From sugary-sweet maple celebrations to blooming floral festivals, there’s so much to do in New York this spring! Admire the vibrant hues of tulips on Long Island, celebrate a ski season send off in the Finger Lakes, sample superb craft beverages in Chautauqua-Allegheny, and much more. Get ready to clear the schedule! You’re going to want to pack your spring calendar with these can’t-miss festivals. Photo credit: Lyndhurst        

NYS Maple Weekends: March 22-23 & March 29-30 (Various Regions)

New York’s sweetest weekends of the year! For two weekends each year maple producers throughout the state open up their doors to the public for NYS Maple Weekends. Check out local producers for sugar making demonstrations, tours, maple syrup tastings, pancake breakfasts, and more. Various regions. 

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End the ski season with a bang on Bristol Mountain! This two-day family-friendly festival is the perfect way to send off winter and embrace spring with events like the Banked Slalom, Peanut Butter Cup Challenge, Snow Tubing Uphill Challenge, Aloha Race, Shamrock Scavenger Hunt, Easter Egg Hunt, Slush Cup, and much more. Canandaigua; free with lift tickets.

Boat lovers, mark your calendars for the annual Clayton Spring Boat Show! Head to Cerow Recreation Park, where you can browse a wide selection of runabouts, fishing boats, pontoons, personal watercraft, docks, lifts, marine insurance, and more. Plus, there will be facing painting for little boaters and pizza, stromboli, calzones, and more from PieZano’s. Clayton; Adults $6, military $5, under 18 free.

Celebrate all things maple at the 50th Annual Andover Maple Festival! Sample all kinds of maple goodies like syrup, candy, and cotton candy, dig into a fluffy stack of pancakes topped with local syrup, and catch boiling-down demos. The fun doesn’t stop there! Musical performances, craft beer samples, and over 100 food and craft vendors are also on the docket for the event. Andover; free admission.

Credit: Lyndhurst

From April 5-6, admire one of America’s finest Gothic Revival mansions decked out in beautiful botanical displays. Visitors will experience a wonderland of color and texture as they take a self-guided stroll through the mansion’s three floors. In addition to the elaborately-decorated mansion, the weekend also includes a spring market with over 30 vendors offering plants, flowers, gardens, and gift-related items. Tarrytown; tickets cost $29-$35 plus service fees.

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Get ready for a weekend blooming with vibrant tulips and great memories at the Annual Waterdrinker Tulip Festival! Stroll through more than 2.5 million red, yellow, pink, and orange tulips spread throughout Waterdrinker’s Manorville and Riverhead farms. You’ll even get to pick some of your own to take home! Be sure to check out other activities like jumbo jump pads, mini golf, live music, and the barnyard animals. Riverhead and Manorville; ticket pricing to be announced. Check website for updates.

Calling all craft beverage connoisseurs! Check out the annual Grapes and Hops Festival taking place at Northwest Arena for a day filled with live music, great food vendors, and of course, samples of some of the best hand-crafted beer, local wine, and spirits around. Jamestown; general admission $45, VIP admission $60, designated driver $10.

Celebrate spring with the vibrant colors of Meadowbrook Farms Tulip Walk! Marvel at more than 20,000 tulip blooms showcasing a stunning array of varieties. Enjoy festivities like live music from Second Chance, Irish dance performances, children’s activities, a craft market with 65+ talented artisans, delicious local food trucks, and refreshing beer and wine selections. Leeds; $15/person, kids under 5 are free.

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Spring weekends are best spent at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Celebrate cherry blossom season and all the spring blooms at the garden’s annual Weekends in Bloom. Take garden tours, enjoy morning family programming in the Discovery Garden, sway to casual, pop-up music, and dance performances, and more. Brooklyn; Weekends in Bloom are free with garden admission ($22/adult, $16/seniors and students, free for children under 12). 

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Buffalo‘s beloved spring celebration is back for its 12th year at the Japanese Garden in Delaware Park. Join in the seasonal splendor with festival highlights that include live music, pink boat rides, taiko drumming, pink parade, origami, Japanese cultural displays, food trucks, and tons of beautiful cherry blossoms! Plus, a pop-up tea ceremony will also take place on the Portico of the Buffalo History Museum. Buffalo; admission is free.

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There’s nothing like spring on the mountaintop at Mohonk! Experience a kaleidoscope of colors from more than 20,000 tulips up close from the Victorian Show Garden. While you celebrate seasonal hues, enjoy a variety of floral teas and cookies, alongside crafts, garden tours, campfires, music, and cocktail demonstrations. New Paltz; tulip pass is $65 for day guests and free for overnight guests.

Treat your taste buds to the exquisite flavors of the Greater Niagara region’s craft beverage scene! Held annually at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, your ticket includes unlimited beer, wine, and cider tastings, delicious culinary pairings, a commemorative glass, fine art displays, live music, and more. Niagara Falls; tickets $40 in advance, $45 at the door.

Credit: Karen Kania

Wellsville’s tastiest day of the year is back! Make your way through a variety of the area’s businesses, each serving tasty local wine tastings. Your ticket also includes a complimentary glass, hors d’oeuvres, and local restaurant discounts! Wellsville; $45/person. 

Each May, travelers from all over the world come to see Rochester’s 1,800 lilac bushes displaying 500 varieties of lilacs – the largest collection in North America! Celebrating its 127th year, this signature springtime event attracts over half a million visitors for an experience like no other. Jam to live music from 80+ bands at KeyBank Center Stage, watch the Lilac Parade, explore a diverse selection of food vendors, or stroll through the award-winning Art in the Park art show. The festival also offers inclusive experiences such as the Sensory Space, Zero Proof Social Club, and Seniors’ Day, ensuring fun for all. Rochester; free. 

