35 Best Things to Do in NYC in the Fall (Updated for 2026)

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“Don’t you love New York in the fall?” – You’ve Got Mail

Fall is a beautiful season for when I gave tours in New York City.

The summer crowds thin out, the air turns crisp enough for a jacket, and Central Park starts trading its green for gold.

I grew up in New Haven County, Connecticut, so autumn in the Northeast has been my season for as long as I can remember.

These are the 35 fall things to do in NYC I’d send a friend to, from a corn maze in Queens to the Village Halloween Parade, all checked for this year.

For anything I haven’t done myself, I picked it the way I pick for my own groups: recent reviews, a reliable operator, and a good reason to go in the fall.

Short on time? If you only do one thing, go up to the Top of the Rock late in the afternoon in October or early November and look north over Central Park in full color.

Planning Your Fall Trip to New York City

• Best time for fall in NYC: mid-October to mid-November. Central Park’s foliage usually peaks in early November, and the Conservancy runs a live foliage tracker.
• Fall weather in NYC: average highs of 76°F (25°C) in September, 64°F (18°C) in October and 54°F (12°C) in November, so bring layers.
• Biggest fall events in 2026: the Village Halloween Parade (Saturday, Oct 31), the TCS New York City Marathon (Sunday, Nov 1) and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday, Nov 26).
• Free fall things to do: walk the High Line, watch the Halloween Parade or the Marathon, browse the Union Square Greenmarket, and ride the Governors Island ferry for free before 11 a.m. on weekends.
• Apple and pumpkin picking near NYC: Queens County Farm Museum and Decker Farm on Staten Island are inside the city; orchards in Westchester are an hour away on Metro-North plus a short cab.

• Where to stay: [hotel name] via your TravelPayouts link (“See prices and availability”). See Where to Stay below for which hotel to feature.
• Book ahead: Top of the Rock tickets for foliage views over Central Park.
• Leaf-peeping: my guide to the best fall foliage tours from New York City.

Best Things to Do in NYC in the Fall

1. Attend one of New York City’s many fall festivals

Fall is festival season in New York, with something for almost every interest: food, film, comedy and fashion.

The Feast of San Gennaro takes over Little Italy for 11 days every September.

New York Fashion Week runs in September; the New York Film Festival bridges September and October.

The NYC Wine & Food Festival lands in mid-October, and the New Yorker Festival follows in late October.

Finally, the New York Comedy Festival spreads across all five boroughs in November.

I’ve been to more fall festivals than I can count, and the Feast of San Gennaro is still my favorite.

As an Italian American living in New York, it was my connection to Italy and all my favorite foods and pastries, back when I’d only been to Italy a couple of times.

Now that I live in Italy, going back for it is a fun way to compare the two cultures at the same time of year.

You’ll find this year’s exact dates in the 2026 fall calendar below, and my full breakdown in my guide to the best fall festivals in New York City.

2. Try your luck in a corn maze

Every fall, Queens County Farm Museum plants the Amazing Maize Maze, which the farm bills as NYC’s only corn maze.

The 2026 maze covers 3 acres, is shaped like the Statue of Liberty’s torch for America’s 250th birthday, and runs Saturdays and Sundays through November 1. Tickets are sold online only.

The farm also has a farm store, hayrides, and its own pumpkin patch in October.

To get there, take the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch from Penn Station to Little Neck, then the Q36 bus.

To stay on regular subway and bus fare, take the F train to Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike and transfer to the Q46 bus along Union Turnpike.

If you need help with the metro, read my guide to using the subway in New York City.

3. Pop into a pumpkin patch

Pumpkin picking is one of my favorite fall traditions.

I grew up doing it every year in Connecticut, picking the pumpkins we’d carve and leave on our front stoop.

If you want pumpkins without leaving the five boroughs, you have two good options.

Queens County Farm Museum turns October into pumpkin month, with its patch open weekday afternoons and all day on weekends.

