March 2013 events calendar for New York City
Plan your month with our events calendar of the very best activities, including St. Patrick’s Day events and our picks from theater, the arts and music.
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Photograph: Cinzia Reale-Castello
Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
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Photograph: Filip Wolak
Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
2. Coney Island USA Presents Spring Gala 2013: The Burlesque Manifesto
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Photograph: Antony Ritta
Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
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Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
4. "Whales: Giants of the Deep" at the American Museum of Natural History
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Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
5. Coney Island Season Opener, when Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz ceremoniously smashes an egg cream on the Cyclone.
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Photograph: Sean Ellingson
Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
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Photograph: Koitz
Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
8. Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli perform at the Town Hall
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Photograph: Richard Burrowes
Top ten picks from Time Out's events calendar for March 2013
Winter’s chill will soon be a thing of the past, as spring arrives and brings plenty of warmth—and awesome events—with it. Use our events calendar to guide you to the best things to do this month: You’ll find plenty of St. Patrick’s Day events, along with the annual Easter Parade and other springtime activities.
RECOMMENDED: New York City events calendar for 2013
Featured events in March 2013
St. Patrick's Day Parade
- Critics choice
- Free
No St. Paddy’s Day in NYC would be complete without staking out a spot at this parade, which makes its 252nd march up Fifth Avenue. (The event is even older than the United States; it was started by a group of homesick Irish conscripts from the British army in 1762.) More than 2 million onlookers are expected to show up for the annual spectacle, which this year honors American veterans with bands from every branch of the U.S. military and high-ranking officials in attendance. In 2013, the parade will take place on March 16 due to religious observances on March 17.
- Location TBA
- Until Sat Mar 16
The Orchid Show
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
The New York Botanical Garden explodes into a tropical floral extravaganza for the 11th annual Orchid Show. Banish your winter blues as you take in the thousands of blooms on display, and don't forget to make a pit stop by the Shop in the Garden for your very own orchid to take home. This year the design, by staffer Francisca Coelho, thoughtfully incorporates trees felled by Hurricane Sandy.
- New York Botanical Garden Bronx River Pkwy, at Fordham Rd
- Mon Apr 22
Coney Island USA Presents Spring Gala 2013: The Burlesque Manifesto
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
More than any other single entity you can name, this seaside institution is responsible for the burlesque and sideshow renaissance. The not-for-profit organization is still working hard to promote that scene, but it’s also digging its way out of the mess left by Sandy. This year’s fund-raising extravaganza—featuring a theatrical performance based on founder Dick Zigun’s 1982 tract, The Burlesque Manifesto—brings together more than 50 glittering performers to aid in that effort. Visit coneyisland.com for more information.
- Webster Hall 125 E 11th St, between Third and Fourth Aves
- Sat Mar 9
"Whales: Giants of the Deep"
- Critics choice
The museum's iconic big blue whale will get some company with this exhibit, which comes to New York courtesy the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Artifacts on view include a massive 58-foot-long sperm whale skeleton, and items made from whale bones (such as weaponry and jewlery).
- American Museum of Natural History Central Park West, at 79th St
- Fri May 24 - Sun Jan 5
Luna Park Season Opener
- Price band: 4/4
- Critics choice
It's a sure sign that summer's on the way when the Cyclone starts rumbling around its track. The 86-year-old coaster sets off on its first rides of the season at Luna Park's opening day. The theme park also houses four newer rides: two coasters, a spinning disc called the Zenobio, and the Human Slingshot. In what's become a yearly ritual, borough prez Marty Markowitz will christen the Cylone by smashing a bottle of egg cream on her bow; the 100 first patrons ride free.
- Luna Park (at Coney Island) 1000 Surf Ave, at 10th St
- Sun Mar 24
NYC Craft Beer Festival
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
The suds fest is back for its vernal shindig. Ticket holders receive a tasting glass for unlimited two-ounce pours, but with 150 brews on offer and sessions lasting only two-and-a-half hours (three-and-a-half if you pony up for a VIP pass), you’ll need to have a plan of attack. Make a beeline (and get on line) for a citrusy Firestone Walker Double Jack and the farmhouse ale Allagash Interlude, then explore varieties by approximately 75 breweries from across the country. Soak up the alcohol with hearty snacks from Cooper’s Craft and Kitchen—such as a stout-braised, chipotle-smothered pork sandwich ($6)—the Guilty Goose and Tavern 29. Hops-heads itching to make their own concoction can attend cofounder of Bitter & Esters Douglas Amport’s seminar on brewing at home; check nyccraftbeerfest.com for other expert-led workshops, but arrive early, as they’re limited to 50 first-come first-served spots apiece.
