Do you have your tickets for the NY Cider Festival NYC 2025? Now’s the time to grab them — because this year’s celebration of New York’s thriving cider scene is bigger, bolder, and more delicious than ever.
Set for Saturday, November 15 from 11 am to 3 pm, the Festival will take place at City Winery NYC, a world-class venue on Pier 57 that brings a new level of sophistication to the event. With sweeping views of the Hudson River, a reputation for hosting top-tier culinary and beverage experiences, and a vibe that blends urban energy with artisanal charm, City Winery is the perfect setting to toast the Empire State’s finest fermented apples.
Whether you drink cider regularly, or just curious to support this complex and thriving community, the Festival is designed to showcase what makes this beverage category so special. The NY Cider Festival will provide an immersive, marketplace style atmosphere featuring more than 25 of New York State’s leading cider makers. Expect perennial favorite bottles, rare, top-of-the-shelf selections and the chance to meet the makers behind the bottles.
“Hosting the festival at City Winery marks an exciting new chapter for New York Cider,” says Scott Ramsey, Executive Director of the New York Cider Association. “It’s a world-class venue that celebrates craftsmanship and connection which is the same spirit that drives our cider makers. We’re thrilled to showcase the incredible range of New York ciders in a setting that matches their sophistication and artistry.”
But that’s just the beginning. Here are five more reasons why you won’t want to miss this year’s Festival:
1. Become a New York Cider Insider
Everyone who attends the Festival will emerge knowing more than they expected to about fermented apples. Want early access to the best bottles and one-on-one time with the cider makers? Go VIP.
VIP tickets ($50) get you in at 11 am, a full hour before general admissions, giving you first dibs on rare pours, relaxed tastings, and the chance to ask pressing questions without the crowds.
2. Learn your Golden Russet from Your Esopus Spitzenberg
There are thousands of varieties of apples across the world, and each one has a slightly different flavor profile. At the Festival, you’ll sample single varietal ciders that highlight each apple’s trademark aromas and flavors.
Discover why the Golden Russet is dubbed the “Champagne of Apples” with its balanced, bright, toasty, and complex flavors, or fall in love with the Esopus Spitzenburg, a spicy, dry, and aromatic apple that originated in Ulster County, New York, in the 1700s and makes for a sharp, elegant cider. These are just two of the many distinctive apples waiting to surprise your palate!
3. Learn How To Pair Cider and Cheese
Two Cider & Cheese Pairing Sessions are scheduled for Saturday, each offering a hands-on exploration of why cider and cheese are gustatory soulmates. The first session kicks off at 12:30 pm with Angry Orchard hosting, and the second begins at 2 pm, hosted by Visit Ithaca. Tickets are $35 per session.
Like a great love match, cider’s acidity and tannins balance the fat, salt, and umami of cheese, creating pairings that are both bold and harmonious, and never diminish any of each other’s positive attributes. Dive in at these special sessions.
4. Explore the Full Spectrum of Cider Styles
Like wine and beer, hard cider is a universe of styles. From off-dry and fruit-forward to bone-dry and wild-fermented, at the Festival you’ll get to try them all.
Sip Bone-Dry ciders, made with traditional cider apple varieties that deliver lightning acidity and structure-building tannins. Or go rustic with a Scrumpy, often wild-fermented and sometimes bottled with honey, offering hearty, earthy flavors that pair beautifully with burgers or bangers.
5. Support a Mighty Industry and Your Community
New York produces more hard cider by volume and value than any state in the country. That success is thanks to the hard work of growers, harvesters, and makers — and the support of cider lovers like you.
Supporting local cider makers doesn’t just feel good, it does good. A Cornell Cooperative Extension Study found that for every $1 a local farmer earns at a farmers or pop-up market generates another $0.48 in income for local businesses.
That ripple effect helps preserve farmland, reduce the carbon footprints, encourages entrepreneurism, and keeps local communities vibrant and delicious.
At its core, the NY Cider Festival isn’t just about tasting diverse cider styles and flavors — it’s about celebrating the artistry of fermentation, the heritage of New York’s orchards, and the people who pour their passion into every bottle. Come for the cider, stay for the connection. Get your tickets today!
Event Details:
City Winery NYC — 25 11th Avenue, Pier 57
VIP Admission: 11 am – 3 pm
General Admission: 12 pm – 3 pm
For tickets and more info: visit www.newyorkcider.org
Must be 21+ to attend. Valid ID required.
PHOTOS: Courtesy NY Cider Association
