Events & Things To Do

December 3, 2024

New York Public Library announces the best books of 2024

The New York Public Library has released its annual list of the best books of the year. The list, selected by committees and librarians who read hundreds of books across several genres, chose the best books of 2024 for kids, teens, and adults. This year, the library staff also released books about, or set in, New York City. The lists build on NYPL's century-old tradition of recommending the most-loved titles to New Yorkers of all ages, choosing books that reflect the city's diverse readership.
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MTA rolls out first-ever festive ‘holiday train’ on Metro-North

Credit: MTA / Emily Moser on Flickr

December 2, 2024

MTA rolls out first-ever festive ‘holiday train’ on Metro-North

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is spreading holiday cheer across the tri-state region, offering commuters a festive way to ride the rails. The transit agency on Friday introduced the first-ever Holiday Lights Train on the Metro-North, operating on random rotation on the Hudson Line, Harlem Line, and New Haven Line at all times through the New Year. The festive trains are decked out with colorful exterior lights and play special holiday-themed safety messages at select stations.
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The 23 best NYC holiday markets this year

FAD Holiday Market at Dumbo Empire Stores. Photo courtesy of FAD Market.

November 27, 2024

The 23 best NYC holiday markets this year

By Aaron Ginsburg

The holiday season has officially arrived in New York City, bringing with it the quest for the perfect gift. Whether you're searching for one-of-a-kind jewelry or artwork, or are craving a festive treat, the city's holiday markets will have something special for everyone. Ahead, find some of the best spots to find unique and meaningful gifts for loved ones this holiday season, from long-standing markets at Bryant Park, Union Square, and Columbus Circle to exciting newcomers like Macy's Holiday Square.
your gift hunt starts here

The 2023 parade. Photo courtesy of Macy’s, Inc.

November 26, 2024

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by the numbers: Fun facts and figures

By Devin Gannon

One of New York City's most cherished traditions returns on Thursday. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will hit the streets of Manhattan for the 98th time on Thursday, November 28. As one of the city's biggest events (30 million people watch from home and 3.5 million in person), the parade kicks off the holiday season with giant character balloons, intricately designed floats, marching bands, and musical performances. Ahead of the big event, learn some fun facts and figures about the parade, from the number of volunteers (5,000) and the hours of work by the Macy's team (8,000+) to the number of new balloons (6).
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Macy’s Herald Square reveals 2024 holiday windows

All photos courtesy of Macy’s, Inc. unless noted otherwise

November 26, 2024

Macy’s Herald Square reveals 2024 holiday windows

By Aaron Ginsburg

Macy's Herald Square unveiled its iconic holiday window displays last week, continuing a cherished tradition that has enchanted New Yorkers for generations. Macy's was the first department store to feature Christmas window displays in 1874, and this year's delightful creations will capture onlookers and invite them indoors to explore the store's cheerful celebrations.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Snowscape’ will turn Hudson Yards’ Edge into a winter wonderland with real snow

Credit: Edge

November 26, 2024

‘Snowscape’ will turn Hudson Yards’ Edge into a winter wonderland with real snow

By Aaron Ginsburg

No matter the temperature in New York City, there will be snow. Hudson Yards next month will unveil "Snowscape," a new experience that will make it snow at Edge, the city's highest outdoor sky deck. Starting December 2, snow will fall at the observation deck from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Sundays, guests can pose with an installation of real snow and snowmen.
let it snow

Events & Things To Do

View of Fifth Avenue looking north from 45th Street, Dec. 1919. Photo courtesy of Fifth Avenue Association.

November 22, 2024

Fifth Ave celebrates 200th anniversary with car-free birthday bash

By Devin Gannon

One of the world's most famous streets turns 200 this year. In 1824, the first section of Fifth Avenue opened, marking the start of its transformation from a country road to an iconic thoroughfare known for its upscale retail and residences and cultural clout. In celebration of this milestone, the Fifth Avenue Association and the City of New York announced plans to throw the Avenue a 200th birthday party on December 8, kicking off a year-long series of anniversary programming.
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American Museum of Natural History’s origami holiday tree features 1,000 pouncing paper animals

D. Finnin / ©AMNH

November 18, 2024

American Museum of Natural History’s origami holiday tree features 1,000 pouncing paper animals

By Aaron Ginsburg

The American Museum of Natural History’s beloved Origami Holiday Tree returns this year, featuring over 1,000 hand-folded paper models inspired by the world’s leaping critters. In honor of the leap year's end, this year's theme is "Jumping for Joy," celebrating animals that hop, from rabbits, grasshoppers, and kangaroos to frogs, squirrels, and the newly-discovered leaping leech. The 13-foot tree will be on display in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor starting November 25 through mid-January.
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NYBG’s Holiday Train Show is a tribute to NYC’s architectural heritage

