(10/18-10/20) Looking for what to do in New York? We've got the latest on all the goings-on in NYC this weekend, from concerts to museum exhibitions to comedy to the best in city sightseeing. We're especially excited for Steely Dan at the Beacon, a Harvest Homecoming at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and a Halloween puppy parade at Tompkins Square Park!
THE BIG EVENT
(Weekends through 11/10 ) Circle Line's Bear Mountain Cruise is back! Take a cruise up the Hudson River on weekends to Bear Mountain State park, while enjoying the autumnal sights and our on-board Oktoberfest with live oom-pah music, and German food and beer (available for purchase). Bear Mountain State Park features 50+ hiking and biking trails, a stunning lake with paddle boats, a zoo, museum and The Bear Mountain Inn restaurant (reservations recommended!). There's a 30 minute walk up a winding path to access these facilities. Adults from $65+, kids 5-12, $52+.
PLUS
A scene from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.
(Ongoing) A new Metropolitan Opera season is underway, packed with opera’s most talented stars, performing across a wide range of repertoire. On October 19th and 23rd, Christine Goerke, one of opera’s most thrilling dramatic sopranos, reprises her fierce portrayal of the title princess in Turandot. The Met’s music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to conduct Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production of Giacomo Puccini’s final masterpiece. For the first time since the Met Opera’s inception in 1883, the Met will be offering Sunday matinees. This Sunday, October 20th, you’ll find Mark Morris’s spirited take on the ancient Orpheus myth, Orfeo ed Euridice. (The performance repeats on October 24th.) metopera.org
(10/15-10/19) The 13th annual 2019 HONK NYC! Festival runs from October 15 through October 19 at a variety of venues in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The international brass band celebration delivers the tradition of global street band music to audiences in parks, clubs, radio stations, and more. HONK NYC! highlights local, national, and international musicians and ensembles who redefine brass and percussion music and parade culture. honknyc.com
(Through 10/20) Enjoy the rye resurgence at the second annual New York Rye Week. Look for beer and rye whiskey tastings all around town with plenty of happy hour action thrown in.
(10/20) The Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. Pooches let their alter-egos shine, putting on some of the cutest and most creative costumes you've ever seen at the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. CNN calls it "the largest dog costume parade in the world” with hundreds of dogs in costumes and thousands of spectators. The London Guardian says “It’s Barkin’ Mad.” This year's parade contestants will be competing for thousands of dollars in prizes. East River Park Amphitheater located along side the FDR at Grand Street in East River Park. 11am-3pm. FREE. No need to pre-register your pet!
(10/20) Harvest Homecoming at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Discover an old-school fall foliage festival in the heart of Brooklyn—complete with hay rides, lawn games, Brussels sprout bowling, and more! Kids will have a chance to debut their Halloween costumes in a children’s parade winding through the Garden. Local kombucha brewers will join cider makers in celebrating their shared love of fermentation, offering both hard and soft cider as well as tastings and demonstrations, and a farmer's market will feature heritage apples from local orchards. 11am-5pm.
(10/18-10/20, 10/25-10/27) Empire Outlets presents a Spotlight Repertory Theatre production of Newsies, The Musical, in its Empire Theater on the waterfront. Get tickets here.
(10/20) Every Sunday on the Upper West Side you can check out Grand Bazaar NYC, the city’s largest curated market—and most distinctive! This Sunday you’ll also find the Artisanal Sweet Treats Bazaar. Find experimental donuts, handmade macaroons, small-batch fudge, fresh-baked cupcakes, and mouthwatering chocolates, all in addition to great wares from local vendors and makers. 10am-5:20pm. grandbazaarnyc.org
EXHIBITION OF THE WEEK
JR (French, born 1983). The Chronicles of New York City, 2018–19 (detail). © JR-ART.NET.
