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Plan your month with the best NYC events in August 2023 including cultural festivals, live music, delicious dining and outdoor adventures.
Get ready to use our NYC events in August calendar as your guide for ending the summer with a bang! This month is the last to take advantage of New York beaches and pools before they close for swimming in September. There are many more things to do outside this month, like enjoying incredible rooftops, going to the botanical garden and dining at night markets. This is the last full month of summer—make it count!
RECOMMENDED: Full NYC events calendar
Fifty years ago this summer, hip-hop was born during a back-to-school party in the Bronx. With its five elements of DJing, emceeing, breakdancing, graffiti artistry and knowledge, the genre grew into an international sensation, and events all year will celebrate the history—and future—of hip-hop.
From a photography exhibit to themed music nights, here's the full list of how to commemorate 50 years of hip-hop.
The "unapologetically fierce celebration of black culture and music” will return from noon to 10pm on Saturday and Sunday, August 26 and 27, to Brooklyn—but this time to Greenpoint’s Skyline Drive-In instead of the usual Commodore Barry Park. And this year's "Circus of Soul" themed fest—"a carnivalesque exhibition that spotlights all aspects of Black creativity,” per organizers—is bringing with it a lineup that includes headliners like R&B crooner Jazmine Sullivan and rapper-producer Flying Lotus.
Also featured on the card is New York's own Joey Bada$$, rapper Vince Staples, singer-violinist Sudan Archives, Atlanta-based artist Baby Tate, "Mango Butter” singer Durand Bernarr, multi-genre performer Dreamer Isioma and more.
Reservations for NYC Restaurant Week are now open, with nearly 500 restaurants to book for prix fixe specials citywide through August 20. This year’s price points are $30, $45 and $60 for two and three-course lunch and dinner menus on the days of each venue’s choosing.
Here are our top picks for dining this month.
New York City's full of renowned museums, but if you're on a budget, the admission price can feel a bit daunting. The good news is: If Fotografiska's been on your list, you can get in for a fraction of the price on Saturday, August 19.
The discounted admission is offered as a part of the photography museum's World Photography Day celebrations. Tickets are now on sale for just $8 (regular admission is typically $30, so it's a great deal). Get tickets in advance here; a limited quantity of walk-in tickets will be available at the door.
On your visit, you'll get to explore floor after floor of stunning photography. Right now, the museum's showing the first New York retrospective of British photographer Terry O’Neill who photographed stars including Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Mick Jagger and Elvis Presley. He's the one who took that iconic portrait of Brigitte Bardot with a cigarette that you've definitely seen. Plus, see a presentation with artist-led organization For Freedoms, featuring works by Hank Willis Thomas, Cassils, Maia Ruth Lee and more.
It’s going to be super easy getting to the Great New York State Fair this summer.
Amtrak is offering direct trains to the fair in August so that you don’t need to drive all the way to Syracuse, where it happens every year.
Five trains will make daily stops at the fair throughout its 13-day duration, starting Wednesday, August 23, and through Monday, September 4.
Stargazing without leading the city is totally possible.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, is teaming up with the Amateur Astronomers Association (AAA) to bring guests a new and exciting experience in the sky. A group of expert astronomers at the AAA, a volunteer-run non-profit organization, will guide guests through an enchanting tour of the sky with state-of-the-art telescopes on SUMMIT’s outdoor terrace. The experience on the skyscraper’s 93rd floor (1,100 feet above the sidewalk) will help guests witness celestial marvels, mysteries of distant galaxies and the wonders of the solar system. Or, you know, you may just see a cute constellation.
Events will be held throughout the summer: Wednesday, August 23, starting 8pm (Rain Date: August 24), Wednesday, September 20, starting 7pm (Rain Date: September 21); and Wednesday, October 25, starting 6pm (Rain Date: October 26).
Wild Captives, the nation’s first female- and LGBTQ-owned archery studio, is now open. It's a place where everyone can "be their own superhero." The studio in Brooklyn’s Industry City offers empowering and fun hour-long introduction to archery classes every weekend for $45/person.
Each intro class includes a chance to learn about different parts of the bow and safety requirements. After the lesson, each participant gets a chance to shoot the bow trying to pop a balloon pinned onto the bullseye. Intro-to-archery classes are available each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, bookable online for anyone over age 12.
Mohammed Rashid Al-Thani remembers walking through downtown Manhattan nearly a decade ago and coming to a realization: "There's really nothing that represents the Arab and Islamic world in terms of contemporary art. I said, 'I think I want to do something.'"
Now, he's leading the recently opened Institute of Arab and Islamic Art, an independent, non-profit in the West Village dedicated to advancing the artistic and cultural dialogue between NYC and the Arab and Islamic world. The gallery, which is open to the public, is presenting its second show, this one by Behjat Sadr (1924–2009). The Institute of Arab and Islamic Art show is the first institutional solo exhibition by Sadr in the United States. It's on view until August 27.