- Lexington Avenue Armory 68 Lexington Ave, at 26th St
- Sat Mar 30
RECOMMENDED: Spring in New York guide
Free events in March 2013
Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder, "Topsy-Turvy: A Camera Obscure Installation"
- Critics choice
- Free
For this Madison Square Park public-art project, the collaborative pair of deconstructive filmmakers goes back to the optical beginnings of the medium, installing a walk-in camera obscura on the greensward. Inside this darkened room, viewers will see the surrounding trees and buildings projected upside down; upending the experience of the everyday by making the familiar seem strange.
- Madison Square Park E 23rd St to E 26th St, between Fifth and Madison Aves
- Until Sat Apr 6
Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival
- Critics choice
- Free
Sunday best gets new meaning during this annual procession, wherein participants show off elaborately constructed hats—we’re talking noggin-toppers shaped like the NYC skyline or the Coney Island Cyclone, not just a boring old fedora. The tradition started in the mid-1800s, when high-society ladies would promenade in their Easter finery after church, and has since evolved into a showcase for chapeau artistry. Fifth Ave from 49th to 57th Sts.
- Location TBA
- Sun Mar 31
Theater events in March 2013
Lucky Guy
- Price band: 4/4
- Critics choice
One of the late Nora Ephron's final projects was this drama about the life and career of crusading newspaperman Mike McAlary, who helped break open the Abner Louima police scandal in 1997 and died a year later from colon cancer. Tom Hanks takes on the main role, with George C. Wolfe directing.
- Broadhurst Theatre 235 W 44th St, between Broadway and Eighth Ave
- Fri May 24 - Wed Jul 3
Kinky Boots
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
Squeaky-voiced ’80s pop star Cyndi Lauper makes her Broadway debut—behind the scenes. She's composer-lyricist for this musical adaptation of the 2005 English movie about a man trying to save his father’s shoe factory, and the drag diva whose unshod feet fire his imagination. Lauper crafts high-energy and very danceable tunes, while the book is by old pro Harvey Fierstein (Newsies).
- Al Hirschfeld Theatre 302 W 45th St, between Eighth and Ninth Aves
- Fri May 24 - Sun Sep 1
Music events in March 2013
Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
Liza Minnelli is the bewitched, sequined and bewildered model of a Broadway barely-survivor. Tonight, local queer nightlife guru Daniel Nardicio pairs her with the louche, bouncy-kneed Scottish stage-and-screen actor Alan Cumming—whose résumé, like hers, prominently includes the musical Cabaret—for what should be a memorable night. For more information, go to lizaandalan.com.
- The Town Hall 123 W 43rd St, between Sixth Ave and Broadway
- Until Thu Mar 14
Savages
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
This aptly named London four-piece floored Time Out at CMJ 2012 with its searingly urgent take on classic postpunk. In March, the all-female crew lands at SXSW, then heads to Gotham for a pair of high-profile headlining gigs.
- Music Hall of Williamsburg 66 North 6th St, between Kent and Wythe Aves
- Until Tue Mar 19
Alt-J
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
Riding high on the success of its debut album, An Awesome Wave, this Leeds quartet brings its gangly, quirky and irresistable indie-pop stylings to trendy Webster Hall and cavernous Terminal 5. Both shows are sold out, technically speaking, but every savvy New Yorker knows how to get around that situation. (Hello, Craigslist?)
- Terminal 5 610 W 56th St, at Eleventh Ave
- Until Sun Mar 24
Sigur Rós
- Price band: 3/4
- Critics choice
Icelandic band Sigur Rós maintains a seemingly unpiercable facade beyond its remote native land—blame it on the combo's brainy, loose dreamscapes, which became even more ghostly and ethereal on last year's Valtari. Now a trio, the group is due to release a new LP some time this year, and has already proclaimed it "an anti-Valtari." Make of that what you will, and depend on an otherworldly experience.
- Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (Seventh Ave), between 31st and 33rd Sts, 10119
- Mon Mar 25
Arts events in March 2013
Paul Taylor Dance Company
- Price band: 1/4
- Critics choice
Paul Taylor returns to Lincoln Center with a three-week season featuring seven decades of dances. Among them are the New York premiere of To Make Crops Grow and a yet-untitled new work, as well as the revival of Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rehearsal), Scudorama, Brandenburgs and Speaking in Tongues.
