Why September Is the Sweet Spot
The Finger Lakes in September occupy a narrow window where nearly everything the region does well happens simultaneously. The air temperature averages in the mid-70s during the day and drops to the mid-50s at night — warm enough for a beach afternoon, cool enough to sleep with the windows open. The summer crowds thin after Labor Day, but every attraction, trail, tasting room, and restaurant remains open on full summer hours. Lake temperatures hold in the upper 60s to low 70s, making swimming viable through the end of the month. The wine harvest begins, adding an agricultural energy to the tasting rooms that the rest of the year lacks. And by the last week of the month, the first traces of fall color appear on the ridgetops above the lakes.
September is not the cheapest time to visit (that distinction belongs to November through April) or the most dramatic for scenery (October’s foliage takes that title). But it is the most consistently pleasant, with the fewest trade-offs. The weather cooperates, the region is in motion, and you are not competing with 800,000 other visitors for a parking spot at Watkins Glen.
Weather: What to Pack
Daytime highs in September average 72 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit in the first half of the month and 65 to 72 degrees in the second half. Overnight lows range from 50 to 58 degrees, dropping into the upper 40s by month’s end. Rain averages about 3.5 inches spread across 8 to 10 days — typically in brief afternoon showers rather than all-day events.
Pack layers. A morning gorge hike might start in the 55-degree shade of a canyon and finish in 75-degree sunshine at the top. A day that starts in a T-shirt at the beach can end needing a fleece at an outdoor dinner. A light rain jacket earns its place in your bag. Leave the heavy coat at home — you will not need it until November.
The Wine Harvest
September marks the beginning of the grape harvest in the Finger Lakes, and the tasting rooms take on a different energy. Riesling grapes — the region’s signature varietal — are typically picked from late September through mid-October, depending on the vintage and the winemaker’s style preference. Earlier-ripening varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and some hybrid grapes come off the vine in the first weeks of September.
What this means for visitors: the vineyards are active. You can see (and sometimes smell) the harvest happening as you drive between tasting rooms on the Seneca, Cayuga, and Keuka Lake wine trails. Mechanical harvesters work some vineyards; hand-picking crews work others. Some wineries offer harvest-season tours or events that let visitors participate in picking or watch the crush — grapes being processed and pressed. The specifics vary by winery and year, but the general atmosphere shifts from a passive tasting experience to one grounded in the agricultural work that makes the wine possible.
The tasting rooms themselves are less crowded in September than in July or August. Post-Labor Day weekday visits are particularly relaxed — shorter waits at the bar, more time with the pouring staff, and an unhurried pace that makes for better tasting. For a full guide to the region’s wine, our Riesling guide covers the grape that defines the Finger Lakes.
The Naples Grape Festival
The Naples Grape Festival takes place on the last full weekend of September (Saturday and Sunday) in the village of Naples at the southern tip of Canandaigua Lake. The festival draws 50,000 to 75,000 visitors over two days to a village of 1,000 residents, making it the largest annual event in the region.
The draw: grape pies. Naples has a tradition of grape pie — a baked pie filled with Concord grapes, sugar, and a cornstarch thickener, with a lattice or crumb crust — that dates back generations. Multiple bakers in the village produce grape pies from September through November, but during the festival, they are everywhere. The festival also includes 200-plus craft and art vendors, a wine and food tent, live music, a 5K race, and a pie-eating contest. Admission to the festival is free. Parking is $5 to $10 in designated lots on the outskirts of the village, with shuttle buses running to the festival grounds.
Plan to arrive early — by 10 a.m. — to avoid the worst of the traffic on Route 21 into Naples. The village’s two-lane roads were not designed for festival-scale traffic, and afternoon arrivals can sit in a backup for 30 minutes or more. For a full preview, our Naples Grape Festival guide covers logistics, parking, and the best vendors.
