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11 Things You Need to Do in New York City in October

By Jennifer H. Cunningham | October 1, 2014 7:38am
 Our picks of some of the best events happening in October.
11 Things You Need to Do in New York City in October
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NEW YORK CITY — With Oktoberfest, the New York City Wine and Food Festival, the CMJ Music Marathon and the Village Halloween Parade all coming up, it's easy to see why October is one of the best months to staycation in the city. Pull up your calendar and plug in these not-to-miss events happening in October in the five boroughs.

OKTOBERFEST
The Bronx Beer Hall
Location: 2344 Arthur Ave., Belmont
Dates: Oct. 1 - Oct. 31
Tickets: No cover charge

Celebrate Oktoberfest in the Bronx, where Arthur Avenue staple The Bronx Beer Hall will offer a “Tap Takeover,” in which only local brewers will put beers on tap. They'll also be handing out samples and other product giveaways. An Oktoberfest beer-themed trivia night, live music, and a German-influenced menu of beer-soaked sausages and hotdogs are also on offer. Visit their website for more info.

Munich on the East River at Zum Schneider
Location: East River and East 23rd Street, East Village
Dates: Oct. 3 - Oct. 12
Tickets: General Admission tickets are sold out, but some VIP tickets are available for $100

Zum Schneider is bringing an authentic Oktoberfest to Manhattan. The restaurant will pitch a large beer tent on the East River at East 23rd Street for its first “Munich on the East River” event, which features live music and German-speaking staff in traditional dress. Make sure you wash down the tent’s roast chicken and pork shank with steins of one-liter Oktoberfest suds.

Tickets to the Zum Schneider events are selling fast, so if you miss them, head over to the Standard Biergarten in the Meatpacking district, which will be serving up its own Oktoberfest lager until the end of November.

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PUMPKIN PICKING
Queens County Farm
Location: 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck
Dates: Now through Oct. 26
Ticketing: General admission is free, but entry into the corn maze costs $9 for adults and $5 for kids

Come for the corn maze, stay for the pumpkin patch. That’s what the folks at the Queens County Farm are hoping you’ll do at the bucolic space, which is the last remaining parcel of farmland in the five boroughs. Family-friendly activities abound at the 47-acre working farm. The standout is the corn maze, where participants can make their way through 3 acres of manicured corn stalks.

Decker Farm at Historic Richmond Town
Location: 441 Clarke Ave., Richmond
Dates: Every Saturday and Sunday in October
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets: $5 for adults and kids

Pick your own gourd at the pumpkin patch on the historic Decker Farm on Staten Island. While you’re there, relax on a hayride, tour a historic farmhouse and try your hand at some free arts and crafts.

FUN ON THE WATER
Nautical Tour
City Island Tour by Land and Sea
Location: 190 Fordham St., City Island
Date: Oct. 18
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40 for adults, $20 for kids. Visit www.ILoveTheBronx.com for tickets.

Get a close look at City Island’s nautical legacy with this walking and boat tour. The day begins with a trip to the City Island Nautical Museum, followed by a walking tour of the historic island located off the coast of the Northeast Bronx at Pelham Bay Park. After the tour, participants will spend the afternoon fishing aboard the 65-foot “Island Current.”

Bronx River Nature Tour
Location: Various locations in the Bronx
Date: Oct. 4
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tickets: $40 for adults, $20 for kids, visit: www.ILovetheBronx.com for info.

Take a tour on foot and in a canoe of New York City’s only freshwater river. Participants will paddle through the North Bronx and end the tour at the New York Botanical Gardens. The event includes free admission to NYBG’s new exhibit: “Kiku: The Art of Japanese Garden.”

FESTIVALS
New York City Wine & Food Festival
Location: Various Locations
Date: Oct. 16 - Oct. 19
Tickets: Prices vary. Purchase tickets here.

This food fest will bring some of the globe’s most celebrated chefs to town for a full-on bacchanal of feasts, cooking classes, tastings and parties.

Some of the dinners can run up to $350, but affordable — and still available — options abound, like The Art of Cake Decorating, Terrine Making 101 and The Art of Pasta Making, which are all priced at $95. A half-ton steer is among the meats to be roasted on an open flame as part of the festivities at the Meatopia X: The Meat Lover’s Ball, and CHOPPED contestants will join local chefs to whip up that special meal between breakfast and lunch for the CHOPPED Best Bloody Mary Brunch, where diners can imbibe, and then vote on the best Bloody Mary in America. Tickets for each event are $150.

CMJ Music Marathon
Location: Various locations
Dates: Oct. 21 - Oct. 25
Times: Various
Tickets: Get a full badge, $525, or a student badge, $340, here.

Now in its 34th year, the CMJ Music Marathon will showcase 1,300 bands and artists at 80 venues over four days. There are also workshops and panels as part of a daytime conference on the nuts and bolts of the music biz.

Archtober
Location: Various locations
Dates: Throughout October
Tickets: Costs vary, visit www.archtober.org for specific event listings

Archtober is a monthlong celebration of all things architecture and design, with more than 100 lectures, films, tours and exhibitions.

BOOZE-FUELED FÊTES
WhiskeyFest
Locations: New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, Midtown
Date: Oct. 29
Time: Grand Tasting: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Seminars: 7 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $245 can be purchased here

Sip more than 300 whiskeys from around the world at the 17th annual Whiskey Fest. An all-you-can-eat buffet may help guests from becoming so “refreshed” that they forget to take home their Glencairn crystal commemorative nosing glass.

New York City Cider Week
Location: Various locations
Date: Oct. 24 - Nov. 2
Time: Various Times
Tickets: Tickets run from $35 to $90 per event

Toast the Fall with local hard ciders at several events, tastings, classes and dinners that include the participation of vaunted local restaurants like ABC Kitchen, Marlow and Sons and Gramercy Tavern.