NYC events in February 2020

Need a little help getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit? Sign up to dash through the streets in your skivvies at the annual Cupid’s Undie Run. Not only is this rowdy, raucous sprint one of the best things to do in winter, it also raises tons of money for the Children's Tumor Foundation. After the event, put some clothes on and head to one of the city's best bars with fireplaces to warm up. 

This month, Chinatown gets stormed by dragons, dancers and some of the best Chinese food the city has to offer in celebration of the Lunar New Year. But before you get lost in the bang of firecrackers, check out some of the best things to do in Chinatown, NYC. Brace yourself for what’s sure to be a wild celebration with the Chinese New Year Parade!

The funk and attitude of Shaft is being celebrated at the Apollo Theater on February 29 with a screening of the 1971 film set to a live concert performance of its award-winning score. If you think this sounds like a fun night out, "you're damn right." Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber and its conductor Greg Tate will play "Theme from Shaft," which was No. 1 on the Billboard Top 40 and won a Grammy for "Best Original Song," among its other funk-tastic tunes. Richard Roundtree starred at the private detective, who is hired to rescue the daughter of a Harlem mobster from Italian gangsters who kidnapped her. The flick, which was filmed in Harlem, Greenwich Village and Times Square, was selected in 2000 for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The Apollo is encouraging people to come dressed in their Black Power-inspired fashion and is offering 50 percent off tickets for Harlem residents, employees, business owners and students at the box office with proof of residence or work ID. Can you dig it?  

To help you have an enjoyable time on and around February 14, we’ve come up with Valentine’s Day ideas that should help you plan the Goldilocks of dates: one that’s not too cheap, not too expensive, not too over the top and not too uncaring—it’ll be just right.

One of the best things to do in February is celebrate Black History Month. NYC offers many ways you can show your appreciation for African-American culture. Take a tour through the historic neighborhood of Harlem followed by dininig at one of the best Harlem restaurants. You can also take a trolley tour through Green-Wood Cemetery where notables like Susan Smith McKinney Steward (the first female black doctor in New York State) are buried. 

You’ll howl with joy at the Westminster Dog Show, at which hundreds of dog owners and all types of breeds (including brand-new ones) are primped and prepped to compete in agility challenges and for the highly coveted title of Best of Breed. 

A dreamy spray of orchids to enliven your winter bones is on the way to The New York Botanical Garden for its annual Orchid Show with designs by floral designer Jeff Leatham. If you’re not familiar, The New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show exhibits thousands of species of beautiful blossoming orchids, and it’s one of the best NYC events in February, and is one of the best things to do in The Bronx. While Macy's has its Flower Show, which is worth seeing in its own right, the NYBG's orchid show has been running for 18 years and has only gotten better. RECOMMENDED: See more of the best things to do in winter What is the Orchid Show NYC? The balmy and bountiful festival this year is titled The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope. The display will transform the garden's conservatory into a tunnel of hypnotic floral designs reminiscent of a look through a kaleidoscope. "Color is the first and most important aspect of my work, always," Jeff Leatham says. "I want every gallery to be a different color experience for visitors as they move through them, like looking into a kaleidoscope. I loved kaleidoscopes as a child. You start dreaming as you look through one. People have seen the interiors of the Conservatory already, but with this exhibition, I want them to look through them like never before." And as usual, there will be special Orchid Evenings during which visitors can enjoy the attraction after dark and see the Supertrees, including a gorgeous display of lights

This Ridgewood haven is known for its top-flight sound system, deeply chill vibes and inclusive environment. The venue is now doing free weekly movies on a big screen, accompanied by their surround-sound for a deeply immersive trip. Coming up, you can catch films featuring legends like Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding.