New York City is a multicultural hub with dozens of museums, hundreds of parks and millions of people. The number of potential things to see and do can feel overwhelming, but NY1 has you covered with some of the highlights taking place this weekend across the five boroughs.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Fall Harvest Festival
Oct. 25 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
More information here
The garden invites New Yorkers to celebrate fall “surrounded by some of Brooklyn’s most fabulous foliage.”
Organizers say there will be live music, pumpkin decorating and other family activities, with beer and cider available.
Pet Parades and Dog Costume Contests
Saturday, Oct. 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26
Across the city
There are several events for dog owners and dog lovers across the city to celebrate Halloween this weekend.
Elizabeth Street Garden hosts their 5th Annual Halloween Pet Parade, Washington Square Park hosts Dog Halloween, the Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest takes place at Fort Greene Park, Barktoberfest will be at Pier 57, Howl-O-Ween is another costume contest for dogs in Rockaway and Wags to Witches features activities for both dogs and their owners in Van Cortlandt Park.
(Spectrum News NY1/Rebecca Greenberg)
Children’s Museum Halloween Festival
Saturday, Oct. 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
More information here
There will be a variety of Halloween-themed activities at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan this weekend.
Attendees will have the chance to design their own costumes, explore a collaborative maze, make spooky art and take part in a scavenger hunt.
Trees Count 2025
Events through Nov. 2
Across the five boroughs
More information here
Held every 10 years, the Parks Department is asking for New Yorkers’ help in conducting New York City’s fourth tree census.
Organizers say no experience is necessary, as volunteers will be provided with a 20-minute training session on how to record the location, size, species and condition of each tree.
NYC Parks says the tree count is done to “understand our urban forest’s population characteristics and change over time.” They use the data to help manage and develop plans for the city’s trees.
What’s everyone staring at? 👀⬆️
Grab a tree ID guide and see what all the fuss is about while helping us gather crucial data about our green canopy at a Trees Count 2025 event!
Join a tree census crew near you: https://t.co/wvmExPdTCw pic.twitter.com/6LuWWedrH8
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) September 29, 2025
Queens Night Market
Saturday nights through Oct. 25
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
Free and open to the public. More information here
This is the last weekend of the year to hit the Queens Night Market, where up to 100 independent vendors sell everything from food to art and other merchandise.
Organizers say the open-air market is the city’s “first and most affordable” night market, with prices for all food at the event capped at $6. The variety of food available is said to reflect the diversity of Queens, known as “the world’s borough.”
(Spectrum News NY1)
‘Ascarium’ at New York Aquarium
Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 26
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
New York Aquarium, Brooklyn
More information here
The New York Aquarium in Coney Island is hosting Halloween-themed events this weekend.
Activities include “marine-themed magic shows, Halloween crafts, Wildlife Theater shows” and games, as well as the chance to learn why animals like piranhas, wolf eels, bat sea stars and spider crabs are not as spooky as you might think.
OktoberFest NYC
Saturday, Oct. 25 from noon to 1 a.m. and Sunday, Oct. 26 from noon to 11 p.m.
Watermark bar, Pier 15, Manhattan
More information here
Authentic German beer, brats and giant pretzels are all part of what organizers say is the city’s largest annual Oktoberfest celebration.
The 10,000-square-foot venue is adorned with Oktoberfest decorations, and those celebrating are sure to catch someone in a pair of lederhosen.
‘Trick-or-Streets’
Events through Oct. 31
Across the five boroughs
More information here
The city is turning its streets into festive, car-free spaces for the Halloween season as the fourth annual “Trick-or-Streets” initiative returns with a record 137 events planned across all five boroughs.
The program features live performances, Halloween- and harvest-themed activities, interactive shows and seasonal crafts in pedestrian plazas and Open Streets.
🎶🍭Candy, culture, and car-free streets!🚦
Trick-or-Streets 2025 is here!🎃Join us for Halloween fun, live performances, and safe spaces to gather across #NYCStreets all month long!
Details: https://t.co/GVfkn9SEIg pic.twitter.com/XUO5ic4etv
— NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) October 6, 2025
Queens County Farm ‘Amazing Maize Maze’
Corn maze open Saturdays & Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Nov. 2
Pumpkin patch open daily through Oct. 31
Queens County Farm, Queens
More information here
Queens County Farm is set up for the fall season. New Yorkers can find their perfect pumpkin in the patch and check out the farm’s “Amazing Maize Maze.”
Those up to the task will have to find clues as they attempt to navigate themselves out of a three-acre labyrinth. Tickets are required for entry.
🌽 Something is growing… and it’s not just corn. 🗺️
This fall, get lost in a legend. The pathways are carved, the riddles are written, and an adventure awaits you and your crew!
Will you find your way out of our famous 3-acre corn maze?https://t.co/vgKDVuqW02 pic.twitter.com/Oj10sRtVEp
— Queens Farm (@queensfarm) October 4, 2025
‘Van Gogh’s Flowers’ at NYBG
On display through Oct. 26
New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx
More information here
This is the last weekend to catch “Van Gogh’s Flowers” at the New York Botanical Garden, which allows visitors to “revel in the beauty of the flowers that inspired his iconic paintings.”
Featuring botanical displays and 3D sculptures from contemporary artists, the exhibit celebrates the legendary Dutch painter’s connection to the natural world.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger C
lark)
Smorgasburg
Weekly through Oct. 26
Saturdays at Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sundays in Prospect Park, Brooklyn
More information here
Saturday and Sunday are the final weekend of the year for Smorgasburg, an outdoor food bazaar with more than 60 vendors.
