Hand-picked every week — checked against organizers’ own pages.
Stumblday's hand-checked ranking of the best things to do in NYC the weekend of Oct 2–4, 2026: 31 picks, refreshed weekly.
31 picks · checked Sep 28
Fort Washington Park (Little Red Lighthouse), Washington Heights, ManhattanBillie Grace Ward · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsClimb inside Manhattan's only remaining lighthouse, tucked beneath the George Washington Bridge, with Rangers, storytime and live music — free.
Fort Washington Park (Little Red Lighthouse), Washington Heights, ManhattanBillie Grace Ward · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsClimb inside Manhattan's only remaining lighthouse, tucked beneath the George Washington Bridge, with Rangers, storytime and live music — free.
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Ballet Hispánico, Upper West Side, ManhattanBallet Hispánico shuts West 89th for company dance, free kids' classes, Latin social dancing, a bounce house and taco trucks — all free.
Ballet Hispánico, Upper West Side, ManhattanBallet Hispánico shuts West 89th for company dance, free kids' classes, Latin social dancing, a bounce house and taco trucks — all free.
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New York Renaissance Faire at Sterling Forest, Tuxedo, Hudson ValleySixteen acres of Sterling Forest become a 16th-century village: three armored jousts a day, a living chess match, falconry and 100-plus artisans. A ShortLine bus runs from Port Authority straight to the gate.
New York Renaissance Faire at Sterling Forest, Tuxedo, Hudson ValleySixteen acres of Sterling Forest become a 16th-century village: three armored jousts a day, a living chess match, falconry and 100-plus artisans. A ShortLine bus runs from Port Authority straight to the gate.
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Bronx Zoo, Bronx Park, BronxA new hay maze, costume parades with stilt walkers and a pumpkin garden take over the Bronx Zoo — opening weekend, included with admission.
Bronx Zoo, Bronx Park, BronxA new hay maze, costume parades with stilt walkers and a pumpkin garden take over the Bronx Zoo — opening weekend, included with admission.
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Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Morningside Heights, ManhattanBring the dog to St. John the Divine: a service beneath Luke Jerram's 23-foot Gaia globe, then outdoor pet blessings for St. Francis's 800th. Free.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Morningside Heights, ManhattanBring the dog to St. John the Divine: a service beneath Luke Jerram's 23-foot Gaia globe, then outdoor pet blessings for St. Francis's 800th. Free.
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Randall's Island Park, Urban Farm & Fields 62/63, Randall's Island, ManhattanTdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsA pumpkin patch, seasonal cooking demos, face painting and hands-on nature stations fill Randall's Island's Urban Farm — free.
Randall's Island Park, Urban Farm & Fields 62/63, Randall's Island, ManhattanTdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsA pumpkin patch, seasonal cooking demos, face painting and hands-on nature stations fill Randall's Island's Urban Farm — free.
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New York Botanical Garden, Bedford Park, BronxMarigolds, a giant flower-covered Catrina and a community ofrenda take over NYBG, with son jarocho sets and papel picado workshops on weekends.
New York Botanical Garden, Bedford Park, BronxMarigolds, a giant flower-covered Catrina and a community ofrenda take over NYBG, with son jarocho sets and papel picado workshops on weekends.
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Fort Totten Park, Parade Grounds, Bayside, QueensA puppet show, performers and family games on the Parade Grounds of a Civil War–era fort on Little Neck Bay — free.
Fort Totten Park, Parade Grounds, Bayside, QueensA puppet show, performers and family games on the Parade Grounds of a Civil War–era fort on Little Neck Bay — free.
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DR2, Union Square, ManhattanSilver Dovelet · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsForty-five handcrafted puppets bring four Eric Carle books to life, from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, near Union Square.
DR2, Union Square, ManhattanSilver Dovelet · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsForty-five handcrafted puppets bring four Eric Carle books to life, from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Brown Bear, Brown Bear, near Union Square.
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St. George Theatre, St. George, Staten IslandHannahgoldstein at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsElmo and his Sesame Street friends sing and dance on the stage of St. George's gilded 1929 movie palace, a short walk from the ferry.
St. George Theatre, St. George, Staten IslandHannahgoldstein at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsElmo and his Sesame Street friends sing and dance on the stage of St. George's gilded 1929 movie palace, a short walk from the ferry.
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David Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, Lincoln Square, ManhattanTdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsTwo days of Portuguese dance, short films, literature and live music take over Lincoln Center's David Rubenstein Atrium.
David Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, Lincoln Square, ManhattanTdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsTwo days of Portuguese dance, short films, literature and live music take over Lincoln Center's David Rubenstein Atrium.
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218th Street and 131st Avenue, Laurelton, QueensSoutheast Queens closes 218th Street for a district-wide back-to-school parade that rolls into a seven-hour block festival.
