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.
West Indian American Day Parade and Festivities
Junior Carnival: Saturday, Sept. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
J’Ouvert: Monday, Sept. 7 from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Parade: Monday, Sept. 7 starting at 11 a.m.
Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
More information here
On Saturday, the Junior Carnival at the Brooklyn Museum features music, dancing, school giveaways and, of course, the children’s parade. Kids will don pint-sized versions of the Caribbean-inspired costumes that are one of the main attractions of the adult parade.
At 6 a.m. on Monday, J’Ouvert — French for “day break” — begins and signals a start to the festivities of Carnival.
It all culminates in the West Indian American Day Parade, an annual Brooklyn staple, featuring representatives of all Caribbean nations dressed in vibrant costumes dancing to the cultural music of the region. The city estimates 1 million people watch the event as vendors sell food, art and souvenirs of the island region.
Street closures can be found here.
(AP Photo)
Snoopy in Style NYC
Open daily though Sept. 26
25 Little West 12th Street, Manhattan
More information here
The Charles M. Schulz Museum, named for the famed creator of “Peanuts,” has curated what it says is a collection of “one-of-a-kind Snoopy and Woodstock plush dolls dressed in custom designer creations.”
The installations seek to celebrate the iconic characters through the lens of fashion, and also feature rare archival pieces that highlight Schulz’ legacy and impact on pop culture, fashion, sports and music.
The Art of Tea
Saturday, Sept. 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Pleasant Village Community Garden, Manhattan
More information here
New Yorkers are invited learn about the medicinal properties of tea and discover how it can help you “be in the here and now.”
Culturally and historically, Chinese tea is an extension of Chinese medicine, with each season, time of day and person having a “ruling element.” The garden group will show how to use those elements to support both mental and physical wellness.
9/5 🫖Discover the art and beauty of Chinese tea and what it means to support your journey through health:https://t.co/dYa7GxJoSp
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) September 3, 2026
50 Years of the Ukrainian Museum
“A Living Canvas” exhibition on display through Nov. 8
The Ukrainian Museum, Manhattan
More information here
The Ukrainian Museum in the East Village is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new exhibit and a number of free public events.
“A Living Canvas” looks back at the past 50 years of the museum’s history and pays tribute to the museum’s collection through recent acquisitions. The exhibition chose not to focus on the ongoing war, and instead convey the “luminosity and generous spirit of Ukrainian culture.”
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
Meet Daniel Tiger at the Bronx Zoo
Open through Sept. 7
Bronx Zoo
More information here
This is the last weekend families can step into the world of “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” at the Bronx Zoo, with activities inspired by the popular children’s show.
Kids can explore a life-sized, accessible Trolley, make music at a replica of the neighborhood’s music wall, learn about zoo workers and compare themselves with wildlife. Children can also hop like frogs and spread their feathers like peacocks while exploring the “Land of Make-Believe.”
Sotheby’s ‘Botero in New York’ Exhibit
Open through Sept. 7
Sotheby’s Breuer Building
More information here
Presented at one of the “world’s most vibrant art capitals,” this is the last weekend for the exhibition that includes important works of art on loan from The Botero Foundation.
In addition, a collection of work featuring Fernando Botero’s voluminous, ironic figures will be available for sale.
Head to the Beach
Open through Sept. 13
Across the city
More information here
Beaches across the city will stay open through the weekend after Labor Day.
Lifeguards will be on duty every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Swimming is prohibited during their off-hours.
Mark your calendars: NYC beaches officially open for the season on May 23. Get ready for boardwalk walks, post-swim snacks, ocean breezes, and long summer days by the water! pic.twitter.com/VI7ZXboNL8
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) May 12, 2026
‘Self-Made: A Century of Inventing Artists’
Open through Sept. 13
American Folk Art Museum, Manhattan
More information here
This exhibit at the always-free American Folk Art Museum on the Upper West Side takes a look at how artists without formal training have depicted and defined themselves on their own terms.
There are 60 artists featured, with paintings, sculptures, photos and other forms, all on display. The selection showcases those who have worked outside the lineage of artistic networks.
(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!
Events through Sept. 19
Manhattan venues and Brooklyn Bowl
More information here
A slate of annual free performances at Prospect Park runs through the summer for the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! festival’s 47th season.
