This Finger Lakes college town will close its famed downtown district for a three-day festival dedicated to apples and cider donuts
Ithaca, New York, has been playing the same pun for decades: “Ithaca is Gorges,” a reference to the more than 150 waterfalls and glacially carved gorges that carve this Finger Lakes college town.
But this September, the waterfalls take a back seat to something a little more seasonal and delightful.
The city’s 44th annual Apple Harvest Festival is poised to take over downtown Ithaca from September 25–27, 2026, closing down Ithaca Commons and transforming it into a three-day celebration chock-full of cider donuts, live music, and all manner of apple-related goodies—more than a weekend can reasonably contain.
Not only do local students from Ithaca College and Cornell University enjoy this holiday, but New Yorkers flock from all over the state to savor the freshest apples in the region!
Are you intrigued? Well, if so, we've got all the details on how to participate in September... plus why Ithaca is worth visiting during peak fall foliage season!
From a handful of orchard owners to Ithaca's most famous fall weekend
At first it wasn't intended as a tourism initiative.
Back in 1982, local grower Anna Steinkraus and a small group of other orchard owners got together to find a way to showcase the region’s crop and, at the same time, attract some people to Ithaca Commons.
It worked so well that the festival never stopped, and Steinkraus apparently never missed a single year, continuing to show up with his cider donuts from Littletree Orchards even decades later.
Four decades later, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance manages the entire event, and what began as a modest apple showcase has grown into the city’s largest fall event.
What's Really Going to Happen at Ithaca Commons?
The Ithaca Commons will be filled with produce booths, cider makers, and craft vendors throughout the event, but the food is the real draw.
Expect heirloom apples, jams and preserves, artisanal cheeses, freshly pressed cider, and, by far, the festival's most anticipated treat: cider doughnuts, still made today using the same method used since the festival's early years.
There will even be a cake-eating contest around noon on Saturday for anyone who wants to turn dessert into a spectator sport.
Live entertainment will span multiple stages across all three days, with a lineup ranging from student bands to full bands like Double Tiger, who will headline opening day Friday.
In addition to the stages, there's a scavenger hunt through the center's storefronts with over $200 in local gift cards up for grabs, a retro-style online game called "Orchard Overflow," and a full "Family Fun Zone" with an inflatable obstacle course, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, and free berries and ice cream for the little ones.
Where to see the most important artists
According to the festival's official schedule, here's where the largest crowds are likely to gather each day:
- Friday, September 25: Live entertainment begins with a student performance from 4:00–6:00 p.m., before Double Tiger takes the stage for the evening concert.
- Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th: a full day of stalls and food! The program of events will be available soon.
Turning it into a real autumn journey
Ithaca is about a four-hour drive north of New York City, which may seem like a long drive until you realize it's the kind of drive worth making as soon as you reach the Finger Lakes.
If you plan it as a weekend getaway rather than a day trip, the Apple Harvest Festival becomes just one stop on a much larger itinerary.
Fall foliage season in Ithaca typically runs from mid-September to early November, with peak color usually occurring in the third week of October, so a trip to the festival in late September puts you right at the beginning of foliage season, rather than after it's already peaked and the leaves have fallen.
This means that the gorges for which the city is famous already begin to alight with color during the festival weekend, and the region becomes increasingly spectacular as October progresses.
- Hike the Cascadilla Gorge Trail, a stone-stepped path flanked by six waterfalls that starts right in downtown Ithaca and ascends to the Cornell campus—no car needed.
- Drive 10 minutes north to Taughannock Falls State Park, home to a waterfall taller than Niagara Falls, for a rewarding hike.
- Spend an afternoon on the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, one of the Finger Lakes’ premier wine trails, for a tasting detour between festival stops.
- Stroll around Ithaca Commons even outside of festival hours to check out the local bookstores, cafes, and restaurants that make this pedestrian mall a must-visit year-round.
How to get around the festival area
Once you arrive in Ithaca, street parking around Ithaca Commons costs $1.50 an hour, but is free on evenings and weekends, while the nearby Green, Seneca, and Cayuga parking lots offer similar rates with free parking on Saturdays and Sundays!
TCAT buses stop right at the intersection of Seneca and Green, and those driving from further away can park in the east parking lot of Wegmans and take the #15 bus directly to the festival.
But best of all, attending the entire festival is completely FREE: no tickets, no entrance fee, just show up.
For a full schedule, an interactive festival map, and updates as the date approaches, visit the Downtown Ithaca Alliance's official Apple Harvest Festival page.