The best things to do for Easter in NYC

The annual Easter Parade is perhaps the most democratic of all NYC's parades, in that anyone can join the promenade. That's right: You don't have to register or get a sponsor or have a float to join the throngs marching up Fifth Avenue between 49th and 57th Streets on Sunday, April 5. Running from 10am to 4pm, the event offers plenty of chances to enjoy the festive hats, decorations and all-around springtime vibes. So grab your best pastels and your largest hat and join the crowd!

Brunch is competitive in New York City any time of year, and interest ticks up even higher on holidays. On Easter Sunday in particular, which falls on April 5 this year, demand for mimosas, bloody Marys, eggs Benedict and all manner of pancakes soars higher than rooftop bars.

It's a good time to plan ahead, is all, and these restaurants are receiving some of the best Easter brunch offerings in NYC this year. 

For a week leading up to Easter, those looking for a little holiday magic can stop in on the ground floor of Macy's Herald Square to mix and mingle with a cast of colorful characters, including Benny, Macy’s in-house Easter Bunny, and friend Gardener Milo amid an environment conjured out of puppetry, theatrical flair and a little of that beloved Macy's magic. Kid-friendly character meet-and-greets will happen on March 9 through April 2 from noon to 7pm, April 3 from 1pm to 8pm, and April 5 from 10am to 8pm. (Note: Macy's Herald Square will be closed on Easter Sunday.)

The Easter fun lasts all week during the East Midtown Easter Egg Hunt. From Saturday, March 28 to Saturday, April 4, kids under 12 can visit businesses throughout the East Midtown area to hunt for Easter eggs. 

How it works: Each participating business will have candy-stuffed eggs hidden at their location beginning Saturday, March 28, for kids to look for on a first-come, first-served basis. Each location will also have one golden egg hidden, which is redeemable for an extra special prize for the hunter and their parents. To make sure kids all over the city have the chance to participate all week long, children are kindly asked to hunt one egg per location.

The event is hosted for the fourth year by the East Midtown Partnership, a business improvement district. Here's the full list of participating businesses.

Take the stress out of planning Easter festivities by hopping over to the Marriott Marquis for their annual Easter brunch, with breathtaking views of Times Square below. In addition to the bountiful brunch spread (think waffle stations, raw-bar items and the like), families can look forward to live music, Easter Bunny photo ops and Times Square's largest indoor Easter egg hunt. Meals start at $49.50 for children and $99 for adults; alcohol is not included. Easter egg hunts are held at 11am, 12:45pm and 2:30pm.

Orchids aren’t supposed to feel gritty. They’re usually framed as precious, tropical and politely removed from real life. But the New York Botanical Garden’s annual orchid show flips that idea on its head, then plops it onto a city stoop, a bodega, scaffolding, a subway station and more.

Running through April 26, “The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle” has transformed the garden's Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a bloom-laden remix of the city itself. Imagine taxis dripping in orchids, fire hydrants flowering over and everyday street scenes electrified by thousands of plants from around the world. 

Educational signage throughout the conservatory breaks down orchid diversity, hybridization and care—explaining why some cling to trees, others grow in the ground and how breeders create the wild color combinations on display. (Fun fact: blue is still elusive.) It’s a rare exhibition that works equally well as eye candy and a crash course in plant obsession.

For visitors who want a little nightlife with their botany, Orchid Nights return on select evenings starting March 21, transforming the conservatory into what NYBG calls the “lushest bar in town,” complete with music, dancing and cocktails surrounded by blooms.

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 later this month to celebrate a major milestone: its 10th anniversary in New York City.

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.

The Big Umbrella Festival at Lincoln Center returns with another year of programming aimed at neurodiverse audiences of all ages, from babies to adults. From immersive productions that take audiences on a journey to Antarctica to an ASL Baby Slam aimed at promoting language acquisition, the festival is teeming with events that welcome audiences across the Lincoln Center campus from April 10 through 26. Most shows are pay-what-you-wish, so families can feel free to map out their own singular experience.