Summer’s last hurrah is here, and September in NYC is shaping up to be absolutely packed with amazing things to do before sweater weather sets in. Thankfully, the calendar is bursting at the seams with reasons to get outside and soak it all in.
And the best part? The weather’s just cool enough to frolic around without melting, but still warm enough for those late outdoor nights we love. So get ready for a September full of unforgettable moments to perfectly kick off autumn–here are the best NYC September happenings:
Eat your way through Bronx Little Italy’s beloved Ferragosto Festival
The smell of sausage and peppers, cannolis, and cacio e pepe is nearly in the air, and that can only mean one thing: Bronx Little Italy’s beloved Ferragosto Festival is on its way back! Every September, the neighborhood celebrates the Italian tradition of Ferragosto with food, music, and more, and this year it returns September 7th. Get all the details here.
…Or head to the biggest Italian fest in the U.S.–San Gennaro
NYC’s feast of all feasts is back! The Feast of San Gennaro is once again taking over Manhattan’s Little Italy for 11 days of carnival games, parades, music, and of course, amazing Italian food. The street fair returns in all its Italian glory September 11th to 21st. Read more here.
Be wowed as you walk through these VR and immersive experiences
From visual and audio presentations taking up massive walls to theatrical performances, there’s tons of jaw dropping immersive experiences in NYC to jump into a mind-blowing escape from reality. Here are some of our favorites:
🫧 Bubble Planet — an immersive, pastel-hued wonderland with 8 bubble-themed rooms, giant ball pits, and whimsical photo ops—perfect for kids, adults, and celebrations
🗿 Horizon of Khufu – a VR experience that puts you in the footsteps of pharaohs, exploring the grandeur of the pyramids–and Egypt–as they stood 4,500 years ago (closes September 30th)
🎤 Amplified — a 270º immersive experience at ARTECHOUSE featuring 1000+ photos, 200 videos, and 1300+ Rolling Stone covers
Hop aboard a fleet of rare vintage buses
NYC’s most beloved fleet of vintage buses is pulling into Brooklyn Bridge Park on September 21st for the 2025 Bus Festival. Step aboard decades of transit history with the Manhattan skyline as your photo-perfect backdrop–and even hop aboard special surprise guest vehicles that will make even seasoned transit fans do a double take. Read more.
Strut through Van Gogh Starry Nights before it closes at New York Botanical Garden
Van Gogh’s Flowers are coming aglow on certain evenings at New York Botanical Garden, but only through September 13th! Wander through a breathtaking lawn of real sunflowers, relax to live music and performers, and celebrate the iconic “Starry Night” with a 10-minute illuminated drone show finale sparkling in the night sky—the first of its kind at a cultural institution in New York City. Grab your tickets here.
Sip on cocktails in style with these secret menus
This month, you can find secret cocktail menus hidden around the city. There are secret Ketel One cocktails available in bars around NYC for you to try. To get your hands on one, just tell the bartender “If you know, you Ketel” to see the menu. Check out the list of participating bars–and remember…IYKYK.
Stop by this new coffee shop/wine bar in the Village
Cafe by day, bar by night, The C Cafe & Wine (552 Hudson Street) will welcome visitors beginning Wednesday, September 17th to experience a few of New Yorkers’ favorites: coffee and crossiants, as well as wine and charcuterie. The charming West Village outpost is the perfect place to kick back, snack, and unwind.
Oh, and if your name begins with a “C” — you’re in luck! You’re entitled to a free coffee on opening day. Who’s cashing in?
Enjoy funky ice cream, sunflower fields, and fall fair vibes at NY’s Garlic Festival
Waterdrinker Family Farm & Garden is bringing back the Long Island Garlic Festival for its 23rd year on September 13th and 14th, and it’s a road trip-worthy weekend packed with food, family fun, and, of course, a whole lot of garlic. The festival is all about celebrating the harvest season–expect local bites and garlicky treats, a vendor market, barnyard animals, live music, and more. Plan your trip here.
