Weekend Planner: Fun Family Activities In NYC (September 18-20)

33rd Annual Queens County Fair at the Queens County Farm Museum

There’s nothing better than an old-fashioned county fair in anticipation of autumn. Livestock, produce, and crafts alike will compete for blue ribbons at the Queens County Farm Museum’s annual fair. Meanwhile, kids can participate in games and activities like corn-husking, hayrides, and pie-eating contests. There will also be hands-on opportunities to learn about sustainability and gardening as well as to make crafts. As if that were not enough, the Amazing Maize Maze opens this weekend, so be sure to journey through the three-acre corn maze and prove your savvy problem-solving abilities. (Saturday-Sunday)

Brooklyn Book Festival Children's Day at MetroTechCommons

This year the popular Brooklyn Book Festival has set aside a day for younger readers in celebration of its 10th anniversary. At the Festival’s Children’s Day, a combination of fun events will entertain bookworms along with author readings by big names like Herve Tullet (Press Here) and Drew Daywalt (The Day The Crayons Quit). Plus discover new and classic books, and browse for stories to take home. Kids will also enjoy an illustrators’ draw-off, workshops, and musical performances. (Saturday)

Play:Ground Adventure on Governors Island

Adventure awaits on Governors Island this weekend! play:ground and FIGMENT NYC invite children ages 3 through 12 to create a playground city of their own using cardboard boxes, tape, markers, string, fabric, and more. Builders will stretch their imaginations and gain skills such as problem solving and self-determination during these two days of experimentation and self-directed play! (Saturday-Sunday)

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival at the Museum of Chinese in America

The Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) is celebrating the harvest season with a Mid-Autumn Moon Festival this Saturday. Spend the afternoon eating mooncakes and making inedible ones out of clay, going on a moon scavenger hunt, snapping a photo in the photo booth, enjoying a harvest moon picnic, and much more! There will also be a special performance by Chinese Theatre Works and plenty of arts and crafts activities. (Saturday)

Kite Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Go fly a kite in Brooklyn Bridge Park this Saturday during its Kite Festival! Families with children of all ages are welcome to bring their own kite or purchase one at this free, high-flying afternoon fest. Plus, be sure to bring along your camera to capture all the fun! (Saturday)

Go Fish! Festival in Wagner Park

Bring the family to Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park this Saturday for a fantastic fishing festival! Throughout the day, visitors can try their hand at catch-and-release fishing using safe barbless hooks. Caught fish will be put in saltwater tanks to be observed and identified, and then released into the Hudson. Additionally, there will be live fish demos and displays, a fish-themed arts and crafts station, bird watching opportunities, and a live theater performance from Arm of the Sea Theater. (Saturday)

92Y Street Fest

A great community event, the 92Y’s 21st annual Street Fest will feature health services, activities, and entertainment for the whole family. Check out the children’s entertainment line-up at the 92Y KidCentral Stage, including singer-songwriter Paul Williams, the casts of current Broadway shows, and performers from Tiffany’s Cabaret for Cause Kids; enjoy drop-in drawing and cartooning, or take a turn in the Tiny Tumblers Toddler obstacle course. There will even be a special area for kids ages 5 and under with engaging age-appropriate activities. This event will be held rain or shine. (Sunday)

Adoptapalooza Union Square in Union Square Park

Looking for a new four-legged friend? Join the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals at Adoptapalooza, a pet adoption bonanza which features dogs, cats and rabbits looking for new homes. There will also be free demos and activities, including training and agility demonstrations, advice on pet healthcare, pet photographers, microchipping, dog licenses for purchase, and more! Children can get in on the fun with face painting, temporary tattoos, and animal paintings. This event will take place rain or shine. (Sunday)

West African Cultural Festival at the Children's Museum of the Arts

Learn all about Nigerian culture this Sunday during the West African Cultural Festival at the Children’s Museum of the Arts. All ages are welcome to participate in festivities such as Yoruba mask making, Ibibo puppet design and animation in the Media Lab, geometric fabric designing, and more! There will also be a special live music performance by the World Percussion department of the Brooklyn Music School. (Sunday)

2015 Shinnyo Lantern Floating for Peace at Lincoln Center

Promote peace in your family and in your community by participating in the Lantern Floating for Peace, held one day before the International Day of Peace and the opening of the UN General Assembly. There will be live music and cultural performances. Her Holiness Shinso Ito, one of the highest-ranking Buddhist leaders in the world, will help lead participants in the beautiful spectacle of placing hundreds of LED candle-lighted paper lanterns on the Milstein Pool in Hearst Plaza in this ceremony of harmony and compassion. (Sunday)

#MetKids Launch Party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Celebrate the launch of #MetKids, the Met’s new, digital feature just for kids, with a family bash! Learn to animate in a pop-up lab, attend a special screening of films made by #MetKids, and create works of art inspired by what you see in the museum. (Sunday)

10 Great Events for September

Museum Day Live!, the Rolex Central Park Horse Show, World Maker Faire 2015, and more!