Weekend Fun: Sakura Matsuri, Legos, and Family Festivals

Sakura Matsuri is celebrated at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Julie Markes for BBG
Sakura Matsuri is celebrated at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Photo by Julie Markes for BBG
4/25/18 - By Drew Kristofik

Warm, cold, rainy, sunny (please, no more snow)...whatever the weather has up its sleeve for NYC, Legos don't care. And there are TWO Lego events happening this weekend for NYC kids: Saturday (for FREE!) and Sunday (for a fee). The Legopalooza begins at Scandinavia House on Saturday, and the good news is that this new exhibit, aptly titled Lego Bricks: A Celebration, is open through August 4 (hot, rainy days = already sorted for you). 

On Sunday, Lego Build for Habitat for Humanity at the World Trade Center invites kids ages 5–12 to compete for prizes, working in teams of four to build their own version of a Habitat for Humanity home.

National Arbor Day is April 27, so naturally this weekend includes lots of tree-themed outings. For starters, the massive Brooklyn Botanic Garden Sakura Matsuri festival takes place all weekend, celebrating those fleeting cherry blossoms and Japanese culture. 

More tree hugging can be accomplished at Wave Hill's Arbor Day Fest, which includes a chance to don hard hats and harnesses to climb an ancient sugar maple, The Evergreens Cemetery, and the Queens Botanical Arbor Fest.

All that, plus street festivals are in season, including this weekend's Street Games, the Puppetry Arts Fest in Brooklyn, the Jack and Jill School Spring Fair, and the Friendship Circle Upper East Side Carnival (with ponies), to name just a few.

Check out our Spring Fun Guide, the best upcoming family festivals this season, events for the pre-K and toddler crowd, and more outdoor fun like the May 1 opening of Governors Island, or maybe a little mini golf (did you know there are 12 miniature golf courses in NYC—at least one in each borough?)!

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