Classic films under the stars on the big screen are back in Bryant Park, and this summer, the series celebrates its 32nd anniversary. Bring a blanket and sit on the lawn to enjoy great food, friends, and entertainment.  Read More

Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to enjoy interactive music-making, storytelling, and more entertainment at these weekly sessions in Teardrop Park. Read More

Seaport Cinema screens family-friendly films on the rooftop, featuring themed food, cocktails (for adults), and surprises throughout the season. Read More

Gaze at the stars, planets, and moon through the high-powered telescopes of the Amateur Astronomers Association, and chat with the experts about the sights you see. Read More

This free eight-week series showcases rising artists across a variety of genres, bringing fresh sounds and unforgettable performances to the Public Square and Gardens. Bring a blanket and a picnic, or take advantage of the glorious concession stands. Read More

Free public kayaking at Brooklyn Bridge Park is offered throughout the summer on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Presented in partnership with Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse. Read More

Bryant Park's charming carousel serves as the backdrop for a mix of kid-friendly entertainment. Discover scientific marvels, be awed by trickery in magic shows, and see puppet shows and storytimes, too.  Read More

Enjoy music, storytelling, and theater performances at Pier 1 all July long during this free Summer on the Hudson Performance series. Programming is geared toward ages 7 and younger. Stroller parking is provided nearby.  Read More

The Hudson Classical Theater Company presents Jane Austin's comedy of manners. Read More

Drop in a line with the Hudson River Park River Project team and go catch-and-release fishing at the water’s edge. All the necessary equipment and instruction is provided. Read More

Picnic Performances are the perfect way to spend a summer evening, with 25 live and in-person music, dance, and theatrical shows. Bring a blanket and a picnic (of course). Read More

The Classical Theatre of Harlem presents the East Coast premiere of Will Power’s exhilarating new epic that resurrects the story of Memnon, the Ethiopian king and demigod who rides to Troy’s defense, through rhythmic verse, pulse-quickening choreography and music. Read More

Park Slope Open Streets is back for another season! This year, it covers three more blocks (5th Avenue from Union to 4th Street) and features loads of family-friendly programming.   Read More

Gather 'round Hans Christian Andersen's statue at the Conservatory Pond in Central Park to hear his tales—and other classic folk stories—told by a fine ensemble of storytellers. Read More

BRIC: Celebrate Brooklyn is a free summer-long outdoor concert and performance series that has been presenting talent from around the world and around the block for more than 40 years. Bring a blanket and a picnic and enjoy! Read More

Explore the Bronx River with free community rowing, sailing, and birding excursions.   Read More

The ShowBox Theater, located in the beautiful Battery Park Playscape, hosts a full season of music, dance, puppetry, and more with special free performances on Sunday afternoons. Read More

The Bond with Brooklyn Movie Series features flicks handpicked to entertain the local Brooklyn community and close out the summer in style. Read More

When Broadway’s dark, the waterfront is alive! Mondays in July and early August, stop by Hudson River Park’s Clinton Cove to see the greats perform. Read More

Bring a blanket and a picnic, and enjoy classical music under the stars on select Tuesday evenings at the Naumberg Band Shell. Read More

Visit the rooftop park at Pier 57 for a free concert series with some favorite Emanu-El Downtown teachers. Kids can move and groove, clap and snap, and do some stomping and romping!  Read More

Catch some of your all-time favorites on Wednesdays at the Center Green. Bring the family, a blanket or chair, and enjoy. Movies start at dusk, but come early to enjoy periodical entertainment.  Read More

Settle in for a movie night on the pier! Bring a blanket and a picnic and watch family-friendly flicks with the Hudson River as a backdrop. Seating opens at 6:30pm. The movies start after sunset, around 8:30pm. Read More

Spread a blanket out on the great lawn, crack open a picnic dinner, and bask in Astoria's summer concert series. Read More

The River & Blues Concert Series is a beloved annual tradition in Battery Park. Enjoy incredible musical talent framed by summer sunsets on the Hudson. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Read More

Live at the Archway is Dumbo's signature series that features dynamic musical performances, pop-up galleries, and interactive art experiences in a magical, only-in-Dumbo setting. Always free, always all-ages, and always rain or shine.  Read More

Catch sneak-peek performances from the best of Broadway and off-Broadway on the Bryant Park Stage, hosted by Lite-FM’s on-air personalities and theater favorites. Read More

Brooklyn Bridge Park brings back Movies with a View for its 25th season. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Sweet treats, savory snacks, and drinks, including beer and wine, are available for purchase. Read More

SummerStarz is a series of four free, family-friendly movies at Transmitter Park. Arrive early to snag a good spot on the grass, and enjoy the gorgeous Brooklyn waterfront until the movie starts at sunset.  Read More

