Staten Island

Enjoying a free alfresco film is a rite of summer in New York City. Even if you go to see a flick you've watched a million times at home, it's a totally different experience viewing it in the open air alongside a couple hundred other movie lovers. It ends up being a pretty thrilling communal event.

A few outdoor movie series, like RiverFlicks for Kids in the West Village, are aimed specifically at children. But even the big grown-up ones like Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park's Syfy Movies With A View include a family-friendly screening or two. Plus this year, the Central Park Conservancy is asking New Yorkers to pick which movies they want to see for the park's annual August outdoor film festival!

Movies usually begin at dusk between 8-8:30pm but make sure you arrive early: The well known series fill up fast. Plus, sometimes there is cool, pre-movie entertainment. So pack a picnic, bring your blanket, sit back, relax and enjoy the show at one of these outdoor summer movie series in NYC.

The Alice Austen House Museum is a lovely Victorian cottage, but what makes this historic house particularly interesting is the story of its namesake. Alice Austen (1866-1952) was a self-taught photographer who spent most her life in this home, also known as Clear Comfort. It sits atop a hill in the 15-acre Alice Austen Park, which boasts amazing panoramic views of New York Bay and the city beyond.

In addition to preserving many of her belongings and furnishings, the Alice Austen House Museum displays many of her vintage photographs. Austen was known for her documentary style, quite rare in her day, and she snapped photos of high society, immigrant life, new inventions like the bicycle and historic events. At the museum, families can explore the house, parts of which date back to the 17th century, see her pictures and even try hands-on workshops where kids can learn photo techniques of the past and present. Since my nine-year-old son is into photography, it's been on my bucket list for a while now, and we recently found time to check it out.

Thought there were a lot of festivals in April and May? Those months were dead compared to June, which has a head-spinning number of fantastic fairs, parades, carnivals and other fetes.

We're not talking about those random street fairs featuring overpriced tchotchkes. These are favorites we look forward to every year like the Ultimate Science Street Fair, Museum Mile, Egg Rolls & Egg Creams, Figment on Governors Island and Coney Island's iconic Mermaid Parade—all of which made our list of the top annual festivals for NYC families.

So go get your calendar: You're going to want to put some of these dates down. Here are 30 great family festivals for June 2013.