All Weekend

92Y School of the Arts Children's Warhol Festival – Upper East Side
Kids can check out the exhibit Warhol: Paintings for Children and then make work inspired by the Pop Art icon. This weekend, drop in for silkscreening or register for Transformation, a found object art class. The 92nd Street Y is offering no-cost weekend art workshops in conjunction with the exhibit through September 25. FREE

The Old Boat Goddess: Songs of the Ainu – Upper West Side
The Mettawee River Theater Company presents three Ainu folk tales outdoors at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. We've seen puppet shows by the troupe before, and they're wonderful for the whole family. $10 for adults, $5 for children.

20at20 – Manhattan
If you've been meaning to see The Ohmies, Traces, The Berenstain Bears or another kid-friendly Off Broadway show, now's the time to go. Through Sunday, September 18, select productions are selling $20 tickets 20 minutes before each performance. Of course there is some fine print: Tickets are cash only and if the performance sells out in advance, you're out of luck. But we're guessing most family shows won't have that problem. $20

September 11 Commemorative Performance – Financial District
The famed Joyce Theater presents special dance performances near the Twin Towers site. The Limón Dance Company and the Paul Taylor Dance Company will both perform along with a new piece by Jessica Lang created specifically for the anniversary. FREE

Saturday, September 10

Ninth Annual West Side County Fair – Upper West Side
This super-popular event is the closest thing Manhattan has to a country fair. Hit Riverside Park South for square dancing, carnival games and rides, sideshow performers, a petting zoo, pony rides and more. And it looks like it won't get rained out like last year. FREE

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Family Day – Chinatown
Celebrate the harvest Chinese-style at the Museum of Chinese in America. Highlights include a story session with author and illustrator Mingmei Yip, a shadow puppet performance by Chinese Theatre Works and drop-in holiday crafts like clay moon cakes and lanterns. $10

Still Hip's Fab Fall Block Party – Clinton Hill
The Brooklyn kids' resale shop throws its annual bash, featuring live music from AudraRox and Stoned Soul, arts and crafts, roller-skating and a makeshift playground. FREE

New Museum First Saturdays for Families: Ostalgia – Lower East Side
Explore Ostalgia, a multimedia exhibit that examines the nostalgia for Communist Bloc life, and then create artwork inspired by the installation. FREE

FamilyDay@theCenter: Building Stories – Greenwich Village
Learn about the history of various NYC buildings and then work on a book about your own domicile. Author Isabel Hill, who writes children’s books featuring city buildings, will also be on hand. Registration required. $20 for a family of four.

Sun to Stars Sixth Annual South Asian Cultural Festival – Stuyvesant Cove Park
Enjoy outdoor dance and music performances sponsored by Solar One. This year, there are brand-new activities aimed at families, including kite and lamp making, decorating South Asian deity puppets, sari wrapping and storytelling. FREE

Brooke Jackman Foundation Read-a-thon: A Celebration of Literacy and Hope – Battery Park City
This nonprofit organization commemorates September 11 by promoting literacy and endorsing peace at the Winter Garden in the World Financial Center. Special guest readers include Reading Rainbow creator Twila Liggett and children's authors Katie Davis, Cozbi A. Cabrera and Stephanie Calmenson. There will also be sets by kid rockers Care Bears on Fire and the Bari Koral Family Rock Band. FREE

Family Program: Pro Tools with Cory Arcangel – Upper East Side
Little techies can explore the Whitney's exhibit Cory Arcangel: Pro Tools, which features video games, video projections and other high-tech art. Afterward, kids can make their own work and participate in a live chat with the artist. FREE with museum admission: $18 for adults, free for children under 19.

Fresh Food in the Garden with Martha Speaks – the Bronx
Are you a member of Kids Club Thirteen? It certainly has its privileges, including free admission to 13 family events throughout the year. Today, Kids Club Thirteen members can celebrate the harvest in Mario Batali’s Edible Garden at the New York Botanical Garden, and meet the famous talking dog from PBS' animated series Martha Speaks. Visit the website for a list of member benefits and info on how to join. FREE for Kids Club Thirteen members

See all Saturday events.

Sunday, September 11

Municipal Art Society’s Tribute in Light – Financial District
Between dusk and dawn, two blue beams of light will shine at the World Trade Center site in honor of September 11. They're visible within a 60-mile radius and are an eye-catching and moving tribute to the lives lost that day. FREE

9/11 Day of Service – Upper West Side
To commemorate the anniversary, the JCC of Manhattan is hosting myriad volunteer projects, including serving meals at a senior citizens' center, cleaning up NYC parks, sending messages to servicemen and women, creating hospital welcome kits for sick children and many other activities. All ages are welcome. Register in advance, and choose your project the morning of the event. FREE

Met Life Second Sundays for Families: Decay and Beauty – Flushing
Explore the Queens Museum of Art's new exhibit Detroit Disassembled: Photographs by Andrew Moore, which features large-scale photographs of abandoned buildings that are being overrun by nature, and then create work inspired by the images. Afterward, check out some of the other cool things to do in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. FREE.

Remembering September 11 Concert – Upper East Side
The Wordless Music Orchestra will play The Disintegration Loops, dpl 1.1 and three other pieces celebrating memory, remembrance and grief at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. FREE with suggested museum admission: $25 for adults, free for children under 12.

September 11th Story Hour – Upper West Side
Kids can listen to Firefighter Vin Panaro read Maira Kalman's ode to the day, Fireboat, at the New York Historical Society. Registration is required. FREE

Wind Elegy: Remembering 9/11 – the Bronx
Admission to Wave Hill is free today in honor of the anniversary. In addition to strolling through the lovely grounds and participating in a family art project, you can write down your thoughts on a strip of paper, which will be attached to a pergola. FREE

See a comprehensive list of ways to commemorate September 11 with kids in New York City.

See all Sunday events.

Outside of NYC

All of our sister sites also have thoughtful roundups of ways to mark September 11.

In New Jersey, Fosterfield’s Living Historical Farm is quietly commemorating the tenth anniversary with an afternoon of domestic and farm chores from a simpler time.

Long Island’s Stony Brook University unveils New York Remembers, which includes artifacts from the attacks.

The Kent Memorial Library in Connecticut debuts America ... Home Sweet Home: Photographs of Flag Houses Since 9/11 by local photographer Robert Carley featuring the flags Americans flew en masse post-attacks.


Don't forget: We have additional activity options in our Event Calendar.

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