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Things To Do in NYC with Kids this Weekend: Lighthouse, Pumpkins, Animals, Harvest

See the new exhibit The Art of the Brick at the New York Hall of Science. Photo by Drew Kristofik
See the new exhibit The Art of the Brick at the New York Hall of Science. Photo by Drew Kristofik
10/2/19 - By Drew Kristofik

It's harvest season in NYC, which means pumpkins are ripe for picking at neighborhood supermarkets and bodegas—and local patches, too. Harvest fests abound this weekend, so you can take your pick (see what we did there?) from options that include the Harlem Harvest Fest, Jefferson Market Garden, the Greenbelt Pumpkin Fest, Oktoberfest in Sunnyside, and the Harvest Fest on Randall's Island. You can even gather 'round a seasonal campfire in Prospect Park and learn about native corn in the Battery.

On the Upper West Side, Oran Etkin and Timbalooloo rock Symphony Space on Saturday, and preschoolers can get their fill of world roots music for free at Lincoln Center's Brown Rice Family concert. Plus, Jazz at Lincoln Center introduces kids to the music of Chick Corea.

CMOM's Comic Con runs all weekend, the Little Red Lighthouse Fest celebrates the 77th anniversary of the book that made it famous, animals get blessings at St. John the Divine (and dogs get their day in Central Park), and Sunday is Pickle Day on the Lower East Side, packed with all things sweet and sour, plus face painters, balloon twisters, and carnival games.

Don't miss our Ultimate Halloween Fun Guide, and our list of the Best Free Halloween Events for Kids. And remember that our Fall Fun Guide and daily event calendar are always excellent resources for family fun!

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Learn about Jobs on Deck at the Intrepid Museum. Photo courtesy of the Intrepid
Learn about Jobs on Deck at the Intrepid Museum. Photo courtesy of the Intrepid

All Weekend

"The Art of the Brick" Exhibit Opening Week

Corona, Queens
The Art of the Brick, an exhibition and the world’s largest display of LEGO® art, opens at the New York Hall of Science. READ MORE

Intrepid Adventures: Jobs on Deck

Midtown West
For naval aviators to take flight from an aircraft carrier, they need a whole team of people and the power of a steam catapult. Take on the roles of the flight deck crew in this interactive tour that follows aircraft from the hangar deck to the air and back again. READ MORE

CMOM’s Comic Con

Upper West Side
The Children’s Museum of Manhattan hosts Comic Con-themed programs and workshops for families, including comic book creation and superhero design. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Cephalopod Prints

Wave Hill, the Bronx
For International Cephalopod day, create your own wearable octopus arms and squid tentacles, using creative printing techniques for each of your many limbs. READ MORE

Pumpkin Picking

Marine Park, Brooklyn
Who knew you could go pumpkin picking in Brooklyn? Visit Green Meadows Farm to enjoy pumpkins (1 per paid admission), hay rides, a kid-friendly haunted house, friendly farm animals, a giant hay wagon slide and more. READ MORE

Decker Farm Pumpkin Picking Weekends

Staten Island
Head to Historic Richmond Town to enjoy a day filled with family fun on the historic early-1800s Decker Farm. Visit the pumpkin patch, chuck a pumpkin, enjoy photo-ops, a kid-sized hay maze, and more. READ MORE
Kids can get an introduction to modern jazz courtesy of Chick Corea. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center
Kids can get an introduction to modern jazz courtesy of Chick Corea. Photo courtesy of Lincoln Center

Saturday, October 5

Family Concert: Who is Chick Corea

Upper West Side
Jazz for Young People hosts an hour-long narrated concert designed to teach kids all about Chick Corea. Through acoustic and electric jazz, inspired duets, and all sorts of bold “fusions,” this musical explorer has remained one of the most popular figures in music, earning 24 Grammy Awards (and counting) while maintaining the deepest respect of his peers. READ MORE

Harlem Harvest Festival

Harlem — FREE
"City meets Country" at this fun, family-friendly outdoor artisanal fair. Experience locally made products, children's activities, a farmer's market, the Harvest Bake-Off, and live performances all day long. READ MORE

