The best things to do for Easter in NYC

This parade is all about the hats—lavishly decorated, from the exquisite to the outlandish. Anyone is welcome to join, just show up near St. Patrick’s Cathedral at 10am on Easter Sunday to watch or saunter with the group up Fifth Avenue. The tradition dates back to the 1870s, so you might even see some participants in period costume. But the highlight is the elaborate bonnets, some of which are truly over-the-top. If you want to participate, put on your creative thinking cap and get started on your work of chapeaux art ASAP. Otherwise, the Easter Parade & Bonnet Festival makes for a fun start to Easter, after which you can head to one of the best brunches in the city for some springtime sustenance.

Freehand New York and Tony’s Chocolonely are teaming up this Easter Weekend to host a variety of chocolate-themed activities. On Sunday, April 17th, Freehand New York and Tony’s Chocolonely will throw a classic egg hunt and three hunters who find a special concealed Tony’s golden egg will win 100 bars of Tony’s Chocolonely chocolate bars and a 2-night stay at Freehand (during the week) at any of the U.S. Freehand properties before the end of the year. You don't need to wait until Sunday to grab some chocolate, though. Starting Saturday, all guests checking into Freehand will get a custom Freehand x Tony’s Chocolate bar and Tony’s Chocotruck will be parked outside the Freehand for all guests and the public to enjoy. Guests of all ages are welcome to attend Sunday's event, which includes 40-minute hunts at noon, 1pm and 2pm, with a golden egg hidden at each of these time slots.

This Wednesday, April 13 through Easter Sunday, April 17, SUMMIT will have holiday-inspired activities including an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt. In partnership with Hershey’s Chocolate World, each lucky winner will receive a small bag of assorted Easter candy, and there will be one Grand Prize Winner each day that receives a 5-pound World’s Largest Chocolate Bar as well. Specialty Easter food & beverage items will also be available at Après. 

Before that, on Thursday, guests can also enjoy some added entertainment with the SUMMIT Spring Series, featuring a live DJ and happy hour specials every Thursday night: $7 beer; $10 wine prosecco; $14 cocktails. Plus, SUMMIT’s new Spring Breaker Bundle is available for purchase for groups of 4 or more with $31 SUMMIT Experience tickets and $51 SUMMIT Ascent tickets, a savings of $8 per ticket.

Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace, an iconic West Hollywood roller rink that became a "mecca of uninhibited fun," will operate a new roller rink between April 15 through October. Head over for the first weekend of it!  The rink, which will be designed by Bureau Betak, will be smaller than the traditional ice rink at Rockefeller Center. Instead of keeping that size, it'll have space for the public to watch the skaters at rinkside from tables and chairs and from the Esplanades and Plaza on the upper level. The roller rink will come with a lot of fun too, including DJ sets, live music performances, concerts, roller boogie nights, food, a viewing deck and a store at the Channel Gardens that'll sell gear and merch from Flipper's.

Leave the kids at home for this adults-only party on April 16 with activities like an East Egg Roll, an Easter Egg Relay, Don't Spill the Beans, and yes, an Easter Egg Hunt. It'll be held at the Prospect Park Picnic House, so you can bring your own food or barbecue out.  It's just $22 to participate! 

Event Cruises NYC is hosting an Easter Cruise for parents and kids on April 16 & 17. Kids will be busy with an egg hunt on the first deck, games, arts and crafts, including Easter basket decorating, balloon animal-making and face painting, as well as a visit from the Easter Bunny. Adults will be privy to bottomless mimosas and there will be party food for all. Tickets begin at $59.

On April 16 from 10am to 1pm, Park Lane New York is hosting a Spring in the City event to celebrate Easter with a whimsical spring event featuring a farm-inspired petting zoo, pony ride, sweet treats, an egg hunt, donuts, Italian ice, cotton candy, face painting and prizes.  This event is free and open to the community for the first 250 people who register via RSVP to rsvp@parklanenewyork.com.

Join CMOM educators and artists for a weekend of "eggstravagant" artmaking and music on Saturday and Sunday, April 16 and 17. During CMOM’s Annual Easter Scavenger Hunt
Search, families will search for works of art by renowned contemporary artists with hidden eggs that will help decode a special message and help them win an Easter prize! Kids can also make their own Funny Bunny Ears and finger puppets, weave an Easter basket and enjoy live music from Joanie Leeds (2 and 3pm). CMOM is from 10am to 5pm with timed entry throughout the day. Visitors are encouraged to purchase timed-entry tickets online in advance. Admission is free for all members and $15 for non-members, and provides entry to all CMOM programs and exhibitions.

Head to Saint Albans Park in Jamaica for an afternoon of free Easter fun on Sunday, April 24, including face painting, egg decorating, arts & crafts, pony rides, bouncy house time, trackless train rides, karate, self-defense, cheer and gymnastics lessons for children and a relay race. There will also be a new spelling bee, a Double Dutch competition and a carrot cake eating contest, where winners get trophies, cash prizes, Roblox and Fortnite gift cards. Don't fill up before you go—there will be free food, drinks, cotton candy and popcorn. Magicians, a unicyclist and stilt walkers will be around for the party! There will, of course, be an egg hunt.

Hop on over with your kids to the 2nd Annual Easter Bunny Bonanza on Saturday, April 9, to take photos with the Easter Bunny, play in bounce houses, do an Easter Bunny scavenger hunt, take part in arts and crafts, pick from a candy bar and more. Local winery, Insieme Wines, will be onsite for a wine tasting experience for the adults. Tickets start at $15.

The Easter Bunny is hopping to the Bronx for an egg hunt with candy and cash prizes. Here, kids will get to take a photo with the big bun himself and get free snacks. It's $20 to participate.

Bateaux New York Easter Premier Plus Brunch Cruise: Celebrate Easter with a 2.5-hour Brunch cruise along the East and Hudson River onboard New York’s European-inspired, glass-enclosed vessel. Enjoy specialty wines, signature cocktails, a three-course, plated meal, and live entertainment to kick off the special morning. The boat will also offer unlimited mimosas for 21+ guests to help bring the magic of the season to life.

Signature Easter Brunch: Hop aboard the Spirit of New York, which will have a signature holiday buffet, classic cocktails, and New York’s most incredible views.

Bateaux New York Easter Premier Plus Dinner Cruise: While onboard, you will enjoy specialty wines, signature cocktails, a three-course, plated meal, and live entertainment.

New York Easter Signature Dinner Cruise: Enjoy a delicious dinner buffet with freshly prepared entrees, salads and desserts, and classic cocktails, while sailing down the Hudson and East River to onboard DJ entertainment.

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 17 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. 

The Rockaway Hotel + Spa will have face painting, an Easter egg hunt, family photos, and a visit from the Easter bunny on Easter Sunday as well as two buffet seatings at 11am and 1pm.  Stack your plate with items from the grand pastry station, charcuterie & bread, brunch selections, main dishes, carving stations, a pasta station, a salad bar, sides, and a sweets table. It's $60 per adult and $25 per child 12 and under.

Take part in a virtual egg hunt at Hudson Yards. The Easter Bunny has hidden 10 eggs throughout the area and by using your phone, you can find all the eggs! Just download the Membit app HERE and read each clue to find the hidden eggs. Hover your phone to align the images and click on the "HERE" button to reveal the egg. When you find all ten eggs, you'll get 15% off at Dylan's Candy Bar located on Level 4.