Fall Events in the Finger Lakes
Fall in the Finger Lakes means weekends filled with corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple and grape harvests, small-town festivals and plenty of Halloween fun. Add in arts events, races and a few early holiday traditions, and there’s always a good reason to plan a fall getaway.
Fall Festivals & Community Celebrations
Livonia Autumn in the Village
Livonia
September 12, 2026
Livonia’s Autumn in the Village Festival is a one-day annual event featuring a parade, live music, food, crafts, and great family fun. The Festival is always the second Saturday in September.
Harvest on the Canal
Main Street, Palmyra
September 12-13, 2026
One hundred craft booths, 40 market vendors, and food for all tastes fill the streets of Palmyra. In addition, enjoy wagon rides, guided tours, historic museums, and antique shops. Stick around for the Grand Parade on Saturday!
Harvest in Corning’s Gaffer District
Corning’s Gaffer District
September 18-19, 2026
Harvest is Corning’s annual celebration to welcome the Fall season! This popular fall event features live music, hayrides, various vendors, on-street dining, a Market Street scavenger hunt, and more. Explore Historic Market Street, where local businesses and farmers’ market vendors fill the street throughout the festival. Catch some amazing live tunes from top local bands during free performances.
Apple Harvest Festival in Downtown Ithaca
Downtown Ithaca
September 25-27, 2026
Celebrate fall in Downtown Ithaca with three days of apples, cider, baked goods, local farms, handmade crafts, food vendors and live entertainment. This free festival fills the Commons and surrounding streets with seasonal flavors, community activities and plenty of opportunities to explore downtown shops and restaurants.
Big Flats Community Days
Big Flats
Sept 25-26, 2026
A free community celebration with carnival rides, fish fry, music, fireworks, craft fair, 5K race, and parade.
The Naples Grape Festival
Naples
September 26-27, 2026
The Naples Grape Festival celebrates the grape harvest season, locally made grape foods, and arts and crafts that feature grapes and the harvest, and of course, Finger Lakes Wine.
Cohocton Fall Foliage Festival
Cohocton
October 3-4, 2026
Cohocton’s annual Fall Foliage Festival is a family-friendly community event celebrating the magnificent surrounding hills and all of their colorful splendor. The event features arts and crafts, flea market, antiques and food vendors located on the Town and Village greens in Cohocton. While at the Wayland-Cohocton Elementary School parking lot on Park Ave, you’ll find a Tractor Pull, Antique Tractor Show, Fall Classic Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Show, and Fall Classic Car Show. There will also be a parade (Saturday at noon), live music in the gazebo, a petting zoo and free horse-drawn wagon rides Saturday and Sunday.
Falls Harvest Festival
Montour Falls
October 3, 2026
A family friendly, daylong celebration of the harvest takes place every year in beautiful and historic Montour Falls, NY. For almost 20 years, the festival has celebrates the bounty of the Finger Lakes during the height of autumn and Fall colors. The festival concludes the day long festivities in the evening with a community bonfire and spectacular fireworks display. The Village closed its main street so festival goers enjoy waterfalls cascading over the 156-foot Shequaga Falls. Located in the center of the Village’s historic district, the district includes mid and late 19th century structures known as the “Glorious T”.
The Great Cortland Pumpkinfest
Cortland
October 3-4, 2026
Experience the essence of fall in historic downtown during the Great Cortland Pumpkinfest! Multiple entertainment stages showcase the talents of local performers, while the Kids’ Zone offers an array of games and activities for children of all ages. Explore the craft show featuring the works of local artists and vendors, enjoy classic hayrides and delectable festival food celebrating the quintessential flavors of fall. While the kids have fun at the midway, adults can unwind with a beverage from the Pumpkin Pub. Recognized among the top 10 fall festivals in America by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Harvest Festival at Colloca Estate Winery
Fair Haven/Sterling
October 4, 2026
Grape stomping, pie-eating contests, live music, vendors, and plenty of treats! Admission is free.
Bristol Mountain Fall Festival
Bristol Mountain, South Bristol
Second Sunday of October (October 10–11, 2026)
Fall foliage, live music, sky rides and lots of Scottish Highland competition make this a truly unique event for the whole family.
Fall into Canandaigua
Canandaigua
October 24, 2026
The festivities will take place throughout Downtown Canandaigua and will include fun activities for the entire family. Explore all the new fall products at the many quaint shops, great restaurants, kettle corn, fried dough, and other delicious treats. Community non-profits will be set up along Downtown Main Street with family-fun activities.
