The best fall activities in NYC to do with the arrival of Autumn

Step into the magical worlds of Halloween Town and Christmas Town at a frightfully fun immersive experience coming to the New York Botanical Garden this fall. After its debut last year, Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail is returning to the Bronx with brand new scenes, festive music and video projections.

This all-ages evening experience was inspired by the timeless classic 1993 movie known for its stop-motion animation and iconic characters such as Jack Skellington. The light trail promises to bring the film to life against the botanical beauty of the garden. The experience runs on select evenings from Thursday, September 25 through Sunday, November 30, with tickets starting at $33 for children and $45 for adults.

Carving a jack-o'-lantern may be a time-honored American tradition for many, but nobody—and we mean nobody—does pumpkin carving quite like the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze.

Every fall, pumpkins aplenty decorate this festive, family-friendly attraction in the Hudson Valley. This year promises thousands of intricately carved jack-o'-lanterns in mesmerizing displays.

Blaze: Hudson Valley runs at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County from September 12 through November 16. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $24.

Food lovers, rejoice! The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is making its triumphant return this fall, taking place from October 15 to 19, and, this time around, the extravaganza will be held somewhere completely new: Manhattan’s historic Seaport neighborhood.

Expect multi-course dining experiences, pier parties, master classes, tastings and boozy brunches by acclaimed chefs and Food Network favorites. The full list of events for the New York City Wine & Food Festival are now live and tickets are on sale. Reserve yours here. 

The New York Comedy Festival is where the best of the best comedians of NYC gather each year. This year, it'll bring more than 200 comedians for 100 shows at iconic NYC venues from  Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 16.

Its blockbuster lineup includes comedy legends like Margaret Cho and (somehow) Louis C.K. welcoming members of the podcast generation, including The Basement Yard and Hannah Berner. A special treat comes in the form of a Strangers with Candy reunion, with cast members Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello reuniting on the 25th anniversary of the cult Comedy Central series’ cancellation

Now that temperatures are dropping, it's the perfect time to sip some hot tea. Afternoon tea in NYC is for those who fancy a scone or crumpet alongside a piping hot kettle of tea as a midday pick-me-up. From hotel restaurants to proper teahouses, here’s where to go for the best afternoon tea NYC’s got to offer.

Grab an empty basket and don your best plaid for a fall PYO adventure. At local farms in the tristate area, you'll find a generous offering of apple varieties and fun seasonal activities like petting zoos and corn mazes. We guarantee you're bound to stumble upon some apple cider doughnuts along the way.

This Queens County treasure is well worth the bus trek or car ride. As the city’s longest continually farmed site in the city (it’s been in operation since 1697), the 47 acres feels like an entirely different world compared to Manhattan.

Feed and pet the barnyard animals, including sheep, ponies and goats, hop aboard a hayride and take advantage of the fall harvest season when you can go pumpkin picking and attempt to find your way through the Amazing Maize Maze (yes, that’s a corn maze).

Going upstate to see fall leaves is great, but it's a trek. Luckily, if you know where to look here in NYC, there are some truly stunning foliage to see in many parks and gardens across the boroughs, including at Fort Tryon Park, the Greenbelt Nature Center, and Sunken Meadow State Park. Happy peeping!

When Louis Armstrong sang the inimitable lyric "I hear babies cry, I watch them grow," he was referencing the kids in his neighborhood of Corona and East Elmhurst, according to Regina Bain, executive director of the famed musician's namesake museum. And a new oral exhibit this fall will give a voice to his Queens community, highlighting the people who grew up next to Louis and Lucille Armstrong. 

Titled "The Corona Collection," the new exhibition at The Louis Armstrong House Museum will debut on October 2 and run through March 2026. Throughout, hear the voices of the Armstrongs' neighbors as they recount cherished memories, share heartfelt stories and dig into neighborhood histories. These oral histories offer an intimate look into the couple's life and their deep community connection. 

As the fall rolls in, there are probably a few things you crave—no, no, not pumpkin spice lattes—apple cider donuts. NYC’s network of open-air markets have all-things apple, year after year. Snag the sugary confection and stock up on apple cider while you’re at it, too. You can hop over to grownyc.org to find a market nearest you. 

The city is full of legit spooky spots and haunted places, from cemeteries and haunted mansions to a crumbling hospital and tragedy-prone island. 