Surround yourself in the colors of the changing fall foliage
The Old Farmer’s Almanac fall forecast is predicting a cooler-than-average season that can “translate to some pretty foliage.” Be sure to stay on top of I LOVE NEW YORK’s annual fall foliage report which provides weekly insight on New York State’s changing fall foliage throughout the season.
Check out Shakespeare in the Park at the revitalized Delacorte Theater
Shakespeare in the Park has returned to its iconic home at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater for its 63rd season, and you can catch a show now through September 14th. The 2025 production is Twelfth Night, featuring a star-studded cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Peter Dinklage, and Sandra Oh. Learn more.
Marvel in four days of colorful skies at the free Adirondack Balloon Festival
Okay, this isn’t NYC, but the skies above the Adirondacks are about to come alive as the beloved Adirondack Balloon Festival returns for its 52nd year from September 18th–21st, and it’s totally worth a visit. With dazzling sunrise and sunset launches, family fun, and free admission, this fall tradition is one of the most magical—and most affordable—events in Upstate New York. Learn more.
Surround yourself in nature Queens Botanical Garden
Queens Botanical Garden is a stunning urban oasis celebrating the beauty of plants and cultural diversity, and with a variety of educational programs and environmentally-focused initiatives it stands as an inspiring space for visitors to learn, relax, and explore nature. Experience lush gardens and discover the harmony of plants, cultures, and environmental stewardship. Get your tickets here.
See the annual 9/11 Tribute In Light
NYC’s Tribute in Light tradition is a commemorative public art installation that honors those lost on 9/11. From dusk to dawn on the night of September 11th, two beams of light made with eighty-eight 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs will shine four miles into the night sky at the site of Ground Zero. Learn more.
Indulge in nonstop flavor, music, and culture at NYC’s Latin Food Fest
Over 30,000 food lovers showed up to Latin Food Fest last year, and this year it’s coming back bigger, better, and bolder than ever. The festival will bring a culinary carnival straight to Industry City in Brooklyn on September 13th and 14th, with more than 70 vendors offering 300+ mouthwatering Latin and Caribbean-inspired dishes. Read more.
Score 2-for-1 Broadway tickets during Broadway Week
NYC’s Broadway Week is returning September 8th through 21st, offering theater lovers 2-for-1 tickets to some of the best musicals and plays currently on stage. The beloved event has been going on since 2011 to help boost the local theater economy. Here’s everything you need to know.
Soak in all the daylight and say goodbye to 7pm sunsets
It’s not your imagination—days are slowly getting shorter, and that magical stretch of late sunsets is coming to a close. Wednesday, September 17th will be the final time the sun sets at or after 7 pm in NYC, so make the most of the daylight while you still can! We suggest heading to the following:
🌆 These Giant Waterfront Swings With The Most Dreamy Skyline Views
🌊 The Best Waterfront Parks In NYC
Strap on your lederhosen and don your dirndls at the German-American Steuben Parade
The historical German-American Steuben Parade was founded in 1956 by German immigrants who wanted to bring traditions of their homeland to NYC, and it returns this month on Saturday, September 20th. Attendees can expect dazzling floats, marching bands, dancers, organizations from across the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Canada, and of course, men and women dress in the traditional dirndl and lederhosen.
Secure your spot in line at Blood Manor, NYC’s Premier Haunted House
Halloween will be here before you know it, which means Blood Manor will be returning to Downtown Manhattan for a screaming good time. Running for over two decades, New Yorkers and tourists alike have been returning to this creepy location every spooky season, and tickets are now available. Don’t miss your chance to have a hellish Halloween!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in NYC
Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic culture to the nation’s achievements, culture, and history. Taking place September 15th, the anniversary of independence for several Latin American countries, through October 15th, there are plenty of ways to honor it in NYC–here are some.
Pick your own apples just outside of the Big Apple
New York isn’t known as the Big Apple for nothing! And though there aren’t any orchards in the city itself, there are tons located not too far away. Grab a basket and activate fall mode as you reach for Granny Smiths, Red Delicious’, and everything in between. Check out our list of spots near NYC here.
