NYC events in November 2026

Break out your early aughts playlists, because Michelle Branch is heading to the Upper West Side's Beacon Theatre. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter brings her Everywhere and Back Again Tour to the Beacon on November 5, 2026, and then March 25, 2027, celebrating millennial nostalgia as well as her enduring catalog of bops. She’ll be joined by opening act Josie Edwards. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm.

Tickets are still available for purchase via resellers, and prices vary.

Filmmaker Spike Lee has teamed up with the Brooklyn Academy of Music, producer Nicholas Ma and NY Liberty owner Clara Wu Tsai to launch “Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party,” a new two-day festival taking over BAM on November 6 and 7. The inaugural event will feature repertory film screenings, conversations with cultural icons, live performances, pop-up experiences and a free street fair celebrating Brooklyn’s creative spirit.

Friday night will center on music, poetry, film and conversations inside BAM's Howard Gilman Opera House, with a slate of celebrity guest curators. Saturday will feature a series of film screenings with special appearances and a free afternoon block party with live music, local food vendors and community activations. The weekend wraps with a special screening of Crooklyn, featuring appearances by Lee, Alfre Woodard and additional guests.

Ticket pricing ranges depending on the event (the priciest seat for the Crooklyn screening is currently $76, while other films are going for $30), though the Saturday afternoon street fair will be free to attend.

If you didn't get to visit before Halloween, don't worry because The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze stays open into November. The event showcases 7,000 glowing, intricately carved pumpkins in all kinds of delightful arrangements.

Blaze: Hudson Valley runs at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County runs through November 8. Tickets are on sale now.

Fall means a lot of things, but one of the most universal—in the U.S. anyway—is football. Long ago, New York City was blessed with not one, but two NFL teams: the Jets and the Giants. Unfortunately, the Jets were not blessed with the ability to win (we're still holding onto Super Bowl III), and while the Giants do have four championships under their belt, 2012 was a long time ago in sports years. Still, heading to MetLife Stadium on a Sunday in the fall is a bucket-list experience you'll want to check off—and it's one you may get to have for a lower price than exprected, thanks to those records and the fact that the North East stadium doesn't have a roof (bring a poncho if it's going to rain and a heavy blanket if it's below 35 degrees). If you don't care as much about seeing a good game, and a good time is all you're after, grab some friends and tailgate gear and join the most optimistic pessimists you've ever seen—we're actually a lot of fun.

(Written by a lifelong Jets fan.)

Check the game schedules for the Jets here, and the Giants here.

While we wait for a new season, The Gilded Age fans can pass the time by cosplaying as old money or new fortunes over high tea at the Plaza's Palm Court. Indulge in vicious social maneuvering with your closest friends through November 10, with bites inspired by the HBO series, including The Van Rhijn Classic (sandwich with cucumber, labneh and pickled mustard seeds), The Russell Next Door (a roast beef and cheese sandwich), Don’t Tell Mrs. Fish (sandwich of smoked salmon with crème fraîche) and Spill the Tea Cheesecake among others. There’s also a Cointreau-based cocktail called The Salon, because no high-society gossip sesh is complete without a drink. Tea is $150 per person.

The New York Comedy Festival is where the best of the best comedians of NYC gather each year, and this year, it’s celebrating its 22st anniversary with more than 200 comedians performing more than 100 shows at venues throughout the five boroughs.

If you've laughed at comedy shows in NYC in the past few years, it probably had something to do with at least one of the comics on the super stacked lineup. This year’s headliners include major genre names like Marc Maron, Ilana Glazer, Ziwe, Ben Bankas, Matt Rogers, Sarah Sherman, Daniel Sloss, Adam Friedland, Mojo Brookzz and more. 

The dates for the New York Comedy Festival are Friday, November 6 through Sunday, November 15, 2026. Get tickets on the NYCF website.

NYC's biggest running event is back with the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, which will see thousands of runners from all over the world compete in a 26.2-mile race that spans all five boroughs. It's impressive, to say the least!

Even if you’re not running in the event, turning out to cheer on the athletes is time well spent. This year's race is on Sunday, November 1.

Check out our complete guide to everything you need to know for the NYC Marathon.

This annual cans-for-a-cause competition pits architecture teams against each other to create larger-than-life art installations using thousands upon thousands of cans of food, all in the name of ending hunger (every can is donated to City Harvest to help feed those in need).

Head to Brookfield Place in Manhattan (230 Vesey Street) from October 30-November 9 (10am–7pm) to see the unveiling of these engineering spectacles, all built after months of planning. Then check back to see if your favorite takes home any titles in judges’ categories like Best Use of Labels, Best Meal and Structural Ingenuity. You can even vote for your favorite sculpture once they are unveiled. 

Every year, teams go all out with creativity—expect to be wowed. Past sculptures have included a hot air balloon, a bodega cat, baby Yoda, Winnie the Pooh, Mario, Buckingham Palace, a pigeon sipping a coffee and lots more.

Admission is free, but do your part by donating some canned goods to the cause.

Union Square is packed with excellent dining options, but it can be hard to find time to try every single one. The answer to that conundrum: Harvest. This annual benefit for Union Square Park will unite dozens of celebrated restaurants, bars and cafes for a festive evening of tastings and fun that will benefit Union Square Park. The culinary showcase offers a chance to interact with Union Square’s most acclaimed chefs and mixologists, from neighborhood favorites to exciting new voices.

