We have the ultimate list of things to do in the fall—NYC's Halloween events and autumn activities can't be beat Photograph: Shutterstock Witches, assemble! There are some amazing Halloween-themed things...
We have the ultimate list of things to do in the fall—NYC's Halloween events and autumn activities can't be beat
Photograph: Shutterstock
Witches, assemble! There are some amazing Halloween-themed things to do in the fall. NYC has plenty of events from killer Halloween festivals to places to go leaf peeping. But there’s more to autumn than pumpkins and dressing up in costumes. Aside from all the spooktacular activities, check out one of the biggest NYC street fairs, incredible culture and food festivals, fall concerts and so much more. There is nothing we love more than fall in NYC
Best things to do in the fall
1. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze guide
Photograph: Courtesy Jennifer Mitchell
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is one of the best things to do in the fall in New York, during which you’ll witness an army of more than 7,000 glowing pumpkins. This is the tristate area’s most spirited Halloween happening, with the most impressive and intricately carved pumpkins shining along the riverside near Van Cortlandt Manor. It's also one of the best and easiest day trips from NYC! READ MORE
2. The New York Coffee Festival
Photograph: Rodney Bedsole
New York is one happily caffeinated city—its love of java is well documented, from cold brews at your neighborhood café to spiked Irish coffees at the best bars in NYC. We even have an entire festival wholly dedicated to coffee—you can spend a perked-up weekend in awe over live latte art, sipping espresso-laced, non-classic martinis and sidling up to a steampunk brew bar. READ MORE
Photograph: Courtesy Getty Images for Refinery29/Nicholas Hunt
When 29 doors close, another 29 open! At least that’s how the phrase works according to Refinery29. The major media brand’s totally interactive art exhibition is back for its fourth run for two sure-to-be-sold-out weekends. Ticket holders can wander through 29 rooms designed by retail brands, artists and other creatives inside a large Boerum Hill space under a new theme, “Expand Your Reality.” The premise is meant to inspire guests to open themselves up to a world of endless possibilities while ditching self-limiting beliefs. We like the sound of that! READ MORE
Photograph: Nicolas Lemery Nante
The Metropolitan Opera House is one of the spots you can tour during Open House New York, the weekend-long festival where more than 250 fascinating sites across New York open their doors to the public. The incredibly popular two-day event offers glimpses into spaces that are usually off limits to the public, from sky-high rooftop gardens to palatial apartments. READ MORE
Photograph: Filip Wolak
Strap on those lederhosen—really, people will be wearing them—and raise a mammoth, beer-filled stein to Oktoberfest NYC. The Bavarian celebration is one of the best NYC events in September, featuring some of the best beers in NYC as well as traditional favorites and delicious food. Take in the beautiful fall foliage while guzzling brews at some of the best beer gardens and beer halls in New York, not to mention more celebrations taking places at NYC parks, like Central Park. Prost! READ MORE
6. The New York Comedy Festival
The New York Comedy Festival—2018’s biggest laugh-fest—is a bonanza of comedy shows, drawing national headline acts and the cream of the local scene. It’s also one of the best NYC events in November. Use our guide as your go-to for everything you need to know about the hilarious spectacle, hitting somes of our favorite NYC comedy clubs. READ MORE
Photograph: Courtesy Shutterstock
Treat yourself to a facial, massage or other service for just $50 at more than 100 different venues around the city. We recommend signing up for relaxing treatments from a few of our favorites that have participated in the past include Haven Spa, Red Door Spa and SKN Spa. READ MORE
More than 40,000 marathoners hotfoot it (or puff, pant and stagger) through all five boroughs over a 26.2-mile course. Stake out a lively spot—we recommend along Fourth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn; First Avenue between 60th and 96th Streets in Manhattan; or Central Park South near the finish line—to cheer on the passing throngs. READ MORE
Photograph: Filip Wolak
For the 92nd year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will usher in the holiday season with familiar sights like giant balloons, high-kicking Rockettes and Santa’s sleigh, plus celebrity appearances. Begins at W 77th St and Central Park West; for the complete parade route, visit macys.com/parade. READ MORE
Photograph: Courtesy Stacey Mark
Central Park
🗓 Sep 26 2018
It's been two years since Dev Hynes released his stunning 2016 effort, Freetown Sound. A complex, swirling affair, Freetown cemented his status as a multi-talented alt-pop visionary. Back in April, Hynes teased the release of a proper follow-up to that album, as well as a new mixtape and eight singles. Count on hearing from that treasure trove when he takes the stage for this Summerstage gig. READ MORE
Photograph: Filip Wolak
Now in it's 45th year, march with the ghouls during NYC's infamous Halloween Parade. Sign up via halloween-nyc.com now to volunteer to be a puppeteer or a performer in the procession; to walk in the parade, just turn up in an amazing outfit. READ MORE
12. “The Velvet Underground Experience”
Photograph: HERBIE KNOTT/REX/Shutterstock
New York City has been considered home to many rock legends from Patti Smith to the late David Bowie. But the city is the birthplace of Lou Reed, the founder of one of New York’s most influential bands: The Velvet Underground. It’s only fitting that “The Velvet Underground Experience,” the global exhibition spotlighting the group’s early days collaborating with Andy Warhol in the 1960s, comes to the place where it all began. After a successful first run in Paris during April 2016, the multimedia event opens in Greenwich Village on October 10. READ MORE
Photograph: Filip Wolak
