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Weekend Fun: Spring Flings, Dance Parades, Food Fests, Ninja Turtles

Over 1,000 dancers plus DJs and live bands will light up NYC at the annual Dance Parade. Photo courtesy of the event
Over 1,000 dancers plus DJs and live bands will light up NYC at the annual Dance Parade. Photo courtesy of the event
5/15/19 - By Drew Kristofik

Spring fling takes on a whole new meaning this weekend at Saturday's spectacular 13th Annual Dance Parade, plus Brooklyn's Spring Fling in Prospect Park, and the bound-to-be-wild Swamp in the City Cajun Family Dance in Red Hook. Speaking of swamp things, the Paley Center's new Teenage Mutant Ninja celebration may be right down your manhole—er, up your alley, with giveaways and a meet-and-greet with the rad reptiles on Saturday.

Fairs and festivals are everywhere, of course. The 9th Avenue International Food Festival takes over the west side all weekend—though vegetarians might want to detour to 18th Street for the Vegetarian Food Fest. Truck afficionados can touch their fill at PS 295's Touch-a-Truck extravaganza, and the Bronx Kid Fest promises deep sea VR fun in addition to the usual kids' activities.

On Sunday, don't miss Brooklyn's Fabulous Fifth Street Fair, the Annual Fleece Fest at the Prospect Park Zoo, and the National Museum of the American Indian's annual Children's Festival. Ferry to Ellis Island for the Asian American & Pacific Islander Fest. Or get your barbecue on at the Essex Street Market Block Party.

Looking for evening entertainment under the stars? Shakespeare in the park kicks off with an abbreviated, female-led Hamlet: Princess of Denmark in Bryant Park. Bring blankets and other critical movie-watching paraphernalia to FREE evening screenings of Sing in Queens, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Teen Titans Go! to the Movies in Brooklyn, or Incredibles 2 on the Upper East Side, in the Bronx, and in Brooklyn. 

Planning ahead? Today would be the perfect time to sign up for a 4th of July cruise to maximize fireworks fun (before they all sell out!).

Meanwhile, the MommyPoppins events calendar continues its breakneck buildup of spring and summer events. Dig in! 

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Celebrate the start of summer at CMOM with a bubble party! Photo courtesy of the museum
Celebrate the start of summer at CMOM with a bubble party! Photo courtesy of the museum

All Weekend

Dynamic H20 Bubble Launch Party

Upper West Side
CMOM launches its favorite backyard exhibit with a bubble party. READ MORE

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

Midtown West — FREE (food available for purchase)
Enjoy cuisines from different countries, including Poland, Italy, Spain, Greece, Japan, Thailand, and more. From open to close, visitors can browse the offerings along 15 city blocks of gourmet food and beverages. READ MORE

New York Vegetarian Food Festival

Chelsea
Foodies, locavores, vegetarians, vegans, flexitarians, and those who simply want to find out more about living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, this is the festival for you! READ MORE

Annual Fleece Festival: Wild and Woolly Weekend

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
It's time for fleece fun in Brooklyn! At the zoo, a master sheep shearer helps the sheep lose their winter coats in preparation for summer. Stop by for wool working demonstrations, crafts, music and, of course, sheep. READ MORE

Annual Children's Festival

Financial District — FREE
The National Museum of the American Indian’s annual Children’s Festival invites families to explore the Taíno culture of the Caribbean. READ MORE

Spring Fling in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn — FREE
Join the Prospect Park Alliance and the Brooklyn Public Library, plus various local partners, to enjoy a day of family-friendly fun with library programs, entertainment, and civic engagement. READ MORE

Celebrating 35 Years of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Midtown West — FREE
The Paley Center celebrates 35 Years of TMNT in a big way, with a special giveaway for the first 100 children on line on opening day (starting at 12n), and a meet and greet with the Turtles from 1pm to 4pm. READ MORE

Craft in Focus Festival

Industry City, Brooklyn
The Craft in Focus festival takes over Industry City (Brooklyn) with over a hundred hands-on workshops, inspiring lectures by renowned international craftsmen, master classes for professionals, documentaries, and more. READ MORE
Follow the life cycle of an apple seed through four seasons in Grow! a lovely, interactive performance for very young children. Photo courtesy of the Spellbound Theater
Follow the life cycle of an apple seed through four seasons in Grow! a lovely, interactive performance for very young children. Photo courtesy of the Spellbound Theater

Saturday, May 18

Grow!

