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Mets Amazin' Day, Macy's Flower Show and More Things To Do This Weekend in New York City

The big, annual St. Patrick's Day Parade makes its march up Fifth Avenue on Friday, March 17, 2023. Photo courtesy of the parade
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3/15/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

It's the last weekend in March, and St. Patrick has a last hurrah in Bay Ridge, Cirque Mechanics are back at the New Vic with Zephyr, the circus experience gets a Spanish flourish at BAM's Esencial Vaiven Circo, Lightware Theater updates The Tortoise and the Hare downtown, and Cinderella sweeps into the 90th Street Y.

The true harbinger of spring, though, is the Annual Macy's Flower Show, which is blooming once again on Herald Square starting Sunday. You might pair that with a visit to the NY Botanic Gardens' Orchid Show! Or maybe the true harbinger of spring is baseball? The Mets are taking over NYC on Saturday...

Our Family Activity Calendar is ready for spring, with loads of great activities indoors and out, and our Spring Fun Guide blossoms with top picks for spring day trips or farther flung spring break getaways.

More Things To Do in New York City this Week with Kids

Be sure to click through to each listing for all the details, including recommended ages and times.

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The hilarious Junie B. Jones schools kids in the ins and outs of education during a new musical at BMCC Tribeca PAC. Photo by Jeremy Daniel/courtesy of the theater
The hilarious Junie B. Jones schools kids in the ins and outs of education during a new musical at BMCC Tribeca PAC. Photo by Jeremy Daniel/courtesy of the theater

Best Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

The Water Arch

South Street Seaport–FREE
Wednesday, March 22 - Sunday, April 2
Seaport Museum hosts a free hands-on art installation that highlights the ever-increasing use of clean drinking water in an intriguing and immersive way. Created by the Netherlands-based pioneer in media design, Dropstuff Media, The Water Arch is an abstraction of a classic barrel organ. Standing at the center of the piece, you turn a wheel to pump over 35 gallons of water throughout the clear pipes and receptacles to have it rain down around you, without getting you wet. The amount of water symbolizes the average volume used by a Dutch person every day––but Americans use more than... READ MORE

Zephyr

Midtown West
Opens Friday, March 24
Throwing all caution to the wind, the adrenaline-driven daredevils of Cirque Mechanics are back with an all-new mechanical masterpiece: a 20-foot-tall windmill powered by sheer strength! Set on a rotating turntable, there’s practically nothing in Zephyr that won’t spin—including your head—as acrobats brazenly balance atop the windmill’s blades and fearlessly face the Wheel of Destiny. READ MORE

Flip Circus

New Springville, Staten Island
Opens Friday, March 24
World-class clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and daredevils display their talents in a Big Top so intimate that no audience member is more than 50 feet from the ring. READ MORE

Sensory-Friendly Concert with Lloyd H. Miller

South Street Seaport–FREE
Saturday, March 25
Music therapist Lloyd H. Miller performs a highly-interactive concert / sing-a-long / play-along specially designed for neurodiverse children and their families, but everyone is welcome. There will be lots of opportunities to meet and explore various instruments! READ MORE

NY Mets Amazin' Day

Multiple locations in NYC–FREE
Saturday, March 25
The New York Mets are kicking off the 2023 season by taking over NYC, and fans (wearing Mets gear) can score big. Fans sporting the Mets logo may be granted free access to several events at iconic NYC institutions, community-focused events, giveaways throughout the day, and more.  READ MORE

La MaMa Kids: Puppet Self Portrait

Lower East Side
Saturday, March 25
Head to La MaMa for a puppet performance and demonstration by puppet artist Tarish "Jeghetto" Pipkins. This production provides a glimpse of this puppeteer's process with visual projections, spoken word and hip-hop beats. READ MORE