A model train passing by the NYC skyline. Courtesy of the New York Botanical Garden

November 13, 2024

NYBG’s Holiday Train Show is a tribute to NYC’s architectural heritage

By Aaron Ginsburg

A quintessential New York City holiday tradition is back for its 33rd year. The New York Botanical Garden's beloved Holiday Train Show enchants guests with G-scale miniature trains that zip through nearly 200 plant-based models of iconic city landmarks, displayed inside the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and outdoors. For the first time, guests can experience the show in a new light with Holiday Train Nights, where the trains and displays twinkle under the night sky. The show runs from November 16 through January 20, 2025.
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Saks Fifth Avenue cancels holiday light show

Credit: Matt Kieffer on Flickr

November 12, 2024

Saks Fifth Avenue cancels holiday light show

By Aaron Ginsburg

For the first time in nearly two decades, Saks Fifth Avenue's holiday light show—a beloved New York City tradition—will go dark this year. As first reported by the New York Post, the festive experience, which attracts hordes of holiday shoppers and tourists to Midtown, has been canceled this year to save money during what has been a "challenging year" for luxury stores, according to the company.
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Events & Things To Do

Everything you need to know about the 2024 Veterans Day Parade in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

This year's Veterans Day returns to New York City on Monday, November 11. As the country's largest Veterans Day commemoration, the event features 20,000 marchers and over 150 vehicles traveling down Fifth Avenue in tribute to our armed forces. The 105th annual parade starts at 12:30 p.m. at 26th Street and Fifth Avenue and heads north until ending at 47th Street. The United States Marine Corps is this year's featured service.
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Events & Things To Do

20 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

Credit: West Side Campaign Against Hunger

November 7, 2024

20 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

By Aaron Ginsburg

As the holiday season rolls around and we enjoy time with loved ones, it's easy to overlook New Yorkers facing hunger, unemployment, homelessness, or health challenges. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to lend a hand across the five boroughs—whether it's serving at food pantries or helping deliver meals to seniors. Ahead, discover volunteer opportunities in NYC where you can make a meaningful difference this holiday season and beyond.
give back

Tom Turkey appears during the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2023. Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s, Inc.

November 4, 2024

2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Everything you need to know

By Devin Gannon

This month the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returns for its 98th year, ushering in the 2024 holiday season in New York City. The parade, a century-old tradition, takes place on Thursday, November 28 at 8:30 a.m. and promises to be the biggest yet, with 17 character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, 700 clowns, 11 marching bands, and 10 performance groups, all made possible thanks to 5,000 volunteers.
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Kenny Scharf’s painted swings at Luna Luna in Los Angeles. Credit: Joshua White/Luna Luna, LLC

November 1, 2024

Resurrected avant-garde art carnival Luna Luna opens this month at The Shed at Hudson Yards

By Michelle Cohen

Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, the world’s first art amusement park, is coming to The Shed at Hudson Yards this month. Lost to time since its debut in Hamburg, Germany in 1987, the avant-garde art carnival is being recreated to dazzle, delight, and perplex 21st-century visitors in New York City after a spectacular resurrection in Los Angeles earlier this year. You'll be able to experience the original colorful, surreal riot of carnival rides and immersive attractions created by iconic 20th-century art stars like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, David Hockney, Salvador Dalí, Roy Lichtenstein, and more.
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Events & Things To Do

‘Canstruction’ returns: NYC’s large-scale can sculpture contest kicks off in FiDi

All photos courtesy of Heidi Lee

October 30, 2024

‘Canstruction’ returns: NYC’s large-scale can sculpture contest kicks off in FiDi

By Aaron Ginsburg

"Canstruction," the beloved annual competition challenging teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to create intricate sculptures from cans, is returning for another year. As part of the contest, participants create large-scale structures using unopened food cans, all of which are donated to City Harvest, New York City's largest food rescue organization, and distributed to food pantries afterward. Hosted at Brookfield Place, the event is free and open to the public, running from October 31 through November 11.
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Events & Things To Do

MTA releases Olivia Rodrigo MetroCards as second-to-last custom card

Credit: Rahul Bhatt

October 28, 2024

MTA releases Olivia Rodrigo MetroCards as second-to-last custom card

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has released its second-to-last limited-edition MetroCard before fully transitioning to the tap-and-go OMNY system. In collaboration with Sony, the special cards will feature pop star Olivia Rodrigo wearing the new Sony Linkbuds in her signature purple aesthetic. The MTA on Monday loaded machines at seven subway stations across the city with 50,000 limited-edition cards.
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This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree comes from Massachusetts

