Savor the Season: Five Fall Festivities You Can’t Miss

From Halloween parades to pumpkin patches, here is a list of the best fall activities in New York City.

Molly Downs and Olivia Rainson • October 19, 2023

Fall in New York City is a highly anticipated season for people in every borough, and there are numerous activities to participate in to celebrate the upcoming holiday. Below is a list of some of the best festivities for fall.

Queens County Farm

Photo Courtesy / Youtube NYC Mayor’s Office

Queens County Farm — one of the longest continually farmed sites in New York — offers a variety of fall activities from a pumpkin patch to navigating a three-acre corn maze.

With an annually changing design, this year’s corn maze is inspired by the 1954 Ford tractor, donated by the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. The farm also features a store with locally made gifts, as well as a fresh donut shop and cider booth open daily. For late night fun, there is “Maze By Moonlight” for four nights only.

Hudson Yards Outdoor Movie Nights

Every Friday at 6:00 p.m. from now through the end of October, Hudson Yards hosts outdoor movie nights in the Public Square and Gardens.The movies are free to attend and the doors open at 5:00 p.m. with first-come first-serve seating. Attendees can also bring their own blanket to stay cozy while enjoying the films.

Additionally, you can bring your own snacks or treat yourself to any of the numerous food options in the area, such as tacos from Verano! The movie selection has a broad range, but as the days get closer to Halloween, the films get more festive, with showings of “Practical Magic,” “The Witches” and “Corpse Bride.”

Pumpkin Flotilla

Photo Courtesy / Youtube New York Street

Every year, Central Park hosts their “Pumpkin Flotilla” on the Harlem Meer lake. On Oct. 26, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., a string of carved jack-o-lanterns will be paddled across the water.

People can drop off their own carved pumpkin at 4:00 p.m. if it follows the guidelines to be entered in the show. There will be a variety of activities — ranging from a Halloween dance party to a magician — occurring before the flotilla. The event itself and entering your own pumpkin is free.

Tompkins Square Dog Parade

Photo Courtesy / Youtube Abu the Globetrotter

If you’re a dog owner, or even just an animal lover, the Tompkins Square Dog Parade is the perfect fall activity. On Oct. 21 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., dogs can be dressed up in Halloween attire and paraded around the park by their owners.

The dog with the best costumes even receive prizes. This year is the 33rd annual parade, and the first year the event is being run with the help of Get Joy, which is a dog wellness company.

Greenwich Village Halloween Parade

Greenwich Village is holding their 50th annual Halloween Parade, being held on Halloween night at 7:00 p.m. The festivities take place on 6th Avenue, running straight up from King Street to West 15th. This year’s theme is “Upside / Down: Inside / Out,” which is applied to the puppets included in each year’s parade.

In addition to the puppets, the parade includes over 50 marching bands and multiple commercial floats. The parade is free to march in, but costumes are mandatory. If you’d prefer to be out of the spotlight, viewers line up all along Sixth Avenue to watch.

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About the Contributors

Molly Downs, Culture Editor

Molly is a senior English major with a minor in Creative Writing serving her second year as Culture Editor for The Torch. Outside of her role at The Torch, you can find her reading a book on the Great Lawn, listening to one of her many playlists, or watching one of her favorite movies, like “Little Miss Sunshine.” Molly can be reached at [email protected].

Olivia Rainson, Features Editor & Social Media Manager

Olivia Rainson is a senior English major and creative writing minor serving as the Features Editor and Social Media Manager. She also works at the University Writing Center and is on the editorial board of the Intersections Literary Magazine. Olivia has been with The Torch since the beginning of her sophomore year, and when she isn’t writing, you can find her reading with an iced coffee. Olivia can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected]