The best things to do in NYC this week

Tap your toes and enjoy the music at the 15th Annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, with performances running from June 1 through July 1. The festival pops up at major venues across NYC, including Sony Hall, Blue Note Jazz Club and SummerStage in Central Park. This year's performances include Ledisi, Durand Bernarr, Big Freedia, UMI, Bestin Conrad, Shabaka Hutchins, Kokoroko, Cymande, Take 6, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jose James, BLK ODYSSY Louie Vega: Elements of Life and more. Here's the full lineup with ticketing info. 

On June 1, Bryant Park, already home to a pretty popular outdoor library of sorts, will host its first-ever "read on the lawn day," encouraging visitors to enjoy an evening of book discussions, ambient music and simple relaxation on its sprawling green space.

The event, scheduled to run between 5:30pm and 8pm, will kick off the park's literary lineup of free weekly events for the summer, including lunchtime author panels, poetry readings, writing workshops and more.

New York City's transit system may be 121 years old, but its biggest cheerleader is a spry 50. The New York Transit Museum will mark its golden anniversary with a yearlong slate of events, from vintage train rides to a city-spanning scavenger hunt, celebrating the system that keeps New York moving (usually).

One of the biggest draws of the year-long festivities arrives June 1, when a new app launches a five-borough scavenger hunt to 50 transit-related sites, from subway stations to bridges and tunnels. Along the way, unlock trivia and little-known facts, effectively turning the entire city into an interactive museum until it concludes November 1.

The fan favorite Parade of Trains returns June 6 and 7, with a rotating fleet of vintage cars traveling the Brighton Line between Brighton Beach and Kings Highway. Even better, they're available to anyone with the fare, making it one of the most accessible ways to experience transit history in motion.

At the museum itself, a new exhibition opening June 17 dives into the quirks and characters of the system’s past, spotlighting everything from ambitious engineering proposals to singing bus drivers. Programming continues with Fourth of July weekend shuttle rides reviving the long-defunct HH line, once a short connector between Court Street and Hoyt–Schermerhorn.

The Big Apple is turning into Il Bel Paese this week for its first-ever Ciao Day, a one-day-only Italian celebration taking over Madison Square Park in observance of Festa della Repubblica, the national holiday commemorating the founding of the Italian Republic in 1946. Taking place on Tuesday, June 2 from noon to 4pm, the free and open-to-the-public festival will transform the public plaza with cheery café tables dressed in flowers and lemons, live brass bands, caricature drawings, children's activities (face-painting and storytime sessions hosted by Sullaluna) and, of course, plenty of food. (Because really, it wouldn't be an Italian party without it!)

Speaking of il cibo, the "Mercato Italiano" food-and-drink spread will include free tastings from popular Italian restaurants like Eataly, Café Carmellini, Scarpetta, DiMarco and Piadi, as well as a special on-site partnership between New York's own Rosetta Bakery and Ferrarini (the historic Italian cured meat producer founded in Reggio Emilia in 1956), and the new U.S. gelato lineup from Sammontana Gelati all'Italiana, Italy's leading gelato brand and Ciao Day's main sponsor. Attendees can get an early taste ten of the brand's new products, including gelato bars, gelato sandwiches and gelato cones, in a nice bit of brand synergy: Sammontana was founded in 1946, the very same year as the Italian Republic.

It’s only appropriate that the 25th anniversary edition of the Tribeca Festival is leaning hard into expansion. Tribeca has been about growth since its earliest days, when cofounders Robert DeNiro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff wanted to create a new cinematic community downtown in the aftermath of 9/11.

The 2026 festival opens on June 3 with the premiere of Questlove’s documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World), to be followed by a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire and the Roots. You’ll also get a two-for-one experience with several other music docs: Frampton, Mumford & Sons: The House Band, Travis Barker: Louder than Fear, Sara Bareilles: Good Grief and Alicia Keys: Girl from Hell’s Kitchen will all be paired with appearances from their central subjects. And while there may not be a movie attached, it could prove tough to pass up the chance to see Bono and Bruce Springsteen in conversation, when the latter receives the festival’s Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award.

The biggest celebrity events, though, may be the retrospective celebrations: a screening of Taxi Driver will follow a talk with Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster; Lilly Wachowski, Jennifer Tilly, and Gina Gershon will chat together after a showing of their iconic neo-noir Bound; and Ben Stiller and Matthew Broderick will cheerfully reminisce about The Cable Guy after making the audience sit through its 96 deliberately excruciating minutes.

Taste of Summer is Central Park at its most glamorous, transforming Bethesda Terrace into a one-night-only tasting party under the stars on June 3. Expect bites from dozens of top NYC restaurants, plus cocktails, music and dancing in one of the city’s most iconic settings—and you'd better enjoy every single moment with tickets starting at $400. Central Park Conservancy’s annual benefit doubles as a kickoff to summer and a chance to eat very, very well for a good cause. Come hungry, dress up a little and prepare to linger.

The NY Laughs Festival is back from June 4 through June 7, bringing a substantial lineup of stand-up heavyweights, rising comics and open-air performances to venues across downtown Manhattan, including a massive free kickoff show right in Union Square Park.

Presented by The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club alongside nonprofit comedy organization NYLaughs, the festival debuted last year and apparently went well enough that organizers decided to make the sequel even bigger and louder. This year’s edition expands with new venues, additional programming and a lineup that reads like a perfect comedy podcast queue.

Among the comedians slated to appear: Jeff Ross, Dave Attell, Andrew Dice Clay, Mark Normand, Rachel Feinstein, Emma Willmann, Paul Virzi, Matthew Broussard, Alex English, Steve Rannazzisi and Jerrod Carmichael, with more names still expected to be announced.

The centerpiece of the whole thing is “Comedy in the Square,” a free outdoor show happening June 4 from 6 pm to 9 pm on Union Square Park’s North Plaza. Organizers say the event will once again turn the park into a giant open-air comedy club, complete with a concert-style stage setup, seating, standing room and food and drinks nearby. (Last year’s kickoff reportedly drew more than 1,000 people.) This year’s outdoor lineup includes Mark Normand, Matthew Broussard, Emma Willmann, Caitlin Peluffo and Usama Siddiquee, plus live music before the stand-up starts. 

Open Roads: New Italian Cinema returns to Film at Lincoln Center May 28–June 4 for its 25th anniversary edition, co-presented with Cinecittà and showcasing contemporary Italian filmmaking. The program spans bold new voices and established auteurs, with selections including Venice-premiering The Kidnapping of Arabella by Carolina Cavalli and a Roberto Rossellini tribute marking the 120th anniversary of the filmmaker’s birth with a screening of Paisan. Highlights also include the North American premiere of Roberto Rossellini, Living Without a Script, leveraging archival material into a portrait of one of cinema’s great innovators.