Photo courtesy of Tishman Speyer

October 28, 2024

This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree comes from Massachusetts

By Aaron Ginsburg

This year's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been unveiled. The 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce hails from West Stockbridge in Massachusetts—the first tree sourced from the state since 1959—and will be cut down on Thursday, November 7, and make its journey to Manhattan. The spruce arrives at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, November 9. Following the tree's decoration with thousands of twinkling lights and its iconic Swarovski star, the annual tree lighting ceremony takes place on Wednesday, December 4.
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Events & Things To Do

World Trade Center to host free viewing parties for Yankees Dodgers World Series

Babe Ruth batting in an exhibition game between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, April 1934. Image via WikiCommons

October 25, 2024

World Trade Center to host free viewing parties for Yankees Dodgers World Series

By Aaron Ginsburg

In partnership with Major League Baseball, the World Trade Center will host free viewing parties of the 2024 World Series as the New York Yankees face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kicking off Friday for game one, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will show the games on a massive screen at the North Oculus Plaza on the World Trade Center campus. Attendees can enjoy food and beverages from the nearby Oculus Beer Garden, as well as offerings from Westfield World Trade Center shops and restaurants.
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Landmarked East Harlem public library reopens after $34M renovation

All photos courtesy of New York Public Library/Jonathan Blanc unless otherwise noted

October 25, 2024

Landmarked East Harlem public library reopens after $34M renovation

By Aaron Ginsburg

After a three-year $34.4 million renovation, a landmarked New York Public Library branch in East Harlem is reopening this month. Designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1904, the building at 224 East 125th Street had fallen into disrepair and had been closed since 2021. The revamped building will celebrate its reopening on October 30 at 10 a.m.
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A guide to voting in the 2024 election in NYC

Photo by John Morton on Flickr

October 24, 2024

A guide to voting in the 2024 election in NYC

By 6sqft

With Election Day less than two weeks away, it's time to make a plan to vote. This year, it's easier than ever to vote in New York, with new laws allowing mail-in ballots for all voters and later registration deadlines. On Tuesday, November 5, New Yorkers can cast their votes for the 47th president of the United States, federal and state representatives, other local offices, and six ballot proposals. Ahead, here's everything you need to know about where, when, and how to vote, so you can participate in the democratic process with confidence.
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Whitney Museum to give free admission to all visitors 25 and under

Credit: Filip Wolak

October 22, 2024

Whitney Museum to give free admission to all visitors 25 and under

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Whitney Museum of American Art is now offering free admission for all visitors 25 and under. The new program builds upon the museum's free admission on Fridays and the second Sunday of every month, which launched in January. To celebrate the program's launch, the museum is hosting a special Free Friday Night this week, featuring a DJ, dance classes, art-making, and more.
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Events & Things To Do

New York Liberty ticker-tape parade announced for Thursday

The city celebrated the United States women’s soccer team winning its fourth World Cup title in 2019 with a ticker-tape parade. Photo by spurekar – Demanding Equity on Wikimedia

October 21, 2024

New York Liberty ticker-tape parade announced for Thursday

By Devin Gannon

New York City will host a ticker-tape parade this Thursday to celebrate the New York Liberty winning their first-ever WNBA championship. The team clinched the 2024 title in a nail-biting game 5 on Sunday night, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 62-67 in overtime. Mayor Eric Adams announced the parade will take place at 10 a.m. on October 24 along the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. If you can't make it to the parade in person, you can stream it via the Mayor's Office here.
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Dinosaur has landed: Meet the giant pigeon sculpture sitting on the High Line

Iván Argote, Dinosaur, 2024. A High Line Plinth commission. On view October 2024 – Spring 2026. Photo by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.

October 17, 2024

Dinosaur has landed: Meet the giant pigeon sculpture sitting on the High Line

By Aaron Ginsburg

A giant pigeon sculpture now gazes down upon bustling 10th Avenue. The High Line this week installed Iván Argote’s "Dinosaur" above the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street as part of its High Line Plinth program. The 16-foot-tall, hyper-realistic sculpture, cast in aluminum, aims to challenge the typical power dynamic between humans and birds by elevating the pigeon above car-filled streets and High Line visitors. The sculpture will be on view for 18 months.
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October 16, 2024

Exhibition recreating Anne Frank’s secret annex opening in NYC

By Devin Gannon

A full-scale recreation of the annex where Anne Frank spent two years hiding during World War II will be displayed in New York City next year. The Anne Frank House and the Center for Jewish History will present "Anne Frank The Exhibition," a replica of the rooms where Frank, her parents, sister, and four other Jews lived in secret to evade Nazi capture. Opening on January 27, the exhibition will include 100 original collection items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, including photo albums and poetry and letters written by Frank.
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