Each summer, the Harlem Meet Performance Festival brings the best local talent to Central Park and delights thousands of attendees with its celebratory atmosphere. Enjoy sweeping views of the Harlem Meer and a variety of performances, featuring multicultural and family-friendly music, dance, and entertainment for all ages. Read More

The Drilling Company's 30th annual production is an adaptation of Shakespeare's most kid-friendly play, recasting Athens as the city's bureaucracy facing encroaching gentrification, the Woods as the Lower East Side's wild nightlife, the Fairies as the area's street spirits, punks and night workers, and the Rude Mechanicals (Bottom and friends) as a troupe of New York City artists who have day labor jobs between artist gigs. Read More

Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn sets up a big screen on the Coney Island Beach. Showtimes are at sunset; bring a blanket and a picnic. Read More

The Hippo Playground Summer Concert Series provides free kid-friendly jam sessions on select Wednesdays in July and August. Bring a blanket and some snacks! Read More

Featuring beloved cinematic selections, these free-to-attend outdoor screenings include pre-screening activities, so arrive early and bring your own blankets and snacks.  Read More

Celebrate Independence Day with live entertainment and more.   Read More

Join the Prospect Park Alliance for family-friendly programming on Independence Day. Explore the park, meet some resident animals at the Audubon Center, and more.  Read More

Coney Island's iconic 4th of July fireworks return for 2025! Bring the family, a blanket, and a picnic to watch the fireworks dazzle over the Atlantic. Read More

Travis hosts one of the oldest consecutive Independence Day celebrations in the United States. The festivities start at noon with a ceremony at Independence Park. Read More

The 49th annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks are set to sparkle over the East River once again. The dazzling display features thousands of shells bursting forth, synced to an original, curated musical score. Read More

Hearty eaters compete to see who can chow down on the most franks at this classic NYC summer event, which takes place on the corner of Surf and Stillwell. Read More

The celebrated Big Umbrella Festival returns as a free one-day Lincoln Center campus takeover full of relaxed spaces with multi-sensory experiences, performances, installations, and workshops specifically welcoming neurodivergent audiences and their families. Read More

In July 1776, servicemen tore down and cut apart the gilded statue of King George III at Bowling Green.  Join scholar-in-residence Dylan Yeats for a fun, family-friendly reenactment of this historic event in front of the Old Stone House. Read More

City Parks Foundation is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the world-renowned children’s story Pippi Longstocking by the legendary Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. The production features nearly two dozen, hand-made marionettes crafted by the expert puppeteers. Read More

Young People's Chorus explores an eclectic repertoire of sound that traverses genres, cultures, and eras.  Read More

This storytime and parent workshop features the new picture book, Let's Rumble! A Rough-and-Tumble Book of Play, with author and children's librarian Rachel G. Payne. Kids can enjoy boisterous play activities and make their own rough-and-tumble play books.  Read More

Style, swagger, and robotics combine at this create-athon, led by DJ extraordinaire Kid Koala. Up your style game by designing your own robot outfit from the coolest fabrics, trinkets, and more. Stick around afterward for the Robot Dance Party. Read More

ArtsConnection hosts a free movie and pizza night for teens. Every month is a new theme and movie menu to vote on.   Read More

Games with simple rules often lead to deep and surprising results. With only a deck of cards, one move, and one rule, a game arises that is quite challenging to master. What happens when an entire room joins in? Patterns emerge, probabilities unfold, and an unexpected twist is revealed! Read More

Turntablist and artistic polymath Kid Koala leads an extraordinary movie-making intensive, putting teens in the director’s chair creating characters, scenes, and dialogue before shooting a film—all in one take! Read More

Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band perform a free concert, open to the public, to honor New York City first responders.   Read More

Go west, young families, for a weekend celebration of all the west side offers. Three days of festivities include free admission, crafts for kids and families, artmaking activities for all ages, performances, special indoor and outdoor programming, and much more. Read More

The Riverside goats are making a pit stop on the way to their summer home. Enjoy live music, refreshments and treats from local vendors, explore new Goatham merchandise, engage in educational activities for all ages, and meet the goats. Don't miss the first professional eating competition: The Great Goat Graze-off! Read More

Knights in full armor battle on the grass in Central Park behind The Met. Bring a blanket and a picnic.  Read More

City of Water Day boasts 60+ free, family-friendly events on or near the water, and is the perfect way to cool off this summer and engage with your local waterfront. Waterfront activities include kayaking, rowing, sailing, boat tours, educational workshops, coastal cleanups, nature walks, film screenings, and more!    Read More

Wonderspark Puppets performs a free interactive show that brings classic tales to life with engaging storytelling, colorful characters, and plenty of audience participation. Read More

Perelman Performing Arts Center NYC brings together families and artists for a day-long takeover of its indoor and outdoor spaces. Enjoy workshops, performances, interactive creation stations, dance battles, live music, and more.   Read More