218th Street and 131st Avenue, Laurelton, QueensSoutheast Queens closes 218th Street for a district-wide back-to-school parade that rolls into a seven-hour block festival.
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New World Stages - Stage 5, Hell's Kitchen, ManhattanSerge Sudeikin · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsIllusionist Jamie Allan mixes close-up magic with big-screen projections and tech-driven illusions in Amaze at New World Stages.
New World Stages - Stage 5, Hell's Kitchen, ManhattanSerge Sudeikin · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsIllusionist Jamie Allan mixes close-up magic with big-screen projections and tech-driven illusions in Amaze at New World Stages.
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Lyric Theatre, Theater District, ManhattanAjay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNineteen years after the books end, Albus Potter meddles with a Time-Turner in a play whose illusions are done live, in front of you.
Lyric Theatre, Theater District, ManhattanAjay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsNineteen years after the books end, Albus Potter meddles with a Time-Turner in a play whose illusions are done live, in front of you.
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The Museum of Modern Art, Midtown, ManhattanMoMA opens a century of animation from its own collection, from early hand-drawn cells to contemporary experiments.
The Museum of Modern Art, Midtown, ManhattanMoMA opens a century of animation from its own collection, from early hand-drawn cells to contemporary experiments.
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New York Aquarium, Coney Island, BrooklynFossilDS · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsCostume parades, magic shows, pumpkin sculptures and a scavenger hunt past piranhas and wolf eels take over the Coney Island aquarium.
New York Aquarium, Coney Island, BrooklynFossilDS · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsCostume parades, magic shows, pumpkin sculptures and a scavenger hunt past piranhas and wolf eels take over the Coney Island aquarium.
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HERO at Rockefeller Center, Midtown, ManhattanSeventeen art projects across eight light-and-sound rooms below Rockefeller Center — the immersive show's final stretch before it closes.
HERO at Rockefeller Center, Midtown, ManhattanSeventeen art projects across eight light-and-sound rooms below Rockefeller Center — the immersive show's final stretch before it closes.
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National Lighthouse Museum, St. George, Staten IslandLocal restaurants and fire departments battle in a people's-choice soup contest by the St. George ferry, with magic and live acts.
National Lighthouse Museum, St. George, Staten IslandLocal restaurants and fire departments battle in a people's-choice soup contest by the St. George ferry, with magic and live acts.
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Indian Field, Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn, BronxDanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCeltic and Americana tunes, bocce, face painting and ranger-led woodland walks on Van Cortlandt Park's Indian Field — free for families.
Indian Field, Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn, BronxDanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCeltic and Americana tunes, bocce, face painting and ranger-led woodland walks on Van Cortlandt Park's Indian Field — free for families.
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Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center, Lincoln Square, ManhattanEden, Janine and Jim · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Young People's Chorus of NYC joins visiting singers from Guangdong, China for an audience-interactive concert by the Lincoln Center fountain.
Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center, Lincoln Square, ManhattanEden, Janine and Jim · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsThe Young People's Chorus of NYC joins visiting singers from Guangdong, China for an audience-interactive concert by the Lincoln Center fountain.
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Queens County Farm Museum, Floral Park / Glen Oaks, QueensTdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSolve clues through three acres of towering corn to Victory Bridge in New York City's only corn maze, on a working Queens farm.
Queens County Farm Museum, Floral Park / Glen Oaks, QueensTdorante10 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSolve clues through three acres of towering corn to Victory Bridge in New York City's only corn maze, on a working Queens farm.
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New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center, ManhattanSpielberg's E.T. on the big screen for free at Lincoln Center's library, opened by a rare short pulled from NYPL's reserve film collection.
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Bruno Walter Auditorium, Lincoln Center, ManhattanSpielberg's E.T. on the big screen for free at Lincoln Center's library, opened by a rare short pulled from NYPL's reserve film collection.
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Fred Samuel Playground, Harlem, ManhattanAn animated goat crashes a pro league of fierce animals in 'Goat,' screening free in a Harlem playground as the outdoor movie season winds down.
Fred Samuel Playground, Harlem, ManhattanAn animated goat crashes a pro league of fierce animals in 'Goat,' screening free in a Harlem playground as the outdoor movie season winds down.
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Wave Hill, Riverdale, BronxGiant insect puppets made from hormone-therapy packaging turn Wave Hill's Sun Porch into a 'big bug' horror-movie insectarium, closing soon.
Wave Hill, Riverdale, BronxGiant insect puppets made from hormone-therapy packaging turn Wave Hill's Sun Porch into a 'big bug' horror-movie insectarium, closing soon.
Add to calendarBig weekends coming up — save them now, plan later.