There will be 15 free shows and three benefit shows, all of which support Prospect Park. This year’s lineup includes Common, Patti LaBelle, Katie Yamasaki, Lady Wray, Victory Boyd, and Reggae with Wayne Wonder and Lila Iké.
(Courtesy Edwina Hay)
Open Streets in Queens
Sundays through Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Austin Street between 71st Avenue and 71st Road, Queens
More information here
Part of Austin Street in Forest Hills will be closed to traffic on Sunday, allowing New Yorkers to check out the crafts, games and outdoor activities set up in the open space.
The Department of Transportation says the aim of Open Streets is to “promote economic development, support schools, facilitate pedestrian and bike mobility, and provide new ways for New Yorkers to enjoy cultural programming and build community.”
Movies Under the Stars
Events through September
Across the city
More information here
Movies Under the Stars is back at NYC Parks. The city agency is putting on more than 150 family-friendly film screenings across the five boroughs.
Bring your own blanket, chairs and snacks and find a free event near you here.
Join us for a free flick near you! Bring your blankets to cozy up to one of our Movies Under the Stars across the five boroughs all summer long! pic.twitter.com/pkBmRu4COJ
— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) May 28, 2026
Smorgasburg
Thursdays and Fridays: World Trade Center
Saturdays: Marsha P. Johnson State Park, Williamsburg
Sundays: Prospect Park, Brooklyn
World Trade Center location open through September
Brooklyn locations open through October
More information here
The city’s annual warm weather food frenzy is back, and organizers say it features one of their biggest lineups yet.
More than 70 vendors offering global bites, longtime favorites and experimental new concepts will set up in Manhattan every Thursday and Friday, and then in Brooklyn every weekend.
If you can’t make it out to one of their sites, you can still enjoy dining al fresco at a restaurant near you, as the city’s roadway dining program has officially returned for the season.
Luna Park
Open for the season
Coney Island, Brooklyn
More information here
Luna Park in Coney Island is open for the season, with its full lineup of rides, treats and “high-flying excitement.”
Visitors can ride the iconic Cyclone roller coaster, play arcade games, get food or shop around.
‘Flower Power’ at NYBG
Open through Oct. 18
New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx
More information here
This recently-opened exhibit at New York Botanical Garden celebrates flowers as a cultural symbol of peace and love.
In addition to flowers, visitors can expect to see all things related to the “flower power” movement — like art and fashion from the ’60s, including works from Andy Warhol and Milton Glaser. There are also painted Volkswagen vans, giant peace signs and large hand-painted fabric canopies.
Plenty of activities are scattered throughout the exhibit, including friendship bracelet-making and ticketed liquid light shows with live bands.
Flower Power is a new exhibition at the New York Botanical Garden, opening May 23. (Spectrum News NY1)
‘Uptown Visions’
Open through Nov. 1
Hispanic Society Museum & Library, Manhattan
More information here
This year’s selection for the Hispanic Society Museum & Library’s “Art on Audubon Terrace” exhibit, “Uptown Visions” by Harlem-based painter Tom Sanford is meant to capture the “joy, rhythm, and layered experience of Uptown summer life.”
Featuring scenes of basketball, cart vendors and communal energy, the work was inspired by Joaquín Sorolla’s mural series, “Vision of Spain,” which depicted the people and customs of the country.
MoMI LAB
Now open
Museum of the Moving Image, Queens
More information here
Queens’ Museum of the Moving Image has opened a free new space for people to check out newly emerging technology.
The MoMI LAB is located in the museum’s lower level, and welcomes the public to “discover, create, and reflect in this space where people from varied backgrounds can interact with new technologies and each other.”
‘For the Win’
Now open
American Museum of Natural History
More information here
An exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History celebrates “the objects that define athletic greatness.”
There are more than 70 items covering over 150 years of sports history, including gold medals, trophies and championship rings.
New Museum
Open Tuesday to Sunday
235 Bowery, Manhattan
More information here
The New Museum in Manhattan reopened earlier this year following a 60,000-square-foot expansion. The new space features twice the gallery size, new elevators, new venues, an entrance plaza and an atrium staircase, among other additions.
Alongside several new commissions, “New Humans: Memories of the Future” will be the inaugural exhibition. The museum says it showcases “works by more than 200 artists, writers, scientists, architects, and filmmakers to explore how dramatic technological and societal changes have spurred new conceptions of what it means to be ‘human.’”