Weekend Fun for Westchester Families: Fall Festivals, Circus Latino, Chinese Acrobats, Sep. 19-20

9/16/15 - By Susan Miele

As the temperatures start to drop and families settle in to the new school year, fun events for families shift from hot dogs and ice cream to apples and pumpkins. So what’s in store for this weekend?

Festivals! You can have your fill of some half dozen of them in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, including the SOWE Music Festival, Armonk Cider & Donut Festival and the Hudson Valley Apple Festival. But equally noteworthy are the cultural performances with an international flair—namely Circus Latino and Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats.

Ready for more? Read on—then continue to our Events Calendar for even more great options. Craving even more fall festivals? We’ve rounded up our top finds for Westchester and the Hudson Valley so you can see them in one place.

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All Weekend

Circus Latino – Sleepy Hollow
The circus is coming to town! This inventive performance combines circus acts and live music from Ecuador and Brazil. Friday through Sunday.

FDR Pow Wow – Yorktown Heights
This full-service Native American Pow Wow consists of hundreds of artists and performers from across the Americas and numerous vendors selling crafts, jewelry and food. Pony rides and tipi raising will surely grab the kids’ attention.

Saturday, September 19

Fieldhome's Annual Fall Festival – Cortlandt Manor  
Families can enjoy arts and crafts, a car show and live entertainment at Fieldhome's 11th annual fall fest. Head to the Kid's Zone for inflatable rides, face painting, a petting zoo, pumpkin decorating and more. Free admission and parking.

SOWE Music Festival – Mamaroneck
In addition to multiple stages of musical performances, this annual event boasts an extensive array of food trucks and a slew of family activities, including carnival rides and a Kids Zone, which features cooking classes, pottery making and other fun surprises. Though adult admission is pricy, kids under 12 are free.

Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats – Valhalla
Visually captivating, this troupe offers the added appeal of exotic costumes and choreography to their acrobatic feats.

Hudson Valley Apple Festival – Germantown
Loaded with kids’ activities, this festival goes well beyond apples to include face painting, a hay maze, hayrides, bouncy houses and obstacle courses, fire truck demonstrations and even an Apple Crate Derby (be sure to sign up in advance). There will also be a clown, petting zoo, live music and a hula hoop contest, in addition to a plethora of food and craft vendors. Stick around for the evening fireworks show. Ages 13 and under are free.

See all Saturday events.

Sunday, September 20

Armonk Cider & Donut Festival – Armonk
Get your fix of doughnuts and cider at this annual festival, plus live music, doughnut fishing, a pie-eating contest and a pre-event race.

Cornwall Fall Festival – Cornwall
An abundance of kid-friendly activities will be available at this fall festival: pumpkin painting, a free hay maze, pony rides, a free petting zoo and free bouncy houses. There will also be more than 120 food and craft vendors, as well as two stages of live entertainment. 

The Harvest Festival – Bethel
Visit the site of the historical Woodstock Music Festival, featuring live music, food and craft vendors, corn and hay mazes and other children’s activities.

View all Sunday events.

Beyond Westchester

In honor of its 10th anniversary, the Brooklyn Book Festival is hosting its first Brooklyn Book Festival Children's Day. Enjoy readings by popular children’s book authors, illustrator draw-offs, booksellers and costumed characters.

On Sunday, head to Lincoln Center for Lantern Floating for Peace to decorate a lantern with your hopes and dreams for world peace at this Shinnyo-en-sponsored celebration, which also includes live music and cultural performances. At sunset, the head Buddhist priestess will say a special prayer as hundreds of LED-lit lanterns are set afloat. It's FREE!

Don't forget—there are more ideas for fun family outings in our Events Calendar.

Photo credit: Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats