15 Great Events For The Family This Fall

West Side County Fair

September 10 [All Ages] Fall may be approaching, but there is still time to enjoy summer on the Hudson during the West Side County Fair. Favorites like games, music, carnival rides, and lots of food will be there in addition to the jaw-dropping acts of House of Yes aerialists and sideshow performers. Musicians Mariti Garrett and Bette Smith will be providing live music to listen to as you and the kids chow down on cotton candy and take a spin on the Ferris wheel. Free, 1-6pm. Pier 1 in Riverside Park South, West 70th Street, nycgovparks.org Photo courtesy of Whitney Dearden

36th Annual Great Irish Fair

September 16 [All Ages] Spend the day celebrating New York City’s Irish-American culture and heritage during the 36th Annual Great Irish Fair. This family friendly event, which is free for children under the age of 14, will be filled with great food, vendors, children’s activities, and wonderful live performances. Come to the main stage to see performers like Andy Cooney, the O’Malley Dance Company and Pipe Band, or check out the Traditional Irish Musicians Stage to see the Brooklyn Bards. $20 for general admission, free for kids under 14, 12-6pm. Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk, 3052 West 21st Street, Brooklyn, 212-450-7300, iabsny.com/great-irish-fair

Brooklyn Book Festival

September 16-17 [All Ages] Get your kids excited to dive into a good book at the Brooklyn Book Festival. New York City’s largest free literary festival will take place from September 16-17 with one day dedicated entirely to children’s literature. Stock up on kids reading material from acclaimed authors like singer songwriter turned author Laurie Berkner, National Book Award finalist Gene Yang, and young adult author Sarah Dessen. Children’s day will also feature fun activities from theatrical performances to draw-offs. Free, 10am-4pm. MetroTech Commons, 10 MetroTech Roadway, Brooklyn, brooklynbookfestival.org

Rolex Central Park Horse Show

September 20-24 [All Ages] The Rolex Central Park Horse Show, one of the most anticipated equestrian events of the year, will be returning to New York City in September for the fourth time. The five-day event, taking place at Wollman Rink, will feature competition in a variety of disciplines like show jumping, dressage, and new for 2017, Gladiator Polo, featuring some of the world’s best polo players. Come see past champions like Georgina Bloomberg and world number 1-ranked equestrian Kent Farrington compete and don’t forget to stop by on Sunday for the free family day including activities like face painting, hobby horse competitions, equestrian demonstrations, and more. Tickets start at $50, admission to family day is free; opening times vary. Wollman Rink in Central Park at 59th Street, 844-319-2747, cphs.coth.com Photo courtesy of Meg Banks

Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live

September 23 [All Ages] There’s never been a better time to wander the halls of your favorite New York City museums than Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live! Sixteen different museums throughout Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island will be open free of charge including the Museum of Arts and Design, the Museum of Chinese in America, and many more. Additional participating museums can be found all over the state of New York for anyone that may be out of the city that weekend. Each ticket provides free access for two people making this the perfect activity for a mommy and me day. Free (registration required), hours vary by museum, smithsonianmag.com/museumday Photo Courtesy of Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden

Queens County Fair

September 23-34 [All Ages] You won’t believe you’re still in New York City when you take in the sights and entertainment at the Queen’s County Fair. Complete with pig races, blue ribbon competitions, carnival games, and a pie-eating contest, the fair offers something fun for everyone. Hay rides, carnival rides, and lively music will keep kids entertained, while parents can enjoy dancing and an Irish band in the Bavarian Beer Garden. The fair also serves as the opening weekend of the farms three-acre corn maze, perfect for walking off all the delicious fair food you’ll be eating! $10 per day for adults, $5 per day for kids 12 and under, 11am-6pm, Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, Queens, 718-347-3276, queensfarm.org Photo courtesy of QCFM

World Maker Faire

September 23-24 [All Ages] The “World’s Greatest Show and Tell” is returning to New York for the eighth time this September. Hosted by the New York Hall of Science, the World Maker Faire features some of the coolest innovations in technology, science, engineering, and robotics, and the men and women behind them. Some of the highlights from last year’s Faire include the 3-D printer village, Coke Zero and Mentos show, drone racing, and amazing art installations. The various projects deal with all kinds of topics from health and movement to food. Along with all of the amazing displays to look at, families will also get to learn about, invent, and make their own projects through various workshops. Single-day tickets and passes from $25-80, free for children under 2, 10am-6pm. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Queens, makerfaire.com/new-york Photo courtesy of Maker Faire on Flickr

