The Great Allentown Fair
August 30–September 4
Styx, REO Speedwagon and Keith Urban are among the big-name artists set to perform at this annual fair, which dates back to the mid-19th century. Along with live music, the massive Allentown Fairgrounds hosts a demolition derby and carnival rides over the course of the long Labor Day weekend, plus culinary contests and the crowning of a Fair Queen. allentownfair.com, 610/433-7541
The Goshen Fair
September 2–4
This three-day agricultural fair, held since 1910, celebrates Connecticut farmers and food. Look for three stages with live entertainment, multiple food vendors and activities galore, including tractor pulls, barrel races, a skillet-throwing contest and more than a dozen livestock-judging competitions. goshenfair.org, 860/491-3655
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire
September 2–October 15 (Weekends)
A re-created 16th-century village in Lebanon sets the stage for New England’s largest medieval harvest festival, which takes place on seven weekends in the fall as well as on Labor Day and Indigenous People’s Day. Expect jousts, mock combats, magicians and folk musicians to entertain. Also, enjoy a marketplace with more than 60 vendors and food stands selling turkey legs, pies and other hearty fare. ctfaire.com, 860/478-5954
Scandinavian Fest
September 3
Celebrate the culture, history and food of six Nordic nations—Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden—at “ScanFest,” billed as the largest all-Scandinavian festival in the US. Held at Vasa Park in Budd Lake, New Jersey, the festivities include Hans Christian Andersen storytelling, folk dancing, Norwegian folk music, Swedish meatballs, and vendors selling crafts, embroidered clothing, leather goods, books and more. scanfest.org
NJ Taco Festival
September 9
Tacos and wrestling seem like a strange combination—that is, until you factor in the wild popularity of lucha libre (a pro wrestling style) in Mexico. This 8th annual festival brings the clutches and crunches to the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta with a dozen vendors selling tacos, empanadas and other Mexican food, and then it tosses in wrestling bouts, mariachi music and a beauty pageant with Chihuahuas as contestants. njtacofestival.com
Doylestown Arts Festival
September 9–10
More than 150 artists, both visual and musical, take over downtown Doylestown, Pennsylvania, for this 32nd annual event. Enjoy juried art contests, art demonstrations, shopping at artist booths, live music on five stages, a bicycle race and more. dtownartsfestival.com
The Feast of San Gennaro
September 14–24
Started in 1926, the Feast of San Gennaro honors the patron saint of Naples and is among the biggest celebrations of Italian heritage in New York City, stretching 11 blocks on Mulberry Street in Little Italy. Highlights include a grand parade with a tribute to Italian American baseball heroes, live music by crooners like Earl Benedetto, a night of opera inspired by Enrico Caruso, cannoli- and zeppole-eating contests, and a Catholic Mass honoring San Gennaro on his feast day. sangennaronyc.org, 929/999-7919
Rails to the Darkside
September 29–October 28 (Weekends)
The Connecticut Trolley Museum in East Windsor puts a twist on Halloween scares with a ride (geared to those ages 16 and up) on a vintage trolley car through an eerie forest teeming with tales of revenge-seeking souls inhabiting a violated cemetery. For the younger set, the museum hosts fun fall trolley rides to a pumpkin patch, where families can choose their own holiday gourd. ct-trolley.org, 860/627-6540
Village Halloween Parade
October 31
Founded by a local mask maker half a century ago, the (Greenwich) Village Halloween Parade has grown into an epic celebration of downtown New York City’s arts and cultural scene. More than two million spectators line the route of the parade up 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) to enjoy the procession of 60,000-plus costumed marchers and performers, including bands, dancers, giant puppets, and anyone else who wants to show up wearing something freaky or fabulous. halloween-nyc.com