The phrase “women’s work” is often used derisively to indicate labor that’s seen as “less than,” but a new exhibit at New-York Historical Society reclaims that phrase. Aptly titled "Women's Work," the show chronicles the history of women's contributions to labor and how those efforts are both inherently political and essential to American society.
The exhibit features dozens of objects in the museum's collection from indenture documents to medical kits to military uniforms. With items ranging from the 1740s to today, the show celebrates the strides society has made in equality while not shying away from highlighting the gender-based inequalities that persist today.
"Women's Work" is on view through August 18, 2024 in the Joyce B. Cowin Women’s History Gallery at New-York Historical Society on the Upper West Side.
The pickleball craze is continuing as CityPickle has arrived at Central Park's Wollman Rink—the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast. Fourteen courts are open from 7am-9pm daily through October 9 and all skill levels are welcome to play.
Each court at Central Park can accommodate four to eight people. Full-price court rental options range from $80-$120 total per hour, depending on if it’s an off-peak or peak reservation time. That translates to about $10 per person for an hour of play.
Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace is back at Rockefeller Center through October.
The rink offers smooth ride with plenty of space to get around other skaters. Being able to glide by Prometheus and in front of spectators visiting Rockefeller Center is quite a thrill. Before Flipper’s first opened last year, the last time anyone roller-skated here was in 1940!
Tickets start at just over $20 for a one-hour rink time.
Five open-air night markets will pop up around town this summer, from the Bronx to Brooklyn and Manhattan to Queens. There's even a vegan night market joining the roster! Grab some cash and head out to eat locally—and deliciously. Here's the full rundown.
The beloved Movie Nights series back in Bryant Park this summer, and it’s got an exciting new partner: Paramount+. The streaming juggernaut has entered into a multiyear deal with Bryant Park to support its outdoor movie series, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer, making it the park’s longest-running program.
The newly dubbed "Paramount+ Movie Nights at Bryant Park" runs through August.
Here's the August lineup:
The Public Theater is shaking it up with a new, star-studded Shakespeare musical in Central Park. A tuneful adaptation of The Tempest will be the company's final show at the outdoor Delacorte Theater this summer.
As usual, the Public Works production follows the Public's annual season of Shakespeare in the Park, which is renowned for its inventive productions of Shakespeare’s works.
The Tempest will play a limited week-long engagement from Sunday, August 27, through Sunday, September 3. This will be the last production at the Delacorte until 2025, as renovations to the historic theater are slated to begin soon. If we have to forgo seeing Shakespeare in Central Park for an entire summer, at least they're going out with a banger.
Spectacular food bazaar Smorgasburg typically spotlights about 100 vendors across its locations. Smorg has three spots in 2023, two in Brooklyn (in Williamsburg and Prospect Park) and one at the World Trade Center.
The World Trade Center outpost runs on Fridays; Williamsburg on Saturdays; and Prospect Park on Sundays.
Make like Ken and get to the beach. New York City beaches are now open for swimming and sunbathing. From the popular Jacob Riis Park Beach to The Bronx’s only public beach, we've got a detailed round-up of where to soak up the sun this summer.
If you're a Barbie girl who's always dreamed of living in a Barbie world, now's your big moment.
The Malibu Barbie Café, an immersive pink-hued pop-up, is now open in the Seaport. Boasting fun photo opps, a menu from a Master Chef finalist, California vibes and, of course, actual Barbie dolls, this cafe feels like a spot Barbie herself would hang out with Ken, Midge and Skipper.
All ages are welcome to experience The Malibu Barbie Café, which is available for booking through September 15. Each reservation includes your choice of entree and side item, full access to the Barbie Cafe experience and a 90-minute table reservation. Early bird pricing ranges from $22-$30 for kids and $39-$49 for adults depending on the date and time. You can buy additional drinks, dessert and food.
Summer nights, after work or a day out, will once again be alive with music and dance thanks to Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America.
The Picnic Performances will bring the best of NYC to the stage, including the New York City Opera, Jalopy Theatre, Carnegie Hall, the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the American Symphony Orchestra.
Best of all, all 26 performances are free and open to the public!
Here's the August schedule:
The Alliance for Coney Island is hosting the 2023 Summer Flicks on the Beach series at Coney Island Beach, with free biweekly movies every other Monday night all summer long. The outdoor screenings will be held on the beach at West 12th Street beginning at sunset, and attendees are welcome to bring their own blankets or chairs to plop down and enjoy the movies right in the sand.
