Sukkos & Chol Hamoed Trips · Shop Local Staten Island

The basics

About Sukkos

🍺

Yom Tov overview

The Home We Choose to Leave

Sukkos begins Friday night, September 25 this year, and runs through Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah on October 3–4. For seven days, we leave our permanent homes and eat (and for many, sleep) in a sukkah — a temporary hut with a roof of s'chach you can see the sky through — commemorating the Clouds of Glory that surrounded Bnei Yisrael in the desert. Sukkos is called Zman Simchaseinu, "the time of our joy," arriving right after the forgiveness of Yom Kippur as the joyful culmination of the entire Tishrei season.

The mitzvos of the day

Sukkah, Daled Minim & Simcha

Each day of Sukkos (except Shabbos) we take the daled minim — lulav, esrog, hadassim, and aravos — and shake them in six directions. We eat our meals in the sukkah throughout the Yom Tov, weather permitting, and make a point of inviting guests, echoing the tradition of the Ushpizin, the seven "holy guests" symbolically welcomed into the sukkah one each night. Chol Hamoed — the intermediate, semi-festive days between the first days of Yom Tov and Shemini Atzeres — runs Monday, September 28 through Thursday, October 1 this year, and is the traditional time for family outings and trips.

This is a general overview for planning purposes — for specific halachic questions, please ask your own Rav.

Setting a beautiful Yom Tov table

Sukkos Table & Sukkah Inspiration

A warm, natural palette — deep greens, rich florals, and rustic wood tones — dresses up a sukkah beautifully without fighting the outdoor setting. Here are real pieces, with real photos, that you can order to finish the look.

🍺🌿🌸

Tablescape mood board

Garden Greenery & Warm String Lights

This year's look: a floral table runner down the center of a simple cloth, low pink or clear vases with real or faux greenery, hanging flower hoop wreaths overhead, and warm string or curtain lights strung along the s'chach for the evening meals. Keep the lighting low and warm and the sukkah glows on its own once the sun goes down.

Flower Table Runner

This runner brings garden-party vibes to a simple Yom Tov cloth — lay it straight down the center and build the rest of the table around it.

Shop on Amazon →

Pink Vases

Light and classy, these vases work beautifully down the center of the table filled with real or faux flowers — an easy way to dress up an ordinary sukkah table.

Shop on Amazon →

Waterproof Lanterns

A classic that's never a cliche — these lanterns are safe for an outdoor setting and cast a warm, flattering light over the whole table at night.

Shop on Amazon →

Hanging Flower Hoop Wreaths

Bright and cheerful hanging from the s'chach or a beam overhead — a unique spin on traditional florals that photographs beautifully.

Shop on Amazon →

Curtain Lights

Strung along a sukkah wall or over the doorway, these lend a magical feel to even the simplest space once the sun goes down.

Shop on Amazon →

Rustic Table Runner

For a table leaning more farmhouse than floral, this rustic runner is a warmer, more natural alternative that still dresses up a plain cloth.

Shop on Amazon →

Where to go, what to do

Chol Hamoed Trip Ideas

Sukkos Chol Hamoed runs Monday, September 28 through Thursday, October 1 this year. Always confirm hours, kosher food availability, and whether tickets should be booked in advance before you go.

🏠

Zoos & Aquariums

Bronx Zoo, NY Aquarium & more

The Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium in Brooklyn, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and the Staten Island Zoo are all classic Chol Hamoed staples. Out of town, the Maritime Aquarium (Norwalk, CT), Beardsley Zoo (Bridgeport, CT), and Mystic Aquarium make for a good day trip.

🏛

Museums

American Museum of Natural History & the Intrepid

The American Museum of Natural History, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the NY Hall of Science in Queens, and the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn are all reliable, educational Chol Hamoed picks that keep kids engaged for hours.

🏆

Special Sukkos deal

Liberty Science Center — $8 off with code SUKKOT

Liberty Science Center in Jersey City has a sukkah on site and is offering $8 off admission (up to 10 tickets) with the code SUKKOT this year — 11 exhibition galleries and 100+ live animals. Check libertysciencecenter.org for tickets.