New York fans—we've waited a lifetime for this. And at Time Out Market, we are here to make sure you don't miss a moment of the action. 

Catch the Finals at Time Out Market New York, Dumbo. We will be showing the games on all of our screens across both floors, so you don't miss a single second. Cheers to every swoosh with all-day beer specials and a lineup of cocktails inspired by love of the game, including The Brunson Burner, The Slam Dunk Sour and The Madison Square Mule. Plus, all of our amazing food vendors will be on deck, from smashed burgers to full pizzas, all available to be delivered right to your table. 

Entry is free, and seating is first-come, first-served. 

Game Schedule

• Game 1: Wednesday, June 3rd at 8:30pm
• Game 2: Friday, June 5th at 8:30pm
• Game 3: Monday, June 8th at 8:30pm
• Game 4: Wednesday, June 10th at 8:30pm
• Game 5*: Saturday, June 13th at 8:30pm
• GAME 6*: Tuesday, June 16th at 8:30pm
• GAME 7*: Friday, June 19th at 8:30pm

* If necessary

From June 4 through August 30, Brooklyn Army Terminal once more transforms its Sunset Park waterfront into one of the city’s busiest summer gathering spots with Summer at the Terminal, a months-long lineup of free cultural programming. Presented by NYCEDC and local partners, the series includes outdoor film screenings, waterfront food festivals, salsa nights, wellness events, makers markets and celebrations of Latin, Asian, and Hispanic cultures. Highlights include Rooftop Films screenings, Ferry Food Fest and an end-of-summer bash to close out the season.

Giggity, giggity, folks: Quahog’s most famous watering hole is officially heading your way. Starting June 4, Bucket Listers is bringing The Drunken Clam, the iconic dive bar from the beloved adult animated series Family Guy, to New York City for burgers, drinks and plenty of Family Guy-style antics.

Located on the second floor of 1604 Broadway in Times Square, this fully interactive Family Guy Drunken Clam Experience will transport you directly into the world of Peter, Quagmire, Joe and Cleveland. After wildly successful runs in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, the Manhattan activation promises to be the most immersive yet. From the glowing neon signage to the meticulously recreated bar stools, every detail is designed to make you feel like you've stepped through the television screen.

With your ticket, you'll get a welcome drink and access to a treasure trove of Family Guy Easter eggs and photo ops. Find the infamous Evil Monkey or hang out in meticulously recreated scenes that honor twenty-four seasons of animated history. The pop-up will also host Family Guy trivia nights and karaoke, ensuring the atmosphere remains as chaotic and entertaining as the show itself. Exclusive merch will also be available for those looking to take a piece of Quahog home.

After a very long winter, it feels like spring has finally sprung in New York, which means that outdoor concert season is soon upon us. And helpfully, one of one of the city's best al fresco concert venues, Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, has officially announced its 2026 season lineup so that we can get our summer planning underway. 

And as with previous (albeit more drama-filled) years, the season ahead promises a killer mix of musical acts, from downright legends (Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Erykah Badu) to buzzy fresh faces (Geese, Djo). 

Running from June 6 through October 20, the 2026 lineup will see multiple shows from Zac Brown Band and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, a Juneteenth mini festival featuring Israel Houghton & New Breed, Hezekiah Walker, Donald Lawrence, Smokie Norfu and more, plus special evenings with rock icon David Byrne and Paramore powerhouse Hayley Williams. Warm-weather gigs from big names like Jon Batiste, Dave Matthews Band, Sarah McLachlan and Wilco, among others, pad out the rest of the programming. 

Bar and booze fans, clear your calendars: two of Australia’s most acclaimed cocktail bars are joining forces in New York City for a single night behind the stick. On Wednesday, June 3, Stone & Soil—the recently opened Japanese-inspired cocktail destination—will host a rare international takeover featuring Sydney’s Maybe Sammy and Melbourne’s Caretaker's Cottage.

The collaboration marks the New York debut of Maybe Sammy, ranked No. 42 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, while Caretaker’s Cottage arrives with equally impressive credentials at No. 19. Even more enticing for cocktail enthusiasts: It’s an opportunity to experience both award-winning bars under one roof, an event that rarely happens without an international flight and severe jet lag.

The takeover takes place at Stone & Soil, one of the city’s buzziest new cocktail joints. The venue has quickly drawn attention for bringing a Japanese-style approach to hospitality and mixology to Manhattan, drawing on the pedigrees of its founding team, whose résumés include Tokyo’s influential Bar Trench as well as New York favorites Bar Moga and Morimoto.

New York doesn’t exactly lack for immersive theater these days but, even by downtown standards, North Star sounds ambitious. Landing at Irish Arts Center from June 3–21 and created and directed by Kwame Daniels, the North American premiere turns a 19th-century transatlantic journey into a full-bodied, standing-room performance that blends live music, spoken word and a chorus of voices spanning generations and continents.

The show is an exploration of and response to abolitionist Frederick Douglass' journey to Belfast in 1845, shortly after publishing his first autobiography, in part to avoid the threat of re-enslavement. His time in Belfast proved transformative for both him and the city; he found an unlikely sense of belonging there, declaring he would “always have a home” in the city, which formed the Belfast Ladies Anti-Slavery Association after his visit. North Star takes those weeks and refracts it through a contemporary lens, asking what it means—then and now—for a place to open itself to outsiders and new ideas.

Your summer concert calendar just got busier. Following SummerStage’s recent lineup drop, BRIC Arts Media has unveiled the 2026 lineup for its 47th season of Celebrate Brooklyn!. Returning to the iconic Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park from June 4 to September 19, this year's festival revolves around a theme of “Radical Joy” with a multi-generational, genre-defying roster that's also one of the most women-forward lineups in the festival's history.

The season kicks off on Thursday, June 4, with a high-energy launch party led by the “Queen of Percussion” herself, Sheila E., alongside Leon Knight and Brooklyn’s own DJ Spinna. From there, the schedule remains relentlessly "funk-forward."

Highlights include an all-star tribute to Aaliyah celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Brooklyn-born icon’s One in a Million, a Juneteenth celebration with Infinity Song, Americana Night featuring Yola, Dominican Night and the return of the Habibi Festival.

While the vast majority of the 15-show slate is free, the festival includes three ticketed benefit concerts that support BRIC’s year-round work. These include Patti LaBelle on June 26, Royel Otis on July 18 and Liz Phair & Sleater-Kinney on September 19.

HAGS, New York City’s acclaimed, queer-owned culinary gem, has announced the return of its popular Pay-What-You-Can Farm Dinner Series for the summer. Beginning this Wednesday, June 3, the tiny but mighty restaurant will open its doors every Wednesday evening for a five-course prix fixe experience featuring produce fresh from the farmers market and offered on a pay-what-you-can basis.