On Staten Island, Decker Farm (run by Historic Richmond Town) opens for pumpkin picking every Saturday and Sunday in October, rain or shine, with hayrides and pumpkin painting.

4. Go apple picking 

Apple picking was the other half of my family’s fall routine: every year we’d pick our Red Delicious apples for the season.

Apple season in the Northeast runs from late summer into October, and some of the best orchards are an easy day trip from the city.

• Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm in Yorktown Heights: take Metro-North’s Hudson Line to Croton-Harmon, then a cab of about 18 minutes.
• Lewin Farms in Calverton, out on Long Island’s North Fork: apple season usually runs from late August to late October, and they have a corn maze in September and October.

If you’re willing to go a bit further, one of my favorite places for apple picking in Connecticut is Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, which the Lyman family has farmed since 1741.

If you head that way, I have a whole list of fall activities in Connecticut.

5. Visit a cidery to sample some “adult” apple juice

 Hard cider is apple juice that’s been fermented, so it has alcohol, and it’s often a little bubbly.

The best-known cidery near the city is the Angry Orchard Cider House in Walden, New York, up in the Hudson Valley.

It’s open Thursday through Monday, and it’s easiest to reach by car.

6. Enjoy harvest foods at the Union Square Greenmarket

The Union Square Greenmarket is one of New York City’s largest farmers’ markets and offers an incredible selection of fresh produce from local farms.

If you don’t want to leave the city to enjoy fresh fall-harvest food, there’s no better place than the Union Square farmers’ market.

Here, you can connect with local farmers who bring cider, baked goods like pumpkin bread and apple cider donuts, and other farm-fresh seasonal produce to New York City.

Union Square Greenmarket is open year-round on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Check their website or download their app for up-to-date hours and information on vendors and product availability.

7. Take a walking tour of New York City

As the summertime tourism rush ends, there’s no better time to take a walking tour.

As a New York City tour guide for years, I will happily tell you that while there’s nothing like summer in the city, my favorite time to give tours is in the fall. 

A walking tour is the best way to learn about New York with a local, and fall isn’t too cold, so if summer here is too hot for you, this is the time to get outside and enjoy the city.

Some of my favorites include:

• See some of the most iconic park sites on this Central Park Walking Tour
• Discover the Secrets Of High Line Park on this walking tour
• Explore one of the largest parks in New York City on a self-guided Prospect Park Walking Tour
• Learn about the haunted history of the city on this Gangsters and Ghosts 2-Hour Walking Tour

8. Take a fall foliage tour for some autumn leaf-peeping

If you’re interested in seeing how the leaves change in the Northeast during this time of year, take one of the fall foliage tours from New York City.

Several tours will take you up the Hudson River so you can experience the season’s beauty. Read my full guide to the best fall foliage tours from New York City this season!

• Cruise the Hudson on a 1920s-style yacht on the Hudson River Fall Foliage Yacht Tour (2.5 hours)
• Sail past the Palisades on the Hudson River Fall Foliage Sailing Trip (3.5 hours)
• Book a Private Fall Foliage Helicopter Tour of the Hudson Valley (30 minutes, for up to two people)

9. Get active outside before it’s too cold

It’s a perfect time to be active in a green space in New York City.

The Hudson River Greenway runs along Manhattan’s west side from Battery Park all the way up to Dyckman Street.

It’s the perfect biking activity, even though you can walk the whole route. You’ll ride alongside the Hudson River and watch the city transform–for the autumn season and by neighborhood–as you go.

A Citi Bike Day Pass costs $25 and covers unlimited 30-minute rides for 24 hours.

You can hop on and off a bike all day if you purchase a bike day pass since the route leads to some really cool places in New York City.

The Staten Island Greenbelt covers more than 2,800 acres with over 35 miles of trails, including High Rock Park, the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge and LaTourette Park.