Farm Experiences, Corn Mazes & Halloween
Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch at Bradley Farms
Elmira
Daily September thru October
Enjoy a professionally designed corn maze on this 100 year old family farm. You’ll also find fall fun for all ages, including a pumpkin patch, apples, cider, freshly made donuts, and a variety of harvest games.
Iron Kettle Farm Pumpkin Display
707 Owego Rd, Candor
September thru October
Hay rides, corn maze, amazing pumpkin display, and a whole lot of fall family fun.
Stoughton Farm Corn Maze and Activities
Stoughton Farm, Newark Valley
Mid-September thru October
Huge corn maze, and a bunch of other Fall family fun activities.
Wayne County Apple Tasting Tour
Various Businesses in Wayne County
October 9-12, 2026
Our annual Apple Tasting Tour is packed with unique stops for visiting and celebrating the apple! Taste and sample different apple varieties, foods and drinks along this self-guided tour. Our Apple World Jumble adds an extra bit of fun. Find a letter at each stop and complete the word jumble to be entered to win a prize. With so many places and options, U Pick your stops, U Pick the Way!
Schuyler County Farm Tour Weekend
Watkins Glen
Late September
An amazing opportunity to experience family fun down, several farms in the Watkins Glen area and throughout Schuyler County create special farm experiences for all to enjoy. Local farms prepare to welcome the public into behind-the-scenes tours of their agricultural operations. Apple picking, tastings, demonstrations, farm animal interactions, tours, and farm markets reflect authentic, informative, and entertaining family fun on a beautiful Finger Lakes Fall weekend. The farms offer the opportunity to have self-guided tours, enjoy cheese flights, greet alpacas, cow cuddling, and include a walking tour of a world-class maple research program located in the Finger Lakes.
Tanglewood Haunted Happenings
Elmira
Mid-October
Family-friendly fall celebration at Tanglewood Nature Center & Museum with pumpkins, hayrides, face painting, rocket building, scary stories and more. No admission and many free kids activities. Free hiking trails.
Tagsylvania Haunted Attractions
Big Flats
Friday and Saturday Nights in October
A legendary haunted experience offering four full-length haunted attractions, including an escape room, dark carnival games, psychic & tarot readers and other Halloween/fall attractions.
Arts, Culture & Specialty Events
Rochester Fringe Festival
Various Locations, Downtown Rochester
September 15-26, 2026
Renowned among the world’s 200+ fringe festivals for presenting an annual spectacular, free, outdoor show, Rochester’s Fringe was also the first fringe festival in North America to feature a Spiegeltent. From comedy to theater, from music to dance, from visual art and film to spoken word, and from children’s entertainment to multi-disciplinary collaborations, the festival’s diversity also extends to venues that span the gamut from parked cars to grand theaters.
The Purple Painted Lady Festival
880 Yellow Mills Rd, Palmyra
September 19-20, 2026
The Purple Painted Lady Festival features close to 400 artists/vendors every year. The only festival of this magnitude that is also a benefit for many local charities and organizations! How cool is it to be able to have a good time, shop, and know that you’re helping others all at the same time!
Macedon Center Lumberjack Festival
Macedon Center Fireman’s Field
September 12-13, 2026
Professional Lumberjacks from all over the United States and Canada come to compete in ax throwing, hot saw, two-man crosscut, springboard and so much more. Other attractions include Lumberjack Pancake Breakfast, craft and collectibles sales, commercial exhibits and demos, petting zoo and pony rides for the kids. Enjoy a weekend of great food, crafts, exciting competitions and cheer on your favorite Lumberjack!
M&T Bank Clothesline Festival
Memorial Art Gallery
August 29-30, 2026
The M&T Bank Clothesline Art Festival has been MAG’s largest annual fundraiser and biggest celebration of the arts for more than 60 years. Over 300 artists from across the country offer their work for purchase at this juried, two-day festival that takes place on the beautiful grounds of the Memorial Art Gallery. Clothesline is also the place to experience all-day live entertainment, sample food from some of Rochester’s favorite food trucks and vendors, enjoy free family art activities, and visit the museum.
Little York Fall Fiber Arts Festival
Little York Pavilion, Preble
October 10-11, 2026
Come enjoy knitting, spinning, felting, yarn, pelts, raw fleeces, blankets, shawls, clothing, roving, unique fiber products, crafts, Christmas gift ideas, sheep, llamas, angora rabbits and goats …and much more!