Offerings include tacos, cheesesteaks, barbecue, fish and chips, dumplings, coffee, snacks, desserts and more. For a full list of vendors, check here.
Movies Under the Stars
Events through Oct. 30
Various locations around the city
Find an event near you here
The city’s Parks Department hosts free film screenings throughout the five boroughs during the warmer months of the year.
From new releases to classics, there are a variety of options every weekend and some weeknights.
Movies Under the Stars showings are back in full swing! Head to your local park, pull up a picnic chair, and enjoy classics, family friendly films, and great new movies. See all of our upcoming screenings: https://t.co/7lac6k255V pic.twitter.com/brSwCX0rXo
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) May 10, 2024
Harvest Glow at the Bronx Zoo
Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Oct. 31
The Bronx Zoo
More information here
The Bronx Zoo is hosting a “family-friendly Halloween spectacular” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Oct. 31.
Activities include live pumpkin carving, games, an “animal-themed illuminated Jack O’Lantern Trail” and more. Tickets, which are required for attendees ages 3 and up, are available on the zoo’s website (and must be reserved in advance).
(Courtesy of the Wildlife Conservation Society)
Halloween Harvest at Luna Park
Open weekends and select days through Nov. 2
1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn
Ticket information here
At the largest amusement park in the city, visitors can enjoy rides and arcade games and peruse a variety of shops.
The park is open weekends and select days, though hours vary. Its “Halloween Harvest” celebration — which includes activities like trick-or-treating and pumpkin decorating — kicked off Sept. 19.
Ice Skating in Manhattan
Open through March 2026
Rockefeller Center, Manhattan
Wollman Rink, Central Park
Rockefeller tickets here
Wollman tickets here
Ice skating is open for the season at The Rink at Rockefeller Center and Wollman Rink in Central Park.
Rockefeller Center’s website calls it one of the city’s “quintessential winter activities.”
Skip the cabin fever. Take your family for a spin on The Rink at Rockefeller Center Presented by Chase Freedom. pic.twitter.com/CjDEpNSsCd
— Rockefeller Center (@rockcenternyc) February 28, 2025
‘Celebrating the Ultimate Workplace Comedy’
Open Wednesday to Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. until Nov. 16
Paley Center for Media, Manhattan
More information here
A new exhibit at the Paley Center for Media celebrates 20 years of “The Office” with iconic props and costumes from the series, including Dwight’s suit from the finale and a screenplay of “Threat Level: Midnight.”
The display also includes a look at the new series “The Paper,” set in the same universe as “The Office,” with the documentary crew’s focus now on the staff of a historic Midwestern newspaper.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties’
Now through Dec. 13
Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery, Manhattan
More information here
A new exhibition at the Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery on the Upper East Side is showcasing work from legends of the 1980s New York art scene.
“Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties” features pieces by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons and more — and admission is free.
The gallery is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘One Piece’ at Mercer Labs
Now through Nov. 30
Mercer Labs, 21 Dey St. in Manhattan
More information here
A new exhibit at the Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology in Lower Manhattan is celebrating the iconic “One Piece” anime franchise.
The exhibition, a collaboration between Mercer Labs and legendary Japanese animation studio Toei Animation, has 15 installations featuring various technology. Tickets are available online.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘Mission: Impossible – Story and Spectacle’
Open until Dec. 14
Museum of the Moving Image, Queens
More information and full lineup here
A new exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image takes a look at the artistry behind the action of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.
Each film in the series will have a section in the exhibition focused on its key stunt or action sequence. There’s also behind-the-scenes content including props, costumes and production materials.
💥Mission: Impossible—Story and Spectacle is now open.
Be among the first people to see the new exhibition at MoMI! https://t.co/PtU18ritAT pic.twitter.com/TRKKBLcEOQ
— Museum of the Moving Image (@MovingImageNYC) April 18, 2025
‘Jamaica/Jamaica’
Open through Dec. 20
King Manor Museum, Queens
More information here
A new exhibit at the King Manor Museum in Jamaica, Queens explores Jamaican heritage in the neighborhood.
Traditional Jamaican food, elaborate Carnival costumes and items from VP Records — a Caribbean music label based in the neighborhood — are just some of the cultural items on display.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
‘Urban Stomp’
Open through February 2026
Museum of the City of New York, Manhattan
More information here
An exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, “Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor,” guides visitors through a rich history of social dances born, shaped or popularized in the city.
There are around 30 video tutorials teaching the steps of dance styles like the foxtrot, Lindy Hop, salsa, hip-hop, breaking, hustle and vogue, with related cultural artifacts on display.
‘Encounters in the Milky Way’
Now open
American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan
More information here
“Encounters in the Milky Way” is a new show at the Hayden Planetarium that gives visitors a “front-row seat to spectacular moments in our solar system’s past and future.”
Narrated by Pedro Pascal, the show takes viewers through the paths of stars, comets and other interstellar debris. It’s part of the Rose Center for Earth and Space’s celebration of 25 years since its opening.
🚀A new Hayden Planetarium Space Show, narrated by Pedro Pascal, is opening June 9! In Encounters in the Milky Way, you’ll get a front-row seat to spectacular moments in our solar system’s past and future, including the paths of stars, comets, interstellar debris, and more. pic.twitter.com/jZtZLeaHFq
— American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH) May 20, 2025