Perfect Picks For The Long Columbus Day Weekend

Head to Harlem for a full day of family fun! The Harvest Festival brings together locally-made products, kids’ activities, a farmers’ market, a bake-off, live music, and more. Be sure to check out the Kids Zone, which includes a baking workshop, pumpkin carving and decoration, a mini trampoline, face painting, and all the festival fun you can think of.  Free, October 6, 11am-4pm. St. Nicholas Avenue between 117th and 118th Streets.

image: eventbrite.com

You have the whole long weekend free, so why not book up all three days? The Children’s Museum of Manhattan is holding a slate of super-powered events that coincide with New York Comic Con (which ends October 7). Kids can partake in activities that are both drop-in and require prior registration, including obstacle course games set to superhero theme music, a Comic Book Maker, cape design, hero gadget creation, and more! Be sure to check their site for individual times, descriptions, and sign-up specifications. Free with admission, October 6-8, 10am-6:30pm. Children’s Museum of Manhattan, The Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, 212-721-1223, cmom.org

image: twitter.com

Over at the National Museum of the American Indian, they’re holding an event to celebrate the United States’ first inhabitants. Kids can check out the Taíno exhibit and meet Jorge Estévez, who himself is Taíno and will talk about Columbus Day misconceptions. The imagiNATIONS Activity Center also offers an opportunity for little ones to learn about indigenous food, medicine, and other contributions indigenous people have made to the world. Free, October 8, 11am-4pm. 1 Bowling Green, 212-514-3700, americanindian.si.edu

image: smithsonianmag.com

There’s no shortage of ways to spend the day off at Prospect Park with their family-designed programming. Take free nature education programs at the Aubudon Center, grab a ready-to-go Discovery Pack packed full of family activities, learn about birds and animals, tour the park and examine wildlife, ride the carousel, tour the Lefferts Historic House, or even participate in a field day of potato sack races and more. Check their website for specific times and more information. Free (some events request a donation), October 8, 12-5pm. Various locations within Prospect Park, Brooklyn, prospectpark.org.

This art activity at the Children’s Museum of the Arts kicks off on Columbus Day, so it’s the perfect time to stop by. Free with museum admission and designed with kids ages 5 and up in mind, Collaborative Floating City lets them imagine what a city on the sea might look like. Kids design their community in a collaborative effort. While you’re there, be sure to check out CMA’s exhibitions too! October 8, 12-4:45pm. Children’s Museum of the Arts, 103 Charlton Street, 212-274-0986, cmany.org

Registration is suggested but not required for this event that celebrates Northeast Native American groups at the Museum of the City of New York. The whole family can gather together to listen to folk stories, create a cornhusk doll, and more. Free with admission, October 8, 11am-12pm. Museum of the City of New York, 1220 5th Avenue, 212-534-1672, mcny.org

Of course, we can’t forget about the biggest NYC event on Columbus Day weekend: The parade. The Columbus Citizens Foundation have put together the New York parade since 1929. It includes all of your favorite parade hallmarks, like costumes, bands, dancers, floats, and far more family-friendly entertainment. There’s also a mass pre-parade at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (ticketed attendees only before 9:15am, open to the general public as room is available afterward) should your family like to attend. Free, October 8, 12-3pm. Fifth Avenue at 44th Street to 72nd Street. Grandstands are on 5th Avenue between 67th and 69th Streets.