- David H. Koch Theater (at Lincoln Center) 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, at 63rd St
- Until Sun Mar 24
ADAA: The Art Show
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
Whether you’re a serious collector or a casual art fan, this vast fair, run by the Art Dealers Association of America, offers the chance to peruse some of the world’s most impressive, museum-quality pieces on the market. Seventy exhibitions feature paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture and multimedia works dating from the 17th century to the present.
- Park Avenue Armory 643 Park Ave, between 66th and 67th Sts
- Sun Mar 10
"Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light"
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
The museum presents an exploration of the British photographer's work, including a series of nudes he created from 1945 to 1961.
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 11 W 53rd St, between Fifth and Sixth Aves, 10019
- Fri May 24 - Mon Aug 12
The Armory Show
- Price band: 3/4
This is the event that kicks off the city’s seasonal art-fair crush: Divided into separate contemporary and modern art expositions, roughly 120 international exhibitors from 30 countries will display everything from sculpture and painting to video and photography.
Yasuko Yokoshi
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
Yasuko Yokoshi, NYLA's Inaugural Resident Commissioned Artist, presents BELL, a new addition to her ongoing collaboration with Masumi Seyama, who is the successor of Kabuki choreographer Kanjuro Fujima VI. In BELL, she reimagines one of the most difficult works in the Kabuki canon: Kyoganoko Musume-Dojyoji or "A Woman and a Bell at the Dojoji Temple."
- New York Live Arts 219 W 19th St, between Seventh and Eighth Aves
- Until Sat Mar 23
Gay & Lesbian events in March 2013
Black Party Weekend
- Price band: 2/4
- Critics choice
The Black Party, that reliably raunchy annual celebration of the arrival of spring, turns 34 this year—and oh, how it’s blossomed, from its humble beginnings in the East Village to a sprawling three-day celebration of all things naughty. In addition to the main event, Rites XXXIV: The Black Party—a massive dance/performance/kink party lasting more than 12 hours and drawing some 5,000 revelers—the weekend now includes the International Escort Awards, a.k.a. the Hookies, and an Expo and Dirty Carnival, featuring demonstrations, vendors, performances and porn-star appearances.
- Roseland Ballroom 239 W 52nd St, between Broadway and Eighth Ave
- Fri Mar 21 - Sat Mar 22
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Photograph: Tom Olcott
BLDG 92
In 2011, the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation opened this visitors’ center at the former shipbuilding complex, offering information on the facility and its connection to the surrounding neighborhoods. Plan an afternoon trip to check out its inaugural exhibits: “Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present and Future” examines the historical significance and future plans for the space, while “War Photojournalists” showcases the work of photographers such as João Silva, Lynsey Addario and the late Tim Hetherington. Brooklyn Navy Yard, 63 Flushing Ave between Adelphi St and Carlton Ave, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (bldg92.org). Wed–Sun noon–6pm; free.
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Photograph: Alex Strada
City Reliquary Museum
This tiny Brooklyn storefront is devoted to New York history, with a collection that includes trinkets from the 1964 World’s Fair, a scale model of the USS Monitor (the Civil War steamship was built in Greenpoint) and other odd ephemera. What distinguishes it from other city-focused museums is its devotion to esoterica; where else could you find hand-drawn illustrations of city landmarks alongside an exhibit on one of NYC’s largest suppliers of umbrellas? (The latter, an upcoming show devoted to the Embee Sunshade Company, opens in early August.) 370 Metropolitan Ave at Havemeyer St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-782-4842, cityreliquary.org). Thu–Sun noon–6pm.
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Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson
Green-Wood Cemetery
This Brooklyn burial ground has long been one of the city’s more celebrated offbeat attractions: In the 1860s, it competed with Niagara Falls as the most popular tourist spot in the state. Nowadays, the crowds flock to nearby Prospect Park, but there’s still plenty to see at this space: The cemetery is the final resting place for a plethora of notable New Yorkers, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Leonard Bernstein and William “Boss” Tweed. It’s also home to one of the highest points in the borough, Battle Hill—from its peak, you can see far-off parts of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. 500 25th St at Fifth Ave, Sunset Park, Brooklyn (718-768-7300, green-wood.com). Daily 8am–5pm.
