Family events on Long Island
23 hand-picked family-friendly events — museums, library programs, festivals, and the family weekends Long Island does best.
Editor's Pick Northport Fall Festival
Northport Village's signature street festival shuts Main Street down for a full Saturday of food trucks, live music on the harborfront stage, kids' rides, and 100+ local vendors. Park on Bay Avenue by 10:30 AM — the main lot fills by 11. The food vendor lineup at the village green is the highlight; line up by noon for the first wave before the lunch rush.
- When
- Where
- Northport Village, Northport
Editor's Pick Oyster Bay Oyster Festival — 200K Visitors, One Weekend
Long Island's biggest single annual event — 200,000+ visitors descend on Theodore Roosevelt Park in Oyster Bay over a mid-October weekend for $1 oysters, 100+ food vendors, 250+ craft stalls, multi-stage live music, a tall ship in the harbor, and the working-fishing-village atmosphere that the Hamptons don't have. Free admission. Forty-plus years of history. The LI fall event of the year.
- When
- Where
- Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park, Oyster Bay
Editor's Pick Sayville Summer Family Fair
Sayville Village's annual summer family fair on Main Street. Carnival rides for kids 3-12, food trucks, live family music, free face-painting + crafts, fire-truck climb-on, beer garden in a separate adults-only zone. Free admission, ride wristbands $20. The South Shore family Saturday at its peak.
- When
- Where
- Downtown Sayville Main Street, Sayville
Editor's Pick SecretSeshLI
This weekly Saturday market at SquareHead Brewing brings local vendors, food, and craft beer together in one spot. It's free to browse, and you're already in Holbrook's industrial stretch on High Street—easy parking, low-key vibe. Runs every Saturday at 5 PM if you want to make it a regular thing.
- When
- Where
- SquareHead Brewing Company, Holbrook
Greenport Maritime Festival — North Fork Harbor Weekend
Greenport's annual Maritime Festival turns the working harbor village into a regional weekend destination — tall ships in the harbor, oyster shucking competitions, traditional whaleboat races, food + craft vendors along Front Street, live music throughout. Free admission. The locals' East End fall favorite.
- When
- Where
- Greenport Village Harbor, Greenport
Editor's Pick Islanders vs. Rangers — Battle of New York
The Islanders host the Rangers at UBS Arena in Belmont — the regular-season opener of the most-watched rivalry in NYC-area pro sports. UBS Arena is the modernized 17,000-seat home of the Islanders since 2021. Plan extra time for parking + the Belmont Park access road traffic on game nights.
- When
- Where
- UBS Arena, Belmont Park
- Price
- See ticket page
Editor's Pick Urban Ecology: Adult Program, $4 per person upon arrival
This adult-focused program explores how animals adapt to suburban environments and what homeowners can do to make their yards more wildlife-friendly. Led by state park educators at the Nissequogue River office in Kings Park. $4 per person at the door.
- When
- Where
- Nissequogue River State Park Main Office (Charles & Helen Reichert Administration Building), Kings Park
Long Beach Boardwalk Concert Series — Thursday Free Show
Free outdoor concert series on the Long Beach boardwalk, Thursdays in August. Bring a beach chair or blanket — the stage is mid-boardwalk near Riverside Blvd. LIRR direct from Penn, 50 min door to boardwalk.
- When
- Where
- Long Beach Boardwalk, Long Beach
Sands Point Preserve — Fall Mansion Tours + Trail Walks
Sands Point Preserve is the Port Washington-adjacent peninsula with three Gilded Age mansions, 5 miles of trails, and Long Island Sound shoreline. Fall mansion tours run Friday-Sunday September through November. The Hempstead House mansion is famously the supposed inspiration for Gatsby's mansion.
- When
- Where
- Sands Point Preserve, Sands Point
- Price
- See ticket page
Harbes Family Farm — Pumpkin Picking + Winery Weekend
Harbes Family Farm in Mattituck combines a working farm + pumpkin patch + corn maze + on-site winery — making it the locals' pick for an East End fall day-trip with both kid-friendly farm activities and adult winery tastings. Open daily mid-September through Halloween.
- When
- Where
- Harbes Family Farm, Mattituck
- Price
- See ticket page
Perreo Thursday Presents: Colombian Independence Celebration
Long Island's biggest Thursday reggaeton party goes full Colombian Independence mode at 219 E Main St in Patchogue. RSVP through Eventbrite for free entry before 11PM—after that, you're paying cover. Doors at 10PM, so get there early if you want the freebie.