Feast on endless $1 Dumplings at the annual Momo Crawl
On Sunday, September 21st, Jackson Heights will transform into a dumpling paradise for the 13th annual Momo Crawl. Think: $1 momos from dozens of restaurants, steaming hot and packed with flavor, all waiting for you. For the uninitiated, the Momo Crawl is New York City’s biggest Himalayan food and cultural festival, a chance to eat your way through Jackson Heights while discovering some of the best momos in town. Get all the deets here.
Discover NYC’s secret Pinball Museum, home to vintage pinball machines dating back to the 1870s
At Red Hook’s Pinball Museum, visitors can step back in time to the pre-digital era to peruse—and play!—a collection of electromechanical and mechanical machines dating as far back to the 1870s. Disguised within the back room of Seaborne bar, the museum is home to a collection of vintage pinball machines and games, including what’s considered the first ever pinball machine, otherwise known as the 1931 “Whiffle.” Learn more.
Sing along to Doechii, Lucy Dacus, Clairo & more at All Things Go Festival
All Things Go Festival 2025 is returning to Forest Hills Stadium September 26th through September 28th for its second edition. Renowned for its innovative approach to curation and community, the festival welcomes some of music’s largest independent superstars making splashes in the scene. Read all about it here.
…Or belt out your favorite tunes from The Weeknd, Shakira, & others at Global Citizen Festival
The 13th iteration of Global Citizen Festival in NYC is bringing The Weeknd, Shakira, and more to NYC’s Central Park on September 27th. Around since 2012, the music festival isn’t just about chart-topping performances, though—it’s a global movement. Read all about it here.
Celebrate two beloved brands, DAMDAM Tokyo and La Cabra, at this fabulous pop-up
From September 11th-21st (or until supplies last), DAMDAM Tokyo and La Cabra Bakery come together for a limited-time pop-up at La Cabra’s New York location in SoHo. The collaboration celebrates two of DAMDAM’s hero ingredients—shiso and Uji matcha, the highest quality matcha sourced directly from Japan and used in the brand’s signature formulas. On the menu that rarely features limited edition drinks: a Shiso Matcha Lemonade and a Yuzu Matcha Bun, recipe-tested in La Cabra’s Brooklyn bakery, alongside exclusive merch, including a limited-edition tote.
To celebrate the launch, the first 100 customers to purchase the exclusive drink or pastry will receive a gift from DAMDAM × La Cabra—a full-size Mochi Mochi Luminous Cream and two steeped coffees from La Cabra, presented in a bento box from Japan.
Put on your crispest white outfit and head to this secretive dinner party
On September 19th Dîner en Blanc, the wildly popular, all-white pop-up dinner party, will once again transform a secret NYC location into an unforgettable open-air soirée. With over 4,000 guests expected, this year’s edition promises to be one of the most dazzling yet–and for the first time, it will feature Michelin-starred French chef Daniel Boulud! Read more.
Live like Jack and Sally at New York Botanical Garden, which will be transformed into Tim Burton’s world in The Nightmare Before Christmas
NYC is becoming Halloween Town this fall, and a wonderland of moonlit magic awaits as Disney “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” Light Trail comes back to NYBG bigger and better than ever! Join Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero for a frightfully fun frolic through the world of the beloved film, now featuring even more of your favorite characters, scenes, and songs. Join the waitlist.
Grab a pint and shout “Prost!” at a beer garden
What better way to welcome the fall than with an ice-cold pint at one of the many NYC beer gardens?! While our friends across the pond begin celebrating Oktoberfest in mid-September, we can join in on the fun with live music, good food, and great drinks right here in NYC. Find our picks here.
Grab some local produce at a farmers market
Although many NYC farmers markets are open year-round, what better time to take a walk through and get some fresh produce or artisan breads and cheeses than the fall?! Just around harvest time the produce this time of year is amazing, and the level of goods you can find at a market is unmatched. Find some of our favorite farmers markets here.
Slip into shavasana al fresco at Bryant Park’s free yoga classes
Bryant Park’s beloved free yoga classes returned this summer for their 22nd year, and once again the program is extending into the fall! The hour-long classes focus on healing and stress reduction on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings, and they’re going on through September 17th. Learn more here.
