Looking for the best fall festivals in NYC? We got you covered! A visit to the many festivals in the fall is one of the highlights of September, October and November. From the world-famous New York Comic Con Festival to the New York Film Festival and to the Electric Zoo Music Festival: there are a lot of festivals you can choose from. If you’re in New York City at this time, be sure to add them to your itinerary!
Also be sure to check out our list of the best things to do in fall in NYC and everything about the colorful fall foliage in NYC.
We wish you a great time in New York City already! And here they are now:
We think fall in New York is one of the best seasons ever – that’s why you should miss any of these events!
Labor Day Weekend hosts the annual Electric Zoo Music Festival in New York. The Electric Zoo Festival is a three-day music festival that takes place on Randall’s Island, which you can walk to if you’re in Astoria, Queens. Electric Zoo brings in some of the top performers in the house and dubstep genre. Some of the past performers include the late Avicii, Steve Aoki, Benny Benassi, and much more.
There are a bunch of ways to get to Randall’s Island: the closest subway station is “125 Station”. Your best bet is either by taking the NYC Ferry or an Uber. Also, if you’re in Astoria, you can walk across the RFK bridge. That bridge will lead you right into the island. Tickets are sold out quickly and should be ordered online in advance.
Japan Fes New York is a large food festival that celebrates Japanese cuisine every year since 2016. Throughout the summer and fall, several events take place throughout New York City. In addition to a wide selection of Japanese delicacies such as ramen or takoyaki, there is also the opportunity to buy traditional Japanese clothing and art.
September 2025
October 2025
November 2025
Latin Night Market takes place in Uptown Manhattan and is the first major food and cultural festival dedicated to the Latino and Hispanic community. This food festival kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month.
In addition to live performances from genres such as salsa, Latin pop, rumba and hip hop, as well as activities for the whole family, there will of course be a wide selection of Central and South American food and beverages.
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The Superhero Festival is organized by the organization “New York State of Mind” (NYSoM) and is a great free event in autumn (not only) for kids. Here they can create their own superheroes, participate in races (“The Flash vs. Sonic the Hedgehog”) and a scavenger hunt.
For the 9th time, the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival will take place in Brooklyn. Over 40 artists and bands perform in several locations. And the best? The festival is free!
Even though they are called Summer Concerts, there are still concerts taking place until the end of September!
Broadway fans take note: there’s a great and free event you won’t want to miss! From September 30 to October 2, you can experience the Curtain Up Broadway Festival at the Theatre District!
The annual Feast of San Gennaro attracts both New Yorkers and visitors to Little Italy in September. Why? The 11-day long festival will spoil you with Italian specialties, parades, eating contests, and free concerts.
The festival celebrates the life of San Gennaro of Naples, who was once the Bishop of Benevento in Italy. He died a martyr’s death in A.D. 305. The next Feast of San Gennaro in 2023 will mark its 97th anniversary in Little Italy. Besides a church service, there is a parade in honor of the patron saint, a meatball eating competition, a zeppole eating competition, and the festival’s highlight: the cannoli eating contest.
The Brooklyn Book Festival is the largest free literary festival in New York City. It was launched in 2006 as a one-day event and now takes place over several days. The goal of this festival is to celebrate and promote published literature. The innovative program supports not only local, but also national and international authors.
Attention all comic and anime fans! New York in October holds the world-famous Comic Con, where you can meet the actors of your favorite childhood comic series and other legends of the industry. Cosplay is a very popular activity during this event, so if you’re out in the city, and you are met by people dressed up as comic heroes, don’t be surprised. Comic Con usually takes place at the Jacob Javits Center next to the Westside highway.
Over 40 different films from very different genres will be presented. Locations include the Walter Reade Theater, the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center and Alice Tully Hall (all at Film at Lincoln Center). In addition, all boroughs are represented, as there are public festival screenings at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Maysles Documentary Center in Harlem, the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Staten Island.
The New Yorker Festival, organized by the publisher of the same name, will take place for the 22nd time. It is one of the most popular fall festivals in New York, bringing you the “biggest names in politics, literature, film, music, art, and pop culture on panels, discussions, and performances” over 7 days.
This annual coffee event takes place in New York again and is obviously for coffee lovers who can’t function in the morning without their caffeine.
The New York Coffee Festival is New York’s flagship coffee event, celebrating the amazing specialty coffee scene in New York City. All profits are going to charity (Project Waterfall) and visitors get to taste the best coffee in town, meet the artisans and hang out with a bunch of local coffee lovers.
This is for all of the foodies and wine connoisseurs. The New York City Wine and Food Festival offers more than 80 events over 4 days. There’s everything from tastings of America’s favorite foods to intimate dinners with world-renowned chefs, cooking classes, nutrition seminars, wine tasting, and parties. Prepared and served by America’s favorite food stars, this event is a real highlight for New Yorkers and tourists from around the world.
The New York Wine and Food Festival will be held October 12-15, 2023!
This 5-day Indie Film Festival is finally back. For the 16th time, the film festival will take place in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn and will offer you many virtual and accompanying events in addition to live screenings.
This event is especially popular with New Yorkers. Take advantage of a visit to get to know Bushwick better. It’s worth it!
The annual Open House New York event allows tourists and locals to access the city’s main buildings for 3 days. The main thing here is to experience the city differently and to meet the people who designed and built New York. All sorts of buildings can be visited, from the very historic to modern apartments or industrial buildings that are scattered all over the five boroughs.
There will be tours, lectures, performances, and events around the meaning of architecture and urban design. All the information about this cool event can be found here.
Dates for 2024: October 18-20
The BRIC JazzFest 2025 will be held for the 11th time. You can experience legends of the jazz world and rising stars at BRIC House in Downtown Brooklyn. The artists will bring in their very own style of music – for example, jazz will be combined with hip-hop, which promises real innovations!
We love Pier 6 in the summer because it’s home to PILOT Brooklyn, one of our absolute favorite spots in all of New York City.
The annual Harvest Festival celebrates the change from summer to fall. You can expect live music, a small procession, lawn games and much more. You can enjoy all this with the skyline of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge in the backdrop.
The full list of events can be found here.
Over 30 concerts, film screenings, workshops, square dance and much more can be seen at the Brooklyn Folks Festival. This culturally hip event takes place in November and usually sells out very quickly.
Do you want to experience good laughs? Well, then you’re in luck. From November 7 until November 16, 2025, The New York Comedy Festival will take place. Popular comedians such as Conan O’Brien, Tracy Morgan, Trevor Noah, and Stephen Colbert have either performed in the past or will partake in the upcoming festival.
Der Beitrag The 20 Best Fall Festivals in NYC – The COMPLETE Guide for 2025 erschien zuerst auf Loving New York.