Spend a day exploring one of the seven trails that wind through the park, with stop-offs to visit the Greenbelt Nature Center, the Museum of Tibetan Art, and Historic Richmond Town a living history museum like Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

10. Walk the High Line

The High Line is a beautiful walk in any season, and in the fall the plantings turn gold and rust.

It was built as an elevated freight line, with its first train in 1933, so cargo could reach the warehouses and factories along the West Side without stopping traffic.

Trains stopped running by the 1980s, and the tracks sat abandoned until Joshua David and Robert Hammond founded Friends of the High Line in 1999 to save it.

The park opened in 2009 and now stretches about 1.45 miles from Gansevoort Street through Chelsea to Hudson Yards.

It’s free, and for the best color go in October.

11. Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to learn their history

The Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and built in his Paris workshop from copper sheets about 3/32 of an inch thick, which is roughly two pennies stacked together.

It was a gift from France to the United States and stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within view of Ellis Island.

Ellis Island was the main gateway for immigrants arriving in the United States. Operational from 1892 through 1954, today, it’s a museum where visitors can learn about immigration to America.

With museums on both islands, this is a great excursion for a fall day since you’ll be able to spend time both inside and outside.

Statue City Cruises is the only authorized ferry to both islands, leaving from Castle Clinton in Battery Park (or Liberty State Park in New Jersey).

12. Savor the last warm days of the season on Governors Island

I love a day out on Governors Island. It’s easy to get to, the ferry ride across the harbor is so refreshing, and you get to be in New York City while escaping the crowds of Manhattan for a beautiful park island.

From the Revolutionary War until 1996, the island was a military post, first for the Army and then the Coast Guard.

Today it’s 172 acres of park, with seven miles of car-free paths.

Citi Bike has docks at both ferry landings and Picnic Point, or rent from Blazing Saddles.

Climb The Hills (rising up to 70 feet above sea level, celebrating 10 years in 2026), and visit Fort Jay and Castle Williams, run by the National Park Service.

You can even go glamping, a luxury camping experience I tried and really enjoyed; Collective Retreats is open through November.

The ferry costs $5 round trip for adults, and it’s free before 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

13. Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

One of the most important New York City fall activities is visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

Ground Zero, the site of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, was subsequently transformed into the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. The site is now a place of contemplation and reflection. 

Early fall brings the anniversary of September 11, and visiting the Memorial and Museum is one of the most important things you can do in New York.

Go inside the Museum, and take a guided tour of the Memorial. That’s how you’ll learn about the imagery and symbolism built into the Memorial and the architecture of the new World Trade Center.

The bronze panels around the two reflecting pools, set in the footprints of the Twin Towers, carry the names of the 2,977 people killed on September 11, 2001, and the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993.

The Memorial is free and open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Museum needs a timed ticket bought in advance and is open Wednesday through Monday (plus select Tuesdays) from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with last entry at 5:30.

It’s great to visit the Memorial on a cool fall day since there’s no shade or cover. While it’s an amazing sight at twilight, the earlier in the day you go, the fewer people will be on the grounds.

14. Run (or walk) the Reservoir loop in Central Park

The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir is the biggest single feature in Central Park, 106 acres of water built in 1862 to hold Croton Aqueduct water for the city.

The 1.58-mile path around it is a classic running loop, and in the fall the trees around the edge frame the skyline in red and gold.

Take the B or C train to 96th Street and walk east into the park.

15. Cheer on the NYC marathon runners

The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the biggest marathons in the world: in 2024 it set the record with 55,646 finishers.

The 2026 race is on Sunday, November 1.

It starts on Staten Island, crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, then runs through Queens, into Manhattan, up into the Bronx and back into Manhattan to finish in Central Park.

You don’t need to know a single runner to cheer.

I once walked right into the marathon route by accident on my way home from work, and I felt charged up just being part of that energy.

So cheer for everyone.

They’re running 26.2 miles, one of the most amazing physical feats there is, through one of the most amazing cities in the world.

16. Go hiking in the Hudson Valley

Just over an hour outside Midtown, upstate New York has great places to hike, and all are easily accessible by trains from Grand Central.

For big fall views, head an hour north to Bear Mountain State Park, with the Hudson River below and the Perkins Memorial Tower open through November 30.

You’ll want a car, since the park doesn’t list a public transit route.

In 2026, some trails near the Bear Mountain Inn are on detours for construction.

17. Enjoy a picnic in the park

While this is one of my favorite summer activities in New York City, having a picnic in a park before it gets too cold is perfect for fall too!

What better way to spend one of the last mild-weather days than sitting outside on the lawn, surrounded by beautiful changing leaves.

Aside from Central Park, the city has several other beautiful parks I appreciate spending an afternoon:

• Brooklyn: Brooklyn Bridge Park or Prospect Park
• The Bronx: Van Cortlandt Park
• Manhattan: Fort Tryon Park or Bryant Park
• Roosevelt Island: Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park
• Queens: Astoria Park
• Staten Island: Staten Island Greenbelt
• Jersey City: Liberty State Park

18. Take the tram to Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island is a beautiful little oasis to visit during the fall months.

Stand at the southern tip of the island, in FDR Four Freedoms State Park, and you’ll have Manhattan on your right and Queens on your left.

That’s a view you have to go looking for, so you probably won’t find it on your first trip to New York, but it’s worth it. (The park is free and closed on Tuesdays.)

You can also see the ruins of a 19th-century Smallpox Hospital, as well as the innovative campus of Cornell Tech.

You can take the F train, or ride the Roosevelt Island Tramway from 60th Street and Second Avenue.

The tram opened in 1976, it takes the same fare as the subway (tap your card or phone with OMNY), and seeing the city and the sky from up there, over the East River, is beautiful.

19. Wander around a New York City museum on a cool fall evening

Throughout the year, many New York City museums offer free admission hours weekly or monthly that allow guests to get a glimpse of many incredible exhibits at no cost. 

If you plan to visit any of the museums in New York City, be sure to check when they are available and take advantage of the free hours. 

Visiting a museum in the city is one of my favorite NYC indoor activities; it’s a great chance to escape the cold weather or be inside on a cooler evening.

20. See the fall foliage from an observation deck

Seeing the fall foliage from an observation deck is lovely. It’s another way to see the city, with a bird’s-eye view of the whole thing.

You’ll find gorgeous autumn landscapes overhead from my top picks:

• Top of the Rock is the best to catch beautiful views of the Central Park trees in their autumn splendor.
• You can see straight down the High Line from The Edge in Hudson Yards.
• One World Observatory will give you 360-degree views of Lower Manhattan, Battery Park, Governors Island, and Ellis Island in their fall colors. 

If you need help deciding which observatory in NYC is best or which sightseeing pass is best for NYC, take a look at my guides!

21. Head up to the Bronx for the Botanical Garden and the Zoo

If you haven’t been to a zoo in a while, the Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Garden make a fantastic day out, and seeing the season change along with the animals is really cool.

The New York Botanical Garden has been growing in the Bronx since 1891, across 250 acres that are now a National Historic Landmark.

Through November 2, the garden also celebrates Día de los Muertos.

Then spend the afternoon at the Bronx Zoo, which opened on November 8, 1899, and covers 265 acres.

On fall weekends through November 1, Boo at the Zoo adds Halloween activities for kids.

22. Celebrate Oktoberfest around New York City

Unfortunately, we can’t all be in Germany during the Oktoberfest celebration!

The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

The festival held in honor of their marriage was so well received that people decided to hold it again the following year. Beer became the event’s centerpiece by the 1890s.

Here in New York, Watermark Bar at Pier 15 runs its Oktoberfest seven days a week from September 10 to October 31, 2026, with Hofbräu, Weihenstephan and Radeberger on tap.

There are also other Oktoberfest events happening around New York City in October. The German-American Steuben Parade New York holds its own Oktoberfest in Central Park.

