Things to do on a Sunday in New York

Forget pricey tickets and velvet ropes—the circus is coming to town, and you won’t need to shell out a dime to see it. The brand-new Down to Earth Festival is set to turn New York City parks and plazas into open-air stages, with a lineup that mixes contemporary circus, high-wire thrills, opera installations and participatory dance. It all kicks off Friday, August 29, and runs through September 7.

Instead of exclusive venues, expect to see circus artists, dancers and musicians take over everyday corners of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens.

For far too long people have looked down upon the unicycle, ridiculing riders for how silly they look perched up high above a single wheel. It’s time that one-wheel lovers unite and take over the streets of New York! That’s just what the NYC Unicycle Festival is planning to do over Labor Day weekend.

To kick things off on Thursday, August 28, unicyclists will meet up in Battery Park and cruise up the West Side to Central Park. The next day, on Friday, August 29, Brooklyn Unicycle Day features a massive group ride over the Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island—more than 13 miles on one wheel.

As for Saturday, August 30, the festival’s main event will be held at Hudson River Park's Pier 76 in Manhattan. Activities include a learn-to-ride area, basketball competition games, demonstrations and more. The fun wraps up on Sunday, August 31, with more one-wheel adventuring in Hudson River Park.

The free, four-day event is presented by the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and features dozens of one-wheeled riders sure to turn heads. All ages are welcome to attend. Here's the full schedule.

Since 2017, the Bronx Night Market has been the longest-running event series in the Bronx. You can find it in Fordham Plaza on the last Saturday of each month through October. Among the 35 vendors you can find refreshing drinks from Aguas Frescas Tlaxcalita, smoked chorizo from Casallas Kitchen and grilled lobster tail from Keez 2 The Kitchen. 

Other activities include a pop-up bookstore curated by Bronx is Reading, which will host a bunch of literary activities for folks of all ages; a new general store filled with fresh products sourced locally called Fordham Farmers Market; Bronx Native's beloved Tiny Desk concert series; and a vegan bazaar that will promote the sort of healthy foods that the "traditional" market does not regularly pay attention to.

Dates for 2025 are: August 30, September 27, and October 25.

PlantCon is officially planting its roots in NYC. From August 30-31, plant lovers are invited to attend this annual convention in the Seaport.

With more than 150 local and international vendors, there will be plants and plant-related products galore. Stop by for beginner-friendly and rare plants or items such as honey, spices, ceramics, crochet and more. Also expect workshops, guest speakers and musical performances.

PlantCon is offering booths, plants, plant accessories, presentations, an exciting plant competition, silent auctions, tons of free giveways, kids activities, and free convention shirts to GA ticketholders. With a gorgeous opening reception, a live DJ set, PlantTok Ambassadors and a Plant Locker, this event is set to completely blossom. 

Find it at Pier 17, Level 4 (89 South Street).

Grab the fam and head to Historic Richmond Town, a preserved museum village dating from the late 17th century, for its annual county fair—this year marking 45 years of summer fun. The Richmond County Fair, running from August 30-September 1, combines classic fairground festivities with a unique touch of Staten Island history, including signature demonstrations of historical trades by costumed interpreters.

Play bingo, try a three-legged race, see aerial shows, be awed by stilt walkers, shop for local crafts, hear from storytellers and lots more. Plus, come hungry for fair fare like empanadas, lobster rolls, rice balls, funnel cakes and zeppoles.  

All the fun's for a good cause, as proceeds support Historic Richmond Town in its mission to preserve and share local history.

The Phantom of the Opera has ended its 35-year Broadway run, but you can't keep a masked man down for long. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical—adapted by the composer and Richard Stilgoe from Gaston Leroux's 1910 horror novel—is already somehow here again, and in a surprising new form. It's now an immersive experience, à la Sleep No More, in which audiences are led en masque through multiple locations in a complex designed to evoke the 19th-century Paris Opera House where soprano Christine Daaé is tutored and stalked by a serial killer who lives in the basement.

Six groups of 60 spectators at a time enter at staggered 15-minute intervals; each group gets its own Phantom and Christine, but the other roles are played by one to four actors each; to help sustain the atmosphere, audience members must wear black, white or silver cocktail or formal attire—and, hopefully, comfortable shoes. (Masks are provided for those who do not bring their own.) 

The British conjurer Jamie Allan (iMagician), a Houdini aficionado who has made his reputation by infusing newfangled technology and emotionally charged storyelling into old-school tricks, appears at New World Stages for a limited run. This latest showcase is directed by Jonathan Goodwin and co-created with Allan's longtime partner in illusions, Tommy Bond.

UCBLK, an all-Black variety show held at the Upright Citizens Brigade in the East Village, spotlights some of the best Black comedians in the city. 

Expect a mix of improv, sketch comedy, music and stand-up. Previous lineups have featured comedians whose credits include SNL, Don't Tell Comedy, Comedy Central, and more, so you know you're going to get some pretty funny people in the room. 

This month's edition, hosted on Saturday, August 30, will be hosted by Justin Catchens, Shem Pennant, and Dominique Kaplowitz. Speacial guests include Zach Cherry, Asha Ward, Sydney Duncan, Frankie Benz, Mike Poole, Joshua Stokes, and Chine Ikoro.

All-Asian, female-presenting cabaret group The Dynasties wants you to do more than just watch them dance. On August 31, the group's one-hour variety show New Asia is set to "both tantalize the audience and encourage reflection and confrontation of false narratives, boldly challenging stereotypes and dismantling the fetishization of Asian women," event organizers say. 

Taking place at Sleepwalk in Bushwick, The Dynasties have crafted their show around themes such as cultural pride and resistance. Their artistry aims to showcase empowered sensuality, cheeky comedy and unwavering dance ability.

The show stars Annika Wong, Emma Stricker, Manatsu Aminaga, Miku Hirayama, Tomo Ishikawa and Youlmae Kim and features Drag Queen Lady Celestina and her sidekick, Ji Jeon. Tickets are $50.