Top 20 Things to Do in Spring in New York City

UPDATED JULY 2019: We've gathered the top 20 activities for family fun in the spring in New York City, including the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan, Cherry Blossom Festival in Brooklyn, an awesome Easter egg hunt in the Bronx, Fleet Week across the city, and Mother's Day fun!

1. Colorful Queens

Paint away the gray of winter during the Phagwah Parade and Festival in Richmond Hill, Queens, in early to mid-March. During this Hindu celebration of spring and love, attendees enjoy music as they literally color one another with dye and powder.

2. A Piece of Pi(e)

Celebrate Pi Day and all things mathematical at the Museum of Mathematics in Murray Hill, Manhattan. The celebration changes every year on March 14 (3.14)–this year, there was a pi-themed activity and free admission from 4-6pm!

3. And…Action!

In March, fledgling film fanatics can get their fix of silver screen goodness at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Held in Manhattan, the month-long Oscar-qualifying event spans several theaters and features screenings of films and shorts made just for younger audiences.

4. Ballet 101

Aspiring ballerinas can learn a little about the hard work that goes into becoming a professional dancer when the School of American Ballet presents The Beauty of Ballet, held in late February and early March at multiple venues in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Harlem. Not into ballet? Find other kids’ dance classes near you. 

5. Erin Go Bragh!

Dian Robinson

Don’t miss the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which starts in Midtown Manhattan, passes St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and ends on the Upper West Side at the Irish Historical Society. This more than 250-year-old traditional marching parade features Irish step dancers, bagpipe bands, and more.

6. Flower Power

The annual Orchid Show returns to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx in February through April. This exhibition boasts thousands of brilliantly colored flowers in kaleidoscopic displays and is the largest of its kind in the country.

7. Get Moving for a Good Cause

Join the March of Dimes’ March for Babies on a trek through Manhattan in mid- to late April, and support research to expand programs and educate medical professionals so that moms and babies can get the best possible care, even when pregnancy doesn’t go as planned. After you walk this walk, find another in the area! 

8. Hop Up to the Bronx

Search for sweet treasures hidden by a furry friend at the annual weekend Easter Egg Hunt at the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in the Bronx. Kids can participate in crafts, have their photos taken with the Easter Bunny, and enjoy light refreshments.

9. Bonnets, Pomp & Circumstance

Throw on your Sunday best and an over-the-top hat and join the Easter Bonnet Festival on Easter Sunday, which marches along Fifth Avenue in Midtown East, Manhattan.

10. Konichiwa, Spring!

Welcome spring and learn about traditional Japanese culture during the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival, a celebration of the blooming cherry trees held in mid- or late April at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in Crown Heights.

11. A Wild Run

Make the planet better for our animal friends by participating in the Run for the Wild 5K and Family Fun Run at the nearby Bronx Zoo in late April.

12. City Kid Classics

Richard Warren

Grab the kids on your block and join NYC Parks at Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem, Manhattan, for some classic Street Games in late April. For even more fun, brush up on the rules for some classic lawn games.

13. Kentucky Derby, Here We Come!

Upendra Kanda

Watch top thoroughbred horses fly down the track for a chance to race in the Kentucky Derby when they compete in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, in April. If the kids love horses, look into local stables that offer riding lessons and more. 

14. Greener City, Greener World

In late April, help make our planet (and our city) a little better while enjoying a full day of environmental education, performances, and workshops during Earth Day New York at Union Square Park in Manhattan.

15. Shear Joy

Julie Larsen Maher

Things get wild and woolly every weekend in May at the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn. Learn how goat farmers in Mongolia are saving local wildlife, participate in animal activities, and on one weekend, see sheep get their annual haircuts during the Wild and Woolly Festival! Meet more animals at zoos and nature centers near the city, too. 

16. Choo Choo!

Celebrate National Train Day in early May with a train ride (including one on Thomas the Tank Engine, nearby in Connecticut!) or by visiting the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn. 

17. Bike ‘n’ Roll

Kick off National Bicycle Month and see the whole city when you ride the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour. In early May, 32,000 cyclists (kids should be accompanied by a parent) can take part in an amazing 40-mile ride coursing through the city’s streets and over five of its famous bridges. Before you head out, brush up on bike safety. 

18. Moms Rock

Get in some mommy-child bonding and enjoy some music, activities, face painting, art, activism, and more during Mamapalooza at Riverside Park on the Upper West Side in Manhattan in mid-May. You can find more Mother's Day activities on our calendar.

19. The Boys Are Back in Town

See what life is like for sailors, marines, and coast guardsman when hundreds of service men and women dock their ships in New York Harbor in Midtown, Manhattan, for a visit during Fleet Week NYC in late May.  

20. High Flyin’ Fun

Spend Memorial Day weekend fulfilling your need for speed when the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, the B-17 Yankee Lady, and more take to the sky in the annual Bethpage Airshow at Jones Beach on Long Island.

MORE SEASONAL FUN IN NEW YORK CITY