These NYC ghost tours will take you through all the nooks and crannies where real-life horrors and paranormal sightings happened right in our own backyard. Whether you're a Broadway buff looking for theater lore or a history nerd up for touring historic buildings, there's a ghost tour for you.

Some might assume that sky-high imbibing is a spring and summertime affair, but it’s always rooftop season in NYC.

Even during rain, wind and lower temperatures, we simply swap the sunshine and frozen drinks for fireplaces and hot cocktails while still soaking up the skyline view. So grab a sweater and set your sights on the stars at the best cooler weather rooftops in NYC.

Spooky season is upon us! Whether you're looking for a family-friendly celebration or a terrifying haunted house or a raucous party, there's plenty to do this season. 

From the Village Halloween Parade to pumpkin carving demos, it's time to get into the spirits (or spirit) of the season. 

The only thing better than the Bronx Zoo is the Bronx Zoo at night. The famed zoo's annual family-friendly celebration, Harvest Glow, is back and at its best. 

Every Thursday-Sunday from September 25 until October 31, families are invited to explore this immersive jack-o'-lantern trail with its own spin: the 5,000 pumpkins are animal themed, of course! Senses will be heightened as you explore "creatures of the darkness" through the use of music, special effects and dramatic lighting to make sure that you really feel the spookiness. 

And if that wasn't enough, visitors will have the opportunity to live in the Mesozeric Era while walking amongst over 60 animatronic dinosaurs and pterosaurs at the event's Dinosaur Safari. Paired with the darkness, this prehistoric adventure is not to be missed.

Also expect pumpkin carving demos, games, face panting and tons of photo opps.

One of the top things to do in New York this fall includes drinking some of the best beer in NYC during Oktoberfest. Take in the beautiful fall foliage while drinking at one of the best beer gardens and German eateries in New York City. 

This year’s events include weeks-long waterside parties, brewery bashes and boozy feasts—all with plenty of German (and local!) beer. Prost!

Want to get out of the city this fall? You're in luck: Classic Harbor Line offers scenic fall foliage sails aboard gorgeous vintage vessels with a front-row seat to the picturesque changing of the seasons stretching from the Hudson River to the Palisades. Cruises run daily from October 4 through November 16.

Enjoy the chance to admire the spectactular fall foliage in a completely new way: By boat! Plus, these elegant 1920s-style yachts make the experience extra special. In addition to gawking at the leaves, you'll also get to see iconic landmarks such as the George Washington Bridge, the Cloisters, the Palisades and the Little Red Light House.

Plus, Classic Habor Line offers several more unique options, including the Urban Naturalist Tour: Fall Foliage of the Grand Palisades, which offers a light lunch and narration from an expert on history and nature facts. There's also the Grand Palisades Fall Foliage Schooner Sail if you're looking to travel largely by wind alone, with more time to contemplate the beautiful surroundings.

A new exhibit coming to The Whitney Museum of American Art reads like a who's who of revolutionary artists working in the 1960s. The show, titled Sixties Surreal, features Diane Arbus, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, Romare Bearden, Jasper Johns, Nancy Grossman, David Hammons, Louise Bourgeois and Faith Ringgold, just to name a few. 

What all of these artists have in common is their way of contributing to "a sweeping, ambitious, revisionist look at American art from 1958 to 1972 through the lens of the 'surreal,'" the museum says. In all, the sprawling show features the work of 111 artists who embraced the psychosexual, fantastical and revolutionary energy of an era shaped by civil unrest, cultural upheaval and boundless experimentation. See it and step back from September 24–January 19.

This fall, explore the long and rich history of queer communities in Manhattan's East Village and Lower East Side with Close Friends Collective's Queer History Walking Tours. 

The non-profit Henry Street Settlement and Close Friends Collective takes you on a two-hour storytelling journey through six stops. The stops change depending on the tour guide, current events or time of the year, but no matter what, the tour focuses on the importance of New York queer spaces and how they've evolved over the years. 

The organization is fronted by its founders and guides, a mix of historians, educators and a postdoctoral fellow: Salonee Bhaman, Jimmy Fay, Natalie Hill, erin reid, Katie Vogel (Henry Street Settlement public historian) and Daniel Walber. These walking tours are the combination of their love for public history and their desire to not let queer spaces/narratives be forgotten. 

Here are the fall dates:

— East Village, Saturday, September 13, 3-5pm
— Lower East Side, Sunday, October 12, 11am-1pm
— Lower East Side, Saturday, November 8, 11am-1pm

The New York Film Festival is back and offering up a promising slate of movies you can see before the big awards. The fun begins on September 26 and runs through October 13 at several theaters within Lincoln Center. 