The Days of Incandescence
Corning
October 22-24, 2026
The second-to-last weekend of October, the small town of Corning celebrates the role a small glass company played in making the first light bulbs for Thomas Edison during The Days of Incandescence. The multi-day event includes a Cemetery Tour, Themed Libations Crawl, Guided Historic Walking Tours, and a celebration event in Riverfront Park featuring horse and wagon rides, costumed vendors, live blacksmithing, juggling, Victorian-era games for kids, community Jack-o-Lantern display, food and more. The 2026 event will also include pumpkin carving by Guinness World Record Holder and Winner Of Food Network’s Outrageous Pumpkins Eric Jones.
Races, Shows & Outdoor Events
Wings & Wheels in Hammondsport
Hammondsport and Keuka Lake
September 19, 2026
Each fall, the folks at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum transform Keuka Lake into a runway for seaplanes in homage to aviation pioneer and hometown hero, Glenn Curtiss, who did that very thing in the very same location over 100 years ago. An extremely popular event, the annual seaplane homecoming has grown into Wings & Wheels in Hammondsport featuring a seaplane show at Depot Park, seaplane competitions, a seaplane parade, as well as a Classic & Exotic Car Show on display on Shethar St. and around the Village Square.
Wine Country Circuit Dog Show
Romulus
September 24-27, 2026
The Wine Country Circuit Dog Show is an AKC-licensed event and is one of the largest circuits in the country. The show is hosted by three kennel clubs, each holding their all-breed dog shows, obedience, agility and rally trials on consecutive days of the circuit.
Balloons on the Ridge
Lodi
September 25, 2026
Balloons on the Ridge brings a weekend of hot air balloon rides, live music, food and family-friendly activities to Lodi. Visitors can watch a glow balloon after sunset, meet the pilots, explore a balloon on the ground and enjoy tethered rides, with all balloon activities dependent on the weather.
Wineglass Marathon
Bath to Corning, Point to Point Race
October 4, 2026
For years, the Wineglass Marathon has been a bucket-list event named one of the Top 10 Destination Races in the world and voted Best Marathon in New York State by runners (RaceRave). The point-to-point course is flat and fast, and personal records tend to fall. That speed and the stunning scenery also make the Wineglass one of the most popular spots to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In 2023, the Wineglass Half-Marathon was voted 3rd Best Half Marathon in the country and has been consistently ranked as one of the best first-time half marathons.
Genesee Valley Hunt Races
Geneseo
Second weekend of October (October 10, 2026)
The Hunt Races have been hosted here for over 120 years, and some of the finest steeplechase trainers on the eastern seaboard bring their horses here to compete for over $30,000 in prize money. Trainers, owners, and jockeys agree that the Genesee Valley Hunt Races are one of the most anticipated meets of the entire season.
But the Hunt Races isn’t just about horses—it’s about dogs and canine events, too. There are Terrier and wiener dog races, a jumping contest, agility courses, sled dog demos, and of course the Parade of the Genesee Valley Hunt foxhounds. Leashed dogs are more than welcome to attend the event, and some people say that dog-watching is just as much fun as watching the horses!
There’s lots for the kids to do (including stick horse races and pony rides), food and drink vendors, wine and craft beer tasting, shopping, music and more. It’s like an old-fashioned country fair with a race track instead of a midway, and there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
Holiday Events & Seasonal Traditions
Holiday Showcase
Owego
Mid November 2026 (TBD)
Downtown Owego welcomes the holiday season with store specials, live entertainment and Santa’s arrival.
November Deck the Halls
Watkins Glen
November 20-22, 2026
An annual Seneca Lake Wine Trail event, enjoy a self-guided tour of participating wineries decorated to the hilt for the holiday season. Tickets are valid for the three-day festivities on the first of two weekends when all enjoy delicious wine and food pairings at 19 participating wineries. Each participant or couple receives wreath packets which contain a grapevine wreath, recipe book and one wine glass at their selected starting winery. The holiday season is celebrated with an ornament collected at each winery stop that stretches along the shores of stunning Seneca Lake, each with its own unique charm.
Dickens Christmas
Village of Skaneateles
Each weekend following Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve
Dickens Christmas brings “A Christmas Carol” to life on November 27, 2026, in Skaneateles. Every weekend from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas, the town goes back to the year 1842. Visitors can interact with more than 50 characters including Queen Victoria, Father Christmas, Tiny Tim and Ebeneezer Scrooge, roam the streets, stores and restaurants, take a carriage ride through town, and listen to Christmas carols.
Lights on the Lake
Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool
Mid-November thru mid-January
Lights on the Lake is a two-mile-long drive-thru show featuring towering holiday displays, larger-than life Land of Oz, a twinkling fantasy forest, colorful section arches, memorable animated scenes and a fairy tale magic grand finale! Visitors drive through the show while listening to the wonderful sounds of the season on Sunny 102.1! Tickets must be purchased online in advance.
