Events & Things To Do

A guide to the 2023 New York City Marathon

The 2021 NYC Marathon. Photo by Marc A. Hermann/ MTA on Flickr.

November 3, 2023

A guide to the 2023 New York City Marathon

The largest marathon in the world returns to New York City this Sunday. On November 5, 50,000 runners will participate in the annual TCS New York City Marathon, a race that travels 26.2 miles and runs through every borough, starting on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park. Ahead, learn everything you need to know about this year's event, from the route and start times to the best viewing spots for spectators and scheduled road closures.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Events & Things To Do

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

All renderings courtesy of the Soloviev Foundation

November 2, 2023

6-acre light installation at proposed Midtown East casino site to open in December

By Aaron Ginsburg

A sprawling light installation coming to the site of a proposed casino in Midtown East is opening next month. Designed by Bruce Munro, Field of Light at Freedom Plaza includes 17,000 low-light, fiber-optic stemmed spheres that change hues and create a dreamlike landscape across six acres near the United Nations headquarters. Free tickets are now available to book to visit the installation, which officially debuts December 15. The display is financed by the Soloviev Group, which owns the vacant land and is looking to build a mixed-use development called Freedom Plaza, anchored by a casino.
learn more about the installation

Coney Island’s Luna Park will stay open this winter for the first time ever

Photo courtesy of Luna Park

November 1, 2023

Coney Island’s Luna Park will stay open this winter for the first time ever

By Aaron Ginsburg

Luna Park in Coney Island will stay open this winter for the first time in its 120-year history for an exciting holiday celebration. Starting on November 18, Luna Park will be home to Frost Fest, a winter festival that will let visitors ride some of the amusement park's iconic rides and attractions, glide across a brand-new ice skating rink, enjoy holiday shopping, eat festive food, and much more. Frost Fest runs through January 7.
learn more about frost fest

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A first look at this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Image courtesy of Tishman Speyer

November 1, 2023

A first look at this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

By Aaron Ginsburg

The 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has officially been selected. The 80-foot-tall Norway Spruce comes from Vestal, a suburb of Binghamton, and will be cut down next Thursday and arrive at Rockefeller Center on Saturday, November 11. After the world-famous tree is decorated with thousands of sparkling lights and crowned with its Swarovski star, the annual tree lighting ceremony will take place on Wednesday, November 29.
read more about this year's tree

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Beautiful ‘ofrenda’ on display at Rockefeller Center for Day of the Dead celebration

All photos courtesy of Tequila Casa Dragones

October 31, 2023

Beautiful ‘ofrenda’ on display at Rockefeller Center for Day of the Dead celebration

By Aaron Ginsburg

Mexico Week has returned to Rockefeller Center for the third year in a row, giving New Yorkers an opportunity to honor Mexican heritage and Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, over the course of a week-long celebration. As part of the annual celebration, guests can experience Mexican art, food, music, and culture across the Rockefeller Center campus through a series of free events. Mexico Week runs through November 2.
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At 50, the Village Halloween Parade has become New York City’s ‘healing ritual’

All photos courtesy of New York’s Village Halloween Parade

October 30, 2023

At 50, the Village Halloween Parade has become New York City’s ‘healing ritual’

By Lidia Ryan

Fifty years ago, Ralph Lee took a walk around Greenwich Village with his puppets on Halloween night. It resonated with people. A couple of years later, as part of the City in the Streets program, Theater for the New City stepped in and produced the event on a larger scale, hitting more Village streets and attracting more participants. After Lee stopped his involvement with the parade, Jeanne Fleming stepped in. Today, over four decades under Fleming’s careful eye as artistic and producing director, the Village Halloween Parade is a part of New York City’s cultural identity — an event that through hardship and triumph over the past 50 years, has remained a ritual.
more on on the iconic event here

