15 Great Events For Fall 2016

LC Kids at the Atrium Season Launch

SEPTEMBER 17 [Ages 2-5] Kick off a new season of free children’s performances and story times at Lincoln Center this September, at the LC Kids at the Atrium Season Launch! This free day of kids’ culture will include a storytime with astronaut Chris Hadfield and a musical performance by the Grammy-award winning Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets, who will perform pop songs from their third album, “HOME.” Visit family.lincolncenter.org for the full season of free concerts and storytimes! Free, 11am. David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, 61 West 62nd Street, 212-721-6500, family.lincolncenter.org

The Brooklyn Book Festival

SEPTEMBER 17 [All Ages] The Brooklyn Book Festival claims the distinction of being NYC’s largest free literary festival—and the day prior to the festivities on Saturday, September 18, is dedicated to all things kid-lit. The fest’s Children’s Day will feature acclaimed kids’ authors like Andrea Davis Pinkney and Soman Chainani, in addition to theatrical performances, a “draw-off,” workshops, picture book and young readers stages, and a Literary Marketplace. Free, 10am-4pm. MetroTech Commons, 10 MetroTech Roadway, Brooklyn, brooklynbookfestival.org

92Y’s Street Fest

SEPTEMBER 18 [All Ages] You won’t want to miss 92Y’s Street Fest, which brings family fun to 15 blocks along Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side. Check out performances by 92Y music and dance faculty and students on the KidCentral Stage; enjoy arts and crafts for all ages; watch demos by the 92Y Gymstar Gymnastics team, try the Tiny Tumblers Toddler Obstacle Course; and don’t miss the special area for ages 5 and under, which will feature fun, age-appropriate activities from 92Y Wonderplay Early Childhood learning. Free, 12-5pm. Lexington Avenue from 79th-94th Streets, 92y.org/StreetFest2016

32nd Annual Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park

SEPTEMBER 18 [All Ages] Medievalists young and old will delight at the 32nd annual Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park! The entire park will be transformed in to a medieval market village, complete with knights, jugglers, jesters, musicians, magicians, and more. Visitors can see craftsmen such as blacksmiths or wood carvers show off their skills, listen to excerpts from Chaucer and Shakespeare, and watch falconers let their charges free. The main event is the Grand Tilts and Royal Joust, where knights in full armor try to unseat their competition! Plus, be sure to check out medieval art at the Cloisters. Free, 11:30am-6pm. Fort Tryon Park, Margaret Corbin Circle/190th Street and Fort Washington Avenue, 212-795-1600, whidc.org/festival

Rolex Central Park Horse Show

September 21-25 [All Ages] New York City’s premier horse show returns for its third year this September! Come to Trump Wollman Rink for the five-day Rolex Central Park Horse Show, where champion riders such as Georgina Bloomberg (also an NYC mom!) will compete in a variety of disciplines. Mark your calendar for Family Day on Sunday, 9/25—general admission is free, and pony rides, face painting, Arabian Horse presentation, equestrian demonstrations, pony club games, mini Land Rover car ride, and much more. . In addition, there will be two special mini horses – Honor and Hamlet – who will do a brief demonstration and are from the Mini Horse Heroes, a non-profit that was started to honor the life of Port Authority Police Officer Ken Tietjen who gave his life on 9/11 and are home to the world’s smallest police horses. Both Hamlet and Honor are about 32” tall, but have stunning manes and tails and can compete in various obstacle course demonstrations. Gates open from 12 pm to 3 pm. Tickets start at $50, admission to Family Day is free; gate opening times vary. Trump Wollman Rink in Central Park at 59th Street 844-319-2747, cphs.coth.com (Photo via Central Park Horse Show on Facebook)

Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day Live!

SEPTEMBER 24 [All Ages] Gain entry to 19 NYC museums during Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day Live! Participating museums in the city include the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Museum of Chinese in America. There are more all over New York State, so you can still enjoy free entry if you’re out of town. Register in advance to get two free tickets, so take advantage and bring your child to some of the Big Apple’s leading museums for free! Free (registration required), hours vary by museum. smithsonianmag.com/museumday

Queens County Farm Museum's 34th Annual Queens County Fair

SEPTEMBER 24-25 [All Ages] A traditional county fair in NYC? That’s right! Head to the Queens County Farm Museum for the 34th Annual Queens County Fair! Don’t miss the pig races, hayrides, carnival rides, and midway games, or the pie-eating and corn-husking contests. There will be entertainment for kids of all ages, live music and dancing at the Bavarian Garden, and, for an additional fee, you can explore the Amazing Maize Maze—the farm’s three-acre corn maze! $10 per day for adults, $5 per day for kids 12 and under; admission does not include the Amazing Maize Maze, carnival rides, midway games, and various other fair activities. 11am-6pm, Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, Queens, 718-347-327, queensfarm.org

