12 NYC Street Fairs and Festivals for Families July and August 2011

Spring may kick off NYC's festival season but summer's pretty hot, too. The city's streets, parks, lawns and watersides are buzzing with (mostly free) outdoor cultural celebrations and streets fairs. 

We've rounded up a dozen fabulous fetes, including the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Bastille Day, City of Water Day and the New Museum’s art-packed Block Party.

So go get your calendar! You're going to want to mark down these fantastic fests.

July

124th Annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Williamsburg
275 N 8th Street at Havemeyer Street
Wednesday, July 6-Sunday, July 17. Times and activities vary. Click here for the complete schedule.
FREE
A sort of mini-San Gennaro, this Catholic fest has been celebrated in Williamsburg for more than a century. The multi-day festivities feature live music, carnival rides and great eats, along with a traditional procession of flower-strewn towers leading up to the big feast on Saturday, July 16. Be sure to check the schedule before heading over, since different activities are on tap every day.

Free Family Art Festival – Hudson Square
Charlton Street between Hudson and Greenwich Streets
Saturdays, July 9, 16 and 23 noon-4pm
FREE
The amazing Children’s Museum of the Arts, currently located in Soho, celebrates its soon-to-open West Village home by throwing an arts festival outside its new digs. And since it takes place during one of Manhattan's car-free Weekend Walks, the CMA folks are taking over the street! Kids can work on a large-scale communal mural, or take sculpture and animation workshops. Other local cultural institutions will get in on the fun, too: Enjoy learn-to-ride lessons from Bike New York, fire safety tips and crafts with the New York City Fire Museum, and textile crafts courtesy of Collab.

Bastille Day on 60th Street – Upper East Side
60th Street between Fifth and Lexington Avenues
Sunday, July 10 noon-5pm
FREE admission; $15 for an all-inclusive food tasting ticket
Viva la France! Celebrate French Independence Day a little early (Bastille Day is July 14) at this alfresco cultural fete sponsored by the Alliance Française. Entertainment includes mimes, accordion players, a Citroën car show, wine, beer and cheese tastings, live music and cancan dancers. Arts and crafts, and games of pétanque will keep les enfants happy.

4th Annual City of Water Day – Downtown Manhattan and New Jersey
Governors Island, Liberty State Park and other locales
Saturday, July 16 10am-4pm
FREE
An eco-fest so big that it runs from Governors Island to New Jersey's Liberty State Park, this annual shindig celebrates our wonderful waterfront with complimentary kayaking and canoeing, historic boat tours and live entertainment. Kids can also get up close and personal with reptiles and aquatic creatures, take fishing lessons, and enjoy landlubber favorites like arts and crafts, and bouncy castles. Plus, there's a free ferry between the two locations, so you can enjoy the fun on both banks.

The Mow-Down: A Garden Hoedown – the Bronx
Wave Hill, 249th Street and Independence Avenue
Saturday, July 16-Sunday, July 17 10am-4pm
FREE
This Bronx oasis loves its grass so much that it's celebrating it all weekend. Visitors can weave grass into a basket, hat or crafts, play classic lawn games and take guided tours of the garden. On Sunday, kiddie rock band Astrograss gets in on the action with cool bluegrass tunes.

New Museum Block Party – Lower East Side
Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Houston Street between Chrystie and Forsyth Streets
Saturday, July 23 noon-5pm
FREE
The cutting-edge Bowery institution hosts live performances and interactive art in nearby Sara D. Roosevelt Park. After participating in all kinds of hands-on, avant-garde activities, you can visit the museum at no cost: all festival-goers snag free passes for the day.

33rd Annual Thunderbird American Indian Mid-Summer Powwow – Queens
Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway near 73rd Road
Friday, July 29 6-10pm, Saturday, July 30-Sunday, July 31 10am-5pm
Per day: $10 for adults, $5 for children under age 12. Weekend passes are $15 and $7, respectively
Members of 40 tribal nations participate in this popular powwow, which features Native American dance contests on the farm's apple orchard. Visitors can also browse the market, filled with amazing art, crafts, jewelry and eats.

Junta Hispana – Queens
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Sunday, July 31 11am-6pm
FREE
Twenty Spanish-speaking countries are represented at this Hispanic Heritage Festival, which boasts multiple stages of music and dance, crafts, and a ton of delicious Latin foods.

August

Volkswagen Traffic Jam – Governors Island
Picnic Point
Saturday, August 13 10am-4pm
FREE
Finally, a traffic jam you'll enjoy being stuck in (assuming your kids don't hit too hard when you play punch buggy). Vintage VWs (think bugs, campers and vans) will be lined up on the isle. Vote for your favorite, and then create some Volkswagen-inspired crafts.

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival – Queens
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Saturday, August 13-Sunday, August 14 9am-5pm
FREE
Over two thrilling days, more than 100 colorful Dragon Boat teams will race across Meadow Lake. Other activities include a food court, Chinese arts and the traditional Dragon dance, folk arts and craft demos, and martial arts displays.

FlyNY 2011 Kite Festival – Upper West Side
Riverside Park, Pier I at 70th Street
Saturday, August 20 11am-4pm     
FREE
Make a kite and then let it soar over the Hudson River. Live music and arts and crafts will also be on tap.

Harlem Week 2011: Summer in the City & Harlem Day – Harlem
Around West 135th Street. Click here for specific activity locations.
Saturday, August 20 noon-7pm; Sunday, August 21 10am-7pm
FREE
Although Harlem celebrates throughout the month, this weekend features lots of fun for families. On Saturday, enjoy Children's Day, with live performances, games, arts and crafts, live music and dance, healthy eating and living exhibits, an open house at the Harlem YMCA, sports and recreation clinics, and the National Historic Black Colleges Fair. Sunday is Harlem Day with the Upper Manhattan Auto Show and other activities.

Check out our Summer Fun Guide for additional seasonal fun.