LC Kids: Brown Rice Family

Upper West Side — FREE
A fresh world roots band jamming towards global solidarity, Brown Rice Family performs distinctively organic global music, encompassing reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, Afrobeat, jazz stylings, rock, Brazilian, Latin, and funk. READ MORE

Just Kidding: Oran Etkin and Timbalooloo

Upper West Side
The internationally touring jazz clarinetist and educator performs songs from his new globe-spanning album, Finding Friends Far from Home: A Journey with Clara Net. READ MORE

Little Red Lighthouse Festival

Inwood — FREE
Celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse with Urban Park Ranger presentations, readings of The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge children’s book, City Parks Foundation Puppetmobile performances, and activities for all ages READ MORE

Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival

Staten Island
The annual fall festival in Willowbrook Park provides an opportunity to meet the horses from NYC Parks Equine unit, learn all about the benefits of planting native plant species in your garden from the Staten Island Native Plant Society, and many more fun activities and opportunities. READ MORE

Sunnyside Gardens Park Annual Oktoberfest

Sunnyside, Queens
Sunnyside Gardens Park transforms its picnic grove into an authentic Biergarten with German-style beer, traditional German food, and live music and entertainment for the whole family. READ MORE

BRIC Family House Party: S.T.E.A.M. Punk

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn — FREE
Join in a S.T.E.A.M Punk party, where science fiction, art, and S.T.E.M. meet. Get into S.T.E.M. and sci-fi inspired activities, explore contemporary art in the Gallery, and try your hand at media experiences. Come in your best steampunk attire, and dance the afternoon away during the family-dance party hosted by Party Like Brooklyn, Baby. READ MORE

Campfire Conversations for Kids

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Join in for campfire fun to kick off the fall season. First, learn fire safety tips and help find wood to make a campfire. Once the fire is roaring, enjoy s'mores and other treats while resident storyteller Tammy Hall weaves campfire tales and leads children in a conversation about bravery. READ MORE

Exploring Art + Technology Labs: Investigating Native Corn

The Battery — FREE
From pupusas to piki bread and from fuel to fashion, explore the diverse knowledge and innovation for processing corn. READ MORE
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for a free, family-friendly celebration of fall. Photo courtesy of Randall's Island Park Alliance
Join the Randall’s Island Park Alliance for a free, family-friendly celebration of fall. Photo courtesy of Randall's Island Park Alliance

Sunday, October 6

Pickle Day

Lower East Side — FREE
Pickle day is for everyone! Orchard Street is lined with three full blocks of the best in Lower East Side restaurants and boutiques – packed with giant games, a face painter, live DJs, balloon animals, carnival games, and giveaways galore! READ MORE

Bank Street Fall Fair

Upper West Side
A celebration of Bank Street School's vibrant, diverse community promises good food, live music, carnival and arcade games, STEAM activities, MARIO the Maker Magician, raffle prizes,a juggling workshop with Michael Karas and more.   READ MORE

Blessing of the Animals and the Feast of Saint Francis

Upper West Side — FREE
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine welcomes families to a day of music, prayer, joy, blessings, and fun in honor of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. READ MORE

Brooklyn Indoor Block Party

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn — FREE
Brooklyn Bridge Parents host an indoor block party at City Point with a bouncy house, unicorn slime, Lego building, Pokemon trading, and a summer camp fair. READ MORE

RIPA's Harvest Festival

Randall's Island — FREE
The Randall’s Island Park Alliance hosts a free, family-friendly celebration of fall. Enjoy live musical performances from Pete Nater and Associates, plus a Boogie Down Books pop-up shop, and more. READ MORE

Dockappella

The Battery — FREE
An autumn celebration of intricately woven harmonies along the Hudson River. Six ensembles showcase their pitch-perfect vocal renditions from a diverse mix of musical genres. READ MORE

My Dog Loves Central Park Fair

Central Park — FREE
Come, sit, stay, and celebrate Central Park and its dog community! Tails will be wagging at the Central Park Conservancy’s 17th annual My Dog Loves Central Park Fair with lots of activities for you and your canine. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

New York Hall Of Science
Little Red Lighthouse (in Fort Washington Park)
Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine