All Weekend

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival – Flushing
Watch more than 100 colorful dragon boat teams race across Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Other attractions include ethnic eats, traditional Chinese music, crafts and folk arts, martial arts displays and kite flying. Raven and I took our kids last year and had a blast. Afterward, stay and explore Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which boasts a carousel, the Queens Zoo and the New York Hall of Science. FREE

Maker Weekend – Corona
Speaking of the New York Hall of Science, the museum is hosting its second consecutive Maker Weekend in honor of the upcoming Maker Faire. Kids can create paper robot suits, collaborate on a large-scale paper project, create toys out of recycled materials or make their own flip books. Free with admission: $11 for adults, $8 for children ages 2-17, free for kids under 2.

Kids Rule Weekend – the Bronx
Head to the Lehman College campus for two days of outdoor family fun. Activities include games, magic shows, family theater, water slides and pony rides. FREE

Saturday, August 4

Summer Streets – Manhattan
NYC's annual car-free fest returns and it's one of my family's favorites. 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 rest stops along the way for cool activities like a brand-new zip line at Foley Square, a rock climbing wall in Soho, plus cycling tips, pop-up playgrounds, live performances and more. Read our tips for enjoying Summer Streets before you go. FREE

Jam on Dumbo’s Summer Family Musical Festival – Dumbo
The popular Brooklyn concert series is back although it's indoors this time around. Hit Superfine restaurant to catch New Orleans-style jazz by Jeff Newell’s New Trad Trio, AudraRox's lead singer Jen Milich's solo set and the soulful Shine & the Moonbeams. There will also be kids' crafts and activities. FREE

Free Target First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum: Caribbean Rhythms – Prospect Heights
Keep the kids out a little late for this evening fete in honor of the upcoming West Indian Carnival. Kids can fashion beautiful headdresses to wear, groove to live Caribbean music and get a dance lesson before rushing home for bedtime. FREE

The Lion King – Roosevelt Island
Pack a picnic and tram over to the isle for an outdoor screening of the Disney classic. Make a day of it by arriving early and exploring the picturesque island. FREE

Rolie Polie Guacamole – Midtown West
Come sing along with the Brooklyn-based kid rockers as they croon interactive songs outside in Bryant Park. FREE

Roller Skate and Disco Dance – Park Slope
Put your hair in side ponytails, slip on some short shorts, grab your skates and hit the Brooklyn Lyceum for an all-ages afternoon roller boogie where you can party like it's 1979. Afterward, there will be a dance and late that night, a screening of Saturday Night Fever, but you'll probably want to clear our before the sun sets. $5

See all Saturday events.

Sunday, August 5

Children's Day – Staten Island
Head to the Carousel for All Children in Willowbrook Park for its annual family fest featuring live entertainment from Eva the Diva and Faze 4 Rockers. There will also be inflatable rides and other amusements. Free admission but there are fees for certain activities, including carousel rides which are $1.50.

Slightly Strange Kids' Illustration Workshop – Dumbo
More fun in Dumbo: In honor of Powerhouse Arena's brand-new art exhibit Slightly Strange, featuring the work of five well known children's book illustrators, the bookstore hosts an illustration workshop where kids can meet three of the artists: Michael Slack, Mike Moran and Jim Paillot. FREE

Comics Jam – Greenpoint
Educator-illustrator Michel Levesque drops by Word bookshop to lead a collaborative comics workshop for tweens. FREE

FringeJr: Meet the Cast – Greenwich Village
Although the New York International Fringe Festival doesn't kick off until next weekend, you can get a sneak peek at the theater fest's family shows today at FringeCENTRAL. Drop by to meet the casts of Blown Away by Poetry and Grimm: A New Musical, and see excerpts from the productions. FREE

Astoria Park Shore Fest – Astoria
Enjoy car-free fun in Queens as Shore Boulevard is closed to traffic and opened to family activities like bilingual storytelling, live ukelele and theater performances, recycled crafts and jewelry making, and games. Be sure to bring your four-legged pals, too, as there will be all kinds of canine activities including a dog training workshop, doggy swimming pools, and a dog parade and costume contest. FREE

See all Sunday events.

Outside NYC

Head to Berlin, New Jersey for the Camden County 4-H fair featuring animal exhibits, monster truck rides, games and kids' activities.

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