Beer gardens around the city also get in on the festivities, like the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Queens, Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, and Loreley Biergarten on the Lower East Side in Manhattan.

23. Enjoy the crisp weather from a rooftop restaurant

If you have the chance, the roof of a restaurant is a great place to enjoy a meal in New York City.

One of my favorite rooftop restaurants changes its look every season.

The rooftop on top of Eataly’s Flatiron location, now called AMALFI Rooftop by Birreria, has views of Madison Square Park, the Flatiron Building, and phenomenal food up there while enjoying the restaurant’s transformed autumn landscape.

24. Walk in the Village Halloween Parade

New York City knows how to celebrate Halloween, and there’s an event for everyone to enjoy!

The Village Halloween Parade steps off at 7 p.m. every October 31 from Canal Street and heads north on Sixth Avenue to 15th Street.

In 2026 it’s a Saturday, it’s the 53rd parade, and the theme is “Body & Soul.”

Anyone can march for free, as long as you’re in costume.

Join the lineup at Canal Street and Sixth Avenue between 6:30 and 9 p.m. (enter from the east or south), and marchers are let in in groups.

If you’d rather skip the lineup wait, the parade sells VIP tickets.

Watching is free too: find a spot on Sixth Avenue between King Street and 15th Street, and expect Bleecker to 14th to be packed.

This is New York, home to visual artists, special effects pros and costume designers, and the commitment people bring to their costumes is unmatched.

It’s amazing what they put together.

The parade picks favorite costumes along the way, and prizes have included tickets to shows. 

25. Dress up your dog for their own parade

If pups are more your speed, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in the East Village is my favorite NYC Halloween parade.

It is the one, the only, Halloween Dog Parade. A Halloween party for dogs in New York City.

Yes, there are dogs in costume.

Yes, anyone can attend.

And yes, of course, they’re all adorable! 

It happens in mid-October (in 2026, it was Saturday, October 17), so plan ahead.

Over in Brooklyn, Fort Greene Park hosts the Great PUPkin dog costume contest, on October 24 in 2026.

26. Go trick-or-treating on a farm

If you’re in New York with kids on Halloween, head to Queens County Farm Museum for Halloween on the Farm.

It’s a ticketed event on October 31 where everyone comes in costume and trick-or-treats at nine candy stations around the farm.

In 2026, tickets are $25 for kids ages 3 to 11, $15 for adults, and free for kids 2 and under.

It’s the same farm as the corn maze in #2 and the pumpkin patch in #3, so you can make a whole fall day of it.

27. Be very afraid at the Blood Manor

If you want to be scared out of your mind and not leave New York City to do it, look no further than Blood Manor.

It’s a haunted house in Lower Manhattan designed to scare you witless and conjure up your worst fears.

Seriously, if you thrive on horror, this is the place for you.

In 2026, Blood Manor is at 359 Broadway in Tribeca from October 2 to November 7, with tickets from $50. It’s not recommended for kids under 14.

28. Visit the real-life Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow, New York, is under an hour from Grand Central on Metro-North’s Hudson Line.

Made famous by Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; the town goes all out with numerous haunted activities in the week leading up to All Hallow’s Eve.

At Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, you can take an evening lantern tour every night in October.

The Headless Horseman is not, technically, buried there. He’s fictional.

Washington Irving, who made him up, is.

29. See thousands of hand-carved pumpkins at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

Another fabulous fall activity in New York City is just a train ride away.

North of the city in the Hudson Valley, the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a must-see site celebrating the fall harvest and Halloween.

At Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, you walk the 18th-century grounds among thousands of hand-carved, illuminated jack-o’-lanterns.

Take Metro-North to Croton-Harmon, then walk about 15 minutes or grab a short cab.

30. Go for a getaway up north

Many of the best places to go in winter in New England are also some of the best New England towns in fall you need to visit.