The Union Square Partnership will host the event Tuesday, November 10 at Civic Hall (124 E 14th St) to sustain the care and maintenance of the park. Tickets are on sale now starting at $200.

Want to get out of the city this fall? You're in luck: Classic Harbor Line offers scenic fall foliage sails aboard gorgeous vintage vessels with a front-row seat to the changing of the seasons stretching from the Hudson River to the Palisades. Cruises run multiple times a week from October 3 through November 15.

Enjoy the chance to admire spectacular fall foliage by boat. Plus, these elegant 1920s-style yachts make the experience extra special. In addition to gawking at the leaves, you'll get to see iconic and picturesque landmarks such as the George Washington Bridge, The Met Cloisters, the Palisades and the Little Red Lighthouse.

Plus, Classic Harbor Line offers several more unique options, including the Fall Foliage Brunch Cruises on Saturday and Sunday mornings and an Urban Naturalist-narrated tour with expert commentary on the fascinating geology of the Palisades and the Hudson River. There's also the Grand Palisades Fall Foliage Schooner Sail if you're looking to travel largely by wind, with more time to contemplate the beautiful surroundings. Every ticket includes a complimentary beverage.

The New York City Veterans Day Parade returns in 2026, so set aside some time to pay special homage to our armed servicemembers. The New York Veterans Day Parade is happening on Wednesday, November 11 from 12:30pm until about 3:30pm. The event will take over Fifth Avenue between 26th Street and 50th Street.

Typically, more than 280 groups and 20,000 participants join the parade. You can also expect to see 25 floats and 150 vehicles. Veterans from all eras, military units, civic and youth groups, local businesses and top high school marching bands across America walk during the event.

Lightscape, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular, promises a glittering winter wonderland where you'll feel like you're strolling through an enchanted forest. More than one million lights combine to form the trail of art by local and international artists.

Don't miss the iconic Winter Cathedral, where you'll definitely want to snap a selfie. Plus, expect firefly fields, glowing bluebonnets, flocks of luminous birds and a Sea of Light.  

As always, a curated playlist of music brings the art to life. Food concessions will be open along the trail that offer seasonal treats like hot cocoa, hot cider and mulled wine as well as light bites, cookies and sweets.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which runs from November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027. This year’s show offers off-peak and peak pricing, ranging from $29-$44 for adults and $15 to $28 for kids.

Out of all the yuletide razzle-dazzle NYC has to offer, the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights display is among the most spectacular. Each year, more than 100,000 people flock to the Brooklyn neighborhood to witness some of the most over-the-top Christmas lights we’ve ever seen­—think huge inflatable Santas and snowmen, and houses that blast Christmas carols from loundspeakers. There is a lot of ground to cover, as many homes in the area participate over multiple blocks and avenues. (We’re talking tens of thousands of lights!)

The festivities typically start the weekend after Thanksgiving. Here's our full guide to the fun.

Every year, The Rink at Rockefeller Center ushers in the holiday season by opening up to the public to skate under a golden Prometheus. Once peak season hits, there’s going to be a bit of a wait to get on the slick stuff, so your best bet is to get on the ice as early as you can.

Tickets start at $22 per person, but the exact price depends on the date, time of day and age of the skaters. Skate rentals are available for $12. Tickets are on sale now.

The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park is back in NYC with exciting holiday shops, food and activities running from October 28, 2026, through February 28, 2027.

Its 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink that’s free to use (if you bring your own skates) is always the highlight, but the Winter Village in all its holiday spirit is a close second. This year, more than 180 new and returning kiosks will be there for you to peruse through until January 3—all at one of NYC's best parks for what's become one of the best Christmas markets in the world!

After being closed for construction since 2018, the Studio Museum in Harlem reopened last November in a new seven-floor, 82,000-square-foot building on West 125th Street.

The building, custom-designed for the museum, houses art exhibitions, educational opportunities, program spaces and an expansive lobby.

Shop 'til you drop at FAD Market, a curated fashion, art and design pop-up marketplace, which is back for 2026. Expect to see your favorite makers plus brand new creatives, all offering goods to help you live smarter, gift better and support local businesses.

FAD—which stands for Fashion, Art and Design—takes over different venues with a horde of independent vendors and creators. Admission is free and dogs are welcome!

Peruse handmade jewelry, apparel, skincare products, tableware, artisanal packaged food, and more. Whether you're shopping for you or a friend (or even getting an early on that holiday shopping), there are plenty of local gems to pick up. 

Here's the fall schedule: 

• November 7–8: Fall pop-up at Empire Stores in Dumbo
• November 30–December 20: Holiday pop-up at Empire Stores in Dumbo

Bid adieu to Halloween with a smashing good time at Hudson River Park's Pumpkin Smash. Bring your own jack-o-lantern or pumpkin, along with some safety goggles, and smush your gourd into compostable bits. 

You’ll get to choose a bat, hammer or shovel, then stick around to learn how composting works. Park staff will convert the gooey bits into nutrient-rich compost to nourish the park's plants. In past years, more than 6,000 pounds of pumpkin scraps were collected and used for compost (and kept out of the landfill!). 

It's all happening at Pier 84 on Saturday, November 7 from 11am to 3pm.

NYC is packed with holiday markets every fall with holiday spirit and unique gifts. While fancy Christmas window displays may entice you, NYC's holiday markets offer a chance to shop local. With everything from clothing to holiday ornaments to artwork, there's something for everybody on your holiday shopping list.

Shopping for the perfect gift doesn't have to be stressful; make it fun at these holiday markets.