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

Image courtesy of the Coney Island History Project

October 26, 2023

Coney Island celebrates 200th birthday by displaying its oldest artifact

By Aaron Ginsburg

Celebrate Coney Island's 200th anniversary by honoring the neighborhood's oldest surviving artifact this weekend. The Coney Island History Project, located at 3059 West 12th Street next to the entrance to Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, is displaying the 200-year-old Coney Island Toll House sign from 1823. The artifact will be on view on Saturday, October 28, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
MORE ON CONEY ISLAND's 200-YEAR HISTORY HERE

NYC breaks ground on Inwood performing arts center dedicated to immigrant experience

Renderings courtesy of the People’s Theatre Project

October 26, 2023

NYC breaks ground on Inwood performing arts center dedicated to immigrant experience

By Aaron Ginsburg

Officials on Wednesday celebrated the groundbreaking of The People's Theatre: Centro Cultural Inmigrante, a 19,000-square-foot performing arts and research center in Inwood dedicated to immigrants and the immigrant experience. Designed by woman-and-immigrant-owned architecture firm WORKac and theater and acoustics consultant Charcoalblue, the center will feature a flexible midsize theater, a smaller performance space, rehearsal studios, a soundproof practice room, gallery space, and educational programming. Centro Cultural Immigrante, located within a huge mixed-use development at 405-407 West 206th Street, is scheduled to open its doors in 2026.
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Events & Things To Do

October 25, 2023

The best spots to see fall foliage in NYC

By Devin Gannon

The beautiful yet fleeting season of fall has officially begun in New York City. While a trip to the Catskill or Adirondack mountains makes for a fun weekend, New Yorkers don't have to travel outside city limits to enjoy the colorful fall foliage. Typically, peak foliage in the city takes place at the end of October through early November and lasts only a few days. Ahead, find some of the best parks and gardens across the five boroughs to take in the beauty of the season.
See the list

Events & Things To Do

October 23, 2023

The best ways to celebrate Halloween 2023 in NYC

By Aaron Ginsburg

New Yorkers, it's spooky season. New York City is known to go all out for Halloween, with over-the-top parades, epic trick-or-treating, and spirited parties in every neighborhood. Ahead, find some of this year's best-haunted happenings for all ages, from kid-approved activities and dog costume contests to devilish dance parties and brews and booze.
HAUNTED HAPPENINGS, HERE

Events & Things To Do

Mayor Adams to host haunted Halloween party at Gracie Mansion

Halloween at Gracie Mansion 2021. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr

October 20, 2023

Mayor Adams to host haunted Halloween party at Gracie Mansion

By Devin Gannon

The grounds of Gracie Mansion are getting a haunted makeover this Halloween. Mayor Eric Adams will open the People's House to young New Yorkers for trick-or-treating, a corn maze, and a spooky graveyard. Adams, who previously said he thinks ghosts reside at the Yorkville mansion, has set aside tickets to the two-day event for about 300 families in the city's shelter system and those seeking asylum.
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Events & Things To Do

Restoration of Richard Haas’ trompe-l’oeil mural in Soho begins

112 Prince Street mural in 1974 (left) and during the current restoration project (right). Photos: CITYarts

October 19, 2023

Restoration of Richard Haas’ trompe-l’oeil mural in Soho begins

By Devin Gannon

After years of deterioration, Richard Haas' iconic mural on the outside of a building in Soho will be restored. Painted in 1975, the five-story-high mural depicts a faux cast-iron facade painted to look like a continuation of the late 19th-century building at 112 Prince Street. Natural elements, time, and graffiti have made the mural unrecognizable, with the artwork almost completely faded. Work to bring the mural back to life began this week, with the project expected to be completed in November.
details here

Sewer alligator sculpture in Union Square channels century-old New York City myth

All photos courtesy of Jane Kratochvil

October 18, 2023

Sewer alligator sculpture in Union Square channels century-old New York City myth

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new sculpture in Union Square Park plays on the century-old myth that alligators live in New York City's sewer system. Created by Swedish artist Alexander Klingspor in collaboration with Mollbrinks Gallery, "NYC Legend" is a bronze sculpture depicting a life-sized alligator sitting atop a manhole cover. The artwork is inspired by an urban legend that originated 100 years ago claiming New Yorkers set pet baby alligators loose in the sewers after they grew too large to handle. The installation is on display through June 2024.
learn more