Quaint towns burst with color as the leaves change from their summer greens to shades of gold. 

I love a getaway up north. Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley make a lovely weekend outside the city with true fall foliage, or keep going into New England.

I grew up seeing it every fall, and I can 100% say it’s worth the trip.

You can read my guides to Poughkeepsie, New York, and New Haven, Connecticut if you’re looking for ideas on where to go to appreciate the fall foliage. 

If you decide on Connecticut, I have a list of fun fall activities and different fall festivals all around the state!

31. Catch a Broadway show

Catching a show is the number one most important thing to do in New York City, always and forever.

Even if you don’t love theater, go see one of the major shows, just so you can say you’ve seen one.

It’s a fun way to spend a night out in NYC and enjoy some of the best live theater in the world.

There are plenty of options available for theatergoers who aren’t willing to shell out hundreds of dollars for tickets.

The TKTS Booth in Times Square (Broadway at 47th Street) sells same-day tickets for up to 50% off; it opens at 3 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays and at 11 a.m. the rest of the week.

To learn more about Broadway shows in NYC, visit my guide here.

32. See fall flowers at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brooklyn Botanic Garden was founded in 1910, in the heart of Brooklyn.

Visitors can also enjoy seasonal events, lectures, concerts, and other activities throughout the year, like their Cherry Blossom show in the spring.

33. Go on a vintage shopping trip to stock up for the winter months

With New York Fashion Week every September, it’s easy to be inspired by street style.

NYC’s thrift and vintage shops make it easy to find great pieces second-hand, if you know where to look.

If you want help, book this private vintage and secondhand shopping day with a local stylist, and you’ll leave with a curated digital map to keep shopping on your own.

And since NYC has communities on every level of the economic wealth scale, you’re sure to find amazing deals when shopping second-hand.

Discount shopping in NYC is easy, if you know where to look!

34. Head over across the Hudson River for an NFL game

All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Once the NFL season starts in early September, it’s time to head out to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to watch the New York football teams play.

These American football games are loud, long, and soooo much fun. It’s a must-do thing to do in NYC in the fall.

Although the New York Jets and the New York Giants NFL teams don’t play within the five boroughs, it’s easy to get to their stadium.

The easiest way there on game day is an NJ Transit train from Penn Station to Secaucus Junction, then the shuttle train to Meadowlands Station, right at the stadium.

Coach USA also runs the 351 Meadowlands Express bus from Port Authority.

The MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority) has a guide on their website on the best ways to get there from the city.

35. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the final event of the fall. 

The day before Thanksgiving, you can watch the giant balloons being inflated on the streets around the American Museum of Natural History, between West 77th and 81st Streets. Viewing usually runs from about 1 to 6 p.m.

On Thanksgiving morning, the parade starts at West 77th Street and Central Park West around 8:30 a.m., runs down Central Park West, across Central Park South and down Sixth Avenue, and ends at Macy’s Herald Square around noon.

Growing up, the parade on TV was part of my family’s Thanksgiving morning.

One year I was walking along 42nd Street to catch my train home to Connecticut from Grand Central, and Snoopy floated by. I just stopped and watched for a minute.

Even a glimpse of it in real life was special, and everyone I know who’s marched in it calls it a day to remember.

Since this is a major NYC event for locals and tourists, you need to get to the parade route early in the morning if you want a good spot.

The parade goes from Central Park West to Macy’s Herald Square and takes about three hours. 

Some years it’s freezing and some years it’s mild, so it depends on how lucky you get with the weather.

After Thanksgiving, the New York City holiday season kicks off. If you’re looking for something to do during the most wonderful time of the year, I have a list of great holiday tours in NYC and a guide to the best holiday activities in New York City.

When to Visit NYC in the Fall

Fall in New York runs from warm September afternoons to scarf weather by Thanksgiving, and each month has its own personality.

September still feels like summer, with average highs around 76°F (25°C). It’s festival month: Fashion Week, the Feast of San Gennaro and the start of the New York Film Festival.