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Submerge yourself in a sea of more than 100,000 tulips at Albany’s Annual Tulip Festival! Held at Washington Park on Mother’s Day weekend, this celebration is one of the Northeast’s biggest and most beloved yearly events. Highlights include historic experiences honoring Albany’s rich Dutch heritage, live music on multiple stages, a fine arts show, craft vendors, children’s activities, and great food, making this festival the perfect day for the whole family. Albany; free.

Credit: Big Gay Hudson Valley

Kick off Pride season from the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world, the Walkway Over the Hudson! Put on your best illuminated look and get ready to light up the night sky in rainbow with glowing costumes, bracelets, and flashlights as a group of 100-plus flag marshals begin the evening by parading a 1,000-foot-long portion of Gilbert Baker’s original eight-color Pride flag across the bridge, which will be illuminated by the LED rainbow lights. Stick around for exciting live entertainment, dancing, interactive booths, and more. Highland and Poughkeepsie; free. 

Make your way to Downtown Amsterdam’s vibrant Main Street for their 10th annual Spring Fling Festival! Celebrate the warmer weather and all things spring with live music, free amusement rides, over 100 vendors, arts and crafts, food, and much more. Amsterdam; free.

Enjoy springtime splendor with the whole family at the Newfane Apple Blossom Festival! Presented by the Newfane Historical Society, get ready to celebrate the planting season and enjoy everything it has to offer with live music performances, flea market and craft vendors, historical demos, car and tractor displays, historical reenactments, and great food, including Art Gladow’s famous chicken chowder, baked goods, hot dogs, sausages, cotton candy, and pies. Newfane; free.

Credit: Tony Turner

This Memorial Day weekend, mark your calendars for DanceAfrica, the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music! Now in its 48th year, this beloved celebration, taking place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, honors the rich culture and artistry of Mozambique through traditional dance and music, exhilarating visual art, cinematic offerings from FilmAfrica, and more. Brooklyn; tickets start at $25.

Americade: May 27-31 (Adirondacks)

Join thousands of riders and motorcycle enthusiasts as you cruise into the scenic Village of Lake George for Americade, the world’s largest multi-brand motorcycle touring rally! This legendary five-day event sees over 100,000 riders per day, sporting all kinds of demonstrations, concerts, guided and self-guided rides, an expo, stunt show, fireworks, and so much more. Lake George; tickets range from $104-$280. Prices increase after April 27. 

Credit: Ed Dittenhoefer

Each spring, Ithaca comes alive with a multi-day celebration honoring the artist in us all. A local tradition since 1977, the Ithaca Festival illuminates downtown with more than 70 live performances, a parade, spring craft fair showcasing over 100 local vendors and artists, and more, making this free festival a must-visit for anyone looking to experience the local creative scene. Ithaca; free admission.

June Pride Festivals (Various Regions)

Credit: Chris Gagliardi

From Long Island to Buffalo, there’s nowhere like New York State to celebrate Pride! June 8 marks Long Island Pride’s 35th annual parade followed by a concert and festival, as well as Capital Pride’s parade and festival in Albany’s Washington Park. On June 14, Potsdam Pride kicks off their third annual celebration featuring live music, adult and family-friendly drag shows, food, free face-painting, and local vendors. Close out the month with NYC Pride on June 29 for the Pride March, PrideFest, and more. Various regions and dates.

For over a decade, the Hobart Festival of Women Writers has been taking over town each year for a power-packed weekend of readings, workshops, and classes. This festival, found in the picturesque Hobart Book Village, celebrates the work of women writers and welcomes all writers to come together and showcase their work, insights, and skills for three days of exciting activities. Hobart; prices vary by activity and event.

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Groove out to the blues at one of the largest free blues events in the Northeast! Taking place each year over three-days in Syracuse, the New York State Blues Festival is not to be missed showcasing an exciting lineup of diverse acts from around the country, including Warren Haynes Band, Southern Avenue, Three Kings feat. D.K. Harrell, among others. Syracuse; free admission.

After a decade-long break, the ultimate BBQ showdown is back! Enjoy three unforgettable days at Eisenhower Park, where the nation’s top BBQ teams battle for $100,000. Meet legendary live-fire pitmasters, savor tons of BBQ samples, jam out to live music, try local brew tastings, and more. East Meadow; general admission is $40 for adults and $20 for kids.  

Kick off summer in Ogdensburg! Feel the breeze off the St. Lawrence River as you dance to live music, dig into mouth-watering food vendors, participate in family activities, and more at this iconic festival. Ogdensburg; admission is $5 per person. 

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Attention art lovers: don’t miss out on Glens Falls’ LARAC June Arts Festival! The largest of its kind in the area, discover all kinds of handmade hidden gems from sparkling jewelry to fine art to one-of-a-kind home decor. Plus, there will be all kinds of tasty local and specialty food vendors and live music from local musicians. Glens Falls; free admission.

Join communities throughout the Empire State in celebrating Juneteenth, commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States, with parades, live entertainment, vendors, and more. From June 14-15, Buffalo Juneteenth kicks off its 50th annual celebration, one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country! In New York City, Brooklyn’s 16th Annual Juneteenth takes place June 12-19 and Juneteenth in Queens (June 19) is honoring 160 years of Black liberation in 2025. On June 21, Potsdam holds their free Juneteenth Celebration, featuring speakers, tasty food vendors, music, dancing, art, and more.

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