Returning for its second year, this mid-summer series celebrates the peak of New York’s produce season. Every Wednesday morning, Chef Telly and her team head to the Union Square Greenmarket to source fresh ingredients. The five-course menu is conceptualized and written day-of, shaped entirely by what they've found at the market. Dinners are completely unique from week to week, featuring a menu separate from their standard nightly offerings. Both omnivore and vegan/gluten-free options are available.

To complement the evolving plates, Camille Lindsley and the beverage team have curated a fixed-price beverage experience featuring thoughtful wine pours designed to elevate the day’s harvest. 

While the meal carries a suggested price of $100 per person, guests are invited to pay whatever they can, mirroring the restaurant’s successful Sunday brunch program.

MoMA gallops into summer with "Universal Westerns," a monthlong screening series running June 5–July 3 that traces the evolution of the Hollywood Western through classics, cult favorites and restored gems from the Universal archive. The lineup spans silent-era John Ford collaborations, Anthony Mann and James Stewart’s psychologically charged takes, Clint Eastwood vehicles and late-period revisionist elegies like The Hired Hand and The Beguiled. For film nerds and cowboy obsessives alike, it’s a rare chance to see the genre’s sweeping history unfold on the big screen.

The annual Astoria Park Carnival returns June 3–7, bringing five days of rides, games and classic fair food under the RFK Bridge. Hosted by Dreamland Amusements, the free-admission event will take over the corner of Hoyt Avenue North and 19th Street in Astoria Park with a Ferris wheel, thrill rides, carnival games and plenty of funnel cake, fried Oreos and other things you'd never eat except outside. Ride tickets start at $1.50 each, with multi-ticket packages available onsite. Hours vary by day, with late-night rides on Friday and Saturday. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Free yoga in Bryant Park is officially back for the summer, which means midtown office workers are once again about to spend their mornings attempting crow pose on the lawn surrounded by tourists.

The beloved free outdoor series, now entering its 23rd season, returns on May 27 and will run twice weekly through September 16, bringing hundreds of yoga mats to the heart of Manhattan all summer long.

This year’s edition of Bryant Park Yoga presented by Halara will once again offer completely free classes for all ages and skill levels, with sessions split between peaceful Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evening flows. Tuesday classes will take place at 10 am on the Upper Terrace, while Wednesday sessions will take place at 6 pm directly on the lawn.

The 128th Philippine Independence Day Parade and Philippines Fest will bring a massive celebration of Filipino culture to Midtown Manhattan on Sunday, June 7. The annual event transforms 267th Street between Madison and Park avenues into a lively street festival with more than 30 Filipino food and retail vendors, plus karaoke, line dancing, performances and appearances from Filipino celebrities. The parade itself marches down Madison Avenue from 38th Street to 27th Street, as part of what organizers call the largest Philippine Independence celebration outside of the Philippines.

Running from Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7, the lively local festival will see more than 60 acts from names like Lorde, Katseye, Stray Kids, Major Lazer, Wet Leg, A$AP Rocky, Japanese Breakfast and more. Festival-goers can also expect plenty of food and drink options and pop-ups.

This year, Governors Ball heads to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, where the main entrance will be located between the Unisphere and Astronaut Court. Gates open each day at 11:45am and close at 10pm.

Since its inception, The Oxtail Off has challenged chefs to compete for the ultimate bragging rights: Who makes the best oxtail? This simple question that started with a friendly backyard party in Los Angeles has turned into a full-blown bash, bringing people together for a day of fun, flavor and food. Now the viral cooking competition is going on the road, with stops in Atlanta, Chicago and right here in New York.

Mark your calendars: The Oxtail Off comes to Brooklyn on June 7. The inaugural New York event will bring together chefs behind some of our favorite local restaurants, bars and food trucks, all vying for the title of best in show. A panel of star talent will be the deciding vote, including rapper Jim Jones, podcaster Scottie Beam, singer Tosh Alexander, and more. In addition to a grand prize of $2,500, the winning chef will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Barbados, courtesy of Visit Barbados.

General admission tickets give access to the full event, which will also include live music, Caribbean performers and all the food you can handle. The upgraded VIP experience includes expedited entry, a free cocktail, access to the Taste of Barbados tasting experience and a line-up of exclusive tasters.

General admission tickets are $20 for presale, while VIP tickets are $85. Purchase your tickets here. 

Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival once again turns Jackson Heights into the city’s most joyfully unruly block party on Sunday, June 7. The second-oldest Pride march in New York City shuts down 37th Avenue between 89th and 75th Streets for a technicolor procession of floats, performers and community groups, before spilling into a street fair. Born from activism in 1993 and still rooted in visibility, it’s Pride with a distinctly Queens sensibility: deeply diverse, proudly local and gloriously alive.

Roosevelt Island Day is returning on Saturday, June 6, with an afternoon of family-friendly fun at Firefighters Field. Organized by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, the annual community celebration will feature games, inflatables, kids’ activities, music, food, giveaways and community booths from 11am to 3pm. (A rain date is scheduled for Sunday, June 7.) The event is free to attend and serves as a neighborhood-wide kickoff to summer on everyone's favorite tram destination.

A cherished New York City tradition returns to the heart of Manhattan thisweek. On Friday, May 22, The Public Theater officially kicks off its summer season of Free Shakespeare in the Park with the highly anticipated first preview of Romeo & Juliet.

Marking the first time the Bard’s ultimate tragedy has graced the Delacorte Theater stage in nearly 20 years, this production arrives with a revitalized energy. Directed by Saheem Ali, the staging offers a bold linguistic twist: while the warring world of the Montagues and Capulets operates in English, the star-crossed lovers share their private scenes in Spanish—a secret language reserved solely for their romance. Set in a border town where ideological violence spills into the streets, the production promises a visceral, contemporary resonance.

This year's season opener marks the grand reopening of the newly revitalized Delacorte Theater. To celebrate, The Public is hosting a massive kickoff event on Saturday, May 30, featuring family-friendly festivities, concessions, a pop-up from Wonder and meet-and-greets with the theater’s unofficial mascot, Romeo the Raccoon.

Summer in Midtown officially kicks off as Bryant Park Picnic Performances returns on May 28 with its biggest season yet. The beloved free series transforms the lawn into an open-air stage for almost four months of music, dance, opera and more, with highlights from New York City Opera and Carnegie Hall. With skyline views and a come-one-come-all vibe, it’s one of the city’s most democratic cultural pleasures: no tickets, no fuss, just world-class performance under the stars and subways conveniently nearby.