Bronx Night Market at Fordham Plaza to close after seven-year run

Photos courtesy of Bronx Night Market

October 16, 2023

Bronx Night Market at Fordham Plaza to close after seven-year run

By Michelle Cohen

October 28 will be the last day you'll be able to sample the food, crafts, and other local wares at the Bronx Night Market at Fordham Plaza. The borough's beloved foodie fest is closing down for good after a farewell fling. After seven years, the team behind the ground-breaking seasonal event has made the tough decision to close after safety concerns rose and sponsorships fell short.
find out more

Three major public art installations explore sustainability, social justice as part of NYC’s annual Design Pavilion

All images courtesy of Jennifer Trahan unless otherwise noted

October 12, 2023

Three major public art installations explore sustainability, social justice as part of NYC’s annual Design Pavilion

By Aaron Ginsburg

Three new massive public art installations have been unveiled in Manhattan as part of NYCxDESIGN's annual public design exhibition Design Pavilion and the monthlong Archtober festival. The three thought-provoking artworks center around themes of social justice and sustainability. The installations, on view at One World Trade Center and Gansevoort Plaza, are open and free to the public through October 18.
details this way

Events & Things To Do

Museum of the City of New York celebrates its 100th birthday with weekend-long party

Photo by Shinya Suzuki on Flickr.

October 10, 2023

Museum of the City of New York celebrates its 100th birthday with weekend-long party

By Devin Gannon

The Museum of the City of New York turns 100 this year and to celebrate this milestone, the institution is hosting a weekend-long birthday bash. The party kicks off October 13 through October 15 and includes Roaring Twenties-themed concerts, a scavenger hunt for movie lovers, and a family day with lots of fun arts and crafts, dancing, and other events. The celebration coincides with the opening of the museum's new exhibit, "People, Place, and Influence: The Collection at 100," which explores its mission to capture New York and highlights its unique collection of over 750,000 items.
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Metro-North ‘Leaf Peeper’ train service returns for fall foliage lovers

Views along the Hudson Line on Metro-North Railroad in Beacon. Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA on Flickr

October 9, 2023

Metro-North ‘Leaf Peeper’ train service returns for fall foliage lovers

By Aaron Ginsburg

Take a train ride up through the Hudson Valley and witness the breathtaking beauty of New York State's fall foliage. The Metro-North Railroad last weekend kicked off its annual "Leaf Peeper" train service, boosting service on the Hudson River line, which provides scenic views of upstate's changing foliage and stops in charming autumnal towns like Peekskill, Cold Spring, and Beacon. Five extra trains on Saturdays and four trains on Sundays have been added from October 7 through November 5.
learn more about the leaf peeper rides

Step into the art of Marc Chagall at Tribeca’s Hall des Lumières

All photos courtesy of the Hall des Lumières

October 6, 2023

Step into the art of Marc Chagall at Tribeca’s Hall des Lumières

By Aaron Ginsburg

A new exhibition at the immersive art museum Hall des Lumières in Tribeca allows guests to step into the vibrant artwork of famous Russian painter Marc Chagall. Produced by Culturespaces, "Chagall, Paris - New York" showcases Chagall's art-- paintings, theater, costumes, sculpture, ceramics, stained glass, mosaics, and collage--projected onto the ornate walls of the former Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank. "Chagall, Paris - New York" is on view at the Hall des Lumières through 2024.
how to get ticktes

Events & Things To Do

Photo by Mike Peel on Wikimedia

October 5, 2023

Intrepid Museum gets a branding makeover with updated name and logo

By Aaron Ginsburg

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has received a branding makeover for the modern era. The museum, which opened its doors in 1982 aboard the decommissioned U.S.S. Intrepid aircraft carrier at Manhattan's Pier 86, has been officially renamed the Intrepid Museum. The new name is part of a rebranding with the goal of maintaining the museum's relevance for future generations of visitors. In addition to its new shortened name, the museum has also received a new logo and updated website.
Details this way