🌽

Big day trip

Hersheypark's Private Chol Hamoed Sukkot Event

Hersheypark is running an exclusive private Chol Hamoed event this year with sukkahs on site, glatt kosher catering available, and rides open to ticket holders. Advance tickets required — visit hersheyparksukkot.com for pricing and hours.

🏆

Indoor play

Billy Beez & indoor play centers

For a rainy or extra-hot Chol Hamoed day, Billy Beez indoor play centers (Palisades Center, the Mall at Bay Plaza, Galleria at Crystal Run) are open with unlimited-play family packs — a good backup plan that doesn't depend on the weather.

🚛

Sightseeing

Statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock & the Staten Island Ferry

For an easier, lower-cost day: the free Staten Island Ferry gives incredible skyline and Statue of Liberty views, or take the Circle Line sightseeing cruise, Top of the Rock, or the Empire State Building observation deck in Manhattan.

🐘

Zoo, NJ

Turtle Back Zoo

Essex County's Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ is a Chol Hamoed favorite — a scenic train ride, a Treetop Adventure ropes course, and a good mix of animal exhibits for a range of ages.

🍌

Classic fall outing

Apple & pumpkin picking

A local orchard or farm — think Alstede Farms or Melick's Town Farm in NJ, or Harvest Moon Farms in Rockland — makes for an easy, low-key Chol Hamoed morning with hayrides and a petting zoo for the little ones.

🏃

Indoor backup

Trampoline & bounce parks

Sky Zone and Launch Trampoline Park locations across NY/NJ are a reliable rainy-day or too-hot-to-be-outside backup — call ahead to check open-jump hours over Chol Hamoed.

🌟 Staying Local: Staten Island Ideas

🐢

Right in the neighborhood

Staten Island Zoo

A perfectly sized zoo for little ones to explore without the crowds or the long walk of a bigger city zoo — a great half-day option that doesn't require leaving the Island.

🏗

Right in the neighborhood

Staten Island Children's Museum, Snug Harbor

Ten hands-on exhibits for younger kids, with a new "Explore Staten Island" exhibit debuting this fall. Snug Harbor's outdoor grounds and botanical gardens are free and open daily, dawn to dusk — a lovely spot for a walk between activities.

🏙

Right in the neighborhood

Historic Richmond Town

NYC's only living history museum, open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am–4pm this fall — costumed interpreters, historic buildings, and open grounds to wander with the family.

🏙

Right in the neighborhood

Fort Wadsworth & Gateway National Recreation Area

Free to visit, with sweeping views of the Verrazzano Bridge and the harbor, walking trails through the historic fort grounds, and plenty of open space for kids to run around.

🌳

Right in the neighborhood

Greenbelt Nature Center & Blue Heron Park

Easy, well-marked nature trails and a playground right in the middle of the Island — a free, low-key way to get outside between bigger Chol Hamoed outings.

For families who want to go away

Sukkos & Chol Hamoed Getaways

A full industry of kosher Sukkos hotel programs has grown over the years — on-site glatt kosher catering, a communal (and sometimes private) sukkah, daily minyanim, and organized Chol Hamoed activities, all in one place. Here's where to start looking.

✈️

Where to look

Kosher Travel Directories

For the widest selection of vetted Sukkos programs — from beach resorts to ski lodges to Eretz Yisrael — the directory sites are the easiest starting point: TotallyJewishTravel.com, goKosher.com (100+ Sukkos hotels and programs worldwide for this year), and MyJewishListings.com all list current Sukkos program options with hashgacha details, pricing, and booking links.

🏖

Beach getaway

Halkidiki, Greece

A newly renovated 5-star beach resort program on the shores of Halkidiki — full Sukkos hashgacha, a beachfront sukkah, and a Greek island setting for families who want sun and sea over Chol Hamoed.

🏖

Beach getaway

Taghazout Bay, Morocco

A beachfront resort program with Glatt Kosher Mehadrin dining, an elegant sukkah, daily minyanim, shiurim, and family activities — a warm-weather option outside the usual Sukkos circuit.