(Ongoing) JR is a consummate 21st-century artist. As a young man, he began taking pictures of his fellow street-artist friends and posting them around his native France. Later, his photography projects expanded in scope and deepened in tone without losing their populist flair. Now, this celebrated artist will receive the first major North American retrospective of his work, JR: Chronicles at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition, named after the artist’s new mural of New York City, debuted October 4. The mural itself, The Chronicles of New York City, portrays over one thousand New Yorkers that the artist interviewed and photographed in summer of 2018.
(Ongoing) Tickets now on sale for the return of the Museum of Ice Cream.
Dinner and cake in Intrepid’s wardroom in October 1944. Photo from National Archives and Records Administration.
(New!) Making a beautiful cake is pretty challenging, but what if you had to make it on a navy ship? The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum’s new exhibition, Navy Cakes: A Slice of History, explores the history of naval personnel and their incredible cakes.
Installation View: Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Photo: David Heald. © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
(Ongoing) For the first time in its history, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has invited artists to serve as curators, creating Artistic License: Six Takes on the Guggenheim Collection. Drawing on the institution’s vast collection of fine art, the show is a fitting complement to the 60th anniversary of the Guggenheim’s iconic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home. The six artists are Cai Guo-Qiang, Paul Chan, Jenny Holzer, Julie Mehretu, Richard Prince, and Carrie Mae Weems, all major figures in the contemporary art world.
(Now-1/3/20) The most significant site of the Holocaust, Auschwitz was not a single entity, but a complex of 48 concentration, forced labor, and extermination camps, at which 1 million Jews—and tens of thousands of others—were murdered. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., a new exhibition at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, explores the legacy of history’s deadliest mass murder site. More than 700 original objects and 400 photographs are on display, many for the first time in North America. Among the artifacts: personal possessions, fragments of a barrack, a gas mask used by the SS, and an original German-made Model 2 freight wagon used for the deportation of Jews to the ghettos and extermination camps in occupied Poland. 36 Battery Pl. (1st Pl.), 646-437-4202,;mjhnyc.org
(Ongoing) You can experience the world of history’s most famous spy at Driven: 007 x SPYSCAPE, a new exhibition inside New York’s spy museum, SPYSCAPE. This immersive exhibition brings you into the Bond universe with sets, props, and insights about the creation of the ageless secret agent. Among the highlights: an Aston Martin DB5, the lab of Quartermaster (or Q), M16’s gadget master, concept art from Oscar-winning production designer Sir Ken Adams, and an exploration of 2012 Bond film Skyfall’s unforgettable final scene.
COMEDY
(10/17-10/19) Michael Rapaport at Gotham Comedy Club.
(10/18-10/19) Ismo at Gotham Comedy Club, with Angelo Lozada and more.
(Ongoing) See great new comedic talent daily at the LOL Times Square Comedy Club. Use this coupon and get half off admission!
Click here for more "Comedy Shows in NYC This Weekend."
KIDS
(Now-2/2/20) Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park is back, and while it's still appealing for kids, it's gotten a makeover, making a concerted effort to appeal to young and old alike, with a selection of high end cocktails now on sale, a VIP tent, new performers, and more. bigapplecircus.com
PLUS
Alexa Hoyer.
(10/19) Enjoy a waterfront Harvest Festival with fall-themed festivities at the Pier 6 Lawns in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Family activities include story time, square dancing, and face painting.
(Now-11/3) Kids of all ages will want to check out the new Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari. It's the biggest, most realistic dinosaur safari ride in America. Travel back in time on a guided tour to learn about dinos of the past and descendent animals of the present. The experience will take riders through 2 acres of woods, in which they will meet animatronic dinosaurs, including two 40-foot-long T. rexes, a 60-foot-long herbivore called Omeisaurus, and the Spinosaurus, one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to ever exist. For even more kids activities, and to learn more about the brand new Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari, check out our sister site nymetroparents.com!