MoMath presents the annual NYC Math Festival, providing a full day of math fun in the sun for all ages. Enjoy hands-on math exhibits, entertaining mathematical games, and intriguing puzzles and brainteasers.  Read More

Resident Artists from Hudson Classical Theater Company in the disciplines of acting, voice production, and stage combat lead a vigorous workout/training for teens. Read More

The New York City Poetry Festival unites the vast and diverse New York City poetry community on Governors Island. The festival invites poetry organizations and collectives of all shapes and sizes to bring their unique formats, aesthetics, and personalities to the festival grounds. Read More

Celebrate the Year of the Snake by meeting snakes and other reptiles up close and personal with Uncle Tony.  Read More

Celebrate France’s national holiday at this annual street fair on Madison Avenue! Featuring French cuisine, music, dance, and myriad attractions for the whole family, FIAF's fête populaire invites New Yorkers to revel in the flavors, sounds, and joie de vivre of France. Read More

As part of Summer for the City’s Brazil Week, the Library for the Performing Arts presents Brazilian dancer Ingrid Silva, reading her children’s book, A bailarina que pintava suas sapatilhas, or The Ballerina Who Painted Her Ballet Shoes. Read More

Bring your picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and loved ones for an unforgettable summer experience. Read More

Folktales tells the timely and heartwarming story of teenagers who choose to spend an unconventional “gap year” learning to dog sled and survive the Arctic wilderness, in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world. Read More

Bugs that creep, crawl, zip, and fly are crucial to making farms and the world healthy and green! Meet some of the amazing insects that call the Wyckoff Farm home, and create critter crafts with farmhouse staff!   Read More

After a reading of Andrea Beaty’s classic Iggy Peck, Architect, kids learn about the process of design and using creative building materials to make stand-out buildings. Then kids transform floor plans into inventive towers. Read More

Celebrate summer with water-themed everything, including games, crafts, snacks, face paint, and live performances, set against the confluence of the Harlem and East Rivers and the city skyline. Read More

Young people become artists as they’re invited to paint, dream, glue, and build a unique analog and artistic world in a collective happening with other participants. Created by multidisciplinary artist Ieltxu Ortueta, this family-centered performance experience plays with lines, paths, intersections, spaces, and maps as all ages are invited to expand their imaginations. Read More

International Girls Ensemble hosts an afternoon of creativity, storytelling, and celebration at a free outdoor theatre event for families of all ages.  Read More

Kick off a week-long celebration of the Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. In honor of its 60th anniversary, enjoy a special edition of the library’s beloved summertime tradition, welcoming a very special, surprise guest. Read More

The NYPL for the Performing Arts hosts the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance for a class where kids can develop creative abilities with pantomime, improvisation, imaginative play, and storytelling.  Read More

Just Accessible Music hosts a workshop that provides information about the structure of a song, rhythm, and basic instruments through the performance of some classic jazz and pop hits. Read More

Don’t let the soaring summer temperatures discourage you from enjoying the outdoors. Cool off by splashing around in Asphalt Green’s high-powered sprinklers and slip and slides. Read More

Lincoln Center spotlights the rich creative history of one of the most populous cities in China with a campus-wide Shanghai Day! Read More

A hands-on family program introduces young cartographers to the art and language of maps! Kids learn how to read and understand the key elements of maps, including symbols, compass roses, landmarks, and scale, while discovering how these tools help us make sense of the places we live.  Read More

STooPS Bed-Stuy, an annual celebration of creativity in Brooklyn, returns to Bedford-Stuyvesant for an afternoon of dance, music, spoken word, theater, visual art, conversations, and workshops as artists transform the stoops, storefronts, yards, and sidewalks of Hancock Street into dynamic stages for interactive art performances. Read More

Catch a puppet production of Pippi Longstocking, followed by free kids' activities and treats.  Read More

Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Nueva York (BFMNY)’s Annual Guelaguetza Festival is  dedicated to preserving the culture and traditions of Mexico. Representatives of the eight regions of Oaxaca gather together wearing traditional costumes to dance, sing, and give gifts to the crowd. Each region offers a unique contribution to the festivities — including the much-loved Dance of the Pineapple! Read More

See five of NYC’s most iconic dance companies—Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem—as the BAAND Together Dance Festival returns to the Koch Theatre.    Read More

Snuggle up under the stars for an evening of nostalgic classic cinema and feel-good fan favorites for all ages on Wednesdays in Prospect Park. Showtimes are at sunset; bring a blanket and a picnic. Read More

Famed Lincoln Center Theater poster artist James McMullan is also the illustrator of a popular series of children’s books written by his wife, Kate McMullan. The books follow the life of several big vehicles that traverse the city streets: a garbage truck (I Stink!), a backhoe (I’m Dirty!), and a firetruck (I’m Brave!). The McMullans read some of their work and lead the audience in a drawing lesson. Read More