Park Slope, Brooklyn
  Follow the life cycle of an apple seed through four seasons in this interactive performance for very young children. Young audiences and the storyteller plant a seed together and help it grow, while learning gentle and charming songs and ASL signs to help tell a story of seasonal growth. READ MORE

Dance Parade + DanceFest in the East Village

Lower East Side — FREE
Dance Parade returns to the streets, celebrating its 18th annual procession and festival with 10,000 dancers and more than 100 unique styles of dance. READ MORE

PS 163 Spring Fair and Rummage Sale

Upper West Side
PS 163's school fair promises fun for the whole family with games, face painting, bouncy houses and more. READ MORE

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Spring Creatures

Midtown West
Irish Arts Center takes over Hell's Kitchen’s Dewitt Clinton Park to welcome back all the neighborhood birds flying home after wintering down south! READ MORE

PS 295 Touch-a-Truck 2019

South Slope, Brooklyn
At this unique street fair, NYC kids and families will get up close and personal with a wide variety of special cars and vehicles, including emergency trucks, service vehicles, construction equipment, vintage vehicles, a race car, and other cool cars. READ MORE

Essex Street Market Annual Birthday Block Party

Lower East Side
Essex Street Market has been on the Lower East Side since 1940, but this year is special, as it's the first year in the Market's new location. READ MORE

PrideFest Festival

Randall Manor, Staten Island — FREE
The annual PrideFest street fair features live music, artists, craft vendors, food trucks, performers, and more. Family Fest activities take over the streets around Astor Place. READ MORE

Family Day

Upper East Side — FREE
Join NYC Parks and Council Member Ben Kallos in a fun afternoon of crafts, games, transformation face painting with Agostino Arts, fitness classes, an obstacle course, sports, a photo booth, and more! READ MORE

Bronx Kid Fest

South Bronx — FREE
A  FREE fun-filled afternoon of kids’ activities features art on the go, deep sea VR, build and grow workshops, brain games, performances, giveaways, and more. READ MORE

Movies Under the Stars: Incredibles 2 (PG)

Upper East Side — FREE
Join NYC Parks and the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment for a free screening of Incredibles 2, in which Mr. Incredible is left home with the kids when Elastigirl becomes the new face of superheroes. READ MORE

Skyline Cinema

Long Island City, Queens — FREE
Families can enjoy some of the best classic and independent movies right on the waterfront in Long Island City's Hunters Point South Park, with New York City's skyline as the backdrop. Movies start a sunset. READ MORE

Movies Under the Stars: Incredibles 2 (PG)

Gravesend, Brooklyn — FREE
This fantastic sequel follows the Parr family as they try to restore the public's trust in superheroes while balancing their family life, only to combat a new foe who seeks to turn the populace against all superheroes. READ MORE

Sunday, May 19

The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Street Fair

Park Slope, Brooklyn — FREE (Food and activities for purchase)
Head to Park Slope's Fifth Avenue to peruse this street fair, featuring food and sale items, rides, bouncy castles, music performances, and more.  READ MORE

Friendship Circle Upper East Side Carnival and Walk

Upper East Side
A benefit for kids with special needs includes rides, arcades, a teen gaming tent, entertainment, face painting, pony rides, bouncy castles, a petting zoo, and more. Purchase tickets for $1 -- rides and activities cost 3-10 tickets each. READ MORE

Swamp in the City Cajun Festival: Sunday Family Dance

Red Hook, Brooklyn
Bring the kids down to Red Hook for a Cajun family dance party. READ MORE

Ocean Babies

Upper West Side
Seahorses pop from their fathers' pouches, emperor penguins carry eggs on their feet, catfish guard their young in their mouth, and killer whales stay with their pods for life. For many animals, the relationship between parent and child is one of the most vital and important factors for survival. READ MORE

46th Annual Bronx Week Parade

Kingsbridge Heights, the Bronx — FREE
Bronx Pride is on display as celebrities, marching bands community organizations, schools, sports teams and civic groups march along Mosholu Parkway, highlighting the best of the borough as this great community tradition celebrates its 46th Anniversary. READ MORE

Imagine Ellis Island Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Festival

Ellis Island — FREE (ferry ticket purchase required)
Celebrate the 2019 AAPI Heritage Month with traditional and contemporary Asian American & Pacific Islander Music, Dance and Art. READ MORE

PS 132’s 15th Annual Kite Festival

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
PS 132 hosts their 15th annual Kite Festival. The fun starts at noon, with field day activities, entertainment,  food, and of course, kites. READ MORE

Family Day

Kew Gardens Hills, Queens — FREE
Join NYC Parks and Council Member Rory Lancman for a fun afternoon of crafts, games, inflatables, transformation face painting with Agostino Arts, an animal show, a photo booth, and more. READ MORE

Spring Overlook Concerts in Riverside Park

Upper West Side — FREE
Bring a blanket and a snack and luxuriate to excellent music from the French Cookin’ Blues Band, The James Limerick Kerr Bluegrass Duo, and The Manhattan School of Music’s Brass Ensemble. READ MORE

Movies Under the Stars: Ralph Breaks the Internet (PG)

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn — FREE
Six years after the events of "Wreck-It Ralph," Ralph and Vanellope, now friends, discover a wi-fi router in their arcade, leading them into a new adventure. READ MORE

CANCELED! Movies Under the Stars: Teen Titans Go! to the Movies (PG)

Bushwick, Brooklyn — FREE
In this hilarious animated feature, the Teen Titans realize they're not "real" superheroes because there's not a movie about them. READ MORE

CMA Family Day

Hudson Square
Children's Museum of the Arts' Family Day is a rare and exciting opportunity for your child to work one-on-one with New York City's top artists!  READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
Jalopy Theatre and School of Music