#InTheLoop | Outdoor Fall Fests in Queens
BY QEDC It's In Queens
The weather prediction is hot and humid, but Sept. 22 is the first day of Fall 2017. As always, Queens welcomes the season with open arms…and outdoor fall fests. Local residents can enjoy everything from block parties to harvest festivals to pumpkin patches to beer festivals. Check out what’s happening the last week of October.
HALLOWEEN DAY
GallopNYC Sunrise Stables Halloween Pumpkin Patch
3 PM – 5 PM. GallopNYC, 88-03 70th Road, Forest Hills AND 80-98 Linden Boulevard, Lindenwood
Choose from their two locations. Pick from a pumpkin patch, decorate a pumpkin and trick or treat with your favorite horse. Please note there will be no pony rides that day.
27th Annual Halloween Parade
5 PM
Runs on 37th Avenue between 89 and 77 streets, Jackson Heights
Dress up and join your neighbors, school groups and many others for another fun parade. Goodie bags will be given at the end to kids who march. FREE.
Haunted Halloween Hike
6:30 PM – 8 PM
Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Boulevard, Douglaston, NY 11362
Recommended for ages 8-12. Create some DIY slime to take home, take a photo with Ghoulish Glenda in her authentic scary coffin, brave the haunted trails with a spooky guide, and meet some live raptors. End by the fire circle with hot apple cider and cupcakes. Prize awarded to most original costume. $7/member; $13/not yet a member
Spooktacular Celebration
12:30 PM – 2 PM
Alley Pond Environmental Center, 228-06 Northern Boulevard, Douglaston, NY 11362
Recommended for ages 18 months – 4 years. A ghoulish gathering to play games, make a not-so-spooky craft and pick a pumpkin, pass the “Exploration Station” to observe live tarantulas and touch a scaly serpent. $10/members; $16 not yeat a member
PAST FESTIVALS:
SEPTEMBER
First Annual Rock-A-Block Boulevard
12 noon-5 PM. Rockaway Beach Boulevard from B94th- B90th, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
A day of music, live theater performances, a magic show, pizza and pie eating contests, yoga/meditation, hair braiding, a surf demo, skate park and much more. FREE.
LIC Family Health Day
12 noon-3 PM. LIC Landing by COFFEED, 52-10 Center Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
A day of fun mixed with health and wellness activities for all ages. Take advantage of nutrition and Body Mass Index counseling, healthy food tasting, and blood pressure screenings. Take part in group yoga and dance sessions. FREE.
Oktoberfest Flushing Style: Sauerkraut and Kimchi
5:30 PM-8:30 PM. Voelker Orth Museum, 14919 38th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354
An evening of live entertainment, a mixture of German-American cuisine served along-side a sampling of Korean-American dishes, and tasty brew. $30 (it’s the museum’s fundraiser).
7th Annual NYC Honey Fest
Beach 106th Street, Rockaway Beach, NY 11694
More than two dozen vendors will sample, sell, and share their bee- and honey-related products and services. There will be a contest with prizes for best bee-inspired costumes (kids and adults categories). FREE.
Sutphin Boulevard Harvest Festival
10 AM – 6 PM. Sutphin Blvd. between Hillside or Jamaica Aves.
The first annual fest will bring live entertainment on stage, a farmers market, a technology zone, a children’s area with bouncy houses, an automobiles exhibit, non-profits information tables, and carnival food. FREE.
4th Annual Touch & Truck and Fall Festival
12 noon – 3 PM. Cross Island YMCA, 238-10 Hillside Avenue, Bellerose, NY 11426
Kids can cxplore and climb fire trucks, police cars, dump trucks, and monster wheel tow trucks. There will be music and performances, clowns, magicians, a pumpkin and paint station, and food and drinks. $5 online; $10 at door.
Ridgewood Seneca & Catalpa Avenue Stroll
12 noon – 5 PM. Seneca Avenue between Myrtle Avenue & Cornelia Street, Ridgewood, NY 11385
A day of savory and sweet bites from various local eateries, craft beer tastings, a beer project, live performances, yoga, rock climbing, kids activities, bouncy rides, and the Queens Bookmobile. FREE.
