Fall in Central New York

The leaves around here really like to show off.

Harvest time

We love our gentle autumn afternoons of soft light, vibrant color, and the laughter of children at play. We gather friends to sing around a campfire, cheer on a favorite team, or head out to pick apples. We map our foliage trips, oohing and aahing as fall color flows from the Adirondacks. In other places, festival season might be winding down. Here, we gear up, taking the kids to the Golden Harvest Festival at Beaver Lake Nature Center, planning which movies to see at the Syracuse International Film Festival, and carrying home pies and cider from the LaFayette Apple Festival.

Our autumn is a love story told in vivid color

Every autumn, our landscape goes wild with color. Our climate, soil, and hillsides combine to grow perfect apples. We pick our own at dozens of local orchards. Or sometimes we stop at roadside stands for a bag or a bushel. We grab a quart or a gallon of the freshest possible apple cider. The apple pies are delicious, and when we stoke a fireplace with applewood, the sweet fragrance makes the whole neighborhood feel like home.

Autumn events we don't want to miss

Syracuse Irish Festival

The Syracuse Irish Festival takes place over two days every September at downtown's Clinton Square. This festival serves as an introduction to fall, just as our huge St. Patrick's Parade in March is our farewell to winter. The annual festival features a dozen bands, dance groups, and other entertainment on an outdoor stage. Admission is free. However, you might want to spring for a pint of Guinness, a Harp, or one of the dozens of craft beers from local brewers. Like so many of our festivals, organizers can always use more volunteers - a perfect way to meet people in a fun way.

LaFayette Apple Festival

Our huge LaFayette Apple Festival takes place every Columbus Day weekend in Apple Valley, nestled in highlands just south of Syracuse. As many as 100,000 people come to the festival grounds near LaFayette for apples and pies, music and crafters, a taste of vodka and gin distilled from apples, games for kids, and beautiful hillside views. We have apple orchards conveniently scattered all around, but this valley is one of our best apple-growing regions. Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, with more than 350,000 apple trees, is open year-round and has become an entertainment destination of its own. (USA Today ranked it the best apple orchard in America.) Even the drive home inspires: As we head back toward Syracuse, we love the view from the ribbon-candy turns of I-81 as our city comes into view.

Syracuse International Film Festival

The Syracuse International Film Festival runs nearly a week every October from its headquarters at The Palace Theatre in Eastwood. The festival brings actors, writers, and directors from around the world for talks, screenings, workshops, and premiere showings. The festival's Sophia Awards reward Outstanding Creative Achievement in the world of independent cinema. It often shines a spotlight on talent in Central New York or with a hometown connection. The festival has close ties to Syracuse University's filmmakers and professors turning out the next great Hollywood talent.

Festa Italiana! Syracuse

Like so many of the immigrant groups that make Syracuse home, the Italian population shares its food, music, and culture freely. Every year, Festa Italiana! Syracuse spreads out for three days over 850,000 square feet of downtown around City Hall. We love competitions, so teams come from around New York show up to compete in Bocce. (And, if you're up to it, there's a meatball-eating competition, too.) The main stage has entertainment all day, every day. A special tent has arts, crafts, music, and contests for children. If you want to learn about wine making, the history of Italian immigration, or how to make perfect limoncello, this festival has you covered.

Golden Harvest Festival

Generations of parents have taken their children to our annual Golden Harvest Festival. The festival takes place on the weekend after Labor Day at Beaver Lake Nature Center near Baldwinsville. The festival attracts about 15,000 people each year for contests, food, and live music. Admission to the festival is $5 for adults, $1 for children 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and younger. The rest of the year, admission to the nature center is $5 per car. The center's 690 acres and nine miles of trails are open year round for hiking, snow-shoeing, exploring nature, and more than 400 programs. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent to explore the 200-acre glacially formed lake. Like many of Central New York's festivals, volunteers are always welcome, providing a great way to meet people in a fun setting.