Events & Things To Do

Explore public art across the NYC subway system with this new digital guide

Photo courtesy of the MTA on Flickr

October 5, 2023

Explore public art across the NYC subway system with this new digital guide

By Aaron Ginsburg

Some of New York City's best art can be found underground. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Arts & Design this week launched a new digital guide featuring more than 400 permanent artworks located across the subway system and commuter rails. Found on the Bloomberg Connects app, the guide allows travelers to explore the extensive collection, including permanent art, like Roy Lichtenstein's mural at Times Square, William Wegman‘s famous Weimaraners mosaic at 23rd Street, Yoko Ono-designed artwork at 72nd Street, and Yayoi Kusama's work in Grand Central Madison.
explore art, underground

Little Island. Photo: Michael Grimm

October 5, 2023

Open House New York Weekend is here: Get behind-the-scenes tours of 350 NYC sites

By Devin Gannon

It's Christmas in October for fans of architecture and design. In addition to the monthlong Archtober festival, Open House New York Weekend takes place this month. The annual five-borough event offers free behind-the-scenes tours of New York City spaces, unlocking sites that are often off-limits to the public. Hosted over three days from October 20 through October 22, this year's OHNY Weekend line-up is the largest ever, with nearly 350 insider tours of cultural spaces like the new Perelman Performing Arts Center, iconic institutions like the United Nations headquarters, historic homes of Greenwich Village, and so much more.
see the line-up

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An ice skating rink is opening under the Brooklyn Bridge

Rendering courtesy of Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy

October 4, 2023

An ice skating rink is opening under the Brooklyn Bridge

By Aaron Ginsburg

New York City's newest ice skating rink will open under the Brooklyn Bridge. Located at the Emily Warren Roebling Plaza in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Glide at Brooklyn Bridge will offer skating for guests of all ages, as well as rinkside food and beverages, with breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop. The ice rink, the first to ever open in the scenic waterfront park, debuts for the season on November 15 and will remain open through March 1, 2024.
learn more about the rink

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Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on and bigger than before

Photo by editrixie on Flickr

October 4, 2023

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on and bigger than before

By Aaron Ginsburg

Get back to designing those canine costumes, New Yorkers: this year's Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on. After being canceled last week, the 33rd annual dog parade will proceed with support from Mayor Eric Adams and financial backing from dog wellness company Get Joy. Taking place on October 21, this year's event is set to be the largest ever and will feature a formal parade procession instead of just a gathering inside the East Village park, according to the New York Times.
paw-some parade news, this way

Events & Things To Do

October 2, 2023

Fall in NYC: The best of autumn in the Big Apple

By Aaron Ginsburg

As the summer's heat and humidity gradually give way to the cool breeze of autumn, New York City undergoes a stunning transformation. New Yorkers put away their shorts and t-shirts until next year, and pull on their cozy sweaters as they venture out underneath a breathtaking canopy of red, yellow, orange, and brown. Ahead, find our guide to the best of fall in NYC and beyond, from corn mazes and hay rides at farms across the tri-state to mug-holding competitions and oompah music at one of the city's many Oktoberfest celebrations.
the best of fall in nyc

Events & Things To Do

How NYC public libraries are fighting censorship

Photo of the plaza at Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library courtesy of Gregg Richards

October 2, 2023

How NYC public libraries are fighting censorship

By Devin Gannon

Book bans continue to increase nationwide, with public libraries now a major target of challenges. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there were 695 attempts to censor library materials with challenges to 1,915 unique titles during the first eight months of 2023, an increase of 20 percent from the same period last year. Challenges to books in public libraries accounted for 49 percent of all challenges, compared to just 16 percent last year. In response, New York City libraries are launching anti-censorship campaigns directed at young people across the five boroughs and beyond, coinciding with Banned Books Week, which runs from October 1 through October 7.
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