Fun Fall and Winter Traditions

For decades people have recognized Central Park as a destination with several enjoyable fall and winter traditions for families, couples, kids, tourists and regular city-goers. Here are a few suggestions to take part in this year:

Experience Fall Foliage

When summer comes to an end and the leaves start to change, grabbing a delicious cup of hot chocolate on a crisp autumn day is the ideal way to spend time walking around the park and experiencing some of the most picturesque scenery of the year. Visitors can observe the various unique species of trees in the park in their full glory, such as the Red Maple, Bald Cypress, Gingko, American Elm, European Beeches, London Plane and many more. Endless shades of yellow, orange, and red take the spotlight as they replace the greens of spring and summer. The colorful transition typically starts around October and stays throughout November before the leaves all fall and the kaleidoscope of colors vanishes until the next year.

See our blog post on the Top 10 Spots to Capture The Colors of Fall in Central Park.

Fall & Winter Events

Fall brings many exciting events to Central Park, including Oktoberfest, the Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla, the TCS New York City Marathon, and the Macy’s Day Parade.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest features German brews and food, as well as live entertainment and the annual National Masskrugstemmen Championship - a traditional Bavarian strength contest in which competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein (or Masskrug/Mass in German) out in front of their bodies with a straight arm until the last man hoisting is the winner.

Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla

The Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla is a family-friendly event that allows the entire family to enjoy pumpkin carving and crafts, plus spooky stories, a costume parade, and the Central Park Conservancy’s Pumpkin Flotilla that sets sail across the Harlem Meer at twilight.

TCS New York City Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners that runs through the five boroughs and Central Park, bringing people of all ages and many walks of life together to cheer on 50,000 runners on the first Sunday of November.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade features extravagant floats, giant balloons, performances and more. It begins at the corner of 77th Street and Central Park West and heads down towards Columbus Circle, ending at Macy’s in Herald Square.

NYRR Midnight Run & Fireworks on NYE

Kick off the New Year by celebrating with music and dancing (starting at 10:00 p.m.) as the year comes to a close. The four-mile race will begin at the stroke of midnight, along with a spectacular fireworks display to light up the night and the start of the new year. Come and participate or cheer the runners on for support!

Winter Jam Festival

Winter Jam NYC is a free annual winter sports festival put on by the NYC Parks Department, Lake Placid and I Love NY. Courtesy of some of their partners at Gore Mountain, there is always plenty of fresh snow at the event, even if it's not actually snowing, so you can enjoy the terrain in Manhattan! Come for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding lessons, and bring along your 4-legged friends as well to enjoy the Doggie Snow Zone. Equipment provided at no cost, or bring your own snow sports gear. For more information, call (212) 360-1319 or visit the NYC Parks Winter Jam page.  

Please visit our Events Calendar for details about these exciting events and more.

Fall & Winter Tours

Guided walking tours like our Hidden Secrets Tour or Holiday Sights tour offer a chance to learn fun facts about Central Park while taking in the fall foliage up close with a licensed tour guide in one of New York City's most scenic areas.

Hidden Secrets Tour

Experience some of the lesser-known treasures and see the hard to find places that most don't find in Central Park on our Hidden Secrets Tour. Together with your guide you'll explore hidden gems including the last remaining fortification of a site from the American Revolutionary War, a must-see 3500 year-old visitor from Egypt, and other attractions invisible to the average eye.

Holiday Sights Tour of Central Park & the Surrounding Areas

The seasonal Holiday Sights Tour, which runs from mid-November to early January, is the perfect excursion for the whole family to take part in. Starting near Grand Army Plaza at Central Park, your guide will lead you on a journey through the surrounding areas to see the stunning lights and elaborately decorated window displays at stores like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord And Taylor's, Bergdorf Goodman's and Barney's, plus the gigantic lit up Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. The tour ends at Bryant Park where you can shop for unique gifts at the Bryant Park Holiday Market.