QC Spa New York is home to a lot of things, a new Italian-leaning restaurant and whimsical wellness rooms that include waterbeds and saunas across its 15,000-square-foot sprawl. But its location is part of what makes this spa so serene, as it gazes upon the beautiful skyline of Lower Manhattan. The best times to drink in the sights? Definitely at sunset to watch the fleeting orange and red sky fall over the city. Adding to the view, the Italian-born spa is setting the tone with a little DJ session. 

Starting on May 8, QC Spa New York is launching Sunset Sessions. The first of an ongoing DJ series, Sunset Sessions will bring a relaxed beach vibe to the spa. DJ Elektra will be playing sets at the spa's outdoor garden, making it easy to enjoy the music among the blooming florals or while soaking in one of the property's infinity pools. Leaning into its Amalfi Coast origins, guests can also take a complimentary scented paper fan, handcrafted and shipped from Italy, as a keepsake.

Sunset Sessions will be held from now until September 8. DJ sets start at 6pm; no ticket needed. Reserve your spot here. 

If your ideal summer involves campfires, sloppy joes and zero mosquito bites (or traffic), one of New York City’s most over-the-top rooftops has your perfect theme. Magic Hour Rooftop at the Moxy Times Square is transforming into Camp Magic Hour, turning the venue’s West Terrace into a summer camp-inspired playground overlooking the Empire State Building. Launching this season, the new look goes heavy on Adirondack chairs, vintage coolers and fire pits designed to channel the carefree energy of a summer not spent in a concrete jungle. 

The centerpiece is the rooftop’s carousel, now reconfigured as a giant lifeguard tower complete with nautical bunting, weathered life rings and lifeguard chairs. Guests entering the space will pass a wall of vintage camp patches, pennants and hats before heading out onto the terrace, where folding camp chairs surround a glowing fire pit beneath string lights and skyline views.

Psychedelia comes to the New York Botanical Garden with Flower Power, a groovy, garden-wide takeover celebrating blooms as symbols of peace, love and counterculture cool. Running May 23 through October 18, the exhibition mixes vibrant botanical displays with ’60s-era art, plus trippy installations, live music and after-hours light shows. Wander through technicolor plantings, spot photo ops and lean into the feel-good nostalgia—it’s part flower show, part time warp. And honestly, we could all use a little nature (and time travel) these days.

If you’ve ever wondered what haute couture might look like at the bottom of the ocean, inside a mushroom spore or on a distant alien planet, the Brooklyn Museum has an answer—and it involves bioluminescent algae, laser-cut dresses and a whole lot of 3D printing.

Opening on Sunday, May 16, “Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses” marks the North American debut of the Dutch designer’s sprawling retrospective, bringing more than 140 of her couture creations to Brooklyn along with contemporary art, scientific specimens, fossils, sound installations and immersive video works.

But honestly, calling these things “dresses” barely does them justice. Van Herpen has spent the past two decades becoming fashion’s reigning architect of the impossible, building garments that resemble frozen waterfalls, coral reefs, jellyfish and microscopic organisms more than anything you would traditionally see in Vogue. Her work mixes old-school couture craftsmanship with technologies like 3D printing, laser cutting and experimental biomaterials, often in partnership with scientists, architects and engineers.

After more than a decade of drawing crowds to Brooklyn waterfronts and Prospect Park’s lawns, Smorgasburg is finally heading somewhere a little more central. Starting on May 14, the city’s best-known open-air food market will set up shop at Columbus Circle, bringing craveable eats to the southwest corner of Central Park.

For anyone who’s ever schlepped to Brooklyn for a bao bun and a soft-serve moment, this is big. The new outpost will feature more than 25 vendors—though the exact lineup hasn’t dropped yet, expect the usual Smorgasburg formula: plenty of newcomers, cult-favorite regulars and dishes engineered to go viral.And here’s the twist: you won’t have to wait for the weekend. The Central Park edition will run Thursday through Saturday from 12 pm to 8 pm, turning what used to be a once-a-week pilgrimage into an office-lunch-break option. Entry is free, you pay per bite and the rest is up to you. But the real appeal might be the setting. Instead of jostling for picnic tables, you can take your haul straight into the park.

The expansion comes as Smorgasburg enters its 16th season, already operating in Williamsburg, Prospect Park and the World Trade Center. This year’s broader roster includes more than 70 vendors across all the locations, so the Central Park addition feels like a natural next step (and arguably its most high-profile yet).

The new market will run May 14 through September 19 at the Columbus Circle entrance on West 59th Street. Show up hungry, bring friends and maybe a blanket.

Radiohead fans, prepare to willingly walk into the anxiety spiral. A massive immersive Radiohead installation called Motion Picture House featuring KID A MNESIA has officially opened at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, turning part of the industrial waterfront into a haunting, dreamlike fever vision inspired by two of the band’s most beloved albums: Kid A and Amnesiac.

The limited-run experience takes over the Agger Fish Building through June 28 with towering projected visuals, unsettling soundscapes, cryptic monsters and distorted architecture, all accompanied by the emotional sensation of staring out a rainy train window.

The installation expands on KID A MNESIA, the acclaimed virtual exhibition originally released through Epic Games in 2021. That digital version was created during the pandemic as an interactive exploration of artwork that Thom Yorke and longtime Radiohead collaborator Stanley Donwood developed while making Kid A and Amnesiac.

But according to the band, this physical installation was always the real goal. Now, visitors can wander through the project in actual three-dimensional space, complete with galleries of large-scale artwork by Yorke and Donwood, plus a fully immersive audiovisual experience powered by a custom six-point surround sound system. The soundtrack draws directly from original Radiohead multitrack recordings specially remixed for the installation.

New York’s American Museum of Natural History is getting a serious dose of championship energy this spring. Opening May 15, “For The Win: Objects of Sports Excellence” will bring more than 70 glittering symbols of athletic glory—from Olympic medals to Super Bowl hardware—into the museum’s Melissa and Keith Meister Gallery, set inside the Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals.

Among other items, that means the Vince Lombardi Trophy itself will be on view. The sterling silver prize, which has been handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. since 1967 and awarded annually to the Super Bowl champions, anchors an exhibition that spans more than 15 sports and nearly 150 years of competition. The show aims to trace how trophies, rings and medals evolved alongside modern sports culture.

Catch free live music under the stars at the annual Summer Concerts at the Wells Fargo Stage at Hudson Yards. Running Wednesdays through June 3 in the Public Square and Gardens, the outdoor series features performances by Aly & AJ (May 13), Warren G (May 20), Busta Rhymes (May 27) and Jordin Sparks (June 3), plus opening acts each night. Doors open at 5pm, with concerts beginning at 6pm, making it one of the season’s best free midweek hangs in Manhattan.

