Weekend Planner: Fun Family Activities in NYC (September 5-7)

 HOT OFF THE BLOG

Award-winning documentary filmmaker and father-of-four Ken Burns shares his favorite New York historical sites. Travel in time! 

Beat the back-to-school blues with our top event picks for this month—from the Central Park Horse Show to the Chile Pepper Festival, and everything in between. Fun in the city! 

WEEKEND PLANNER

FRIDAY

Time travel (for free!) on the City Island Trolley to the historic Bartow Pell Mansion! Explore the estate while enjoying live music and snacks.  All aboard!  (Friday)

Acrobatics at the West Side County Fair, via nycparks.org
Acrobatics at the West Side County Fair, via nycparks.org

Kick off the 2014 New York Clown Theatre Festival with an opening day parade in Union Square, continue with a pie fight at The Brick Theater and finish off with an opening night cabaret featuring festival founders! Clown around!  (Friday)

Let the Mettawee River Theatre Company take you on a magical journey  in their production “The Dancing Fox: Wisdom Tales of the Middle East.” Encounter memorable animal and human characters as Arab and Jewish folk traditions are reinterpreted with masks, puppets, and giant figures! Enjoy the show! (Friday)

SATURDAY

Commemorate Madison Square’s 200th anniversary of its naming in style—18th and 19th century style, that is! The Historic Daytime Fair will celebrate the games, art, and food of the period, and in the evening, the event will transition into an open contemporary art party. Have a blast in the past!  (Saturday)

Bring the family to the Museum of Chinese in America’s Mid-Autumn Moon Festival for a scavenger hunt, moon-cake tasting, storytelling sessions about this harvest festival’s traditions, and more! Note: RSVP required. Happy harvest!  (Saturday)

Practice the art of graffiti while learning about the famous 5Pointz building in Long Island City.  If inspiration strikes, the kids can try their hands at graffiti on a large model of the 5Pointz building! Express yourself! (Saturday)

Bring your little ones to the Lefferts Historic House and learn how to transform fresh ingredients into delicious treats! Pop popcorn with fresh herb butter, bake apple pie on an open hearth, and enjoy games and crafts with the Prospect Park Alliance. Get cookin’! (Saturday & Sunday)

Join the Children’s Museum of Manhattan at the Back to School Festival! This two-day event will cover all the back to school basics, from cooking demonstrations by The Creative Kitchen to kindergarten readiness workshops and Beyond the Backpack tool kits from Nickelodeon! Study up! (Saturday & Sunday)

SUNDAY

Visitors to Governors Island will be transported to Africa for the African Film Festival Family Day Celebration, featuring short films, dance classes, storytelling, quilting workshops, African food, and more! Time to celebrate! (Sunday)

Come out to Arthur Avenue for all things Italiano! The Ferragosto 2014 street fair, in celebration of the fall harvest, will offer traditional street performances, live music, face painting, and, of course, food! That’s amore!  (Sunday)

Animal lovers of all ages are invited to the Queens Zoo for Family Day! Visitors will walk among the of the South American rainforest, participate in live animal demos, and make a craft to take home.  Get wild!  (Sunday)

Join the Upper West Side community at Riverside Park for an afternoon at the fair! Programming includes games, live performances, aerialists, carnival rides, reptile shows, and a greenmarket. Party on the West Side! (Sunday)

Looking for a new furry friend? Join the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals at Adoptapalooza, a pet adoption bonanza with 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, and more! Dog-gone it! (Sunday)

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

Collina Italiana, The Italian Language and Cultural Center

<p>Learn Italian the fun way. Children practice and absorb the language through arts & crafts, activities, games, songs and stories!</p>

The Tutorverse

<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Join The Tutorverse for the highest quality in academic enrichment and test preparation! Whether your student is gearing up for the </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">state exams, ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, or SAT/ACT</strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">, our team of </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">experienced and local professional educators</strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> can help. Have your student join a </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">small-group class</strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> at our downtown or Upper East Side locations. Or, they can meet with a </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">private tutor when and where it’s most convenient for your family</strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">. Does your student need help building study skills or improving grades? Whether your middle or high schooler needs help with </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">STEM or humanities</strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">, our patient and affirming tutors will teach them how to build </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">confidence and content mastery</strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">. </span><a style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;" href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Send us an email</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> or give us a call—we'd love to hear more about how we can help!</span></p>

Ivy Camps USA

<p>Ivy Camps USA is a premium online provider of engaging after-school classes, holiday camps, summer camps, and personalized tutoring. Their instructors come from the top 10 US universities and love to inspire and mentor emerging minds. Extracurricular classes, holiday camps, and summer camps are offered in STEM, Business Leadership, and Arts, Media & Communication for ages 6-14. Tutoring programs focus on supporting students academically, developing a mentoring relationship, and rekindling a love of learning. Ivy Camps USA is known for exceptional programming that kids love and parents trust.</p>