It's a big one in New Rochelle — ArtsFest is in full swing, a new café is cutting its ribbon downtown, and there are glowing lanterns and a haunted mansion if you're in the mood for October after dark. Plenty of it is free, too. Here's what we'd actually leave the house for.
Baby & Me Together Time — Friday, Oct 16, 10:15 AM at the New Rochelle Public Library. Free. A storytime built for crawlers and pre-walkers (newborn–18 months), so no one has to sit still.
Yoga Tots at HCL — Session One and Session Two — Friday, 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM at Huguenot Children's Library. Free. Budding Buddhas instructors lead ages 2–4 through stretching and silliness; pick whichever time fits nap schedules.
Toddler Time — Friday, 11:00 AM at the New Rochelle Public Library. Free. Stories, songs and movement for 18 months–3 years, with literacy and motor skills sneaking in sideways.
"In the Making": Zahra Jlayer Solo Exhibition — Friday, from 11:00 AM at Vanda Gallery. Free. A painting retrospective that doubles as the gallery's third-anniversary show and an ArtsFest 2026 stop — easy, quiet, beautiful.
Affogato House Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting — Friday, 2:00 PM at Affogato House. Free. Coffee, gelato, pastries and actual affogatos — a new neighborhood café is always worth showing up for on day one.
Fran Sisco and Friends — Friday, 2:00 PM at Posto 22. $30. Readings and songs from Fran's new book *Noted Words*, plus a tribute to the late Vinny Pastore, with pizza and salad in the rear dining room. Limit 30 — grab a seat.
Grades 6–12 can drop in all afternoon Friday at the New Rochelle Public Library, all free, no registration:
Giant Jenga Weekend — 3:00 PM. Towers, nerves, bragging rights.
Game & Watch — 3:00 PM in the Teen Room. Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X; bring a friend.
VR Game Night — 3:00 PM. Oculus Quest 3 time, no sign-up needed.
Mindful Eating for Teens: Chex Mix Snack Hands — 4:00 PM. A low-key mindfulness session that ends in a snack you made yourself.
ArtsFest Night at Alvin & Friends — 5:00 PM at Alvin & Friends. Free. Alvin Clayton's original oils on the walls, live music, happy-hour prices — one of the warmest rooms in New Rochelle.
A Mural of Houses — 5:00 PM at Town House Kitchen + Drinks. Free, all ages. Paint your own house on canvas; together they become one community mural. Reserve a time by emailing thomas@townhousekd.com.
Autumn Glow Festival — 6:30 PM at Glen Island Park. Ticketed. Hundreds of hand-crafted illuminated lanterns along a night walk by the water — the most photogenic hour of the weekend.
Friday Night Concert: Wayne Tucker — 7:00 PM at the New Rochelle Public Library. Free. The acclaimed trumpeter marks 100 years of Miles Davis with a set that runs bebop to funk. Free live jazz, downtown — yes.
The Haunt at Wildcliff Mansion — 7:00 PM, from $25. A story-driven walk-through haunt inside the ruins of historic Wildcliff, overlooking Echo Bay. Atmosphere included at no extra charge.
Da Mic is Open @ JOLOs — 7:30 PM at Jolos Kitchen. Free, all ages. Any art form, five minutes, first round — come perform or just cheer.
The Moth StorySLAM: American Dreams — 7:30 PM at Trinity Episcopal Church Parish Hall. $15. Five minutes, true, no notes, ten names drawn from a hat — the best storytelling night New Rochelle gets all year.
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