October is the crisp, sweater-weather month most people picture, averaging 64°F (18°C). Apple and pumpkin picking are in full swing, the leaves start turning, and the whole city builds up to Halloween.

November brings the best color inside the city, since Central Park’s foliage usually peaks in early November. It’s also Marathon Sunday, the New York Comedy Festival and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, after which the holiday season takes over.

NYC Fall Calendar 2026

These are the dated fall events from this list, so you can plan around them. I update this calendar every year.

Dates (2026)	Event	Where
Aug 30–Nov 1 (weekends)	Amazing Maize Maze	Queens County Farm Museum
Sept 10–15	New York Fashion Week	Citywide
Sept 10–Oct 31	Oktoberfest at Watermark	Pier 15, Seaport
Sept 17–27	Feast of San Gennaro	Little Italy
Sept 18–Nov 8	Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze	Croton-on-Hudson
Sept 25–Oct 12	New York Film Festival	Citywide
Oct 2–Nov 7	Blood Manor	359 Broadway, Tribeca
Oct 15–18	NYC Wine & Food Festival	Seaport
Oct 17	Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade	East Village
Oct 23–25	The New Yorker Festival	Various venues
Oct 24	Great PUPkin dog costume contest	Fort Greene Park
Oct 31	Village Halloween Parade, 7 p.m.	Sixth Avenue
Oct 31	Halloween on the Farm	Queens County Farm Museum
Nov 1	TCS New York City Marathon	All five boroughs
Nov 6–15	New York Comedy Festival	All five boroughs
Nov 25	Macy’s balloon inflation	Around the Natural History Museum
Nov 26	Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade	Central Park West to Herald Square

Autumn in NYC: FAQs

Tips for Visiting New York in the Fall

• Pre-purchase tickets in advance: If you want to make the most of your trip, think about what activities you want to include. If there’s an activity you don’t want to miss, book it ahead, because tickets can disappear fast, especially for sunset time slots.

• Tap into the subway with the same card every time: The MetroCard is on its way out (the MTA stopped selling them at the end of 2025), so just tap your contactless card or phone at the turnstile. A ride costs $3, and OMNY caps your fare: once you’ve spent $35 on subways and local buses in seven days, the rest of your rides that week are free. To make sure you get that cap, you must tap with the same card or phone every time, and every person needs their own. I have a guide on how to navigate the subway that you can check out if you need to learn New York’s metro system.

• Stay hydrated: Staying hydrated is a must with all of the walking–always keep a reusable water bottle on you. You can “buy” filtered water at Starbucks for free if you can’t find a refill station, so you’ll never be without water in New York! Check out my list of top travel essentials if you need more recommendations on what to bring with you.
• Dress in layers: Fall weather in New York swings a lot, from the 70s in September to the low 40s on November nights, so pack layers and shoes you can walk in all day.

Where to Stay in New York in the Fall

• Budget Hotel – The ROW NYC is a great budget option in New York City’s Time Square. They reopened in May 2026 after a multi-year renovation of all 1,300 rooms, right at Eighth Avenue and 45th Street in the Theater District. Its new all-day café, Percy All Day, does coffee in the morning and cocktails at night, and you’re a short walk from several subway lines.

• Mid-range Hotel – Found on the Lower East Side next to Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Off Soho Suites is a great option if you want to be away from the major tourist areas of the city.

• Retreat Experience – If you want to experience a luxury camping retreat, Collective Retreats Governors Island is the place for you. You’ll be camping overnight on Governors Island, in luxury tents which feature high-end amenities and include a breakfast experience. They’re open through November, so it works for an early-fall stay. Interested in learning more? Take a look at my Governors Island glamping review.

Best Fall Activities in NYC: Wrap-Up

Get outside and enjoy fall in New York City before the trees are bare!

Which of these fall things to do in NYC are you most looking forward to?

Lyndsay

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