Carnegie Hall’s Fall Family Days

SEPTEMBER 24- 25 [Ages 3-10] Bring the kids to Carnegie Hall’s Fall Family Days to explore the world of jazz, with free interactive musical performances and activities! The day will serve as a great introduction to this musical genre for little kids, as well as an inspiring day of jazzy fun for aspiring Charlie Parkers and Louis Armstrongs. Be sure to mark your calendar for Spring Family Days on April 1-2, 2017, which will focus on classical music. Free, 12-4pm. Judith and Burton Resnick Education Wing at Carnegie Hall, 881 7th Avenue, 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org/familydays

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Annual Chile Pepper Festival

OCTOBER 1 [All Ages] Say goodbye to summer at Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s red-hot annual Chile Pepper Festival. This year’s festivities will feature six bands from around the world—including Algerian beats and Cajun sounds from Louisiana—fire-breathing and sword-swallowing performances, and plenty of spicy samples from a variety of artisan food purveyors. $20 for adults, $15 for students/seniors, free for children under 12; 10am-6pm. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 150 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, bbg.org

Wave Hill Honey Weekend

OCTOBER 1-2 [All Ages] Celebrate all things bee-related at Wave Hill Honey Weekend in the Bronx. Both days start with a family art project called Be a Bee, where your little ones will get a chance explore a beehive and join a bee parade! Then the whole family can taste some exquisite honeys from some of the area’s finest apiaries. You can try your hand at making beeswax candles with experts, and learn about the art of beekeeping, from the necessary gear to peeking inside a hive. $8 for adults, $4 for students and seniors,$2 for children 6+; 10am-4pm. Wave Hill, 649 West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx, 718-549-3200, wavehill.org

World Maker Faire

OCTOBER 1-2 [All Ages] Come see the coolest new innovations from talented makers at the World Maker Faire in early October. Hosted by the New York Hall of Science, the Faire is a massive showcase of the greatest makers and their projects in technology, science, engineering, robotics, and much more. Favorites from previous years will return, such as Aerial Sports League Drone Racing and a 3D Printing Village, and you can check out new hands-on workshops in skills like lock picking and soldering. Single-day tickets and passes from $25-80, free for children under 2, 10am-6pm. New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Queens, makerfaire.com/new-york

Madison Square Park's Kids Fest: Stages

OCTOBER 15 [Ages 0-12] Head to Madison Square Park for Kids Fest: Stages, a day of performing arts including music, dance, puppetry, theater, and magic for kids and their families. Three stages will feature performances by Sammie and Tudie’s Comedy Magic Circus, a comedy production by The Joshua Show, puppetry by Vít Horejš, Director of The Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre, and more. In addition to the entertainment, kids can enjoy face painting, lawn games, and instrument-making with the Little Orchestra Society. Free, 11am-3pm. Madison Square Park, between 5th & Madison Avenues and 23rd-28th Streets, madisonsquarepark.org

“The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center

OCTOBER 22 [Ages 5-12] Four children step through an ordinary-looking wardrobe and enter a new world, where they encounter talking beavers, a majestic lion and the terrifying ice queen. Introduce your children to the magic world of Narnia at “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center. This story will captivate any child, whether they are brand-new to The Chronicles of Narnia, or huge fans of C.S. Lewis’ storied series! Tickets are $30, 1:30pm. Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, 212-220-1459, tribecapac.org

“Chotto Desh” at the New Victory Theater

NOVEMBER 4-13 [Ages 7+] One of Britain’s leading choreographers, Akram Kahn, is coming to the New Victory Theater this fall to perform “Chotto Desh,” his lauded autobiographical solo dance piece. Using a compelling mix of evocative dance, visuals, and sound, Khan’s piece follows his life story from the streets of Bangladesh to the stages of London. Telling this cross-cultural story and portraying the experiences of being an “other,” “Chotto Desh” celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the modern world. Family choreography workshops are available on 11/5 and 11/13; visit newvictory.org for more information. Full-price tickets start at $16, show times vary. The New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, 646-223-3010, newvictory.org

Canstruction!

Check out some awesome art and contribute to a great cause at Canstruction! Engineers, architects, students, and civilians compete to see who can build the biggest and coolest structures out of cans of food. After the winners are crowned, all the food is donated to City Harvest, to help feed NYC’s hungry. Previous years’ winners include a Bat-Signal—with an illuminated sky—and a bull charging out of a wall. Last year’s winner used 9,000 cans! Guests are asked to bring at least one can of quality food, and are encouraged to bring more to donate. Free, though visitors are encouraged to donate a can of food; 10am-8pm, except 11/16, 10am-6pm. Street and lobby levels of 230 Vesey Street at Brookfield Place, newyork.canstruction.org