A silent disco performs a pas de deux with contemporary ballet in this immersive Dumbo happening, where audiences don wireless headphones, tune into pre-recorded dialogue and wander through the action as choreography springs up around them. Inspired by La Ronde and framed by the Brooklyn waterfront, THE CIRCUIT begins at Superfine (126 Front St) and fuses dance, music and after-dark energy from May 15 through June 29.

12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Saturdays in May
Grand Bazaar NYC x Time Out Market Union Square

Get a taste of Grand Bazaar NYC at Time Out Market Union Square.

For Saturdays in May, discover a curated selection of NYC’s best independent vendors and tastemakers that make Grand Bazaar NYC one of the city’s most beloved shopping destinations.

Browse an eclectic mix of contemporary and vintage fashion, home décor, fine art, handmade goods, and one-of-a-kind finds inside Time Out Market Union Square. Designed as an intimate downtown shopping experience, the pop-up invites guests to explore thoughtfully curated vendors while surrounded by some of NYC’s best food and drink offerings under one roof.

More than a market, this collaboration blends shopping, culture, food, and community in the heart of Union Square. Spend the afternoon discovering emerging makers, unique treasures, standout local brands, and the unmistakable energy of New York City all in one place.

Come shop, sip, explore, and experience a new way to discover Grand Bazaar NYC at Time Out Market Union Square. ✨

Step into downtown Manhattan’s electrifying postwar art scene with “New York City Circa 1960,” a sprawling exhibition at Schoelkopf Gallery. Drawn from the collection of Robert A. Ellison Jr., the show gathers paintings and works on paper by 15 artists—including heavyweights like Elaine de Kooning, Bob Thompson and Milton Resnick—from the pivotal moment when abstraction, figuration and experimentation collided. Running through July 2, the free exhibit offers a vivid portrait of artistic camaraderie in midcentury New York.

Who says museums need walls? This summer, one of Brooklyn’s most charming cultural projects is hitting the road again inside a gleaming custom Airstream trailer.

The Brooklyn Museum has officially announced the return of Museum on Wheels, a roaming mobile arts initiative that brings free hands-on creative programming to neighborhoods across the borough from May through October. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a tiny traveling museum packed with art activities, storytelling, games and community events, all taking place out of a retrofitted silver trailer.

This year’s route includes a stop this Saturday during the Kite Festival at​ Brooklyn Bridge Park, along with editions in Fort Greene, Williamsburg, Kensington and beyond, with each event developed alongside local community groups and artists. The programming changes from stop to stop, but expect interactive art-making, games, storytelling and activities inspired by works in the museum’s collection.

It seems that New Yorkers just can’t get enough of Andy Warhol, and the Whitney Museum of American Art is leaning into that appetite. Running through October 19, the museum will debut "Andy Warhol: Family Album," a new exhibition featuring 732 Polaroid photographs taken between 1972 and 1973 of the famed artist, specifically focusing on his social and personal life.

The selection of Polaroids is drawn from one of six Holson albums—those vintage collections that were once ubiquitous—containing hundreds of prints that Warhol himself assembled as part of his personal archive. Considering that Warhol bought his first Polaroid camera in the mid-1960s, the display draws from an archive of thousands of photographs. This exhibition, in particular, will feature a wide range of shots, from friends visiting Warhol on Long Island to images of the artist’s dog, Archie, as well as photographs from European vacations, together encompassing Warhol’s eye for capturing everyday life as a way to document relationships and social interactions.

Just when you thought New York nightlife had hit its ceiling, it’s heading toward the top again—by about 1,100 feet.

Marquee Skydeck at Edge is officially back for its second season, starting May 1, turning the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere into a full-blown open-air nightclub. Set 100 stories above Hudson Yards, the 21+ series brings Tao Group Hospitality’s trademarks (read: big-name DJs, booming sound systems and a crowd ready to dance) to one of the city’s most vertigo-inducing settings.

If you went last year, you already know the deal. If you didn’t, picture this: you’re dancing to a world-class DJ while the Manhattan skyline stretches out in every direction, the Hudson River just below and the wind occasionally reminding you just how high up you are. This season’s lineup is stacked, with Lilya Mandre (May 22), Gareth Emery (May 23) and Antdot (May 29) on deck, according to the event calendar.

Sex and mortality share the spotlight (as usual) at Manhattan's Museum of Sex with The Life Force: Portraits from the Amparo & Manuel Foundation, running through November 30. The Mexico City–based Amparo & Manuel Foundation makes its U.S. debut with 45 works spanning painting, sculpture and photography, exploring desire, vulnerability and resilience. Expect big names (pieces by Tracey Emin, Lisa Yuskavage, Hernan Bas, Oh de Laval and Sarah Lucas will be on view, among others) as well as intimate moments and bodies under pressure in a show that insists intimacy is its own form of resistance.

New York’s outdoor food festival season is about to get a delicious jumpstart. JAPAN Fes, one of the city’s most beloved street food events, is returning this month to celebrate a major milestone: its 10th anniversary in New York City.

The festival officially launches its 2026 season on March 28 at Astor Place in the East Village, bringing dozens of Japanese food vendors to the streets for a full day of snacking, sipping and exploring. If you miss that first event, another festival will follow the very next day on March 29 on 40th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown.

If you’ve never been, imagine a block party devoted entirely to Japanese street food. Vendors serve everything from teriyaki chicken skewers and crispy karaage to onigiri, ramen, takoyaki and yakisoba. Sweet treats like matcha shaved ice and bubble tea also make frequent appearances, along with Japanese snacks, crafts and cultural booths.

MoMA PS1 just opened "Greater New York 2026," its sprawling, building-wide exhibition that doubles as a snapshot of what artists across the city are actually making right now. Running now through August 17, the show features 53 artists and collectives working across pretty much every medium you can think of.

This isn’t the type of show you can power through in 45 minutes, though. It takes over the entire museum with more than 150 works, including large-scale installations, new commissions, performances and pieces that, in many cases, have never been shown publicly before. There’s painting next to animation next to scenography next to something you’re not entirely sure how to categorize and that’s entirely the point.

There’s also a full slate of live programming. A performance series runs through May and June, featuring eight artists debuting new works, plus artist talks throughout the run. The best part? Admission is free, which makes this one of the most ambitious—and accessible—art shows in the city right now.

After a long winter of wistfully eyeing empty courts, pickleball is officially making its return to Central Park. Starting April 21, the iconic Wollman Rink will once again swap skates for paddles as CityPickle rolls back in for its fourth season, turning the space into a sprawling, 14-court pickleball hub right in the heart of the park.

The setup runs daily from 8 am to 9 pm through early fall, with programming that includes open play, clinics and private lessons for every level.

The courts can host hundreds of players each day and reservations open on a rolling basis one week in advance, meaning you’ll need to plan ahead if you’re hoping to snag a prime-time slot. One of the biggest draws remains the $5 community play sessions, which run for several hours each day and include complimentary paddle rentals, making it one of the more affordable ways to spend an afternoon in Central Park.