- When
- Where
- 219 E Main St, Patchogue
- Price
- See ticket page
Caumsett State Park — Fall Hike + Private Beach Day
Caumsett is the Lloyd Harbor peninsula state park reached by a 1.5-mile walk through mature forest to a private (no parking, no crowds) beach on Long Island Sound. Free, family-friendly, dog-leash-allowed. Fall foliage peak is mid-October. The 'private beach' aspect is real — most visitors don't make the walk.
- When
- Where
- Caumsett State Park, Lloyd Harbor
NYSF New Moon Market
The New Moon Market turns The Fit Factory into a metaphysical bazaar with tarot readers, energy healers, and vendors selling crystals, oddities, and occult supplies. Food trucks park outside while you browse. Free admission, and there's plenty of parking at the Johnson Avenue location.
- When
- Where
- The Fit Factory, Bohemia
NYSF Full Moon Market
The Full Moon Market brings tarot readers, energy healers, and vendors selling crystals, oddities, and curiosities to The Fit Factory's parking lot. Food trucks set up outside for dinner. Free event with easy parking off Johnson Avenue in Bohemia.
- When
- Where
- The Fit Factory, Bohemia
Long Beach Marathon + Half — Boardwalk Sunday
Long Beach's annual fall marathon + half-marathon along the 2.2-mile boardwalk + neighborhood streets. The boardwalk loop is genuinely one of the prettiest urban race courses in metro NYC. Spectator-friendly — most of the course is visible from the boardwalk.
- When
- Where
- Long Beach Boardwalk, Long Beach
- Price
- See ticket page
Long Island Fall Festival — Pumpkin Picking + Cider Weekend
Long Island's farm trail comes alive in October with pumpkin picking, hayrides, cider donuts, and corn mazes across two dozen working farms in Nassau and Suffolk. The Wednesday + Thursday before peak weekends are dramatically less crowded. Bring cash for many farm stands; not all take cards.
- When
- Where
- Long Island Farm Trail (multiple locations), Long Island
- Price
- See ticket page
Cocktails & Chromosomes
Cold Spring Harbor Lab scientists break down their actual research over beers at Six Harbors in Huntington. You'll hear about real genetic studies happening right now on Long Island, explained by the people doing the work. The brewery's on New York Ave with street parking nearby.
- When
- Where
- Six Harbors Brewing Company, Huntington
- Price
- See ticket page
Writers' Circle: Exploring the Self
Melissa Dennihy leads this afternoon writing session at Studio Kash, working through prompts about identity and personal growth. It's a guided workshop format, so you'll actually put pen to paper rather than just discuss craft. The studio's on the second floor at 19 Scudder in downtown Northport.
- When
- Where
- 19 Scudder Ave floor 2, Northport
- Price
- See ticket page
Korea Festa 2026, Labor Day Edition
Korea Festa returns to Huntington for a three-day Labor Day weekend run showcasing Korean food, music, and culture. Free admission at 300 Nassau Road starting Saturday at 12:30PM. This is the last one planned for 2026, so if you missed the earlier editions, here's your shot.
- When
- Where
- Mahanaim, Huntington
Clubhouse Tours: Family Program, $4 per person upon arrival
Tour the preserved clubhouse of the South Side Sportsmen's Club, a private fishing club that operated on these grounds until the 1970s. The Main House still has original furnishings and tells the story of how this land became a state park. Standard park entry is $8 per vehicle.
- When
- Where
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
Clubhouse Tours: Family Program, $4 per person upon arrival
Tour the preserved clubhouse of the South Side Sportsmen's Club, a private fishing club that operated on these grounds until the 1970s. The Main House still has original furnishings and tells the story of how this land became a state park. Standard park entry is $8 per vehicle.
- When
- Where
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
Cocktails & Chromosomes
Cold Spring Harbor Lab scientists break down their actual research over beers at Six Harbors in Huntington. You'll hear about real genetic studies happening right now on Long Island, explained by the people doing the work. The brewery's on New York Ave with street parking nearby.
- When
- Where
- Six Harbors Brewing Company, Huntington
- Price
- See ticket page
Stewardship Sunday: JBENC Pollinator Garden Solarization Experiment
Solarization uses the sun's heat under clear plastic sheeting to kill invasive mugwort without chemicals—and volunteers are needed to help set it up at the Jones Beach pollinator garden. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring gloves if you have them; the Nature Center is just off Bay Parkway in Wantagh with free parking at Field 10.
- When
- Where
- Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center, Wantagh