🏖

Beach getaway

Riviera Maya, Mexico

A high-end resort program running through the full Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed, with kosher dining under reliable hashgacha — a popular choice for families looking for a resort-style Sukkos.

🏖

Closer to home

Poconos & Catskills programs

For a shorter trip, hotel and bungalow-colony Sukkos programs in the Poconos and Catskills are a classic, lower-cost option — check the travel directories above for this year's listings and availability.

🏕

The classic choice

Sukkos in Eretz Yisrael

Jerusalem hotels fill up early for Sukkos — if a trip to Eretz Yisrael is on the table this year, start checking hotel availability now, since the best sukkah setups and minyanim book up months in advance.

💵

Before you book

What to check

Confirm the hashgacha on the kitchen (not just the hotel), whether the sukkah is private or shared, what's included versus a la carte, and cancellation policy — programs vary widely on all of these.

Unplugged & in the sukkah

Kids' Activities Without Electronics

Sukkos is a week largely spent outside and around the table — a natural reset from screens. Here are simple, low-prep ideas that keep kids busy in and around the sukkah.

🍺

Ages 3+

Decorate the s'chach and walls

Paper chains, hand-traced leaf garlands, painted gourds, and hung artwork — let the kids make the decorations that go up in the sukkah this year, not just watch you hang them.

🔍

Ages 4+

Ushpizin scavenger hunt

Hide small pictures or name cards of each night's Ushpizin guest around the yard or sukkah for the kids to find before the meal — a simple way to make the tradition tangible for younger kids.

🃏

All ages

Card & board games at the table

Keep a bag of playing cards, dominoes, or a travel-size board game near the sukkah table for the long stretches between courses — low mess, easy to pause when the food comes out.

📌

Ages 5+

Lulav & esrog matching game

Draw or print pictures of the daled minim and have kids match names to pictures, or practice the brachos and the order of the shaking — a quiet way to reinforce the mitzvah between meals.

📖

All ages

Storytelling in the sukkah

Take turns telling or reading a Sukkos story after the meal (see the stories section below) — a natural, screen-free way to fill the evening once the table is cleared.

⚽

All ages

Backyard games between meals

Sidewalk chalk, jump rope, a simple ball game, or a nature walk to collect leaves for the sukkah decorations — easy ways to burn off energy on Chol Hamoed afternoons without a screen in sight.

For around the table

Stories About Sukkos

A few short stories and traditions worth sharing at the table this Yom Tov.

👋

A nightly tradition

The Seven Ushpizin

Each night of Sukkos, tradition holds that one of seven "supernal guests" — Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and Dovid — visits every sukkah, one per night, in that order. Many families formally invite that night's Ushpizin before the meal and share a short story or lesson connected to him, turning the meal into a way of drawing that guest's characteristic strength — kindness, discipline, truth, humility, and so on — into the home for the year ahead.

A story for the table

Reb Zusha and the Ushpizin

It's told that Reb Zusha of Anipoli once heard of a harsh decree against the Jewish people and wanted to plead their case before the Heavenly court. Knowing his own merits were slim, he decided to "invite" all seven Ushpizin into his sukkah at once, reasoning that if such holy guests were willing to sit at his table, it must mean his sukkah — and by extension, the people he was pleading for — still had worth. The story is often shared as a reminder that the Ushpizin come to every sukkah equally, rich or poor, well-known or not, and that hosting them (and real guests) with joy is itself the merit that counts.

A thought to share

Why We Leave a Sturdy Home for a Fragile Hut

The sukkah's temporary, exposed roof is the whole point: for one week a year, we step out of the solid, climate-controlled homes we normally rely on and sit under a roof you can see the stars through, remembering that our real protection in the desert — and now — was never the walls, but Hashem's Clouds of Glory. It's a yearly reset on where security actually comes from, which is part of why Sukkos is called Zman Simchaseinu: there's a particular joy in feeling protected by something you can't see rather than something you built yourself.