If your spring calendar is still looking a little… indoorsy so far, here’s a quick fix: take your movie night to the roof.

Rooftop Cinema Club has returned to midtown with a lineup focused on crowd-pleasers and date-night classics with just enough nostalgia. The concept is simple but effective: open-air (well, technically enclosed and heated for spring), skyline views, wireless headphones and a rotating schedule of films.

April’s theme, “Don’t judge a book by its movie,” brings a literary twist to the programming, with adaptations like Pride & Prejudice, The Great Gatsby (2013) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s anchoring the schedule. But if you’re less into period drama and more into emotional chaos or blockbuster escapism, there’s plenty of that too—The Notebook, Crazy Rich Asians and The Hunger Games are also in the lineup.

The cinema sits on the Skylawn rooftop of the Embassy Suites on West 37th Street, with views that stretch across midtown, including a peek at the Empire State Building if you time it right. It’s fully enclosed and heated for spring, so there’s no gambling with the weather and the whole thing is designed to feel more like a low-key lounge than a typical theater.

Step back in time at Before New York: A Traveling Pop-Up Exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden, where the city’s original landscape becomes the focus. This immersive display from ecologist Dr. Eric W. Sanderson and colleagues reconstructs the area as it was on September 12, 1609, just before Henry Hudson landed. Before New York explores the region’s original ecosystems and Indigenous histories, inviting visitors to imagine Manhattan as it once was: lush, wild and teeming with life. It’s a fascinating, thought-provoking complement to the Garden’s living collections and environmental mission.

New exhibit Little Birds and Our Daily Prayers brings 13 artists to Tribeca’s The Locker Room to investigate how queerness shapes and informs the everyday—if indeed it does. Running May 7–June 28, the group show spans artists aged 24–65 and is co-curated by Cameron Barker. The opening reception on May 7 (6–9pm) also marks the gallery’s first anniversary in its Church Street space.

Timed to the United States’ 250th anniversary, the American Folk Art Museum's Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States exhibition explores how vernacular art has shaped national identity. Using the museum’s collection, the show delves into the meanings of “folk,” “nation” and “patriotism” at the 2 Lincoln Square gallery. It offers a thought-provoking look at who is represented in American stories and how those stories change. The show runs April 10–September 13, then reopens October 8 and runs through February 28, 2027.

“Raphael: Sublime Poetry” will be on view through June 28, pulling more than 170 of the Renaissance star’s works from museums and collections around the world. The show follows the artist’s entire career, from early days in Urbino (where he was born in 1483 to a painter-poet father) to his rise in Florence, where his peers were Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, and finally to his years in Rome as the go-to artist for the papal court.

There are heavyweights—like “The Alba Madonna,” which is on loan from the National Gallery of Art, and the Louvre’s “Portrait of Baldassarre Castiglione,” considered one of the finest portraits of the High Renaissance—but the exhibition also sheds light on Raphael’s processes. Finished works are shown alongside preparatory drawings, sketches and studies, giving a glimpse into his obsessive dedication to composition, anatomy and emotion.

That behind-the-scenes angle runs throughout the show, which unfolds chronologically, weaving in themes like his approach to storytelling, his experiments across media (from chalk to tapestry) and his evolving depiction of women, including both idealized Madonnas and more complex figures.

For the first time in five decades, a retrospective spotlighting the radical modern works and revolutionary readymades of Marcel Duchamp is coming to North America and, more specifically, New York’s Museum of Modern Art. On view from April 12 to August 22 in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Marcel Duchamp will feature nearly 300 pieces spanning six decades and all mediums, from his Cubist masterpiece Nude Descending a Staircase (No. 2) to his “portable museum,” The Box in a Valise. 

What does American art look like right now? According to the 2026 Whitney Biennial: complicated. Opening on March 8 at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the exhibition gathers 56 artists navigating everything from AI belief systems to climate grief and geopolitical power.

Co-organized by Marcela Guerrero and Drew Sawyer, the exhibition spans most of the museum’s galleries and extends into performance and public programming. The curators resisted the urge to build the show around a tidy thesis. “Rather than coming to our research for the Biennial with a preconceived container, Marcela and I let our conversations with artists guide us,” Sawyer said during an official preview. 

The participant list reflects that breadth. In addition to artists working across 25 states, the Biennial includes artists from Afghanistan, Chile, Iraq, Okinawa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Vietnam—“places marked by the reach of U.S. power,” as the museum noted. The definition of “American art” here feels elastic and deliberately complicated.

Your new monthly ritual has arrived. Join us every third Saturday for a late-night soundtrack curated by Mike Medium of the Heavy Hitters and Hot 97, alongside special guest DJs bringing nonstop heat to the dance floor. Expect the best in hip-hop, R&B, reggaeton, throwback jams and more surprises throughout the night.

Sip on specialty cocktails courtesy of Patrón, vibe with the crowd and dance like it’s a Saturday in NYC done right. Whether you’re coming for the music, the cocktails or the energy, this is where Saturday night lives.

The Guggenheim's iconic spiral rotunda gets a colorful transformation courtesy the works of Geneva-born, New York-based artist Carol Bove, in the first museum survey of her sculptural pieces. Running from March 5 through August 2 and charting more than 25 years of work, the career-spanning show displays the wide range of her inventive practices, "from assemblages of paperback books and intimate paper collages to towering steel sculptures," per the museum. 

Two of Mexico's most beloved artistic and cultural icons—Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera—will be rightfully celebrated in a new MoMA exhibition presented in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera and its production of El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (May 14–June 5, 2026). On view from March 21 through September 12, 2026, the exhibit will showcase five paintings and a drawing by Kahlo and over a dozen works by Rivera pulled from MoMA's collection, in an elaborate installation designed by Jon Bausor, the set and co-costume designer of the opera.  Photographic portraits of the artists by the likes of Lola Álvarez Bravo and Leo Matiz will also be on view.

“He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model” brings a sprawling, handmade replica of New York City to the Museum of the City of New York, just steps from Central Park. The exhibition marks the first time the viral model, famously constructed by Queens-born truck driver Joe Macken, has been presented in New York City itself.

Macken began the project in 2004 and stuck with it for the next 21 years, quietly recreating the five boroughs by hand in his upstate New York home. Built from everyday materials like balsa wood, cardboard and glue, the finished model measures roughly 50 by 27 feet and is made up of more than 300 individual sections. It captures the city’s skyline, neighborhoods and landmarks with obsessive detail, from Midtown towers to outer-borough blocks.

The Brooklyn Museum has gotten a major dose of calm. Visitors can now enter a Tibetan Buddhist shrine room with ritual horns, butter lamps and the hum of chanting monks, courtesy of a long-term loan from the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art.

