This summer flew by in the blink of an eye, but it’s hard to be upset about the end of summer when there’s so much to look forward to in the fall, and the New York Botanical Garden is giving NYers a bunch of exciting events to add to their fall bucket list, starting with their annual fall festival Fall-O-Ween!
From September 28th through October 27th, 2024, Fall-O-Ween at NYBG will bring the tricks and treats of the season to life, offering New Yorkers and visitors alike an array of attractions and activities for all ages to enjoy along with plentiful pumpkins, gourds, and fall flowers. Day or night there’s something for everyone, and there will even be special themed weekends as well as the return of their popular beer sampling event, Bales & Ales.
Special Fall-O-Ween weekends & events:
Bales & Ales (21+)
Celebrate the beginning of autumn and the harvest season at NYBG with with a host of local breweries. With the souvenir sampling mug included with ticket purchase, explore unlimited samples of craft beers, ciders, and spiked seltzers. Then settle on the lawn for music, games, and light bites. There will also be harvesting and fermentation demos with visiting brewers.
📍 The Garden
🗓️ Saturday, September 28, 12 pm – 5 pm
🎟️ Non-Member $50, Member $25
Pumpkin Carving with Adam Bierton
Fan-favorite artist Adam Bierton will return to the Garden with his carving tools in tow, ready to turn pumpkins of all shapes and sizes into frightening and fantastical beasts! Watch one of the country’s most skilled and imaginative pumpkin carvers at work while getting tips and tricks on how to step up your own jack-o’-lantern game this season.
📍 The Garden
🗓️ October 5, 6, 13, 14, 19, & 20, 12 pm – 3 pm
Annual Pumpkin Carving Face-Off
Adam Bierton will host NYBG’s annual carving competition for its fourth iteration. Watch as three master carvers go head-to-head to create imaginative designs from Wonderland: Curious Nature. From the faces of the Cheshire Cat to silhouettes of the Mad Hatter anything goes!
📍 The Garden
🗓️ Saturday, October 12, 11 am – 4 pm
Meet the Giant Pumpkin Growers
This year’s winning giant pumpkins from the Great Pumpkin weigh-offs will be on display at NYBG during the final weeks of October. Meet the growers and stay for deseeding demonstrations, conversations on the pumpkins’ growth, and more!
📍 The Garden
🗓️ October 19 & 20
Giant Pumpkin Palooza Weekend
For the third year Adam Bierton will once again return to NYBG for the Fall-O-Ween season finale to carve a giant pumpkin! Last year’s pumpkin weighed a whopping 2,246 pounds and took 21 hours of scraping, chiseling, carving, and detailing. We can only imagine how long this year will take!
📍 The Garden
🗓️ October 26 & 27, 10 am – 4 pm
Ongoing Fall-O-Ween programming:
Beer Garden
Pick up a 4 oz. NYBG souvenir sampling cup to sample some of the best local craft beers, ciders, and hard seltzers. Participating breweries to include, but are not limited to, Broken Bow Brewery, The Bronx Beer Hall, KCBC, Kills Boro Brewing Company, Quartz Rock Ciders, and Shrewd Fox Brewery.
📍 Tulip Tree Allée
Pumpkin Promenade
Enter through the Visitor Center to be greeted with a fall display beginning with the fan-favorite Pumpkin Wall on the Shop Lawn and an autumnal display in the Reflecting Pool including mums, apple crates, pumpkins, and more. The Reflecting Pool will serve as Adam Bierton’s Carving Headquarters throughout the season.
🗓️ September 28 – November 3
📍 Leon Levy Visitor Center and Garden Grounds
Scarecrows & Pumpkins
Take a spooky stroll through the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden Pop-Up this fall to see fearsome and friendly scarecrows. Family-friendly activities will also be offered including the seasonal book box, puppet theater, and musical instruments.
📍 Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
The full Fall-O-Ween event calendar can be found online.
NYBG is also having Holiday Train Nights which offer family sessions and 21+ nights to see the train show in a different way when the sun sets! Tickets to the night sessions can be found here and it makes for a magical way to bring some vibrance into your holiday season!