NYJTL Fall Festival Draws Over 1,000 Kids
The New York Junior Tennis & Learning event combined tennis with pumpkin carving, carnival games and face painting at its Bronx flagship.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Tennis
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The New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) hosted its annual Fall Festival at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx, bringing together more than 1,000 children from across New York City. Students played tennis, carved pumpkins, played carnival games, got face painted and visited a reptile experience from Mad Science.
Why it matters
The festival showcases the scale of NYJTL's youth programming, which oversees 42 afterschool programs across the city and offers free programming, including night and weekend tennis options. It gives young participants in the city's after-school, tennis and scholar-athlete programs a community event built around their regular activities.
More than 1,000 children attended the festival, which NYJTL links to its network of 42 afterschool programs across New York City. The source does not report attendance by program, borough or prior year.
The players
New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL)
A nonprofit founded by Arthur Ashe that combines tennis instruction with academic support for young people across New York City.
Arthur Ashe
The tennis champion who founded NYJTL and a figure widely remembered for his advocacy in tennis and education.
The details
Children took part in tennis, pumpkin carving at a pumpkin patch, carnival games, face painting and a reptile experience from Mad Science. The event was held at the flagship Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx, with activities also taking place at nearby Crotona Park.
Timeline
The NYJTL Fall Festival was held this week, with the source dated November 12, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The festival extends the tennis-and-learning model that Arthur Ashe built when he founded NYJTL, applying it to a city-wide community gathering. It shows how the organization's afterschool and weekend programming reaches children beyond regular tennis lessons.
For families in New York City, NYJTL offers free tennis programming, including night and weekend options, alongside its afterschool offerings. Children can join through the organization's 42 citywide programs.
The takeaway
Free youth tennis and academic programs are available across New York City, including night and weekend options. Families interested in these offerings can look into NYJTL's afterschool and tennis programs.
Further reading
Explore more youth and community programs in Tennis coverage across New York City.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bronx Times.
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