The Rubin Museum Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, one of the institution’s most beloved installations, will be on view inside the Brooklyn Museum’s Arts of Asia galleries as part of a six-year collaboration between the two museums. Entry is included with general admission, which the museum offers on a pay-what-you-wish basis. 

Let internet boyfriend Pedro Pascal be your guide on a tour of the universe. The famous actor is the narrator for a new space show at the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium titled Encounters in the Milky Way. 

Encounters in the Milky Way takes a 20-minute voyage through outer space with stunning visualizations of dazzling stars, constellations and planets. Stirring music complements Pascal's narration, and you'll even feel your seats move as if you could blast off to space yourself. 

If Da Vinci had the technology we do today, what would he have created?

That’s the question being asked at Mercer Labs’ newest exhibit, “Maestros and the Machines,” featuring sound by Timbaland. The exhibit investigates: what could’ve been created if past artists, musicians and geniuses had technology as we know it today.

The new exhibit, which showcases an immersive atmosphere with cutting-edge digital tools, soundscapes and more, is conceived and directed by artist and Mercer Labs founder Roy Nachum. (You might recognize Nachum’s name because he designed Rihanna’s Anti album cover.)

Sure, you can learn about the American Revolution in history books. Or you can experience it in real life—in the actual place where history was made—during this exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum in Lower Manhattan. 

The museum is set to debut “Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation” in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Find the exhibit inside Fraunces Tavern, a historic building that served as a meeting place for the Sons of Liberty, hosted Washington's farewell to his officers and even was hit by a cannonball during the Revolutionary War. 

As part of the nation's semiquincentennial (a.k.a. 250th) celebrations, Fraunces' exhibition will offer a chronological, multi-year experience telling the history of the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, with a distinctive focus on what occurred in New York State and the surrounding areas.

After a five-year closure, the Frick Collection is now open once again inside its historic Gilded Age mansion at 1 East 70th Street by Fifth Avenue.

Visitors will get to experience even more of the museum's extensive collection by stepping inside restored spaces on the first floor while also walking around a new roster of galleries on the mansion's second floor, open to the public for the very first time.

The second floor used to be the Frick family’s private living quarters, but later became staff meeting rooms and administrative offices. So yes, you’ll be able to walk into the original bedroom of Henry Clay Frick.

It's hard to imagine now in our globalized world, but many of the young American soldiers who headed onto massive ships like the USS Intrepid during World War II had never even seen the ocean before. They’d soon be navigating the Pacific, launching planes off of aircraft carriers and battling Axis enemies. 

Now, the stories of those military members are on display in a new permanent exhibit at the Intrepid Museum, the historic aircraft carrier docked along the Hudson River in Hell’s Kitchen, which served from 1943 to 1974. The new 10,000-square-foot exhibit includes 50 never-before-seen artifacts, crew member oral histories, videos and photos showcasing the ship's history.

Plus, you’ll get to see the museum’s newest WWII aircraft acquisition, a legendary fighter-bomber called the FG-1D Corsair. Planes just like it often flew off of Intrepid’s flight deck during the war.

Tucked away on Bridge Street in an old factory basement, this two-story playscape for kids and adults contains ample room for fun, including laser tag, mini-bowling and arcade games.

Laser tag games are comprised of three 10-15-minute matches, where you bob and weave around rustic columns and obstacles Area 53 has set up. Across an hour-and-a-half, you and your friends will be giggling and screaming as you "shoot" each other's guns to gain points. It's not for the faint of heart—running to avoid lasers is a workout, but a super fun one. Checking out its "After Dark" laser tag and mini-bowling for those 18+ on Thursday nights.

Area 53's mini-bowling allows for up to six people to knock down pins across 25 minutes and its arcade has traditional games, from basketball shooting games to racing games and claw machines. 

Blast off to another planet at INTER's new interstellar experience. Inside this Soho space, expect to see more than 10 immersive exhibits using light, sound and digital projection to transport you to another galaxy.

Walk through a mirrored hallway with moving light, then find yourself on an alien terrain. Stroll through a tunnel of bioluminescent flowers, bounce around in a netted space called “The Vortex,” and get swallowed by a black hole in an infinity mirrored room. All of it is certainly fodder for your Instagram feed.

But it’s not just about looking around. INTER asks you to … interact. There are multiple generative art installations that react in real-time, like donning a space suit in the interstellar research lab and forming new constellations via motion-tracking technology.

Some 4,500 years ago, ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid of Giza—the greatest pyramid the world had ever seen. Sure, you can read about this incredible civilization in history books, but you can now walk through their pyramid without ever leaving New York City. A new virtual reality experience called Horizon of Khufu offers a chance to travel miles away and back in time. 

You'll get a chance to wander around the pyramid, then look in awe at the intricate tombs of Pharaoh Khufu and the majestic Giza Necropolis. Eventually, you'll board a ship for a journey across the Nile, attend a mummification ceremony, and experience the somber occasion of King Khufu's final rites.

As the Revolutionary War came to a close, British Loyalists and soldiers evacuated the colonies in droves. But the evacuation was more complicated for Black Loyalists, some of whom joined the British cause in response to offers of freedom. 

In 1783, the new government formed a special committee to review the eligibility of some Black Loyalists to evacuate with the British Army, and that committee met at Fraunces Tavern in Lower Manhattan. A new permanent exhibit at the Fraunces Tavern Museum explores this important moment in history. 

The exhibition first opened last year, and officials are now moving it to a larger permanent gallery within the museum. The new space will offer a chance to include recent new discoveries of significant information concerning the identities of individuals participating in the Birch Trials and their inclusion in the Book of Negroes.

You may just miss Hell’s Kitchen’s latest lounge. Tucked away off 52nd Street and 8th Avenue, you’ll find a red light and a blue door marked with red graffiti of a martini and a piano. Once the light flicks on, duck inside to find the city’s latest piano bar and supper club. Follow the red light to So & So’s Piano Bar. A part of the Romer Hell’s Kitchen hotel, the piano bar and supper club is an ideal escape for locals and theater industry vets alike. Illuminated by stunning marquee lights, the stage will host up-and-coming local acts alongside Broadway legends, and has already been graced by Darren Criss and Noah Cyrus.

If you’re on Foodie-Tok, chances are that you’ve come across a video of The Lavaux, a romantic Swiss restaurant and wine bar in the West Village that has some of the best Swiss cheese offerings in the city. But recently, it’s gone viral on TikTok for its “Secret Message Party,” where they encourage strangers to send each other anonymous notes on Tuesday nights.

The note-passing party is the baby of general manager Christian Stemmer, who got the idea two years ago while traveling through his native Switzerland and ate at a restaurant where people were sending notes to other tables. He decided that something like that would probably do very well in New York, where most of us are starved for deeper human connection. “New Yorkers are all about new experiences,” Stemmer tells Time Out. 