The lineup is long, but we scoured the list for our top picks, detailed here. A few include the already-controversial After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino with actors Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield; Bradley Cooper's Is This Thing On?; and thriller A House of Dynamite directed by Kathryn Bigelow. If your favorites sell out, a standby line will form outside the box office before every screening—and some seats always open up, even for the most popular titles (just be sure to arrive early).

Looking for a unique way to spend a fall day (or evening, if you dare)? Head to the Bronx to visit the historic Woodlawn Cemetery, which is offering several fascinating events this fall. Here's what's on the calendar:

— Illuminated Mausoleums & Sculptures Tour on Friday, October and Sunday, October 19 
These evening walking tours through Woodlawn’s most significant monuments and funerary art feature dramatic lighting and interesting tales. Flashlights provided.

— Fall Legacy Lecture: Joy Goddess, A’Lelia Walker & the Harlem Renaissance on Sunday, October 26 
Head to the Woolworth Chapel for  cultural/biographical conversation event exploring A’Lelia Walker’s influence during the Harlem Renaissance.

— Fall Foliage Trolley Tour on Saturday, November 1
Relax in a trolley as you glide through Woodlawn’s arboretum, admiring peak autumn color among 6,000+ trees and historic monuments.

— Broadway Greats, Vaudeville Stars, and the Lambs Trolley Tour on Sunday, November 9
Take this themed trolley tour showcasing Woodlawn’s many entertainers — including members of The Lambs, vaudeville stars, and Broadway luminaries.

The hottest collab of fall is coming to The Brooklyn Museum with "Monet and Venice," an exhibition that aims to display Claude Monet's Venetian paintings. From October 11 until Feburary 1, 2026, this will mark the first dedicated exploration of Monet's luminous Venetian works since their debut in 1912.

The exhibition places Monet's Venice works in context with other select paintings from key moments throughout his career. Also expect paintings by artists such as Canaletto, John Singer Sargent, J. M. W. Turner and Pierre-Auguste Renoir to create further dialogue.

The exhibit will offer further engagement through immersive elements, including an original symphonic score inspired by the artist’s Venice paintings by the Brooklyn Museum’s Composer in Residence, Niles Luther. 

The Met's first major exhibition of Egyptian art in over a decade is on its way. From October 21 until January 19, 2026, "Divine Egypt" will focus in on images of gods in ancient Egypt. The exhibit considers how these physical tools brought the gods to life for daily worship, offering ancient Egyptians a vital connection between the human and divine worlds.

Spanning more than 3,000 years, the Egyptian people's belief system grew to include more than 1,500 gods with many overlapping forms and traits. At the exhibit, expect to see statues and small elegant figurines that represent 25 of ancient Egypt's main deities. Look for subtle visual cues, like what a figure wore, how they posed or the symbols they carried to help identify each one.

The exhibition will conclude with artifacts relating to the transition to the next life. 

What better way to take in the beautiful autumn scenery than a cruise up the Hudson? Take advantage of the peak leaf season aboard a luxury yacht while you sip a mimosa or Bloody Mary, and enjoy a plentiful brunch spread on the Grand Palisades Fall Foliage Cruise aboard Manhattan Yachts.

On this nearly three-hour adventure, you’ll observe New York’s natural wonders and the most vibrant foliage of the season. Don’t worry about the possible chill; the boats also have a heated, enclosed area from which to take in the sights.

We recommend booking the brunch cruise.

Get your hands dirty and jump into the world of ceramics with Handmade Happy Hour—Greenwich House Pottery's new Friday night happy hour pottery classes this fall.

These classes are perfect for beginners or pottery experts at any level, as you'll be guided by an expert teaching artist and provided all the tools and materials needed to make your pottery creation. Once you're done with your masterpiece and you've picked a glaze, they'll fire the piece to over 2000 degrees—then you can pick it up in about three weeks. 

It's a perfect night out for friends, a date or even going solo and meeting new creative friends. Every class is BYOB. Classes run from 7:30 to 9:30pm and cost $105 per person. 

