Fall in New York - Things to do in NYC with Kids

There is no better place to be then New York during fall. The crisp air, the leaves changing colors to reflect autumn hues and endless amounts of activities to enjoy with the family. New York is certainly the place to be, especially with kids. Below we have rounded up great activities to enjoy with your family and friends this Fall whether it be just outside or in NYC! Fall Activities for Daytime: Apple Picking, Pumpkin Carving, Corn Mazes & More! Fishkill Farms If you’re looking to escape the city for the day, enjoy apple and pumpkin picking at Fishkill Farms. The farm is about an hour and a half north of NYC in East Fishkill, NY. Spend the whole day at this environmentally, family-friendly farm which on weekends, (September through mid-October) enjoy free hayrides, delicious food, live music and flower workshops. Don’t miss out on the delicious homemade donuts and cider straight from the orchard trees! Visit their website for more information!  (https://www.fishkillfarms.com/). Melick’s Town Farm Cider Mill An hour outside of NYC located in Oldwick, New Jersey is Melick’s Town Farm Cider Mill. Children can pick their own apples from the easy to reach branches of Melick’s own dwarf tree’s, choosing from honey crisp, macoun and mackintosh. Kids can enjoy their apple pickings while taking a hayride around the Cider Mill or enjoy a cup of cider from the farm stand. Besides apples, roasted corn and freshly hot baked donuts are also not to be missed as every bite is sweeter than the next! https://www.melickstownfarm.com Amazing Maize Maze: Queens County Farm Museum Ready to get lost in a labyrinth in NYC? Well look no further then Amazing Maize Maze, located at the Queens County Farm Museum. This cool and exciting maze which stretches just over two miles is perfect for those who love a challenge. Every year The American Maze Company puts together a labyrinth depicting a theme, in the past it has included a farm scape, a riverboat and a violin. Perfect for those warm fall days to enjoy with family and friends. There will also be a Maze by Moonlight on October 20^th for those who want to try to find their way out in the dark!  https://americanmaze.com/ Bronx Zoo: Boo at the Zoo Bronx Zoo: Boo at the Zoo, is great for every age with spooky hayrides to pumpkin carvings and Bootoberfest for the adults (which includes sampling beers), what adult wouldn’t love that! The event runs every weekend from September 29^th through October 28^th, so make sure you head on over to their website to purchase tickets as you and your family will not be disappointed. (https://bronxzoo.com/boo-at-the-zoo). Fink’s Country Farm Enjoy a day out with the kids on Eastern Long Island an hour and half outside of NYC, for an exciting full day of fall activities. On the weekends at Fink’s Country Farm, kids can pick their own pumpkins, enjoy hayrides and pony rides. Children can also get their face painted as well as get lost in the corn maze. There is a playground and kiddie train ride for those looking for more activities for their children to enjoy! Make sure to check out the farm stand and take home some treats and fresh produce! https://finksfarm.com/ Fall Activities: Attractions & Parades  The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze If you want to do an activity with the family at night, head on over to The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze at Van Cortland Manor just outside of NYC on the Hudson. Tickets sell out fast to see this over the top event which takes place at an historic 18^th century manor. 7,000 Jack-O-Lanterns are carved and decked out to the extreme, created by professional artists. The carvings are on display throughout the entire property all synchronized to lights and music. This event runs from September through October and one that is certainly not to miss! (https://hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze/). Spooky Pumpkin Garden at the NY Botanical Garden Walk along the spooky garden trail at the New York Botanical Garden, with scary pumpkins and ghostly scarecrows. This attraction is fun for all ages to get their scare on and provides a great educational experience for kids and adults to learn about bats. There is also a spooky puppet show in the gardens and on weekends carving demonstrations to get your imagination flowing, when carving out your own pumpkin at home. On October 20^th and 21^st enjoy the Great Pumpkin Weekend, where impressive large pumpkins are on display. https://www.nybg.org/event/scarecrows-pumpkins/ Ghouls and Gourds at The Brooklyn Botanical Garden Come be a part of this fall favorite event at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. A costume parade, stilt dancing performances and giant puppets will keep you and your family entertained for hours. This a popular event not to miss and one that is exciting for all family members. https://www.bbg.org/visit/event/ghouls_gourds_2018 Halloween in the Harbor on Governor’s Island  For one day only on October 27^th bring your family to the second annual Governor’s Island Halloween event. Pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch or enjoy fall festive treats while relaxing on a picnic blanket on the lawn. Have your kids wear their costumes as they can go trick-or-treating throughout the historic houses where volunteers hand out candy! https://govisland.com Fall Activities in NYC: Fall Festivals, Concerts & More all right in NYC! Kids Rock Fall Feast at Rockefeller Center Kids Rock Fall Fest at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the heart of NYC, is a great festival geared more for younger ages. On October 20^th only, from 10am-1pm enjoy face painting, music, crafts and fun fall activities. (https://www.rockefellercenter.com/whats-happening/upcoming/). Fall Fest at the Hudson River Park Come to the West side down in Tribeca on October 21^st at Pier 25 to celebrate fall, wearing your Halloween costume while enjoying the carnival. Make sure to get your sugar fix and indulge in on the cotton candy and all sorts of fun treats! Face painting, pumpkin decorations, story time and of course rides, are not to be missed at this fun fall festival for all ages. https://hudsonriverpark.org/events/fall-fest Halloween Celebration at the American Museum of Natural History On October 27^that the American Museum of Natural History, have your kids come dressed in their Halloween costumes and meet their favorite characters while roaming the exhibit halls. From Clifford the Big Red Dog to Little Critters your children will be filled with excitement. Trick-or-treating, arts and crafts and live performances will be going on throughout the day. So, come join in on the Halloween Fun! https://www.amnh.org/calendar/halloween-celebration Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla at Central Park Nothing better than celebrating a fall night in central park. Have the family carve out spooky pumpkins the night before and drop them off the next day at the designated drop off area, for them be featured floating down the Harlem Meer, lit up at night. Space is limited as only 50 pumpkins get chosen to float down the pond on first come, first served bases. This is New York’s largest pumpkin flotilla and this magical event is certainty not one to miss. Before the launch starts, make sure to get there early to enjoy Halloween crafts, costume parade, pumpkin carving by Hugh McMahon and spooky stories. Please check out the website for further instructions detailing the Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla requirements. https://www.centralparknyc.org/events/individual-events/halloween.html New York City’s 45^th Annual: Village Halloween Parade If you’re looking to do something with both family and friends on Halloween, join and march in New York City’s 45^th Annual: Village Halloween Parade. This is a fantastic event with music, dancers and all sorts of fun activities throughout the night. Make sure to wear a costume, as this year’s theme is I Am a Robot! If you just want to watch and not participate, the parade starts at 7pm on 6^th Ave, at Canal Street. (https://halloween-nyc.com/). New York for sure will not disappoint or leave you being bored with the endless amounts of fall activities to enjoy with family and friends! If you are from out of town and want to experience a fall weekend in New York City, Affinia Hotels & Suites offers a variety of 3 different boutique style hotels that are perfect for a fall getaway! Please make sure to check out the website to choose your stay while visiting New York City. https://www.affinia.com/