Weekend Fun for NYC Kids, City of Water Day, Bastille Day, SummerStage Bronx Family Day, Unsung & Heroes July 12-13

7/9/14 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

This weekend is jam-packed with awesome things to do, including five of our top event picks for the month, four of which are FREE. Take a no-cost boat ride at the annual City of Water Day. Celebrate French culture at the Bastille Day Festival on the Upper East Side. Learn some new moves at Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing Kids Dance and enjoy top-notch entertainment at SummerStage Bronx Family Day.

Our fifth July Go List pick, TADA! Youth Theater's show Unsung & Heroes, debuts this weekend and you can catch a FREE New York Philharmonic concert on Staten Island. Plus, the long-awaited Roller Rink at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park is open for business.

Whatever you do this weekend, be sure to share your family's playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE, a season-long initiative encouraging families to spend quality time playing together.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide. Before heading out on your adventures, be sure to download our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app so you can find the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.

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Unsung & Heroes – Chelsea
One of our July Go List picks: TADA! Youth Theater's latest production is actually two shows in one: Unsung, a dance-theater piece with a coming-of-age theme, and Heroes, a musical about a group of kids who learn to be brave when they find themselves away from home after nightfall. $20-$25 for adults, $8-$15 for children

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Williamsburg
A kind of mini-San Gennaro, this century-old Catholic fest features live music, carnival rides and great eats, along with traditional processions of flower-strewn towers. Activities change daily so be sure to check the schedule before you go. Free admission but there are fees for certain activities

Roller Rink at Pier 2 Grand Opening – Brooklyn Heights
The amenity-filled Brooklyn Bridge Park has a brand-new attraction: a roller rink on Pier 2 (also home to the green space's popular Pop-Up Pool). The 180 by 75-foot rink has a poured epoxy skate-friendly surface that's reportedly softer than concrete. We can't wait to check it out.

Project Playdate: SummerPlay – Central Park & Prospect Park
Our friends at Project Playdate kick off their season of three-hour drop-off field trips for tots this weekend. Saturday's outing is to Central Park's Victorian Gardens; Sunday's trip is to the Prospect Park Zoo. $55 per trip for first child, $35 for siblings
 

Saturday, July 12

City of Water Day – Governors Island & Hoboken
Another July Go List pick! Celebrate our local waterfront in two main locations, Governors Island and Hoboken's Maxwell Place Park, plus satellite events all over New York Harbor. Enjoy 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 hit the fun on both banks. Although most of the other no-cost boat rides are sold out, you may be able to snag tickets on the standby line. If not, there are plenty of other activities! FREE

Midsummer Night Swing: Kids Dance! – Upper West Side
And another July Go List pick: Put on your dancing shoes and let Rodney Lopez from Dancing Classrooms teach your little movers and shakers the basics of swing, meringue, tango and more in Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park. FREE

West African Family Dance – Battery Park City
More dancing fun: Head to Battery Park City's waterfront esplanade for an interactive dance party and concert with Mane Kadang, a troupe of African musicians and dancers. As they perform African songs, families can learn traditional moves with Kotchegna Dance Company. FREE

No Longer Bored Family Day: "Telling My Story" – Harlem
Explore No Longer Empty's latest exhibit, If You Build It, about urban decay and regeneration, and then make art inspired by the works on display with educators from Harlem's LeRoy Neiman Art Center. FREE

Seining the River Wild – Dumbo
Learn about the ecosystem under the Manhattan Bridge with local environmentalists, who'll help kids catch, log and release fish and other East River creatures. FREE

Nostalgia Ride: Coney Island Bound – Brooklyn Heights and Coney Island
Head to the beach the old-fashioned way on the R1/9 cars of the Independent Subway System courtesy of the New York Transit Museum. Once at your destination, get off and explore everything Coney Island has to offer or ride the train all day! $50 for adults, $25 for children ages 2-17

The Avengers – Upper East Side
Pack a picnic and tram over to Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park for an alfresco screening of the superhero blockbuster. FREE

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, July 13

Bastille Day on East 60th Street – Upper East Side
Another July Go List pick: Celebrate French Independence Day at this outdoor culture fete sponsored by the French Institute/Alliance Française. Attractions include French cuisine, live music and can-can dancers, a Citroën car show, an artisan market, and a Kids' Corner with face painting and art projects.

SummerStage Bronx Family Day – South Bronx
And our final July Go List pick for the weekend: Hit St. Mary's Park for performances by David Gonzalez' Aesop Bops! Funky Fables, the Kids Junk Orchestra and Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. There will also be giveaways from Disney, interactive music and dance workshops, face painting and other kids' activities. FREE

New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks – Staten Island
What's in a name? The famed orchestra plays a no-cost indoor matinee today at the College of Staten Island as part of its series of FREE summer concerts. Arrive early: Tickets are given out first come, first served. Prefer an outdoor performance? The NY Phil plays in Central Park this Friday and next Monday. FREE

Pier Kids: The Art of Stepping – Brooklyn Heights
Hit Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 for an interactive math lesson taught through dance. FREE

Hip Tot Family Day: Rock n' Roll Party – Prospect Park
Groove to kindie tunes by AudraRox, and Jeremy Plays Guitar and his Rock-ucation Band at the Lakeside Roller Rink in Prospect Park. Crafts and giveaways are also on tap. FREE for entertainment, roller-skating costs extra

Clipper City Kids: Sailor Explorer Sail – Battery Park City
Hit the Hudson on this Manhattan by Sail family cruise to the Statue of Liberty and back. Kids can make and stamp their travel passports, learn how to tie nautical knots, craft treasure maps and get their faces painted. $49 for adults, $39 for children under age 13. Use promo code KIDSMP2514 to save 25% on each ticket or KIDSMPFAM14 for a $127 family four-pack

See all Sunday events.
 

Don't forget: There's more fun to be found in our Event Calendar.