From very theme-specific annual festivals like the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival and the Rosendale International Pickle Fest to a wild-foraged, multicourse meal at Glynwood, the fall has a full menu of food events and festivals to keep you sated as the temps cool off.
Capital Apple & Wine Festival
September 13-14
The 31st Annual Capital Apple & Wine Festival lands at the Columbia County Fairgrounds in Chatham this weekend. Sample from over 25 New York wineries, cideries, meaderies, and distilleries, plus enjoy local apples from Golden Harvest Farms, food trucks, craft vendors, live music, and a Sunday car show. A tasting glass is included. Rain or shine.
Farm2ChefsTable Events
Through October 19
Chef Nichoas Leiss created his roving project Farm2ChefsTable to celebrate the bounty of local growers and food purveyors through farm-to-table feasts. One of the most highly anticipated traveling farm dinner events organized by Farm2ChefsTable is the Oscine pop-up series, a test run for Leiss’s in-progress, dual-concept tavern/restaurant. Oscine will be at the historic Bull Farm 1856 on September 14 and October 19 ($215) and a half-dozen other dates through November ($135). Events consist of a menu of locally sourced, progressive Hudson Valley cuisine.
Taliaferro Farms Farm-to-Table Events
September 14 & 28, October 26
Set at the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge, this second-generation, family-run, organic farm in New Paltz offers a series of on-site dinners prepared by CIA-trained chef David Cruz. Each three-course at Taliaferro Farms meal incorporates locally grown ingredients and regional craft beverages, plus live music and farm tours. Dinners run $125.
Hudson Valley Garlic Fest
September 27, 10am-6pm-September 28, 10am-5pm
This festival celebrates one of the most-used ingredients in cooking. The Garlic Fest offers delicacies as simple as fresh garlic, or as out-there as garlic ice cream. Run by the Kiwanis club of Saugerties, the proceeds from the Garlic Fest are used to fund community causes like Saugerties High School scholarships or the American Cancer Society. The Kiwanis club is all about giving back, and the Garlic Fest is their vehicle for that mission. Advance tickets for adults are $10, and for seniors are $8. At the gates, tickets are $15.
Oktoberfest at Hunter
September 27-28, October 4-5 and 11-12
Get a taste of German culture at this autumn celebration on Hunter Mountain. Grab a beer, some German food, and listen to some of the many musicians that are slated to play, like Probable Cause and Roadhouse 60s. The festival also offers trips on the Kaatskill Flyer chairlifts, where the mountains can be seen from above the clouds. It’s a classic German celebration, Hudson Valley-style.
Taste of Sullivan Catskills
October 2-5
The Taste of Sullivan Catskills festival brings the county’s culinary spirit to life, showcasing local farms, restaurants, breweries, and artisans in one vibrant celebration. The event highlights Sullivan County’s rich agricultural heritage while offering attendees samples of regional flavors, from craft beverages to farm-fresh dishes. Beyond food, which is curated by celebrity chef Scott Conant and friends, the festival fosters community pride with live music, family-friendly activities, and opportunities to meet local producers, making it a true showcase of the Catskills’ bounty.
Heart of the Hudson Valley Bounty Festival
October 4, 10am-4pm (rain date: October 5)
This annual Milton festival spotlights the farmers, bakers, and artists of the Hudson Valley. The festival features many performances from dance troupes and singers, like Angela Bruno and Grupo Folclorico De Poughkeepsie. The mission of the festival is to showcase the “bounty” of the Hudson Valley, so restaurants are encouraged to showcase dishes made with local produce. It’s a celebration of the region in its purest and tastiest form.
Wild & Foraged
October 9
Farm dinners at Glynwood offer an intimate experience among the acres of historic pastures and bucolic farmland. The August 13 event, Wild & Foraged, features local wild-grown foods and a conversation with the Outside Institute founder Laura Chavez Silverman. On October 9, Toast the Season celebrates the rich flavor of New York’s vast craft beverage industry. Tickets start at $200 for each.
28th Annual Rosendale International Pickle Festival
October 19, 10am-5pm
Another festival with strange yet tasty flavors, the Pickle Festival offers delicious pickled foods for all fans of the pungent and gnarly. Whether searching for classic pickles, pickled garlic, or kimchi, this festival has it in its tastiest form. Tickets are only $5 and kids under 12 get in free. The annual Pickle Triathlon is a highlight of the event, where participants compete in a pickle eating, pickle juice drinking, and pickle tossing competition. Businesses are also welcome to participate in a pickling contest with categories like best dill pickles, sweet pickles, and pickled fruit.
