The saying goes, “Ithaca is gorges!” Never has a slogan or play on words rung more true. This spectacular town in Upstate New York is filled with breathtaking views and gorges aplenty. Ithaca is part of the Finger Lakes area of New York and one of the most beautiful parts of the Finger Lakes.

October might be the single most beautiful month of the year in New England and New York, and visiting beautiful Ithaca during the most beautiful month really can’t be beaten. Whether you are looking for Fall Foliage or heading to the Apple Harvest Festival, you won’t be disappointed. If you go, here are the things you should put on your list.

Here are the best things to do in Ithaca in the Fall

Downtown Stroll in Ithaca

 

This quaint Rockwellian downtown was made even more charming during our visit by the annual Apple Harvest Festival. All the downtown streets were lined with vendors selling baked goods, crafts, fruits and vegetables, and of course, apples. The smell alone would draw you there from blocks away. This event alone would have made the drive worth it! Apples spilled out of barrels, mums dotted the street and the chilly nip in the air all screamed fall!

My boys enjoyed playing a gigantic Jenga game, and I enjoyed a booth that had apple tastings of various hybrids, that were only identified by numbers.

The apple harvest festival is generally the end of September to the beginning of October.

Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca

This is a great area for all ages and all abilities as you can see the falls from the parking area, so tired feet do not need to hike to see the beauty. But if you fancy a hike, there is a good one to the right side of the falls. Be warned it is on the strenuous side. It is scenic all the way up, but much more crowded than the other gorges we visited. There is also an area for swimming in the summer that is manned by a lifeguard.

Plan on an hour or more if you want to swim.

Cornell Botanic Gardens

The Cornell Botanic Gardens has 12 specialized gardens spaced out over 25 acres, meaning you can have whatever garden experience you want. For us, that meant anything where the boys could run. We walked along a river enjoying the changing leaves and saw the formal gardens near the visitors center. This is Ithaca in the fall at its finest!

I recommend you stop at the Nevin welcome center when you arrive. The gardens there are worth a peek, and you can pick up a map to find the other areas of the gardens. But be aware parking at the Nevin Center is paid parking, but nothing else is.

Plan on spending 1-3 hours.

Cascadilla Gorge

We found the prettiest view of this gorge was on the Cornell campus. There is ample parking near the trail to the gorge and steps down to a view platform. It is truly breathtaking. The coolest thing about it is that you could be walking in the gorge and never notice that there is a city built around you. The occasional bridge would be your only clue!

 

Plan on 30 minutes to an hour.

Ithaca Farmers Market

A wooden structure perched along the tip of Cayuga Lake hosts a weekend farmers market. There are built-out stalls for food, artisans, vegetables and flowers. There are lots of cheap little treats for the kids like cookies, honey sticks, apples, and peaches. Our favorite find was ground cherries which were a cross between a tomato and a gooseberry!

There is plenty of parking, and it is stroller-friendly! Check the website for their year-round hours.

Where to eat in Ithaca

 

We ate such great food in Ithaca, and I want you to be able to enjoy the delicious restaurants and treats we did.

Taverna Banfi

This is an exciting restaurant, as it is located in The Statler Hotel on the Cornell campus. The Statler is a hotel run by hotel management students attending Cornell. When researching food options for Ithaca, it piqued my interest.

We went to Taverna Banfi for Sunday brunch and had a fabulous meal. A student served us with a professor looking on while she talked us through the brunch offerings. We chose to have the buffet, and as we moved into the buffet room, we saw many other students being looked after by their professors as they arranged food, replenished trays, and made omelets.

I can honestly say it was some of the best service we ever had, and the attention to detail at the restaurant was perfection.

Brunch had many offerings, even for our pickiest little guy, and we all left stuffed to the gills.

Purity ice cream

We love ice cream, and we are kind of ice cream snobs. Ok, I am. I think everyone else would eat any kind of ice cream placed in front of them. Purity Ice Cream is good! Really good. I was surprised at how creamy it was, and the flavors were a little more exciting than the usual ice cream fare. My favorite was cinnamon-flavored ice cream which tasted like the filling of a cinnamon roll.

Are you looking for other fall destinations?

Check out our fall trips to  New Haven, the Berkshires, or Tarrytown. And find out why Southern New England is a great place for fall foliage!