New York City

Best 2025 Fall Festivals and Fairs in NYC this September and October

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Try your hand at corn husking and more analog entertainment during the Corn Fest at the Queens County Farm Museum. Photo courtesy of the Queens County Farm Museum

Fall festivals in NYC punctuate the changing of seasons with all the pleasures autumn conjures: apple cider doughnuts, hay rides, the hunt for the perfect pumpkin, and cozy family vibes. New York City fall festival favorites include the Richmond County Fair, the West Side County Fair, and the Brooklyn Children's Book Fair. Plus, Mommy Poppins is hosting a Back to School Fall Fest at Pier 57 on Sunday, September 21, and programming Playtopia at the Atlantic Antic on Sunday, October 5, with help from our friends at Brooklyn Bridge Parents.

There are also some cool under-the-radar events you may not have heard of, including an Italian fair in the Bronx that is a lot less crowded than Little Italy's San Gennaro and the Annual Bus Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

22 Best Things To Do in NYC with Kids September 2025, According to Mommy Poppins Editors

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All aboard for a day of fun when vintage transit vehicles take over Brooklyn Bridge Park for the New York Transit Museum's annual bus festival. Photo courtesy of the museum

Labor Day kicks off September's activities, launching New York City's season of apple picking, fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes.

September is here, and even though the kids are heading back to school, there's still plenty of time for fun. The West Side County Fair provides some end-of-summer thrills with rides, games, and plenty of live music. Broadway salutes New York's 400th birthday with a massive free concert. And, Morningside Lights and San Gennaro light up the town from the Heights to Little Italy.

Meanwhile, we're hosting a very special Back-to-School Fall Fest in Chelsea. And, by month's end, things are getting spooky—read on for all the seasonal picks!

Labor Day Weekend 2025 in NYC: Festivals, Fairs, and More Things To Do with Kids

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Enjoy roving performers, kid-friendly activities, and plenty of good eats when the Richmond County Fair takes over Historic Richmond Town for its annual run. Photo courtesy of the event

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this Labor Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for the holiday weekend.

Summer takes a final victory lap this weekend, and the Labor Day holiday means the NYC Unicycle Festival is one-wheeling all around town, the Richmond County Fair brings rides and carnival classics to Staten Island, Bryant Park is saluting both accordions and Sly Stone (but not at the same time!), and A Midsummer Night's Dream romps through Central park, unrehearsed.

From Swings to Spray Showers: Rainey Park Reopens in Astoria with a Kid-Friendly Makeover

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Rainey Park is fresh off a full renovation that brought new playground equipment and accessible features.

Queens residents have a new public space for their enjoyment with the reopening of Rainey Park in Astoria. After extensive renovations, Rainey Park boasts new playground equipment, fitness areas, spray showers, a new greenway, and increased access for those with disabilities. Read on to find out all you need to know about this new park.

Find more places to play in our NYC Kids' Guide to Parks and Playgrounds and the our list of the best things to do in Queens.

What Does New York's Cell Phone Ban Look Like at Your School?

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When NYC kids head back to the classroom, cell phones must be out of sight. Photo via Canva

When nearly 1 million NYC public school students head back to class in September, they’ll be entering a no-phone zone.

A new state law in New York bans students from using cell phones and all personal internet-enabled devices during the school day. The law goes into effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year, which kicks off Thursday, September 4, for public school kids.

Read on to find out what the ban might look like at your school, and check out our list of 57 screen-free activities for all ages.

Apple Picking near NYC: Best Apple Farms and Apple Festivals for Kids

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Kids can go apple picking near NYC at Alstede Farms, where low-to-the-ground trees are perfect for little pickers. Photo by Rose Gordon Sala

Apple picking near NYC starts just before Labor Day weekend and continues throughout the fall, with apple orchards in the tri-state area offering families a chance to pluck a perfect fruit right from the tree. Many of these apple orchards near NYC also host fun apple festivals and cool kids' attractions, including hayrides, petting zoos with barnyard animals, bouncy houses, and corn mazes. Some even sell home-baked treats like apple cider doughnuts.

While there was a time when apple trees thrived in NYC—ever wonder how Orchard Street got its name?—city families today need to head out of town to pick their own fruit. There are plenty of wonderful apple orchards for apple picking near NYC. Whether you want to go apple picking in the Hudson Valley or apple picking in New Jersey, we've rounded up 13 apple orchards for a fall family day trip from NYC. All are an hour and a half or less from Midtown Manhattan by car, and a few are even accessible by train.

For other fun farm outings, check out our Pick-Your-Own Guide for NYC Families.

30 Fall Day Trips from NYC for Families

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Woodstock is the perfect fall getaway and just a two-hour drive away. Photo by Diana Kim

We're dreaming of fall day trips from NYC because sometimes fresh scenery—even for a day—can do wonders to reboot and re-energize a weary New Yorker's soul. With that in mind, we've rounded up 30 family-friendly fall day trips from NYC.

Whether fall in your house means an afternoon harvesting nature's bounty at local farms, heading out for a hike, or something else, we've found a fall day trip from NYC to fit your style.

Some of these family-friendly fall day trips are even accessible via public transportation. Read on for our top fall getaways for families that are sure to inspire your love of the season, and find more fall escapes in our Day Trip and Weekend Getaways Guide.

Here's the NYC Public School Calendar for 2025-2026

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The 2025-2026 public school year for NYC kids starts on Thursday, September 4.

If you've got a child in public school, you live by the public school calendar. Many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule, too. The New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2025-2026 school year is below, and you'll want to bookmark it now for reference—and to help with planning family vacations and school break camp coverage.

Once again, there will be no snow days. Plan on logging your NYC kiddos on for a day of remote learning whenever buildings are closed for snow or other emergencies.

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