This glorious geek assembly brings in more than 151,000 visitors, beating San Diego Comic-Con and making NYCC the second-biggest event in the city. Wear a Batman T-shirt or a full cape-and-cowl at this packed pop culture mecca, where anyone can be a superhero. READ MORE
Photograph: Courtesy Elyssa Goodman
In its 92nd year, the celebration of the patron saint of Naples will fill the streets of Little Italy with carnival games, a cannoli-eating contest, parades and live music, while Mulberry Street eateries like Balaboosta will serve street snacks from booths outside their front doors. READ MORE
Fort Greene
🗓 Sep 27 2018
This live talent showcase invites authors, comedians, scientists and others to present researched stories on a wide range of interesting topics. September's edition features multimedia stories from Rebecca Skloot (#1 New York Times bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks), Ann Friedman (co-host, Call Your Girlfriend), Ed Yong (The Atlantic), Yowei Shaw (NPR's Invisibilia), Emily Dreyfuss (Wired), Jason Parham (Wired, Spook), Meg Smaker (filmmaker, Boxeadora), and NYC's own Landon Nordeman (photographer, New Yorker, New York Times) among others. READ MORE
16. The Big Chocolate Show NYC
Photograph: Courtesy The Big Chocolate Show
Hell's Kitchen
🗓 Sep 28 2018-Sep 30 2018
NYC's over-the-top celebration of all things chocolate returns at the end of September with a bigger blowout than ever. Taste rich bites from over 200 chocolatiers, vendors, chefs and chocolate authors (we want that job) at the Wyndham, and pair your dessert with champagne and wine at the brand-new 21+ area. Indulge in special events like the all-you-can-binge "Decadent Evening of Chocolate and Cocktails" ($50) and The Legends of Chocolate Awards ($75). We assume that the legends in question are people who make chocolate...not just people who eat them. Beyond perusing, eating, drinking, and eating some more, you can check out workshops and demonstrations on 3D chocolate printing (no, really), tamale and truffle making, and pairing chocolate with cocktails—an essential skill for romance. Authors and dessert superstars will be on hand to sign books and give advice, and you're bound to make some foodie friends by the bar. Pace thyself! READ MORE
Photograph: Courtesy The Color Factory
West Village
🗓 Until Sep 30 2018
The Color Factory NYC is officially open to the public as of Monday, August 20, and the experience is red hot. Actually, it covers a spectrum of hues, and it is guaranteed to be one of the most vibrant, educational and downright enjoyable Instagrammable moments you’ve encountered in New York. It really blue us away. The interactive exhibition, which is located in Soho, was designed and launched by event planner Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day (a crafts and celebrations blog) to help visitors explore the fun and importance of color. There are 16 rooms to explore throughout the 20,000-square-foot space which showcase immersive artwork from local writers, poets and musicians. READ MORE
Photograph: Courtesy Kisha Bari
Brooklyn Heights
🗓 Sep 14 2018-Sep 23 2018
Photoville is back! And your Insta is about to get meta. NYC hosts a bounty of beautiful photography exhibitions, but only Photoville can claim to be as pretty as the photographs it showcases. Held in and around giant shipping containers in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the massive celebration of pictures features more than 600 artists, 75 exhibitions, talks, screenings, seminars and hands-on photography workshops for budding shutterbugs. There's also a beer garden from Brooklyn Brewery with food from Smorgasburg including Big Mozz, Mao's Bao and John's Juice. The best part: Photoville is totally free, and dog-friendly! READ MORE
Photograph: Tom Callan
🗓 Sep 23 2018
NYC’s largest street festival takes over Downtown Brooklyn for its 44th year, with 10 blocks of food, performers, art and more. Peruse dozens of Brooklyn-based food vendors, craft breweries and artisanal shops, and try to catch all the acts at performance stages while burning a hole in your pocket with all the provisions. Pace yourself. READ MORE
20. Dream-Over: A Sleepover for Adults
Photograph: Rubin Museum of Art
Chelsea
🗓 Sep 29 2018
In 2011, the Rubin became the first museum to host on-site overnight parties. Now, their annual Dream-over event sells out within hours, drawingsingle and coupled-up explorers to sleep under beloved art works. Show up in your pajamas and find your specifically-selected sleeping space and corresponding work of art, as chosen based on the answers to your "Dreamlife questionnaire." Then, join discussions on the meaning of dreams and their significance in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy with Khenpo Lama Pema Wangdak and the New York Psychoanalytic Society's Dr. William Braun, followed by a midnight snack, lullabies and bedtime stories. After perusing centuries-old Himalayan art and ritual artifacts and sleeping in the presence of one hundred Buddhas, you'll awake on Sunday morning to interpret your nighttime visions with pro dream gathering specialists, and talk it over light breakfast with your new friends. Not a bad way to absorb culture. READ MORE
More fall stories
The best fall date ideas in NYC
Photograph: Courtesy Steve Acres/Into the Veil
We’re familiar with “summer loving,” but once you take a gander at our list of fall date ideas, you’ll soon see that “autumn loving” is what it’s all about. Just think of all the possibilities! From admiring fall foliage at the best NYC parks, to holding your S.O.’s hand during New York’s spookiest ghost tours, we think these activities are the foundation for a long-lasting relationship. And, hell, these date ideas will get your through cuffing season at the very least. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in the fall in NYC READ MORE
The 30 best fall movies that should be on your radar
Blade Runner 2049
From delicate indies to big-budget sci-fi dystopias, these are the films everyone will be talking about READ MORE
The best fall foliage in New York
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano
Searching for gorgeous fall foliage? New York offers many parks, gardens and getaways for leaf peeping. READ MORE
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