Top Can’t-Miss Family Events 2013-2014

We won’t beat you over the head with the perennials that all families already know about—like Boo at the Zoo around Halloween, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the Holiday Train Show in the winter, or the Tribeca Film Festival in the spring. But we do want to point you to some new exhibits and events that may not yet be on your radar, from an interactive larger-than-life Rubik’s Cube to light-up dinosaurs to a celebration of African arts. Don’t miss out!

Red Grooms’ NYC at Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Through January 4, 2014
See the city from a truly artistic viewpoint with Grooms’ exhibition, which exposes children to a different and energetic way of seeing the city environment. Grooms’ experience as a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and theater designer is visually stimulating for adults and children alike.

Space Fest at Intrepid Museum
July 25-28, 2013
Up, up, and away! The 2nd Annual Space Fest brings families together to celebrate everything from outer space. Kids will get the chance to meet real-life astronauts, enjoy the museum’s displays, watch special demonstrations, and kick back with a free outdoor movie.

Queens County Fair at Queens County Farm
September 15, 2013
Go back in time at this traditional county fair, complete with blue ribbon competitions in livestock, produce, home crafts, and arts & crafts. Kids will have fun racing through the Amazing Maize Maze and picking out a compost worm for your new home compost bin. Other treats include pie-eating contests, lumberjack shows, pig racing, hayrides, and more!

World Maker Faire at NYSCI
September 21 & 22, 2013
Be prepared to experience it all at a Faire with everything from rockets and robots to woodworking and live music. Grab artisanal food to snack on as you dance your way over to make, create, learn, invent, build, think, play, and have fun with hundreds of makers and inventors showcasing their creations.

Hayden Planetarium New Space Show at American Museum of Natural History
Starting October 5, 2013
Gaze into the stars and explore the Milky Way. Young viewers become astronauts as they plunge into Jupiter’s atmosphere with a probe from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft and journey through the mysteries of dark energy, the force that is accelerating the expansion of the universe.

Mother Africa at New Victory Theater
December 6, 2013-January 5, 2014
Step into Africa with a mighty performance that covers African artistry with jugglers from Ethiopia, stilt walkers from Tanzania, and a renowned contortionist from Kenya. As circus arts with traditional African dance and music come to the stage, audiences will be moving out of their seats to the music.

“A Christmas Story” at Madison Square Garden
December 11-29, 2013
This classic holiday favorite is returning this season with leg lamps, bunny pajamas, and freezing flagpoles. In this legendary comedy directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, a star-studded cast reenacts the story of Ralphie Parker, the child who would do anything if Santa would just bring him a BB gun for Christmas.

Dino-Light at Symphony Space
January 11, 2014
Forget about Santa—get ready for T-Rex and friends to light up the stage this winter. In a creative blend of puppetry, technology, and dance, Dino-Light brings glow-in-the-dark electroluminescence wire dinosaurs to life. See the dynamic troupe, as featured on “America’s Got Talent,” tell prehistoric tales in a whole new way.

Rubik’s Cube exhibit at Liberty Science Center
April-October, 2014
Parents and children alike will share in puzzle-solving excitement at Liberty Science Center’s Beyond Rubik’s Cube galore celebrating the cube’s 40th anniversary. The exhibit is co-designed by Google, and audiences won’t want to miss the $2.5 million dollar diamond Rubik’s Cube and the 35-foot-tall Rubik’s Cube that can be triggered and moved by anyone with an internet connection. Kids will love the cube-solving robots, too!

“ALADDIN” On Broadway
Spring 2014
Take a magic carpet ride to the newest Disney play to hit Broadway. “Aladdin” will feature popular songs including “Proud of Your Boy,” a favorite among the Disney producers that was cut from the movie. Directed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (of “The Book Of Mormon” fame) and brought to life by award-winning costume, scene, and lighting designers, the musical is bound to be an otherwordly experience.