Family events on Long Island
18 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 NYSF Full Moon Market
This after-dark market at The Fit Factory brings tarot readers, energy healers, and vendors selling crystals, oddities, and metaphysical goods under the full moon. Food trucks will be parked outside, and admission is free. Johnson Avenue has plenty of lot parking, and you're close to Sayville Road if you want to grab coffee after.
- When
- Where
- The Fit Factory, Bohemia
Editor's Pick Huntington Village New York Murder Mystery Pub Crawl
You'll walk between bars in Huntington Village solving "A Portrait Without a Face," picking up clues about the case while hearing local ghost stories and history along the way. New York Improv Theater runs this interactive whodunit that turns your evening drinks into detective work. Starts at the Paramount on New York Avenue—street parking fills up fast, so the municipal lot behind Main Street is your safest bet.
- When
- Where
- Paramount, Huntington
- Price
- See ticket page
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 SecretSeshLI
SquareHead Brewing in Holbrook hosts this weekly marketplace on Saturdays at 5 PM, mixing local vendors with craft beer on High Street. It's a rotating lineup of small businesses and makers set up in the brewery space. Free entry, and you can grab a pint while you browse.
- When
- Where
- SquareHead Brewing Company, Holbrook
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
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
Clubhouse Tours: Family Program, $4 per person upon arrival
Tour the historic Main House at Connetquot River State Park Preserve, once the private retreat of the exclusive South Side Sportsmen's Club. You'll see preserved interiors and hear stories about Long Island's sportfishing past. 2 PM tour on Sunday. $4 per person.
- When
- Where
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
Cocktails & Chromosomes
Cold Spring Harbor Lab scientists break down their current research over beers at Six Harbors in Huntington. Think genetics, DNA, and whatever they're working on now—explained like humans, not textbooks. New York Avenue has metered street parking, or there's a lot behind the brewery.
- When
- Where
- Six Harbors Brewing Company, Huntington
- Price
- See ticket page
Writers' Circle: Exploring the Self
Writer Melissa Dennihy leads a workshop using prompts about identity and personal growth at Studio Kash. Expect guided exercises to push your writing in new directions. Second floor space on Scudder Avenue, late afternoon start.
- When
- Where
- 19 Scudder Ave floor 2, Northport
- Price
- See ticket page
Hispanic Heritage Day
The Islip Arts Council turns its Sunrise Highway gallery into a free Sunday celebration of Hispanic heritage with live music, art demos, and performances. It's a good entry point if your kids are learning about the holiday in school and you want to go deeper than a classroom poster. Free admission, free parking lot right there.
- When
- Where
- Islip Arts Council Gallery, Bay Shore
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 current research over beers at Six Harbors in Huntington. Think genetics, DNA, and whatever they're working on now—explained like humans, not textbooks. New York Avenue has metered street parking, or there's a lot behind the brewery.
- When
- Where
- Six Harbors Brewing Company, Huntington
- Price
- See ticket page
SecretSeshLI
This weekly market at SquareHead Brewing brings local makers, vintage sellers, and small businesses to the Holbrook brewery every Saturday at 5 PM. Shop while you drink—the brewery's beer selection pairs well with browsing handmade goods and curated finds.
- When
- Where
- SquareHead Brewing Company, Holbrook
Living History Clubhouse Tours: Family Program, $4 per person upon arrival
Tour the preserved clubhouse of the South Side Sportsmen's Club, the private fishing club that operated here from 1866 until the state acquired it in 1973. Guides walk you through the Main House with period details intact—it's one of the few times you can get inside. $4 per person at the door.
- When
- Where
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale
Huntington Village New York Murder Mystery Pub Crawl
New York Improv Theater turns Huntington Village into an interactive crime scene where you'll piece together clues about a missing portrait while hitting bars along New York Avenue. Expect local history, ghost stories, and drinks as you play detective through the village's walkable downtown. Starts at the Paramount and winds through spots you can easily bar-hop between on foot.
- When
- Where
- Paramount, Huntington
- Price
- See ticket page