(Now-Nov. 30) Just extended! Color Factory, a massive interactive art space, began in August 2017 in San Francisco. Wildly popular, the project has set up shop in SoHo and is sure to inspire lines as long as the cronut did at nearby Dominique Ansel Bakery. Designed by a wide spectrum of artists, Color Factory walks visitors through 16 rooms devoted to the wonder of color. You’re invited to compliment someone using color words, discover your signature color, and read wishes for the world written by NYC school children on varicolored balloons. Each room is equipped with a camera that can take a picture of you and send it to your phone: the better to post with! 251 Spring St., support@colorfactory.co,colorfactory.co, @colorfactoryco
(Ongoing) “Here Be Dragons,” a new interactive scavenger hunt in the American Museum of Natural History offered by Fable & Lark: Storied Adventures, draws from the menageries of creatures in both Fantastic Beasts and Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald. Participants will explore galleries throughout the museum as they answer questions, solve clues, engage in creative activities, and track down the origins of some of the creatures from both the Fantastic Beasts stories as well as other classic myths and tales. Grab your nifflers and join! Advance registration required. fableandlark.com
Updated! Read about more Instagrammable pop-up exhibits in NYC here.
(Ongoing) Exhilarating Family Fun at Stomp NYC. Special discount packages available!
Click here for more "Things to Do with Kids in NYC This Weekend."
For more kids activities, check out our sister site nymetroparents.com!
SIGHTSEEING
Bring a loved one to take in the breathtaking view at Top of the Rock.
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(New!) Madame Tussauds New York Presents Broadway. Take a magical journey starting with a cocktail at the Broadway Bar, and then traveling through a kaleidoscope of your favorite musicals. Enter the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, and Cats. You can sing “Memory” with Grizabella the “Glamour Cat” and wear the Dreamcoat yourself as you become a Broadway star. The Phantom of the Opera will also guide you through this dazzling backstage experience, and perhaps do a little singing himself along the way. Live actors will be on hand to enhance the rush both on- and offstage.
(Ongoing) Get the full stadium experience with Yankee Stadium Tours, which offers exclusive access to New York Yankee historic spots like Monument Park, The Great Hall, and even down to the dugout. The daily tours also bring you close to baseball artifacts like Babe Ruth’s bat, Lou Gehrig’s jersey, and rings and trophies representing the Yankees’ 27 world championships. Here is a $5 off coupon!
(Ongoing) For more than 70 years, Circle Line has been showing visitors the city, including the only cruise that goes all the way around Manhattan: Circle Line’s Best of NYC Cruise. One trip will show off five boroughs, three rivers, and more than 20 bridges on the way to 101 New York City sights. State-of-the-art Empire Class ships have recently launched, providing quieter rides, better sound for the personable onboard guides, bigger windows, improved climate control, and more outdoor deck space. (For dining and entertainment, take a ride on Hudson’s, a three-story “floating rooftop” that’s a Circle Line sibling.)
Immerse yourself in the deep, dark depths of the ocean, where Humboldt squid fight to the death and 50-foot whales ride overhead. Play with virtual sea lions, navigate a kelp maze, and more at National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey! Here's a $10 off coupon!
(Ongoing) Part show. Part tour. All entertainment. THE RIDE is a one-of-a-kind experience that turns the streets of New York into a stage. Journey through Times Square and midtown Manhattan as the city’s landmarks unfold before your very eyes. THE RIDE’s theatres-on-wheels also tour lower Manhattan, with THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE Powered by THE RIDE, which lets visitors re-live iconic moments in New York history through the magic of TimeLooper Virtual Reality Headsets. Use our coupon and save $10 off!
FOOD, MUSIC, AND NIGHTLIFE
(Ongoing) Times Square’s newest draw is The Ribbon, a spinoff of the Blue Ribbon empire of fried chicken and sushi fame. Through October 20th they'll be turning their eyes toward Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest 2019. On the appetizer list, look for fresh pretzels (served with Bavarian mustard, of course), house-made bratwurst with a sauerkraut side, and “flammkuchen,” a German flatbread with bacon, onions, and gruyere. The house’s special Oktoberfest entree is chicken schnitzel, which comes with a potato-cucumber salad. For the obligatory beer accompaniment look for bottles of Schneider Weisse Hopfenweisse, Augustiner Brau Edelstoff, and Bavarian Weihenstephan Festbier; on draft by the pint or liter is Hofbrau Oktoberfest, a full-bodied, bottom-fermented fall favorite. (You can also find these Oktoberfest favorites at The Ribbon's Upper West Side location.)
