All Weekend

BAMkids Film Festival – Fort Greene
BAM Rose Cinemas hosts the annual family film fest, featuring shorts and full-length movies from around the world, including the NYC premiere of the Norwegian animated musical Elias and the Treasures of the Sea. There will also be wonderful live performances from a pair of NYC-based artists: kids' clarinetist Oran Etkin and the kindie rock duo The Pop Ups performing the mini-musical PASTA. Buying tickets in advance is strongly recommended. $12 for adults, $9 for children under 13.

Apollo Open House Weekend – Harlem
In honor of Black History Month, the legendary Apollo Theater welcomes visitors for a weekend of music, movement and fun. On Saturday, there will be a community dance and a family dance party, where choreographer Mickey Davidson will teach kids old-school steps like the Lindy Hop, the Twist, the Cool Jerk and the Hand Jive. On Sunday, families can make their own musical instruments or watch live music jams. Pre-registration is required. FREE
 

Saturday, February 4

Lunar New Year Parade and Celebration – Flushing
There are a number of Chinese New Year celebrations this weekend, but Queens' parade is the main event. Watch as dragon dancers, steel drummers and floats pass by. The procession ends at Main Street and 39th Avenue near the Queens Crossing Mall, which hosts a post-parade cultural celebration. FREE

Lunar New Year Dance Sampler – Flushing
After the parade you can also head to this nearby culture spot for a jam-packed program of Asian dances from China, Korea, India, Thailand, Taiwan and the Pacific Islands. FREE but tickets required.

Moon Over Manhattan: Lunar New Year Family Day – Upper East Side
The Asia Society also celebrates the Year of the Dragon with Chinese music and storytelling, a lion dance, kung fu demos, a shadow puppet workshop with Chinese Theatre Works and art projects. $12 for adults, $5 for children.

Celebrating Lunar New Year: The Year of the Dragon – Upper East Side
The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts an all-day Chinese New Year fete. Activities include a Chinese zodiac and dragon hunt, a dragon art workshop, a Sesame Street puppet performance featuring Alan Muraoka, lantern-making, a calligraphy demo and more. Free with suggested admission: $25 for adults, free for children under 12.

Artopia: A Family Arts Festival – Upper West Side
Wingspan Arts, an organization that runs camps and after-school programs for city kids, hosts its annual arts fest at the Anderson School. Kids can catch performances by Wingspan students throughout the day, and also take tap-dancing, filmmaking, clowning, singing and yoga workshops. It's a great way to get a taste of all the organization offers. FREE

Shine and the Moonbeams – Upper West Side
We really dig this kid-friendly R&B band. This weekend, the duo hits Symphony Space for a groovy gig. $20 for adults, $13 for children.

Story Pirates: My Museum Story – Upper West Side
Another one of our favorite acts, the Story Pirates, performs hilarious, kid-written sketches and mini-musicals to the American Museum of Natural History. $12.

French Institute's Family Saturdays – Midtown East
You don't need to speak français to enjoy the institute's Valentine’s Day-themed fete. Activities include a screening of the French animated flick The Three Robbers: Les trois brigands, a bilingual valentine making and cookie decorating workshop, and a French storytime. Storytime is FREE; other activities are $10.

Family Art Workshop: Puppetry – Chelsea
The Rubin Museum invites families to create shadow puppets out of their hands and paper, and then perform a short show. $10 per adult-child pair.

New Museum First Saturdays For Families –Lower East Side
Families can explore the connections between learning and drawing with New Museum Triennial artist Nicolás Paris. FREE

West Side Story and Other Music of the Americas – Upper West Side
The Little Orchestra Society celebrates American composers like Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. Young ballroom experts from the Dancing Classrooms Youth Dance Company will also perform. $15-$50

The Sweatshirt Sheep Workshop with John E. Kennedy – Astoria
In conjunction with its Jim Henson exhibit, the Museum of the Moving Image welcomes Sesame Street puppeteer John E. Kennedy, who'll lead a two-hour workshop for families. Kids can watch as he animates an old sweatshirt sleeve, see his short film, The Sure Sheep and try puppeteering themselves. $16.

The Lion's Whiskers – Prospect Heights
In honor of Black History Month, the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library presents a stage adaptation of an Ethiopian folk tale featuring original songs and gigantic puppets. FREE

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, February 5

Chinese New Year Celebration – Upper East Side
In honor of Lunar New Year, families can catch a free lion dance outside the culture spot. Afterward, head inside for fun (but admittedly pricey) workshops on dumpling making and calligraphy. Lion dance is FREE, workshops are $50 and require pre-registration.

Jumpin’ Juniper Presents Suzi Shelton – Park Slope
The Brooklyn kid rocker and mom plays an intimate show at the Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Afterward, kids can romp around BAX's play space for an hour. As of now, advance tickets are sold out, but a limited number will be sold at the door starting 30 minutes before showtime. $7

Endangered Instrument Discovery Day – Upper West Side
The Bloomingdale School of Music invites families to learn about under-appreciated instruments like the bass, bassoon, horn, oboe and viola. Teachers will be on hand to help kids try them out. FREE

Jazz for Kids Brunch – Gramercy
Families can watch the super-talented members of the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra perform classic tunes. Come hungry: The eats from Blue Smoke restaurant are delicious. $5 suggested donation plus cost of meal.

Shababa: The Concert – Upper East Side
The 92nd Street Y hosts a CD release party and fund-raiser featuring the Shababa Mamas, The Miracle Makers children’s chorus and Coco, their puppet mascot. $20.

Soul on Ice Winter Skating Party – Harlem
Figure Skating in Harlem throws its annual benefit at Lasker Rink in Central Park. Kids can show off their best tricks while a deejay spins tunes. There will also be giveaways, raffles and snacks. $15, which includes skate rental.

See all Sunday events.

Outside of NYC

While we have plenty of outdoor ice-skating rinks in NYC, The Rinx at Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson, Long Island offers waterfront ice-skating, which is a real treat.

My family is planning on hitting Westchester's Croton Point Park for its annual Hudson River EagleFest. Activities include searching the sky for bald eagles, meeting live birds of prey, storytelling and more. $5 suggested donation, certain activities cost extra.

Don’t forget: There are lots of other options in our Event Calendar.

Planning an event? Submit it to our Event Calendar.

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