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Hendrick Hudson Free Library - various times Pick
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Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: Fall Festivals, Dance, Animal Acts, Oct. 17-18
Here we are in mid-October, when Halloween is just around the corner and fall fun peaks. In addition to all the big Halloween events recurring throughout October, there are also numerous local festivals celebrating autumn and Halloween, including the Children's Halloween Festival and Halloween Carnival and Ragamuffin Parade (see also our roundup of other ragamuffin parades happening in our area). Perhaps the granddaddy of all festivals this weekend is the two-day NY Sheep and Wool Festival, which features fiber-arts workshops and such eccentricities as llama acts.
This is also an exciting weekend for those who love dance, with the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia taking the stage and a unique museum Family Day program inviting the public to Celebrate Dancers Among Us. For more theatrical highlights this season, consult our hot-off-the-press guide to the best family fall performances in Westchester so you can claim the performances and seats you want.
Read on for our top weekend picks, visit our Event Calendar, and check out our October Go List for our top choices for the rest of the month!
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All Weekend
NY Sheep and Wool Festival – Rhinebeck
This uncommon agenda includes sheep-herding dog demonstrations, llama acts, fiber-arts workshops (for those as young as 3!), a petting zoo, a Mad Science show and tons more. Kids under 13 are admitted free!
Saturday, October 17
Pumpkin Festival - Campbell Hall
Get pumpkined-out with pumpkin rolling, pumpkin painting, a guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin game and other fall fun like scarecrow making, leaf waxing and more.
Fall Fest - Rye
Pick a pumpkin and enjoy animal exhibits, a birds-of-prey show, food, arts and crafts, and more.
Pound Ridge Harvest Festival – Pound Ridge
At this 5th annual event, live music is provided by alt rockers Soul Asylum, and you can enjoy food, contests, games and activities for all ages. There's a beer garden by Magic Hat and a root beer garden for the little ones. Free admission.
Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia - Valhalla
Journey halfway around the world without leaving Westchester as you soak up the exotic folk dancing performed by this vibrant and visually stunning troupe.
Sunday, October 18
Halloween Carnival and Ragamuffin Parade - Chappaqua
Strut your stuff at this fun parade and flaunt your Halloween costume for all to see! Both before and after is a carnival with rides and games, live music and more. Free parade and carnival admission; pay per ride.
Bronxville Children's Halloween Festival - Bronxville
Come in costume, ride ponies, crawl through the giant caterpillar, bounce up and down, ride the cup and saucer, spin on the carousel, enter a raffle for family prizes, feast on festive Halloween treats and (whew!) more at this annual carnival.
Fall Festival — Larchmont
Celebrate the season with pumpkins, music, arts and crafts, and animals. Purchase tickets in advance to save.
Autumn Celebration — Katonah
Enjoy autumn with live music, an antique car show, games and crafts. Watch a blacksmith demonstration, shop at the market, and go for a hayride. Free admission.
Family Day: Celebrate Dancers Among Us - Yonkers
Highlighting the ongoing exhibition of photographs of dancers performing in non-theatrical settings, this fun event affords visitors the chance to meet the artist, view a dance performance, and participate in art and photography projects.
Beyond Westchester
Celebrate honey at Honey Weekend in The Bronx with honey-extraction demonstrations; a candle-making workshop; Family Art Project: Be A Bee; and, of course, tastings.
We’re lucky to live near a city with such fabulous and diverse architecture, and the 13th Annual Open House New York celebrates that, giving special access to hundreds of sites, talks, tours, performances and family activities throughout NYC. The range of access is as formidable as are the buildings themselves—ranging from private residences to historic landmarks, hard-hat tours to sustainable skyscrapers. All this—for FREE!
Don't forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more events happening throughout Westchester!
Photo credit: Bronxville Chamber of Commerce, Bronxville Children's Halloween Festival
