Just because the school year has started doesn’t mean the fun has to end! Early fall in New York is filled with fairs and festivals for the whole family, from a classic county fair to medieval-style merriment.
-
NYC Honey Fest
September 12 Help satisfy your children’s sweet tooth the healthy way by taking them to the Honey Festival. Children can learn about honeybees and participate in numerous activities such as entering a honey-tasting contest, making a bee hat or getting their face painted. Stock up on honey and other products before the cooler weather rolls in. Free,11am-sunset.97th Street Concessions, Rockaway Beach, Queens, nychoneyweek.com -
Queens County Fair
September 19-20 Families can participate in the 33rd Annual Queens County Fair later this month. There will be pig races, pie eating contests and hayrides. There will also be kids entertainment by Big Apple Circus To-Go and Irish and German bands performing on the weekend. Kids can learn how to dance and participate in numerous crafts. Families can also enter the Blue Ribbon Competition in Arts, Crafts, Vegetables, Baking, and more! Plus: Be sure to check out the Amazing Maize Maze (see next slide for more details). $9 adult, $5 child (12 and under), 11 am-6 pm. 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY, queensfarm.org -
The Amazing Maize Maze
Weekends, September 19-October 25 and Columbus Day--Monday, October 12 Take your family on an adventure for the weekend and get lost in the 2015 Amazing Maize Maze at Queens County Farm. The farm created a 3-acre corn maze where your family can work together to solve clues and navigate successfully through the maze. Families can challenge themselves even more and find their way through the maze with a flashlight on Saturday nights. $9 adult, $5 child (ages 4-11), ages 3 & under free. 11am-4:30pm (weather permitting). 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY, .queensfarm.org -
Brooklyn Book Festival Children's Day
September 19 This year, the popular Brooklyn Book Festival (September 20) has set aside a day for younger readers in celebration of its 10th anniversary. At the Festival’s Children’s Day, a combination of fun events will entertain bookworms along with author readings by big names like Herve Tullet (Press Here) and Drew Daywalt (The Day The Crayons Quit). Plus, discover new and classic books, and browse for some stories to take home. Kids will also enjoy an illustrators’ draw-off, workshops, and musical performances. Free, 10am-4pm, MetroTech Commons, Brooklyn, brooklynbookfestival.org -
Playground Adventure on Governors Island
September 19-20 Bring your children to Governors Island for a weekend of adventure and imaginative play. Kids aged three to twelve will manage materials, space and time to build a city on the island in two days. Examples of materials used will be cardboard, fabric, markers and string. Free, 11am-4pm.Governors Island, play-ground.nyc -
Mid-Autumn Moon Family Festival
September 19 Introduce your children to the Chinese culture at the Museum of Chinese in America's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Children can taste mooncakes, a traditional Chinese pastry mainly eaten during the mid-autumn festival, and participate in arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, theatrical performances, storytimes, and more. $10 per person, free for MOCA Family Level Members and above, children under 2, and Cool Culture families.12-4pm, Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street, New York, NY, mocanyc.org -
92Y Street Fair
September 20 A great community event, the 92Y’s 21st annual Street Fest will feature health services, activities, and entertainment for the whole family. Check out the children’s entertainment line-up at the 92Y KidCentral Stage, including singer-songwriter Paul Williams and performers from Tiffany’s Cabaret for a Cause; enjoy drop-in drawing and cartooning, or take a turn in the Tiny Tumblers Toddler obstacle course. There will even be a special area for kids ages 5 and under with fun and age-appropriate activites. Free, 12-5pm. Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, 92y.org -
2015 Shinnyo Lantern Floating for Peace At Lincoln Center Plaza
September 20 Promote peace in your family and in your community by participating in the Lantern Floating for Peace, held one day before the International Day of Peace and the opening of the UN General Assembly. There will be live music and cultural performances. Her Holiness Shinso Ito, one of the highest-ranking Buddhist leaders in the world, will help lead participants in the beautiful spectacle of placing hundreds of LED candle-lighted paper lanterns on the Milstein Pool in Hearst Plaza in this ceremony of harmony and compassion. 1pm to dusk, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan, bealightforpeace.org. -
World Maker Faire
September 26-27 Any tinkerer or creative soul will love to experience World Maker Faire 2015 at the New York Hall of Science. The Faire combines elements of science and technology, art, food, and more, allowing innovators in all fields to share their creations with others in a participatory, immersive environment in which the understanding of every creation can be linked to its use. Several hands-on activities are great for keeping kids involved with the process and interested in the fair’s inventive, entrepreneurial spirit. Ticket prices vary, 10am-6pm, New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Queens, makerfaire.com -
Little Red Lighthouse Festival
September 26 Explore the only lighthouse in New York City with your family at the Little Red Lighthouse Festival! The historic lighthouse used to help river travelers navigate the particularly rough section of the Hudson River known as Jeffrey’s Hook, and has inspired two children’s books that will be read at the festival--in addition to fishing clinics, Urban Ranger-led tours, live music, and more. Free, 12-4pm. Fort Washington Park, West 181 Street and Plaza Lafayette, Manhattan, riversideparknyc.org -
The Annual Atlantic Antic
September 27 The Annual Atlantic Antic is the largest street festival in New York City. It spans four neighborhoods in Brooklyn and brings together people of all backgrounds with local music, food and family-friendly activities. Plus, a whole block is comprised of activities for children ranging from pony rides to face painting. 12-6 pm Sept. 27, Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, atlanticave.org -
21st Annual Transit Museum Bus Festival
September 27 Visit the New York Transit museum for the Bus Festival to learn about the history of New York City's public transit! At the festival, you and your family can tour vintage fleet buses and other transportation vehicles. This year “Betsy,” a double-decker bus, and Bus 2185, which was restored after the September 11th attack, will be two of the many buses on display. Plus, there will be a variety of hands-on activities and the chance to shop for bus and transit memorabilia. $1 admission to the Museum all day,11am-6pm. Boerum Place between State Street and Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY, nytransitmuseum.tumblr.com. -
Chile Pepper Festival
September 26 Need a little extra kick this fall? Take your kids to the Chile Pepper Festival to sample foods made from some of the hottest chile pepper artisans. Kids will enjoy the Chocolate Debauchery, which will have samples of spicy treats. There will also be live musical and dance performances celebrating the culture behind chile peppers. $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, free for kids 12 and under; 11am-6pm. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-623-7200, bbg.org -
31st Annual Medieval Festival at Fort Tryon Park
October 4 Venture back in time to the middle ages at the Medieval Festival! Dress your family up and enter another world full of jesters and knights. Kids can participate in medieval-era crafts and taste foods from the middle ages. They can also witness a joust between knights on horseback. Free, 11:30am-6pm. Fort Tryon Park, West 192 Street to Dyckman Street Manhattan, NY, whidc.org