Congratulations to The Ribbon on winning the 2019 CCA Awards category for Best New Restaurant!!!! Read more here!
(Now-10/20) New York African Restaurant Week Festival.
(10/15, 10/16, 10/18, 10/19, 10/22) Steely Dan returns to the Beacon Theatre for a five night residency featuring special album performances, greatest hits, and requests. October 16 – The Royal Scam; October 18 – By Popular Demand; October 19 – The Nightfly; October 22 – Greatest Hits. Steely Dan has been led by Donald Fagen since 1972 and has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. These albums helped define the soundtrack of the '70s with hits such as "Reelin' in the Years," "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "F.M.," and "Peg." from their seven platinum albums issued between 1972 and 1980--including 1977's groundbreaking Aja. Steely Dan reunited in the early '90s, launching a string of sold-out tours. In 2000 they released the multi-Grammy winning (including "Album of the Year") Two Against Nature. In 2001 Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
(10/17) Dirty Hands Halloween Craft at Moxy Chelsea. Dive into the world of watercolors with this Halloween inspired still-life class at Moxy Chelsea. Guests are welcome to find their creative flow with this spooky twist on a signature class. Email rsvp@moxychelsea.com with WATERCOLOR in the subject to reserve a spot. 6-7pm.
(10/18) It's Global Champagne Day! Here's where you can enjoy a celebratory glass of bubbly (or two!)
(10/19) Li-Lac Chocolates will be celebrating their newest West Village store on 75 Greenwich Avenue with a grand opening celebration spotlighting original prices from 1923 ! From 11am - 5pm guests can enjoy chocolate mousse rolls, almond bark, the legendary fudge, coconut clusters and pecan chews for 23 cents apiece. In addition, the first 100 customers will be able to purchase 1 pound of almond bark as well as 16-piece truffle assortment boxes each for $9.23. The grand opening will also include live music spotlighting the oldies as well as free hot chocolate and holiday characters. The special offerings are limited to one per customer.
(10/19) The Original Misfits, with The Damned and Rancid, at Madison Square Garden.
(10/19-10/20) Final weekend! Oktoberfest is in full gear at Watermark on South Street. 11am-midnight. Prost!
(10/19-10/26) BRIC Brooklyn Jazz Fest. This weeklong celebration kicks off with a FREE Bettye LaVette concert at Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District’s fabulous outdoor public space, The Plaza at 300 Ashland. LaVette plays at 3pm on Satuday; free.
(Now-11/4) Just extended! It’s rosé all day once again. Rosé Mansion is back for another summer residency in NYC after a successful run last year. The designs in all 14 rooms will be brand-new, and the mansion will be twice the size of last year’s iteration. You’ll get tastings of 8 different pink wines as you travel through a champagne ball pit, a mini-theme park called Roséland, and a tree house! There will also be two different rosé wine bars where you can hang out, plus grub from Taco Dumbo on hand.
rosewinemansion.com, @rosewinemansion
(Ongoing) Drink, laugh, and save! Summer Savings on The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking! Choose from the evening show or Day Drinking: The Brunch Musical. Sit back and enjoy music and three cocktails, while the cast of The Imbible give insight into the history and science behind alcoholic beverages, tracing their economic and political impact on our cultural development. They'll also conduct live demonstrations of brewing beer and distilling spirits. Save $15 off admission with City Guide's coupon.
Click here for more "Nightlife in NYC This Weekend."
For more LGBTQ-friendly events, visit our brother site at metrosource.com!
EVERYTHING TO DO NYC
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