Oktoberfest at Poppenhusen Institute
1 PM – 6 PM. Poppenhusen Institute, 114-04 14th Road , College Point, NY 11356
Enjoy live entertainment by German singers and dancers until 4 pm, participate in tournaments and a beer Stein Holdings Contest, and take a tour of the Institute and its Old Village jail cells. Refreshments will be served. $18 (raffle ticket and souvenir pen included).
35th Annual Queens County Fair
11 AM–6 PM. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11004
A traditional county fair with blue ribbon competitions in livestock, produce, home crafts, arts & crafts, and more. The fair features pie-eating and corn-husking contests, pig races, hayrides, carnival rides, midway games, and top-notch children’s entertainment. Dance the day away at the Beer Garden, Check out the Con Edison Ecology booth, get gardening & recycling tips, and create free crafts for kids. $10 adult; $5 children.
Bell Blvd Sunday Stroll
12 PM – 5 PM. Bell Boulevard between 39th and 41st Avenues, Bayside, NY 11361
Expect family-friendly activities and live music all day. There will be Super Hero reading time, a portable science lab, carnival games, live bands and dance school performances, bounce houses, a giant bubbles show, family yoga, outdoor seating, special treats from local restaurants and family yoga demo. FREE.
OCTOBER
Kick-Off to Fall
Sunday, October 1 • 11 AM–4:30 PM
Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, NY 11004
Come today (and every October weekend) to explore the farm grounds and buy a variety of Hudson Valley apples, donuts, fresh cider, and locally-made pie. Listen to live country western music and check out The Amazing Maize Maze and Pumpkin Patch. FREE (no gate admission; prices vary by activity).
Adult Swim On The Green
Tuesday, October 03 • 6:45 PM–10 PM
Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., LIC, NY 11001
Prepare to experience Mother Nature in all her glory along with games, new friends, food trucks, surprises and trivia for exclusive prizes. Admission is free with a $5 Concessions Voucher
Sunnyside Gardens Park Oktoberfest
Saturday, October 7 • 12 PM-5 PM
Sunnyside Gardens Park, 48-21 39th Avenue, Sunnyside, NY 11104
The fest will transform the picnic grove into an authentic Bier garden serving award winning beer and classic German style foods. In addition, the arts and crafts fair, Sunnyside Flea, will be back as well as a huge Pumpkin Patch and kid rides. FREE. (rain date October 8th)
Harvest Fest
Sunday, October 8 • noon – 5 PM
Vander Ende-Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385
Pumpkins for children, candle making, cider making, colonial crafts, games, pumpkin painting, music, and tours of the Onderdonk House are some of the activities offered. $5; FREE for children 12 and under
6th Annual Rockaway Hip Hop Halloween
Saturday, October 14 • 1 PM- 4 PM
5823 Rockaway Beach Blvd., Rockaway
Celebrate with family and friends in the Hip Hop Community Garden. Take part in Halloween arts & crafts, including decorating a pumpkin, and explore some of the festive food there.
2nd Annual Queens Beer Festival
Saturday & Sunday, October 14 & 15 • noon-6 PM
LIC Flea, 5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101
Celebrate Oktoberfest by enjoying unlimited tastings from every Queens-based brewery, along with a curated selection of brews from Brooklyn, Long Island, and Staten Island. $29. VIP and early admission passes available.
Harvest Fest & Pumpkin Patch
Sunday, October 15 • 11 AM – 5 PM
Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main Street, Flushing, NY 11355
Live music, bounce houses, petting zoo, face painting, tours, composting demonstrations, craft and food vendors, beer & wine tent, and the ever-popular Pumpkin Patch. $12 adults; $10 children ($10 event parking rate in effect).
Fall Festival
Saturday, October 21 • noon – 4 PM
Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Park in Tudor Park, 81-2 133rd Avenue, Ozone Park, NY 11417
A community event with kid-friendly fun, including crafts, inflatables, face painting, games, a pumpkin patch, music, and a visit from the Nature Company. FREE
We will continue to add events to the list. Check back for more outdoor fall fests in Queens.
#itsinqueens #fallfestivals #queenstourismcouncil
Top image: Bayside Village BID; bottom images: Queens Botanical Garden (left image) and Queens County Farm