There are so many fun things to do in the NYC area, all year ’round! We’ve picked the top 20 best events for families in each season in the following areas: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, and Fairfield County, CT.
Click on the links below to download the guide to your area of choice. Keep the guide handy and use it to fill your family’s calendar — you’ll have something fun to do every weekend of the year!
New York City’s Best Annual Events
There’s always something to do in the big city, no matter how small you may be! Get a jump on planning your family’s schedule of fun activities by browsing our guide to the big annual events happening across all five boroughs.
You can also download the full, interactive version of our guide to seasonal family fun in NYC.
Spring
New York International Children’s Film Festival, Easter egg hunts, Brooklyn’s Cherry Blossom Festival and Fleece Festival, The Kings County Fair, Fleet Week, and more.
Summer
Enjoy Luna Park on Coney Island, outdoor concerts, the Museum Mile Festival, old-fashioned baseball games, carousel rides, free outdoor movies, street fairs and cultural festivals, the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Arthur Ashe Kids Day during the US Open, and much more summer fun.
Fall
Kite Festival in Brooklyn, Queens County Fair, Medieval Festival in Manhattan, NYC Wine & Food Festival, Atlantic Antic, Raptor Day in the Bronx, celebrate Halloween, NY Comic Con, Big Apple Circus, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more.
Winter
Outdoor ice skating, Holiday Train Show in the Bronx, holiday performances of The Nutcracker and Radio City Christmas Spectacular, menorah and tree lightings, visits with Santa Claus, sledding and skiing, celebrate Lunar New Year, Kids Food Festival, and more.
Long Island
Whether you live in Nassau or Suffolk County, there’s plenty of fun things to do all year ’round on Long Island, including seasonal activities from apple picking to maple sugaring, professional sports teams to cheer on, fairs and festivals galore, and much more.
Check out the seasonal articles below, or download the complete, interactive version of our guide to seasonal family fun on Long Island.
Spring
Maple sugaring, Ringling Bros. circus comes to town, Earth Day and Arbor Day festivals, spring fairs, Long Island Live Steamers, Bethpage Air Show, The Adventure Park in Wheatley Heights, visit the Fire Island Lighthouse, stop by a zoo or nature center, take a spin on a carousel, and more.
Summer
The Pirate Festival in West Sayville, Harborfest in Port Washington, head to an amusement park, go miniature golfing and berry picking, watch July 4th fireworks, be a scientist for a day at the Long Island Aquarium, hit the beach, watch a Long Island Ducks baseball game, enjoy the Scottish Games, head to a Native American Pow Wow, and more.
Fall
Stroll fall fairs and harvest festivals, pick your own apples, experience The Rise of the Jack O’ Lanterns at Old Westbury Gardens, get lost in a corn maze, cruise through Long Island’s wetlands, head to the Oyster Festival in Oyster Bay, attend an old-fashioned Thanksgiving Celebration, and more.
Winter
Cut down your own Christmas tree, go on a Seal Cruise, see Disney on Ice, cheer on the New York Islanders, go ice skating and skiing, watch The Nutcracker on stage, visit the Cradle of Aviation Museum, cure cabin fever at Bounce! Trampoline Sports, and more.
Westchester County, NY
There’s something special to do each season in Westchester.
Click below for events in each season, or download the full, interactive guide to seasonal fun in Westchester.
Spring
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, shopping at farmers’ markets, Easter egg hunts, Earth day events, Mother’s Day activities, farm festivals, and fun at zoos and nature centers.
Summer
Head to the beach, pick-your-own fresh berries, catch an outdoor concert, celebrate the Fourth of July, get your thrills at an amusement park, and hang out with pirates near the Hudson River.
Fall
Harvest festivals, pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze, Halloween events across the county, and activities that celebrate the many beautiful colors of the season.
Winter
Ice skating, skiing and snowboarding, cut-your-own Christmas trees, holiday festivals and shows, Breakfast with Santa, howling with wolves, maple sugaring, and more.
Rockland County, NY
Rockland may be a small county, but there’s plenty of fun to be had throughout the year, from Orangeburg to New City to Stony Point and beyond.
Click below to see annual events by season, or download the full, interactive guide to seasonal fun in Rockland.
Spring
Ringling Bros. Circus comes to town, spring festivals and sheep-shearing celebrations, Earth Day activities, dinosaur days, fun on the farm, and living history demonstrations.
Summer
Rockland Boulders baseball games, Nyack’s Famous Street Fair, the nearby Dutchess County Fair and New York Renaissance Faire, carousel rides, horseback riding, and much more.
Fall
Pick-your-own apples and make-your-own apple cider, Oktoberfest and harvest fairs, Halloween parade and trick-or-treat events, and more.
Winter
Ice skating, skiing and sledding, maple sugaring, a Princess Ball, Hanukkah and Christmas shows, IMAX movies and moon missions, and more.
Fairfield County, CT
Fairfield is our favorite county in Connecticut because there’s always something fun for families to do. Plus, it’s only a short drive to Mystic, New Haven, and Westchester counties, not to mention the big city!
Below you’ll find the county’s annual events by season, or download the full, interactive guide to seasonal fun in Fairfield.
Spring
Maple sugaring festivals, Party for the Planet at Beardsley Zoo, catch a Bridgeport Bluefish baseball game, celebrate the Fairfield Dogwood Festival, Lobster Days at the Mystic Seaport, Robin Hood Springtime Festival in New Haven, and more.
Summer
Pick-your-own berries, ride a carousel, hit the beach, play mini golf, tackle the Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum, Soupstock in Shelton, watch Free Shakespeare in the outdoors, take a Marine Life Study Cruise, and more.
Fall
Norwalk’s Oyster Festival, the CT Renaissance Faire, go apple picking, harvest fairs and festivals, Howl-o-Ween at the Beardsley Zoo and other Halloween events, the UBS Parade Spectacular in Stamford, and more.
Winter
Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival, Greenwich Reindeer Festival, The Nutcracker performances, skiing and snowboarding, the Holiday Express Train Show, seal watching on the Sound, a Winter Wonderland Children’s Ball at Stepping Stones, and more.
