCon, first held in 2006, is an annual convention where comic fans can dress up in costume and experience first-hand the worlds of western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, and more.
Event Date: 10/28 – 10/30
Dubbed by some as the largest hip-hop festival in the world, Rolling Loud is a music festival that takes place across many cities throughout the U.S. The festival features some of the most famous hip-hop artists, and the 2021 lineup includes 50 Cent, J. Cole, Travis Scott, and many more.
Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular
Event Date: 11/5 – 12/10
The Radio City Rockettes are back again to help you ring in this holiday season with the Christmas Spectacular show The family-friendly show has become a yearly NYC holiday tradition since starting in 1933.
Event Date: 11/8 – 11/14
The NYC Comedy Festival brings well known, as well as up-and-coming, comedians together to share the stage and keep the audience laughing.Some of this year’s lineup includes Amanda Seales, Michelle Wolf, Bill Maher, Megan Stalter, Nick Kroll, and Ronny Chieng.
Event Date: 11/20 – 1/23
The annual Holiday Train Show features a dazzling display of model trains running through miniature versions of more than 175 New York landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center.
NYBG Glow – An Outdoor Color & Light Experience
Event Date: 11/24 – 1/22
Absorb the beauty of the New York Botanical Garden through the illuminated experience of NYBG Glow. Watch landmark buildings and the surrounding garden come to life with whimsical colors and a brilliant light show.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Event Date: 11/25, 9 AM – 12 PM
The epic, annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade fills the streets of New York and features an amazing lineup of balloons, floats, and performers including AJR, Ally Brooke, and Dolly Parton. The parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West, and participants march south along Central Park to Columbus Circle, and then to Times Square. The parade continues towards Bryant Park and proceeds west, ending at 7th Avenue. This parade is a wonderful fall activity in NYC and fun for the whole family.
Food & Markets
Event Date: 9/10 – 10/17
It wouldn’t feel like Fall in New York without an Oktoberfest celebration. Explore the traditional German apparel, cuisine, games, music, and of course, beer, at this lively event.
Event Date: 9/23 – 9/25
The NYC Agriculture Collective presents the annual AgTech Week to share the benefits of AgTech through farm tours, panels, and workshops. Panel discussions include lively conversations about vertical farming technologies, urban farming, lighting systems, and other topics perfect for the budding or seasoned agriculture enthusiast.
Event Date: 10/2 – 10/17
Cider Week New York City will feature 37 of the state’s best cider producers, including Angry Orchard, Big Apple Hard Cider, and Black Diamond Farm & Cidery. Get outside of the city to explore the many Cider Week events throughout New York State.
Event Date: 10/14 – 10/17
New York City’s Food & Wine Festival supports non-profits around the city and features television food icons such as Rachel Ray and Ted Allan. The festival brings together the most talented chefs of New York, offering tastings, hands-on classes, and more.
Film & Performing Arts
Photoville, Photography Exhibition
Event Date: 9/17 – 11/29
Taking place in 25 different locations across New York City, Photoville is a free exhibition highlighting various photographers telling their stories through photography.
Broadway is back! Be sure to check out these shows as Broadway reopens in NYC and don’t miss the amazing deals offered during NYC Broadway Week.
Broadway Musicals Including:
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Chicago
- Ain’t Too Proud
- Jagged Little Pill
- Girl from the North Country
Event Date: 9/24 – 10/10
The 59th annual New York Film Festival is dedicated to supporting the art and culture of cinema and will be featuring a wide variety of films, ranging from spotlights to contemporary pictures. This year’s festival will include both in-person screenings as well as online viewing options.
Sports & Fitness
Event Date: 10/1 – 10/31
As a celebration of fun, freedom, and the thrill of cycling, Spoketober is a biking challenge through the month of October hosted by Bike New York. Bike New York launched the biking challenge in 2020 to connect the vibrant cycling community across the globe. The month-long challenge is an opportunity to keep in touch with your bike, fellow cyclists, and the joy of seeing life while riding. The challenge is a chance to compete for amazing prizes and exclusive biking gear!
Event Date: 10/23 – 11/7
The TCS Marathon is in its 50th consecutive year of hosting the 26.2 mile run across New York City. Runners all over the country visit New York City to run in this race, test their limits, and contribute to raising money for charity. In 2019, the TCS marathon raised $45 million for charity.
Architecture & Visual Art
Event Date: 9/22 – 1/7
The Australian Cultural Forum and Undercurrent present un/mute, an international exhibition of collaborative, mixed media art work by dozens of artists across the globe. The creative project was launched in 2020 to provide a collaboration opportunity for European and NY based artists. Some exhibiting artists include Emily Shanahan (NYC), Nicola Ginzel (Austria), Eren Aksu (Germany), and Aaron Bezzina (Malta).
Event Date: 10/1 – 10/31
Throughout the month of October, architecture and design is celebrated throughout New York City with Archtober when monumental buildings around town open their doors to showcase incredible architecture. Participants include The Museum of Modern Art, The Guggenheim, Central Park Conservancy, and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.
Event Date: 10/16 – 10/17
A celebration of architecture and design, Open House New York opens up hundreds of doors across the city of Manhattan for visitors to tour the vast architectural designs the city has to offer.
The Summit at One Vanderbilt Observation Deck opening
Event Date: 10/21
The Observation Skydeck at the Summit at One Vanderbilt, near Grand Central Terminal, will be opening in late October and offering amazing views of iconic buildings across NYC.
Event Date: 11/4 – 11/7
The Art Show, hosted by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA), joins top galleries across the country in showcasing exhibits ranging from historical to contemporary art. Some of the 72 exhibitors of the show include Avery Galleries, David Zwirner, and Sean Kelly Gallery.
