THREE GREAT NYC FESTIVALS ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 24TH 2009

• Third Annual Harvest Festival
  Learn about Native American culture at this autumnal celebration. Among the must-dos: Listen to storyteller Leaf Arrow, or watch a demonstration on how to remove maize from the cob using deer teeth. Since Halloween is around the corner, docents in costume will be telling ghost stories based on New York’s history. 895 Shore Rd at Pelham Bay Park, Bronx (718-885-1461). 10am–1pm, $4–$10. Reservations required.

• Weeksville Fall Festival
  Today is the final day of the Weeksville Heritage Center’s farmers market, which carries local honey, produce and other foodstuffs. To showcase the fruits (and vegetables) of fall, an Iron Chef–like competition will take place: Participants will cook dishes using a secret ingredient, which will then be judged by a panel of staffers and food educators. Allez cuisine! FREE 1698 Bergen St between Buffalo and Rochester Aves, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (718-756-5250). 9am–2pm.

• Central Park Pumpkin Festival – THINGS TO SEE NYC RECOMMENDS – DON’T MISS
  At this annual event, NYC Parks Department staffers will man carving and decorating stations and—provided you arrive early enough—everyone goes home with their own pumpkin. Stroll through a one-story haunted house, or check out the scarecrow design competition, in which nearly 200 handmade straw men will be displayed at Bethesda Fountain. FREE enter at 72nd St and Central Park West (212-639-9675). Noon–5pm.—Cristina Velocci

Great Information From Time Out New York