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Hall of Fame for Great Americans
Founded in 1900, this is the country’s original hall of fame. Its main architectural feature, a 630-foot-high, open-air colonnade with panoramic views of the Cloisters across the Harlem River, is home to 98 bronze busts, including those of Alexander Graham Bell, Eli Whitney and George Westinghouse. (The final bust, which was added in 1992, depicts President Franklin Roosevelt.) 2155 University Ave at 181st St, Bronx (718-289-5910, www.bcc.cuny.edu/halloffame)
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Photograph: Jook Leung
Merchant’s House Museum
If it’s an encounter with the paranormal you’re after, your best bet is this preserved 19th-century townhouse where the Treadwell family once lived. Reportedly, the ghost of Gertrude Treadwell, one of the clan’s daughters, haunts the building (as the story goes, she was forbidden to marry her true love, and died alone in 1933 at the age of 93). The home embraces its spooky past during Halloween, when rooms are decked out in the traditional trappings of a 19th-century funeral. 29 E 4th St between Bowery and Lafayette St (212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org). Mon, Thu–Sun noon–5pm; $10, students and seniors $5.
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Photograph: Courtesy the Paley Center for Media
The Paley Center for Media
Other institutions in the city may hold great works of art and precious artifacts, but we’re quite fond of this museum, which is devoted to pop culture. Formerly the Museum of Television and Radio (it was renamed for founder William Paley in 2007), the center’s collection features nearly 150,000 clips from TV shows, radio programs, podcasts and more. Plus, you can mingle with other TV addicts during its public programs: Upcoming events include a discussion between Homicide cocreators Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson (Aug 16) and a talk with journalist Christiane Amanpour (Sept 28). 25 W 52nd St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-621-6600, paleycenter.org). Wed, Fri–Sun noon–6pm, Thu noon–8pm. $10, seniors and students $8, children under 14 $5.
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Photograph: Courtesy the Queens Museum of Art
The Panorama of the City of New York
Built for the 1964 World’s Fair, this scale model of the five boroughs features more than 800,000 of the city’s buildings (including every single one constructed before 1992) and many of its bridges, all rendered in painstaking detail. Since the last overhaul, recent additions include Citi Field in 2009, and Brooklyn Bridge Park in March 2012. It’s awe-inspiring to look at, but you can also put your name on a piece of the work, thanks to the Queens Museum’s Adopt-a-Building program—a $50 donation lets you “own” a structure, from your apartment building to a restaurant or shop. (Iconic landmarks like the Empire State Building cost more.) Queens Museum of Art, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, near 111th St and 49th Ave entrance, Flushing, Queens (718-592-9700, queensmuseum.org). Wed–Sun noon–6pm; suggested donation $5, seniors and children $2.50, members and children under 5 free.
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Roosevelt Island
It’s unlikely that this small East River isle will stay under the radar for long: Cornell will open a campus there in the coming years, and the fancy new Four Freedoms Park (so named for the principles outlined in FDR’s 1941 State of the Union address) is slated for completion in October. The mostly residential space (which is technically part of Manhattan) is full of quirks, notably the fact that the easiest method of getting there involves a four-minute trip on the city’s only commuter tram. A Gothic-style lighthouse stands at the island’s northern tip, and the creepy ruins of the Smallpox Hospital (which operated from the mid-19th century until the 1950s) at the southern end are a part of Southpoint Park, which opened in 2011.
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Photograph: Steven L. Cohen
Socrates Sculpture Park
In 1986, artists and activists created this 4.5-acre city park over a landfill. Now it hosts large-scale sculpture exhibits year-round, along with free community programming. Neighborhood residents can pick up fresh food at a Greenmarket on the park’s grounds, and free yoga, tai chi and capoeira classes are offered throughout the week. 32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway, Long Island City, Queens (718-956-1819, socratessculpturepark.org). Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; free.
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Photograph: Wendy Connett
Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden
It’s worth hopping on the ferry to visit this multidisciplinary art center. Once a 19th-century seamen’s retirement home, Snug Harbor now has a second life at the center of Staten Island’s cultural scene, set amid 83 parklike acres of waterfront space, Greek Revival architecture and internationally themed gardens, including the Chinese Scholar’s and Tuscan landscapes. 1000 Richmond Terr between Snug Harbor Rd and Tysen St, Staten Island (718-448-2500, snug-harbor.org)
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