Beautiful, buoyant, beguiling bubbles are back at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens. The beloved bubbles exhibit, which has been closed for five years, will return bigger, better and bubblier than ever.

The Big Bubble Experiment encourages kids of all ages to experiment and discover through the joy of playing with bubbles. That includes blowing, stretching, popping and looking closely to see what happens at each move. 

The exhibit features 10 stations, each one with different tools and methods for exploring bubble solution.

Eighty years ago, as World War II raged on, Danish citizens worked together to ferry 7,000 Jewish people to safety, keeping them out of concentration camps. 

Now, New York City’s Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is commemorating that anniversary, known as one of the most effective examples of mass resistance in modern history. "Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark," the museum’s first exhibition developed for elementary-age students, is now open.

The exhibit focuses on themes of separation, bravery and resilience to help children ages 9+ reflect on the dangers of prejudice and on their own potential for courageous collective action. 

On a typical visit to the Museum of Modern Art, crowds surround the most precious paintings, and it can be tough to squeeze your way in for a photo, let alone to admire the artwork’s brushstrokes. But now, thanks to these new exclusive tours by GetYourGuide, you can get in before the museum opens for a guided tour of amazing artwork. 

The new MoMA Before Hours Tour with Art Expert is now available. Tickets are on sale here for $99/person. Few New York City experiences compare to the absolute thrill of gazing at famed works of art uninterrupted for as long as you like.  

Find your latest read at The Free Black Women’s Library, a new free library in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, which also serves as a social art project, a reading room, a co-working space and a community gathering center. The library "celebrates the brilliance, diversity and imagination of Black women and Black non-binary authors." All 5,000 books in the library's collection are written by Black women and non-binary authors.

Here's how it works: Anybody can visit the space to read, work or hang out. If you want to take a book home, simply bring a book written by a Black woman or Black non-binary author, and you can trade. Whether you decide to bring the book back after you're done reading or keep it for your collection is up to you.

The library is currently open four days per week (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) at 226 Marcus Garvey Boulevard. In addition to offering a space to read or work, the library has also hosts a book club, art shows and workshops on topics like writing, drawing, poetry, painting and sewing. All are welcome. 

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings! 

An outdoor artwalk makes for a perfect fall activity, and there's no shortage of art to check out right now. Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit.

The New York Public Library dug through its expansive and centuries-spanning archive to stage an impressive free exhibition filled with cultural artifacts. "The Polonsky Exhibition of New York Public Library’s Treasures" spans 4,000 years of history and includes a wide range of history-making pieces, including the only surviving letter from Christoper Columbus announcing his “discovery” of the Americas to King Ferdinand’s court and the first Gutenberg Bible brought over to the Americas.

New treasures were just added to the exhibit this fall, including a signed, first edition copy of "Passing" by Nella Larsen, a selection of manuscript pages from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot, and a miniature early 19th-century Qur’an, produced in Turkey.

Swingers NoMad, a "crazy mini-golf course" and entertainment complex straight from London, offers three nine-hole golf courses across 23,000 square feet under 20-foot-high ceilings.

"Crazy golf" is a British spin on mini-golf, but it's for a 21-and-over audience since craft cocktails are served by caddies on the course. Take your pick from six cocktail bars with signature classic cocktails, as well as 12 cocktails created specifically for Swingers NoMad. Plus, you can rent private rooms, check out an opulent clubhouse and enjoy four gourmet street food vendors—Sauce Pizzeria, Miznon, Fonda and Mah Ze Dahr Bakery.

For the holiday season, Swingers is offering a fun twist on the festivities: Spin a Naughty-or-Nice Prize Wheel to decide whether you're ordering the "Naughty" Sex on the Green shot or the "Nice" Festive Dessert. In addition to the game, there's also seasonal decor and even more holiday drinks.

Join Josh Johnson (Comedy Central's The Daily Show), Lucas Connolly (Comedy Central), and Brittany Cardwell (Drule, New York Comedy Fest) for stacked lineups of top comics from NYC and beyond every Wednesday at 7:30pm. 

Plus you can enjoy free beer from 7:30 to 8pm and there's a pizza raffle if you RSVP. What's not to love? Show up to Two Boots Williamsburg for the show.

Descend into The Django (l2 6th Avenue, The Roxy Hotel, Cellar Level) and you’ll feel like you’ve entered another world. The subterranean jazz club, with its vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, was modeled after the boîtes of Paris. The venue consists of two cocktail bars, an open dining space, and a stage for live performances with a state-of-the-art sound system. The Django offers a full dinner menu and handcrafted cocktails, all partnered with a brilliant entertainment lineup. Check out the schedule here.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Date Nights" give visitors an opportunity to become acquainted with artwork with informal drop-in gallery chats, listen in on gorgeous live music and sip on yummy cocktails.

"Date Nights" are held every Friday and Saturday night in the American Wing Café from 5pm to 9pm. Make it a night out with The Met's buy-one-get-one drink special and snack on light bites in the American Wing Café. More details can be found at metmuseum.org/datenight. 

There's literally no excuse not to go—the date nights come with museum admission, which is always pay-what-you-wish for New York State residents and NY, NJ, and CT students with valid ID. And this time, advance tickets are not required. 

The luxurious Italian wellness spa QC NY has opened to the public, bringing the elegance and rejuvenation of a European spa to Governors Island, but with New York City flavor. It's immediately clear when you enter the spa that it was made to feel like home. From its cozy reception area decorated with custom-made furniture from Italy to its welcoming relaxation spaces with plush leather chairs and massive pillows you can sprawl out on, it feels like you're staying at a retreat with New York Harbor views. Since it's on the edge of the island, a short walk from Soissons Landing, looking out the windows offers gorgeous blue water views and glimpses of the city skyline. Because of its layout, the spa feels secluded from the rest of the island. Click through to read more about the new spa.

A new audio tour by the Brooklyn Public Library seeks to explore the lives of the characters and authors that call the borough home in fiction and in real life. From Patti Smith to Biggie Smalls, Howard Zinn to Tanwi Nandini Islam, the guide covers a total of 16 writers over eight miles of Brooklyn. You can also expect to stop at important public libraries the likes of Washington Irving and Clinton Hill, which, according to an official press release, "played an important role in the lives of the featured author[s]." Expect the entire tour, which can virtually start off from anywhere in Brooklyn, to take at least two hours to complete, depending on how many stops you wish to make along the way.

The sun will come out—eventually! Our guide to spring in NYC details flower shows, outdoor fests and cultural musts.

Want to know what’s happening in New York today, this weekend or in the coming months? Use our NYC events calendar for 2025 as your guide to find the best things to do around town.