Fall officially begins on Thursday, and we’re sure you’re going to fall(!) for our awesome lineup of event picks for this week. We’ve selected three outdoor festivals plus events for Roald Dahl devotees, county fair fans, and jazz aficionados. Happy fall!
Saturday, September 24
Submerge: NYC Marine Science Festival
Pier 26 in Hudson River Park
11am-4pm
This Saturday head over to Hudson River Park for a splash of science in the city at the Submerge: NYC Marine Science Festival! Families can enjoy a whole day of educational fun with hands-on activities, arts and crafts, interactive demonstrations, live music, catch-and-release fishing, scuba diving shows, kayaking, and more! Noted experts will also be giving a variety of talks on relevant topics. Food will be available for purchase from food trucks such as Gorilla Cheese, Melt, and Yaki Taco. This event is free.
Little Red Lighthouse Festival
Fort Washington Park
12-4pm
Bring your family to the Little Red Lighthouse Festival in Fort Washington Park to enjoy food, music, and storytelling. The festival celebrates Manhattan’s only lighthouse which has inspired two children’s books. Children can also attend a fishing clinic, go on a tour of the lighthouse with the Urban Park Rangers, and enjoy a host of other activities. This event is free.
Saturday, September 24-Sunday, September 25
Roald Dahl Weekend
Wave Hill
10am-4pm
Celebrate the centennial birthday of the iconic children’s book author Roald Dahl, this weekend at Wave Hill. The garden will host Family Art Project during which families with kids of all ages can create a handmade pop-up book inspired by James and the Giant Peach. In the afternoon ages 6 and up can go on a Giant Insect Encounter with entomologist Lawrence Forcella to learn about the real-life versions of James’ bug buddies. Free with garden admission. Admission is free until noon.
34th Annual Queens County Fair
Queens County Farm Museum
11am-6pm
A traditional county fair in NYC? That’s right! Visit the Queens County Farm Museum this weekend for the 34th Annual Queens County Fair. Don’t miss the pig races, hayrides, carnival rides, and midway games, or the pie-eating and corn-husking contests. There will be entertainment for kids of all ages, live music and dancing at the Bavarian Garden, and for an additional fee you can explore the Amazing Maize Maze—the farm’s three-acre corn maze! Admission is $10 per day for adults and $5 per day for kids 12 and under; admission does not include the Amazing Maize Maze, carnival rides, midway games, and other various activities.
The World of Jazz Fall Family Day
Carnegie Hall
12-4pm
Bring the kids to Carnegie Hall’s Fall Family Day to explore the world of jazz, with free interactive musical performances and activities! The day will serve as a great introduction to this musical genre and inspire young Charlie Parkers and Louis Armstrongs. Festivities include a Family Dance Party, an Instrument Making Zone, a Songwriting Lounge, a photo booth, a performance from jazz vocalist Brianna Thomas, and more. Plus be sure to mark your calendar for Spring Family Days on April 1-2, 2017 which will focus on classical music. Recommended for ages 3 and up. This event is free.
Sunday, September 25
23rd Annual Bus Festival
New York Transit Museum
11am-6pm
An annual NYC classic, the New York Transit Museum’s Bus Festival provides the perfect opportunity to introduce children to vintage city buses. This day-long fest will feature more than a dozen vehicles including “Betsy,” a double decker bus from the 1930s, 1958’s Bus 9098, which was the first bus in the city equipped with sliding windows, and the Tunnel Wrecker, an emergency vehicle designed to remove disabled buses and cars out of tunnels. Remember, admission to the Transit Museum is only $1 (per person) all day! Festival admission is free.