Carnegie Hall Fall Family Day

September 24 [Ages 3-10] Music makes the world go round, and can also be beneficial for learning, creativity and stress. Carnegie Hall’s Fall Family Day introduces children to different kinds of instruments and musical styles for free by allowing families to participate in interactive performances and activities. Sing, play, and listen along during this day filled with music. Not only will you be spending quality time with the kids, but who knows, you could have a future musician in the family! Free, 12-4pm. Resnick Education Wing at Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Avenue, 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org/familydays Photo courtesy of Fadi Kheir

Honey Weekend

September 28-29 [All Ages] Enjoy a bee-autiful day at Wave Hill in the Bronx during Honey Weekend. This two-day event kicks off with the “be a bee” family art project and keeps the fun going with activities like candle making, a bee parade, and bee hive exploration. Families will get to meet local beekeepers and watch demonstrations of how honey is extracted. Speaking of the sweet stuff, don’t forget to grab samples from the selection of delicious local artisanal honeys. $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, $4 for children 6 and up; 9am-4pm. Wave Hill, 649 West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx, 718-549-3200, wavehill.org

Chile Pepper Festival

October 1 [All Ages] Get ready to bring the heat at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Annual Chile Pepper Festival. Now in its 25th year, the festival will feature musical talents from all over the world as well as vendors, games and of course, food. Take the Tour-de-Chile to see the Garden’s own pepper collection, and then challenge your threshold for spice by trying some of the many artisanal chocolates and chilies. Price and times TBA, see website for details. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 150 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, bbg.org Photos by Julia Markes, courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Medieval Festival

October 1 [All Ages] Step back in time at the 33rd annual Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park. Guests will be transported to the Middle Ages with colorful banners, minstrels, and vendors selling medieval crafts and food. Watch as blacksmiths and woodcarvers show off their work or check out the art on display in the Cloisters Museum. Make sure to pull out your best garb and enjoy the many activities the festival has to offer like juggling, falconry, magic shows, a children’s parade, and a jousting tournament to close out the day. Free, 11:30am-6pm. Fort Tryon Park, Margaret Corbin Circle/190th Street and Fort Washington Avenue, 212-795-1600, whidc.org/festival Photo courtesy of Barry Ritter

Diwali at Times Square

October 7 [All Ages] Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, and what better place to celebrate this joyous holiday than in one of the brightest places in the world: Times Square! The day will include performances celebrating South Asian culture as well as concerts featuring Bollywood stars and different kinds of food and drinks. Make sure to stop by the vendor’s tables to look at the amazing ethnic clothing and jewelry, and perhaps take home a souvenir to remember your amazing day. Free, 12-9pm. Times Square, between Broadway and 7th Avenues and 42nd-47th Streets, diwalitimessquare.com

Madison Park Kids Fest

October 14 [Ages 0-12] Enjoy a festival just for the kiddos during Madison Square Park’s Kids Fest: Stages in the Square. Families can enjoy a full of day of music, dance, puppetry, theatre, and magic on the three different stages. Past performers at this exciting event include comedy from The Joshua Show, Sammie and Tudie’s Magic Circus, and tales of folklore from Story Laurie. Face painting, lawn games, and food will also be available to make this a guaranteed fun day for all. Free, 11am-3pm. Madison Square Park, between 5th and Madison Avenues and 23rd-28th Streets, madisonsquaurepark.org

Pickle Day

October 15 [All Ages] There is never a “dill” moment during pickle day in the Lower East Side! You will relish the opportunity to walk through the pickle bazaar and enjoy tasting treats from over 20 picklers. Foods of the non-pickled variety will also be available as well as boutiques, live music, and games such as the pickle toss and pickle relay. Kids can get their faces painted or take home a caricature of themselves. Make sure to not miss the world’s first ever pickling/dancing competition, and pick up some hilarious pickle merchandise while you’re there. It’s an i-dill activity for everyone! Free, 12-5pm. Orchard Street, between Delancey and East Houston Streets, 212-226-9010, pickleday.nyc Photo courtesy of Nina LoSchiavo

Canstruction Competition

November 2-15 [All Ages] Have you ever seen an enormous owl built entirely out of unopened cans of food? Now is your chance to see that and so much more during Canstruction! Putting a creative spin on charity, the Canstruction competition challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build massive sculptures out of thousands of canned goods. Past sculptures include an astronaut, balloon animal, minions, and the bat signal. Following the competition, the can sculptures are put on display for visitors to marvel at and then donated to City Harvest to help feed those in need. Make sure to bring a can or two of quality food to donate when you visit to do your own part in giving back to the community. Free, though visitors are encouraged to donate a can of food; 10am-8pm, except 11/16 (10am-6pm), street and lobby levels of 230 Vesey Street at Brookfield Place, newyork.canstruction.org Photo courtesy of Joseph Augstein and Zachary Tyler Newton