Enjoy free events, book signings, and a buzzing marketplace at NYC’s largest free literary festival, Brooklyn Book Festival
If you’re a book lover in New York City, mark your calendar: the Brooklyn Book Festival is returning September 14th – 22nd for the biggest celebration of literature the city has ever seen. Expect over 300 authors and 250 publishers from across the globe for panels, signings, readings, and conversations in Brooklyn and beyond. Learn more.
Get a head start on spooky season and hop aboard a haunted trolley tour
Madame Morbid’s Haunted Trolley Tour, NYC’s #1 ghost tour, is back this spooky season to reveal the borough’s creepiest tales. Thrill seekers will cruise around Brooklyn in a Victorian trolley hearing spooky tales of mob murders, Revolutionary War battles, and rumored alien abductions. Learn more about how to hop aboard.
Secure your spot at Ariana Grande’s Eternal Sunshine Tour
Ariana Grande is finally stepping back into the spotlight with her first tour in more than six years. The pop superstar just announced her long-awaited Eternal Sunshine Tour, and one of the brightest stops will be right here at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for a four-night run in July 2026. Artist Presale is available Tuesday, September 9th, and you won’t want to miss out. Learn more.
Hear some of your favorite songs with a Broadway twist
Broadway Sings takes top theater acts backed by an orchestra for an epic concert series, allowing guests to hear all their favorite artists and songs with a Broadway twist! Some shows we’re eyeing currently include ABBA (September 26th) and Taylor Swift (September 27th). Secure your spot here!
Celebrate everyone’s favorite caffeinated cocktail with an espresso martini bar crawl
Espresso Martini Fest is back for another year thanks to Mr Black – and this year, even more of NYC’s hottest bars are taking part. From September 29th to October 5th, you can discover new interpretations of this iconic cocktail with each bar bringing something different to the festival. Grab your friends and explore participating venues in your city for a celebration of coffee reborn for the night.
Get started on your fall bucket list
September means it’s time to kiss summer goodbye, but thankfully there’s plenty to look forward to in the fall. From fall festivals and street fairs to apple picking and pumpkin picking, these are our favorite NYC fall events.
Past Events:
Attend the annual West Indian Day Parade
The National West Indian Day Parade returns to NYC on September 1st. The tradition, which began in Harlem and has become one of New York’s major cultural celebration, draws crowds estimated between 1 and 3 million each year and celebrates the heritage of the Caribbean with a lively day of festivities including singers, dancers, extravagant costumes, food vendors, and more. Learn more.
Marvel at the haunting blood moon lighting up NYC skies
Prepare for a breathtaking show in the night sky–on the night of September 7th, the moon will slip into Earth’s shadow, transforming into a deep, fiery Blood Moon during a total lunar eclipse. This eclipse is no ordinary one–the totality phase will last over 80 minutes, making it one of the longest in recent years. Read all about it here.
Catch an adrenaline-fueled match at the US Open in NYC
The 2025 US Open is delivering two weeks of thrilling tennis action–with an expanded 15-day schedule format with more matches, more drama, and more chances to witness the world’s top players–to the biggest stage in New York. This year it’s happening August 24th through September 7th. Find out all the deets–from where to watch it and how you can snag tickets for yourself–via our guide.
Stuff your face with unlimited bluefin tuna, uni, and more at this enormous sushi festival
Sushi-Con, the country’s largest sushi expo, is heading to NYC on September 6th and 7th. The festival will feature unlimited tastings from over 40 food-related companies from the U.S. and across the globe, a 400+ pound bluefin tuna cutting demonstration, and on-site restaurant experiences. Read more about the festival here–you won’t want to miss it!
Sample endless tasty bites at one of NYC’s longest running food festivals
One of NYC’s most beloved and longest-running food events is back! On September 8th, the annual Taste of Times Square will return—a delicious outdoor festival bringing together over 30 restaurants from the district for an evening of global flavors and live entertainment. See participating vendors and a lineup of entertainment here.
Soak in summer’s remaining rays & warm weather at the beach
Soak up the remaining summer sun at one of the city’s many popular beaches or keep it lowkey at a hidden one. Either way, there’s still some time to dig your toes in the sand before the fall weather descends upon us!