Esencial Vaivén Circo

Downtown Brooklyn
Saturday, March 25-Sunday, March 26
Acclaimed Spanish cirque company Vaivén Circo returns to BAM with a new circus show based on the concept of transitions. Five characters play and dream on an adventure trip that takes the audience to remote places where the big decision is to take the simplest path. READ MORE

The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare The Next Generation

Greenwich Village
Saturday, March 25-Sunday, March 26
Starting with Aesop’s classic fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, this show fast-forwards 10 years later to a time when personal connections and life experiences seem to be losing to modern-day distractions, like smartphones and video games.  READ MORE

Family Art Project: Musical Magic

Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday, March 25-Sunday, March 26
A breeze through the trees, the hoot of an owl, rain falling on a pond—nature is full of beautiful sounds. Families discover the music of the natural world before making and decorating a set of playable pipes. READ MORE

CMOM March

Upper West Side
Saturday, March 25 - Sunday, March 26 | Wonder Women in Architecture and Math
March into wellness all month long at CMOM. Use art and imaginative play to understand the value of wellness and how it's linked to health from our heads to our toes, minds, and bones. Celebrate Women's History Month and commemorate pioneering figures in science, technology, arts and design, and mathematics.  READ MORE

The Crazy Adventures of Don Quixote / Las Locaventuras de Don Quijote

Lower East Side
Opens Saturday, March 25
Cervantes’ classic story is brought to life through colorful characters that go on crazy adventures when they let their imaginations get the best of them. READ MORE

Living History: Meet an 18th-Century Black Tradesperson

Upper West Side
Sunday, March 26
Learn about 18th-century trades through the experiences of free black tradesmen, such as potter Thomas W. Commeraw. Kids find out what life was like for these skilled artisans and create a craft to spark an interest in 18th-century handiwork. READ MORE

Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella

Upper East Side
Sundays, March 26 & April 2
The Broadway adaptation of the classic musical features new characters, a hilarious libretto, surprising twists, and an unforgettable score from Rodgers & Hammerstein. READ MORE

Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Sunday, March 26
The Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day parade kicks off at 1pm and runs along 3rd Avenue, starting at Marine Avenue and marching down to 67th Street. READ MORE

The Tale Of An-Noor

Lower East Side
Saturday, March 26
The Tale of An-Noor, written and performed by Marina Celander, is the tale of a magic bird who flies great distances to visit her friends the Old Tree and the Old River. Told through dance, puppetry and light An-Noor lets children know that there is magic all around us as long as we keep on dreaming and following the stars. READ MORE

Rock and Roll Playhouse: The Music of the Dave Matthews Band for Kids

Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Sunday, March 26
The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a weekly family concert series hosted at Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday mornings, allows kids to get-down to the sounds of music not intentionally made for kids. This week it features the music of the Dave Matthews Band. READ MORE

Macy's Herald Square Annual Flower Show

Midtown West–FREE
Opens Sunday, March 26
Macy's annual ode to springtime is in full bloom, with thousands of stunning flowers and lush plants transforming the flagship store into one of the most colorful destinations in NYC. READ MORE

The Orchid Show 2023

Bronx Park, Bronx
Through Sunday, April 23
Now in its 20th year, the Orchid Show showcases thousands of dramatically displayed orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. This year, the show is under the dramatic eye of landscape artist Lily Kwong, who presents a meditative and captivating design inspired by her ancestral connections to the natural world. READ MORE

Dog Man: The Musical

Midtown West
Weekends, through Sunday, April 30
Best friends George and Harold have been creating comics for years and decide to write a musical based on their favorite character: Dog Man, the crime-biting sensation who is part dog, part man and all hero. This musical adventure features all the beloved characters from Dav Pikey's beloved Dog Man book series.  READ MORE

Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio

Midtown West
Through Saturday, April 15
Working film sets from Guillermo Del Toro’s new movie, motion tests, and time-lapse video installations document the complex stop-motion process that brings the story’s characters to life. The exhibition also includes production art, props, and a look at the various phases of puppet-making. READ MORE

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