Horse and Carriage Tours

Horse-drawn carriage rides are another traditional way to spend time in the park while kicking back with a loved one and indulging in the crisp fall air and winter wonderland sights. Sites seen typically include the Wollman Rink, the Pond, the Central Park Zoo, Sheep Meadow, the Mall, Cherry Hill, the Dairy, the Carousel, Strawberry Fields and the Dakota (former residence of Beatle John Lennon).

Horse-drawn carriages are available for rides all year round and can be reserved online. The price of the ride is based on how long you want it to be, with most carriage rides lasting between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. You can also order specialized add-ons such as extra time, photography, flowers, chocolate, or specific pick up and drop off locations. Rides can be personalized beforehand for wedding proposals, anniversaries, birthdays or other special occasions.

Carriage rides are extremely popular during the holiday season and there is usually a line for a walk-up ride, so reserving online is highly recommended.

Citifari Photography Tour

Citifari Central Park offers a photography tour that allows you to capture breathtaking views of various bridges, lakes and also the NYC skyline from within the park. The tour is organized like a photo workshop and the photography tour guide assists you in selecting the best vantage points and offers useful techniques and explanations of composition, camera settings and more.

Bird Watching Tour

Another tour full of photo-ops is the three-hour bird watching tour led by guide Dr. Robert "Birding Bob" DeCandido on Friday and Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. Central Park is home to 235 species of birds, which include the black-capped chickadee and red-winged blackbird. For this tour, make sure you don't forget your binoculars and a camera!

For additional spots to take photographs of birds and other wildlife, head to the Pond and the Reservoir.

Fun Fall & Winter Activities

Ice Skating

Ice skating is one of the park's most popular pastimes. It can be a romantic outing for couples, a fun activity for families and a great reason to get friends together on a brisk fall or winter day.

There are two separate ice skating rinks in Central Park: Wollman Rink, located in the southeast part of the park, and Lasker Rink in the north.

Wollman Rink, which is converted from Victorian Gardens amusement park in the summer into an ice skating rink in the winter, offers plenty of activities, such as ice hockey, a skating school, skating parties, and amenities like skate rentals and lockers. See the full schedule here.

Lasker Rink, which is converted from a swimming pool in the summer, is found mid-Park between 106th and 108th Streets. Besides skating, this rink also provides adult and youth hockey, skating lessons for any age, skate rentals and lockers. See the full schedule here.

Sledding

When the snowflakes start to fall there's no better place to enjoy a fun-filled day of sledding and other winter festivities in the city than Central Park. Be sure to bundle up in your snow pants, gloves and winter hats and bring your sleds, flying saucers and toboggans to join others in going down the snowy hills.

Pilgrim Hill has the steepest slopes, with its entrance located at 72nd Street and Fifth Ave. Another less populated sledding area is Cedar Hill, which can be found between 76th and 79th Street at Fifth Ave.

Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater Puppet Shows

Marionette puppet shows are a unique year-round offering in Central Park and a great indoor activity for kids and families. The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater was actually imported from Sweden in 1877, 2 years after it was built. It has served as the headquarters for the Civil Defense during World War II, and it was also formerly a tool house, a library, and Central Park's entomological laboratory. In addition to hosting marionette performances, the Cottage is also available for children's birthday parties. Ticketing, show information and a full schedule can be found here: 

Weddings, Proposals and Private Events in Central Park

Central Park is known as one of the most romantic parts of the Big Apple to have a wedding. Couples are constantly saying "I do" near the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, the Loeb Boathouse, Bow Bridge, the Carousel, Shakespeare Garden, Belvedere Castle and other top wedding spots in Central Park.

Proposals are also especially popular during the holiday season, especially when paired with a romantic horse and carriage ride or some surprise photography.

Private events such as picnics, corporate events, and kids' birthday parties have also been increasing in popularity.

Our event planners will work with you to create the perfect custom event to suit your needs and budget. Contact us to start planning your special occasion in Central Park.