The summertime series wraps up on Monday, August 7, with the Marvel superhero crowd pleaser, 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
On the Upper East Side, dazzling chandeliers are a common decoration in fancy apartments. But these new chandelier sculptures in the neighborhood aren't like any other.
Artist Willie Cole recently debuted four monumental chandeliers made of thousands of plastic water bottles as a way to draw attention to single-use plastics. The sculptures will be on view through the end of the year on the median of Park Avenue between 69th and 70th Streets.
The sculptor transformed 9,000 disposed water bottles to create the four chandeliers, each with their own distinct look and title—”the Liberty Lantern,” “Soul Catcher,” “Dirt Devil” and “3000 Buddha.”
From The Marcy Houses to the biggest stages in the world, Jay-Z has always represented Brooklyn. Now Brooklyn is radiating that love back to him with a major, free exhibition called The Book of HOV on view at Brooklyn Public Library.
The exhibit chronicles the journey and impact of Shawn Carter through thousands of archived objects, including original recording masters, never-before-seen photos, iconic stage wear, prestigious awards and videos. Roc Nation created the exhibit as a surprise to the renowned hip-hop star as the city celebrates 50 years of the genre that started right here in New York City. See it at Brooklyn's Central Library along Grand Army Plaza during regular library hours through this fall (an exact closure date hasn't been set).
A new immersive exhibit offers a chance to go back in time to the beginning of hip-hop while also speeding ahead into the future of the genre. "Hip Hop Til Infinity," the latest installation coming to the resplendent Hall des Lumières.
Visitors will be transported through hip-hop's different eras and regions, from skate parks to the stage to the metaverse. Expect to see important moments in hip-hop history represented through state-of-the-art audio-visual technology.
The immersive exhibit will open on Wednesday, August 2 in Lower Manhattan with tickets available through September 17. Tickets start at $45/person.
From old New York throwbacks to party destinations and seaside terraces practically fashioned for Instagram, these rooftop bars offer booze, some kind of view and an invitation for you to get high.
The U.S. Open—New York’s exhilarating summer sports event—is one of the most exciting things to do in Queens. It returns this month with plenty of exciting activities for fans.
There's nothing more "summer in NYC" than taking in a movie in the great outdoors, under the hardly-seen stars and set to the humming soundtrack of the city. New Yorkers love to take in films on the nicest rooftops, on the best beaches, and in our city's greatest parks (preferably with a drink or popcorn in hand). Luckily, NYC has no shortage of places to catch outdoor movie screenings you can attend in the warmer months.
Known affectionately by locals as the “Willy Wall,” the Manhattan Yacht Club’s floating clubhouse is anchored near Ellis Island in the New York harbor and is accessible only by ticketed ferry. Head to the open-to-the-public upper deck for top-notch views and no-frills drinks, including bottled beers, well drinks and wines doled out in plastic cups.
The Times Square Alliance is back with its summer program, TSQ Live, New York City’s biggest free performance series and its largest open-air public programming funding the arts.
All events are free, for all ages and open to the public. Here's the schedule for August:
This year, SummerStage will bring New Yorkers nearly 80 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 12 neighborhood parks across the five boroughs, including at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, Tompkins Square Park in the East Village, Von King Park and The Coney Island Amphitheater in Brooklyn, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, Crotona Park in the Bronx, Stapleton Waterfront Park in Staten Island, and its “flagship” venue at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.
All shows are free except the benefit concerts, which are noted below. Here's the August lineup:
This “lightship”—a floating lighthouse once used by the Coast Guard—sank while docked in Maryland and spent three years underwater. Later salvaged, the vessel is now a floating boat bar near Chelsea Piers that slings burgers and buckets of beer seasonally from May to October. Walk right on the bi-level railroad barge from Pier 66 to order booze and nautical bites like fish and chips or lobster rolls, then kick back on the Frying Pan or its accompanying fire boat caboose, which is moored alongside.
Refreshing agave-based spirits and tasty tacos are now being served onboard a three-story boat in the Hudson River.
La Barca Cantina, the only Mexican restaurant on a boat in NYC, is now open for the season with a summer street food-inspired menu that’ll get the party started for you and your friends.
Based at Pier 81, next to its sister-restaurant North River Lobster Company, La Barca spans three levels with an expansive outdoor top deck with a bar and table seating, a bi-level interior space with two bars, table seating and booth-like tables—perfect for large groups.
There’s a 4,000-square-foot outdoor deck where you can order lobster rolls, burgers and drinks. While it’s not as massive as the Intrepid—at 125 feet long, it’s nowhere near the 820 feet or so of the more iconic ship—the Baylander was used to train helicopter pilots who needed to learn how to land on a boat. According to the ship’s website, it moved around after the Vietnam War and the Trenk Family Foundation purchased it in 2012.
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