Swimming and Lake Conditions
September lake temperatures in the Finger Lakes average 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit in the first half of the month and 62 to 68 degrees in the second half. The shallower lakes — Canandaigua (127-foot max depth), Keuka (186 feet), and the smaller western lakes — stay warmer longer. Seneca Lake (618 feet deep) and Cayuga Lake (435 feet deep) cool more slowly due to their thermal mass, holding upper-60s temperatures through mid-September.
Public beaches at Kershaw Park (Canandaigua), Stewart Park (Ithaca), and Clute Memorial Park (Watkins Glen) remain open through September, though lifeguard service typically ends after Labor Day. Swimming is still comfortable for those willing to tolerate water that has cooled from its August peak. By the third week of September, the water is refreshing rather than warm — fine for a midday dip after a hike, less inviting for an extended afternoon float.
State Parks and Gorge Trails
Every state park gorge trail in the region is fully open and operational in September. Watkins Glen Gorge Trail, Taughannock Falls, Robert H. Treman, and Buttermilk Falls all maintain summer hours. The key advantage: the trail traffic drops substantially after Labor Day. The Watkins Glen Gorge Trail, which sees thousands of visitors on a peak summer Saturday, is noticeably lighter on September weekdays — fewer bottlenecks at Cavern Cascade, less waiting at the narrow sections, and a gorge that feels closer to the natural experience it was designed to deliver.
Waterfall flow in September depends on recent rainfall. After a wet August, the falls run strong into September. In a dry year, the smaller cascades thin out while the major falls (Taughannock, Rainbow Falls at Watkins Glen, Lucifer Falls at Treman) continue to run. A late-September rainstorm revives everything and often produces the best waterfall conditions of the fall season.
Farm Stands and U-Pick
September is peak harvest season for the Finger Lakes agricultural economy. The farm stands along Routes 14, 89, 96, and the back roads between the lakes are at their fullest: late-season tomatoes, sweet corn through mid-month, peppers, squash, melons, peaches in early September, and the first apples by mid-month. Apple season begins in earnest in the second week of September, with early varieties like Gala, Honeycrisp, and McIntosh available at orchards throughout the region.
U-pick orchards open for apple picking in mid-September and run through October. Orchards near Canandaigua, in the hills south of Naples, and along the Route 96 corridor between Geneva and Ithaca offer pick-your-own apples at $1.50 to $2.50 per pound. Some orchards add cider donuts, fresh-pressed cider, and corn mazes as the month progresses. The Ithaca Farmers Market runs every Saturday through December, and the September market — with its full summer vendor lineup and cooler temperatures — is one of the most enjoyable of the year.
Early Foliage
Fall foliage in the Finger Lakes typically begins at the highest elevations in the last week of September. The ridgetops above Keuka Lake and the Bristol Hills south of Canandaigua show the first patches of orange and red in the sugar maple canopy. At this point, the valleys and lakeshores remain green — the full-color transformation is still two to three weeks away. But the contrast between the green valleys and the turning hilltops adds a visual dimension that July and August lack.
If fall foliage is the primary goal, October is the month to target — our Finger Lakes in October guide and fall foliage timing guide cover the peak weeks in detail. But September visitors get a preview without the October crowds.
Lodging and Crowds
September lodging rates sit between the summer peak and the off-season low. After Labor Day, nightly rates at hotels, inns, and vacation rentals drop 10 to 25 percent from July and August levels, though weekend rates in late September start climbing again as foliage season approaches. Weekday availability is strong — midweek stays in September are among the best values of the year, combining lower rates with full summer access.
The exception is the Naples Grape Festival weekend (last weekend of September), when lodging within 20 miles of Naples books out well ahead. If you are visiting that weekend, book early or stay in Geneva, Watkins Glen, or Ithaca and make the 30- to 50-minute drive.
For a broader look at when to visit, our best time to visit guide compares every month side by side. And for a full seasonal calendar, our best time to visit the Finger Lakes resource covers weather, events, and what is open throughout the year.
