Things to do on a Sunday in New York

The best doggos from around the country are set to take over New York City for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, at which hundreds of dog owners and all types of breeds (including brand-new ones) are primped and prepped to compete in agility and obedience challenges and for the highly coveted title of "Best in Show." This is one of the best NYC events in February, where spectators can join in on the excitement (after they’ve visited some dog-friendly restaurants or pampered them at one of the best pet-friendly hotels). 

The Westminster Dog Show takes place on Saturday, January 31, Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Daytime breed juding sessions take place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from 8:30am to 4:30pm and evening sessions are located at Madison Sqare Garden from at 7:30pm on Monday and 7pm on Tuesday. 

Tickets range from $35-$126 and can be purchased at the Westminster Kennel Club website or through Ticketmaster.

New York City Restaurant Week is among the five boroughs’ best food holidays. Traditionally, New Yorkers (and a few lucky tourists) clear their dining schedules and make reservations at the city’s best special occasion spots, high-profile newcomers and all-time favorite restaurants for deals unseen the rest of the year. Hundreds of destinations participate citywide, with menu prices below their typical tabs. (This winter's price tiers are set at $30, $45 and $60 price tiers for two- and three-course specials during Restaurant Week Winter 2026.)

The campaign will run from Tuesday, January 20 to Thursday, February 12, 2026. That's nearly a month to choose from oodles of NYC classics and recent culinary additions. Don't feel like thumbing through 600-plus restaurants? Check out our top picks here.

On your way to the cottage, you might want to make a quick pit stop in Washington Square Park for sightseeing reasons, because February 1 sees a Heated Rivalry lookalike contest play out there.

That's right, this is your chance to encounter a genuine hockey hunk or as close as the laws of genetics and gym training allow. Starting at 2pm, the gentlemen who think they look like brooding Russian Ilya Rozanov (also known as Connor Storrie) or shy Shane Hollander (aka Hudson Williams) have the chance to make the crowd swoon. The prize ($50 in cash) is less an incentive than a cheeky wink at our parasocial relationship with both the characters and the actors, but it all boils down to Sunday in the park with hot men.

There’s no official judging panel or trophy, not even an erstwhile Stanley Cup. Instead, this is peak NYC participatory theatre. To RSVP, click here.

It’s a bonafide holiday for theatergoers when NYC Broadway Week rolls around. Broadway Week in NYC is a ticket deal offered twice a year by Broadway producers and the municipal marketing bureau New York City Tourism + Conventions. From January 20 through February 12 this year, it lets you buy two tickets to Broadway shows for the price of one—including the best Broadway shows and many Tony Award winners. The program is designed to stimulate sales during weeks when Broadway attendance traditionally dips, so everybody wins: The productions get full houses, and savvy audiences get cheap Broadway tickets.

The most popular shows sell out fast, so the earlier you buy your seats, the better chance you have of seeing your first choices. Visit the Broadway Week website to buy tickets and peruse the list of participating shows. Aim for 10am on the first day if you can, and make sure your accounts are up to date on Telecharge and Ticketmaster are up to date to make the process as fast as possible. You’ll need to use a special code to get the discount; the Broadway Week website has FAQ guidelines on exactly how to enter your discount code with each ticket vendor.

Don't expect Bryant Park to virtually shut down once the holidays are over—at least not this year. Post New Year's, the park is shifting into full-on winter Olympics mode as Bank of America Winter Village becomes a hub for Winter Olympics–inspired fun.

Bumper cars on ice return from January 9 through February 28, letting visitors bump, spin and slide across the rink in 10-minute sessions that feel more like a carnival ride than a traditional skate (plus you're already seated, so no embarrassing tumbles).

Aside from 2009’s Drag Me to Hell (one of the horror movies of the century so far,) and a stint spicing up the Marvelverse with some dark and freaky touches, Sam Raimi has been largely AWOL from the genre that made his name. 

Happily, Send Help is both a return to the world of horror and a major return to form for the Evil Dead man, who’s been waylaid with bland franchise fare in recent years. There’s nothing bland in his queasy funhouse ride, a table-turning death match set on a remote island. Or in the wild performances of Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The pair plugs into Raimi’s wavelength with increasingly unhinged commitment. 

In US theaters Fri Jan 30. Out in UK and Ireland cinemas Feb 5.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the CJ Hendry Flower Shop is popping up at Grand Central Terminal from February 1-15 for all of your bloom-buying needs this lovey-dovey season. Open from 10am to 6pm daily, the floral concept will fully focus on — what else? — roses (red and white, of course). All flowers are $10 but the tenth is yours free. And whether you're buying for a lover, a Galentine or simply as a self-care gift for you, don’t skip out on the free V-day flower carriers and ribbons. 

The Broadway production of Liberation, the acclaimed memory play by Tony Award nominee Bess Wohl, is offering a family-friendly twist on one of its upcoming performances: a special Broadway Babysitter matinee on Sunday, January 25, that includes free in-home childcare for select families.

In partnership with the Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts and Media and Broadway Babysitters, attending families can apply for up to five hours of complimentary childcare for up to three children, a rare incentive for Broadway audiences that aims to make seeing theater more accessible to parents. Requests must be submitted in advance via a dedicated form, with successful applicants alerted by confirmation email and given next steps for arranging care. Availability is extremely limited and interested theatergoers are encouraged to apply quickly for a shot at the spots. 

The Union Square Partnership (USP) is graciously adding some light and liveliness to the darkest time of the year with its new interactive art installation, "Patterned Behavior" by MASARY Studios, on view every evening (dusk to 10pm) from now through Tuesday, February 17. 

Located at Union Square Park’s North Plaza and Pavilion on 17th Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South, “Patterned Behavior” acts like an urban musical instrument, using architecture as a structure to “play” with sound production. Each evening’s illumination is shaped by the thousands of pedestrians that pass through Union Square every day, turning the footsteps and rhythms of passersby into a dynamic audio-visual composition with infrared sensors triggering synchronized light displays that depict how people come together in the area.

If you ever lost an afternoon chasing ghosts, the Paley Museum has your next field trip lined up. The midtown mainstay is celebrating one of gaming’s most beloved icons with a new exhibit, “45 Years of PAC-MAN,” opening Friday, January 16 and running through May 31.

The show traces how a simple yellow circle dreamed up in Japan in 1980 by designer Toru Iwatani grew into a global pop-culture heavyweight. From early arcade cabinets to living room consoles and far beyond, PAC-MAN redefined what video games could be, while still welcoming in first-time players.

At the exhibition, visitors can jump straight into the action with classic Pixel Bash arcade cabinets, competitive rounds of PAC-MAN Battle Royale Chompionship and newer titles like PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC. There’s also a chance to tackle what the museum bills as the world’s largest PAC-MAN.