All Weekend

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival – Corona
Head to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for one of our favorite annual fests as 170 dragon boat teams race on Meadow Lake in colorful custom-made vessels. On land, soak up Chinese culture at the massive marketplace featuring ethnic eats, live contemporary and traditional music, lion and dragon dances, crafts, martial arts displays and kite flying. Once you've had your fill, explore the wonderful park, which is home to the Queens Zoo, the New York Hall of Science and mini-amusement park Fantasy Forest at the Flushing Meadows Carousel. FREE

FringeJr 2013 – East Village
The New York International Fringe Festival kicks off this weekend and while most of the cutting-edge offerings are for adults-only, there are three FringeJr productions aimed at families. Catch two of them this weekend at the 14th Street Y: dance-theater piece Peter Pan and Stardust Dances and large-scale puppet show Sarazad and the Monster-King . $15 for adults, $10 for children under 13

Civil War Heritage Weekend – Governors Island
Governors Island's Fort Jay and Castle Williams host a variety of educational programs commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the New York Draft Riots. Learn what it was like to be a Civil War soldier through historic weapons demos and period camp display. Afterward, stay and enjoy the isle's other attractions including the fabulous Fête Paradiso. Want more Civil War action? Catch TheatreworksUSA's excellent family musical about the conflict Off Broadway through next Friday, August 16. FREE
 

Saturday, August 10

Summer Streets – Manhattan
For the second consecutive Saturday, you can cycle, scooter, skate or stroll your way from the Upper East Side all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge. Be sure to hit the interactive rest stops along the way for cool live performances, yoga sessions, parkour demos, a zip line at Foley Square, a rock climbing wall in Soho, cycling lessons, bike tuneups and helmet giveaways. There are two cool new additions this year: Risa Puno's Course of Emotions, a public art/mini-golf course at the 52nd Street rest stop and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's interactive light and sound installation Voice Tunnel in the Park Avenue Tunnel. The latter in particular looks seriously cool but you must go early in order to get in! Only 90 people can go in at a time and the DOT closed the line around 11am last weekend. Check out our dedicated post with important tips about doing Summer Streets with kids. FREE

Great Jazz on the Great Hill – Upper West Side
Get hep at Central Park's annual no-cost jazz extravaganza. Cosponsored by Jazzmobile, this afternoon concert features the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra, the Latin sounds of the Bobby Sanabria Big Band, plus dancing, top food trucks like Calexico Cal-Mex Cart and Gorilla Cheese, and kids' activities. FREE

Summer Skate – Park Slope
Grab your skates, put your hair in side ponytails, slip on some short shorts and hit the Brooklyn Lyceum for an all-ages afternoon roller boogie where you can party like it's 1979. $5

Little Red Lighthouse Tour – Washington Heights
Even little kids can make it to the top of this NYC landmark—my son did it at age three! The Parks Department only opens this lighthouse to the public a few times a year so it's worth the schlep. Before you go, read the classic children’s book that made it famous: The Little Red Light House and the Great Gray Bridge. FREE

Science On the River – West Village
Get face time with underwater creatures and birds of prey, fish in the Hudson River, plant seeds, learn how the NYC sewer system functions and enjoy other urban science fun at Pier 46's outdoor fest. FREE

Abracadabra – Midtown East
Magician Evan Paquette amazes tots with slight-of-hand tricks and sight gags at the NYPL's Children's Center at 42nd Street. FREE

Front/Row Cinema: Hugo – South Street Seaport
Head to the Seaport for an outdoor screening of Martin Scorsese's charming Hugo, which is based on Brian Selznick's amazing picture book of the same name. Arrive early for the live DJ and to grab eats at the Smorgasbar food market. It's the perfect ending to a day romping in the nearby Imagination Playground. FREE

Dance Theatre of Harlem Street Festival – Harlem
Enjoy alfresco music and dance performances by talented students of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the National Dance Institute, the Harlem School of the Arts and other local culture organizations; free mini-makeovers by Iman cosmetics and an eclectic marketplace. Free admission but there are fees for certain activities

Get Up & Go: Family Adventure Race – Staten Island
Staten Island's historic Conference House Park hosts a fun day of friendly athletic competition. Families can tackle a dozen old-school activities like jumping rope, shooting hoops, jumping hurdles and even throwing javelins. All participants snag T-shirts, and awards are given to the top teams. Preregistration recommended. $10 to compete, FREE to watch

Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing – Inwood
Although the absolute best time to view this meteor shower is between 1 and 4am on Monday morning, there will still be lots of action on the evenings leading up to the main event. On Saturday evening, hit Inwood Hill Park as the sun goes down for a viewing party organized by the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. FREE

Word for Word Kids: Comic Con – Midtown West
Kids too young to handle a real comic con? Then try this low-key alternative in Bryant Park. Superman himself will be on hand for photo ops, and DC Comics and Archie Comics will hand out free buttons, comics, posters and activity books. Also appearing: Mike Herrod, creator of Monster Comics, who will speak and give a demo. FREE

Soap Box Derby 2013 – Park Slope
Enjoy a little Americana Brooklyn-style at Open Source Gallery's annual Soap Box Derby. Kids and adults are welcome to race their creations but they must be made from repurposed materials. FREE

Making Books Sing: My City Park! – the Bronx
Catch this educational musical at the Bronx Library Center, about a boy and his animal pals who stop their local park from being turned into a mall. FREE

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, August 11

SummerStage Kids Harlem Family Day – Harlem
Head to Marcus Garvey Park for the final SummerStage Family Day of the season. The lineup includes high-spirited singer Robbi K, who performs classic and original tunes, gravity-defying hip-hop dance troupe Illstyle & Peace Productions, and live DJ Stormin' Norman. Disney Radio will also be on hand with giveaways, character photo ops and kids' activities. FREE

Soundview Park Summer Festival – the Bronx
Celebrate the Bronx's waterfront at this fourth annual family fest featuring live music, hip-hop and spoken word performances, a hula-hoop contest, arts and crafts projects, sports clinics, nature walks and a DJ spinning cool tunes. FREE

Astoria Park Shore Fest – Astoria
The second weekend of car-free fun in Queens highlights environmental awareness with a slew of green activities like composting; art projects with Skraptacular, Materials for the Arts and Socrates Sculpture Park; plus a ukulele social and live music. FREE

All of a Kind Family Walking Tour – Lower East Side
Fans of the classic children’s book All of a Kind Family should enjoy this themed walking tour with the Museum at Eldridge Street. Visit the Lower East Side spots frequented by the family in the story. $15 per family

Scavenger Hunt – Brooklyn Heights
Hunt for clues in the flora and fauna of Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1 with the Urban Park Rangers. FREE

See all Sunday events.
 

Outside of NYC

Head to Pennington, New Jersey for the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association's Butterfly Festival where kids can enjoy an insect zoo, hayrides, live music and a butterfly parade.

Step way back in time at the annual New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park. The 35-acre fairgrounds are transformed into a Tudor-style village with period amusements like jousting, jesters and magicians, and vendors selling fancy puppets and masks, awesome corsets, and treats like turkey legs and funnel cake.

Take a nature walk, get up close with live animals and enjoy other outdoor activities at the Audubon Festival in Sharon, Connecticut.

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