8 Best Fall Festivals in Nassau County for 2026
Looking for fall festivals in Nassau County? Here are 8 great 2026 events with food, live music, rides, pumpkins, street fairs, family activities and more.
Fall on Long Island goes fast. One weekend it still feels like summer, and a few weeks later everyone is wearing hoodies, buying pumpkins and wondering where October went. Fortunately, Nassau County packs a lot into the season: waterfront festivals, street fairs, pumpkin patches, carnival rides, live music, craft vendors, food trucks and family activities. Here are 8 Nassau County fall festivals worth putting on your calendar for 2026.
- 1
Massapequa Park Fall Festival — Massapequa Park
Massapequa Park's annual fall street fair is one of the biggest community events of the season. The 2026 event includes more than 200 vendors, three live music stages, a large kids fun zone, inflatables, games, face painting, a food truck rodeo, the Pequa Choo-Choo Express and more. Admission is free.
FamiliesFoodShoppingLive entertainmentWhy go: It's one of the largest all-in-one fall street fairs in Nassau
Sunday, October 4, 2026 · 10:30 AM–4:30 PM. Rain date: October 11.
- 2
Mineola Street Fair — Mineola
Mineola's street fair takes over Jericho Turnpike with live music, entertainment, food from local restaurants and food trucks, a petting zoo, kids zone and vendors. It's a good choice if you want something more like a classic downtown street fair than a farm-style fall festival.
FamiliesFood trucksLocal shoppingWhy go: Easy community atmosphere with a lot happening in one walkable area
Sunday, October 4, 2026 · 10:00 AM–5:00 PM. Rain date: October 11.
- 3
Lido Beach Fall Festival — Lido Beach
This one combines the fall-festival feel with a beach-town location. The 2026 festival runs over Columbus Day weekend in Lido Beach and includes rides, live entertainment and traditional carnival-style activities.
FamiliesCarnival ridesLong-weekend plansWhy go: A South Shore fall festival with a distinctly coastal setting
October 9–12, 2026 (Columbus Day weekend). Produced with Newton Shows.
- 4
Oyster Festival — Oyster Bay
If there's one Nassau fall event that feels like a true destination festival, this is it. The Oyster Festival takes over Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and the surrounding Oyster Bay waterfront with live entertainment, artisans, midway rides, a food court, pirate shows and the famous oyster eating and shucking contests. Admission is free.
Seafood loversFamiliesVisitors from outside NassauWhy go: Waterfront setting, huge crowds, food and entertainment all weekend
October 17–18, 2026 · 11:00 AM–6:00 PM. Nassau County's signature fall festival.
- 5
Mineola Fall Festival — Mineola
Mineola gets a second fall event later in the month, and this one leans more heavily into the seasonal theme. The festival at Mineola Memorial Park includes food trucks, craft beer and local wine, live music, a vendor village, pumpkin patch and children's activities. Admission is free.
FamiliesFood and drinksPumpkin-patch atmosphereWhy go: More of a traditional fall-festival experience than the earlier street fair
October 17–18, 2026 · 12:00 PM–6:00 PM. Rain dates: October 24–25.
- 6
Rock Hall Country Fair — Lawrence
Rock Hall Country Fair has a very different feel from the carnival-style events. Held at historic Rock Hall Museum, the fair features colonial historians, a harvest market, craft vendors, antique cars, farm animals, pony rides, children's crafts, a pumpkin patch and a make-your-own scarecrow activity. Admission and parking are free.
FamiliesHistory loversYounger kidsWhy go: It mixes fall activities with living-history programming
October 17–18, 2026 · 11:00 AM–5:00 PM. Hosted by Town of Hempstead & Friends of Rock Hall.
- 7
Merrick Fall Festival & Street Fair — Merrick
The Merrick Fall Festival closes out October with a combination of carnival rides and a traditional street fair around the Merrick LIRR station. Rides begin Friday evening, with the full street fair and carnival continuing Saturday and Sunday.
Carnival ridesFamiliesLocal food and vendorsWhy go: Easy weekend event with both rides and a street-fair atmosphere
October 23–25, 2026. Street fair 10 AM–5 PM Saturday and Sunday.
- 8
Hicks Nurseries Fall Festival — Westbury
This one isn't a one-weekend street fair — it's basically an entire fall season. Hicks Nurseries' 51st annual Fall Festival includes pumpkins, mums, seasonal displays, family activities, lawn games, an animated Halloween walk-through, live music on select Sundays and its Fall Festival Market. Parking and admission are free.
Younger kidsPumpkin photosCasual weekend visitsWhy go: You don't have to plan around a single date — it runs for weeks
September 12–November 1, 2026. Free admission & parking. Otto the Ghost walk-through.
Which Nassau Fall Festival Fits Your Weekend?
If you're trying to narrow it down:
- For the biggest waterfront eventOyster Festival
- For carnival ridesLido Beach · Merrick
- For pumpkins and family activitiesMineola Fall Festival · Hicks Nurseries
- For history and a quieter paceRock Hall Country Fair
- For street-fair energyMassapequa Park · Mineola Street Fair
A Quick Local Tip
Fall festival schedules can change because of weather, rain dates, parking restrictions or last-minute event updates. Before heading out, check the event's official page the morning of your visit — especially if rain is in the forecast.
Did We Miss One?
Have a Nassau County fall festival, fair or seasonal event you think belongs on the list? Tell us about it and we'll keep updating our Best of Nassau guides throughout the season.
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