The full schedule is here: 

• Sept. 26: Pottery Wheel (featuring beverages from sponsor Empirical Spirits)
• Oct. 3: Handbuilding Project
• Oct. 10: Pottery Wheel
• Oct. 17: Handbuilding Project
• Oct. 24: Pottery Wheel
• Nov. 7: Handbuilding Project
• Nov. 14: Pottery Wheel
• Nov. 21: Handbuilding Project
• Dec. 5: Pottery Wheel
• Dec. 12: Handbuilding Project

What’s more elegantly spooky than a classic horror film accompanied by a live orchestral score? On Saturday, October 25, the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra will set the stage for a spine-tingling Halloween with a performance of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu inside the Gothic-style Plymouth Church in Brooklyn Heights.

The orchestra will perform Rodney Sauer’s compiled and arranged score live alongside F.W. Murnau’s masterpiece, expanding the cinematic concert tradition into a grand 1,000-seat hall. To preserve the authenticity of the silent-era experience, this Nosferatu performance will feature six musicians from the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, with Sauer at the piano, re-creating the intimate yet visceral sound that would have filled theaters a century ago.

Guests are invited to wear costumes to truly immerse themselves in this hour-and-a- half performance starting at 7:30pm. Expect a night full of unforgettable music, film and Halloween spirit.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s annual Halloween Extravaganza returns to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25 at the uptown house of prayer.

The long-standing Upper West Side tradition was born decades ago under the direction of Artist in Residence Ralph Lee, founder of the Mettawee River Theatre Company. This year, the cathedral honors that legacy with an evening featuring frightening Mettawee performers who will haunt the audience with tricks and treats. 

The evening will kick off with a showing of The Phantom of the Opera in celebration of the film’s 100th anniversary. Additionally, the Cathedral will celebrate the return of the Great Organ to the Halloween Extravaganza with live accompaniment by Tim Brumfield. Showings begin at 7pm on both days for the Halloween Extravaganza, with $50 tickets available on the cathedral's website starting September 2.

Frigid New York gives you the chills in a festival inspired by Mexico's dead-lifting Día de los Muertos. The lineup features spooky variety shows, short horror plays, Edgar Allan Poe works, a traditional ofrenda, psychic mediums, a tiny interactive matchbox theatre, a murder ballad musical, necromancer burlesque, and other tales of the macabre. Among them are The Witching Hour by Andrew Agress, One Man Poe performed by Stephen Smith and Death Owns an Ice Cream Parlor, written by Maeve Aurora Chapman & Liam Corley. 

Visit the festival's website for a schedule and a full list of offerings for shows running October 16 through November 2. 

Talk about a Time Warp: The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been part of the pop culture landscape for a full five decades now. Originally released in theaters September 25, 1975, the future cult classic made barely a splash during its initial theatrical run, despite the presence of pre-fame Barry Bostwick, Tim Curry, and Susan Sarandon. But in the years since, the musical took on a whole new life as a midnight movie sensation, potentially keeping fishnets on the market long past their natural expiration date.

And to celebrate its big 50th anniversary this year, actors from the beloved film have been touring North America with a very special iteration of the beloved screening tradition, giving fans a chance to party with the stars. And the tour just announced a stop in New York City: On Monday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m., bring your rubber gloves and noisemakers to The Town Hall, where stars Bostwick (Brad), Nell Campbell (Columbia) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta) will be on hand for a very special screening. 

Beneath the cobblestone streets of the Seaport, secrets hid underground for decades—until now, that is. A walking tour led by the South Street Seaport Museum unearths the neighborhood's freaky and fascinating facts.

The museum's "Sinister Secrets of the Seaport" whisks visitors back in time for a 90-minute walking tour full of true crime tales about theft, organized crime, murder and even pirates. Tours are available for $40/adult. Whether you're a true crime buff or you're still soaking up the Halloween spirit, these tours make for a memorable afternoon in a historic neighborhood.

Carreau Club, the nation’s first pétanque bar, now offers an indoor location with more space to get your game on while sipping a drink—even when temperatures get chilly.

For the uninitiated, pétanque (pronounced puh-TONK) is a bocce-ball style French boules sport gaining popularity in the U.S., starting here in NYC.

For those new to the sport, don't worry: Each court reservation comes with a lesson from a pétanque guide, plus equipment and a seating area. For the more competitive pétanque player, join a league to get in on weekly games.

This "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London offers three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings. For those new to the game, "crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft cocktails are served by caddies on the course.

At Swingers NoMad, expect six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails from London and D.C., as well as a variety of cocktails created specifically for NYC, private rooms you can rent, an opulent clubhouse and gourmet street food vendors with pizza, burgers and cookies.