All Weekend

The Feast of San Gennaro – Little Italy
While this annual festival is technically a religious celebration, most revelers go for the delicious food, cannoli-eating contest, live music, games and rides, including a Ferris wheel. At night it's a real party scene so families should visit during the day. It's open on Monday and Tuesday, too, in case your kids are off from school. Free admission but there are additional fees for certain activities.

Washington Square Park Folk Festival – Greenwich Village
Washington Square Park was a folk music hotspot back in the day. Come celebrate its tuneful history at this two-day concert, featuring folk legends like Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz, John Cohen, Blind Boy Paxton and many more. Saturday and Sunday only. FREE

Communications from a Cockroach: Archy and the Under Side – Morningside Heights
It's the final weekend to catch the Mettawee River Theatre Company's offbeat puppet show, about Archy the poem-writing cockroach and Mehitabel, a cat reincarnation of Cleopatra. This one-of-a-kind production will be performed at dusk on the lovely grounds of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Friday through Sunday only. $12 for adults, $6 for children.

Circus Amok: Moo – Long Island City and Harlem
If you missed Circus Amok's outdoor show last weekend due to the wonky weather, you can catch Moo on Saturday at Long Island City's Socrates Sculpture Park and on Sunday at Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park. Expect acrobats, stilt walkers, clowns and other feats, plus a dose of social commentary: The theme of this year's show is the global financial crisis. FREE
 

Saturday, September 15

Gustafer Yellowgold: Strings Attached – Greenwich Village
We've raved about Gustafer Yellowgold's unique performances for years. The brainchild of singer/songwriter Morgan Taylor, Gustafer is a little yellow animated creature from the sun, and kids follow his adventures through catchy tunes and kooky cartoons. For this special performance at the Skirball Center, Taylor will be backed by a full band. $28.

New York City Honey Fest 2012 – Rockaway
NYC Honey Week wraps up in sweet style on the boardwalk at Queens' Rockaway Beach. Festivities include beekeeping and honey extraction demos, and tastings from local honey makers and food purveyors. Kids can also work on a giant, collaborative honeybee mural. Saturday and Sunday only. FREE

Fall Soccer Fest – Upper West Side
Super Soccer Stars throws its first-ever fall fest, featuring friendly games and clinics for kids. For those who don't want to bend it like Beckham, there will also be arts and crafts, a bouncy castle, a giant inflatable slide, face painting and a balloon twister. FREE

September Celebration – Staten Island
Head to Staten Island's historic Conference House for a reenactment of the 1776 Peace Conference, an important event in the Revolutionary War. Kids can meet Ben Franklin and the gang, take tours of the house, and try Colonial-era crafts, dancing and cooking. $5 for adults, $3 for children under 12.

Battle of Harlem Heights Remembered – Harlem
More historic fun! The Morris-Jumel Mansion marks the anniversary of the Battle of Harlem Heights with a day of family activities, including writing with a quill pen and a colonial dress-up station. FREE

Hands on History: The Constitution – Jamaica
Not to be outdone, the King Manor Museum throws an old-fashioned birthday party for our nation's Constitution with a birthday cake and retro activities. FREE.

Orbis Pictus - Play Well Music Workshop – Upper East Side
We love Orbis Pictus - Play Well, the interactive exhibit at the Czech Center featuring all kinds of funky artist-made instruments for kids to bang on.Today, families can also take a special Journey through Sounds workshop to learn how musical instruments are developed, from primitive noisemakers to classical and electronic music. FREE

Super Sabado: We Heart Musica – East Harlem
El Museo del Barrio throws its free monthly family fiesta today themed around music. Kids can enjoy interactive bilingual storytelling, a Taino music sing-along, art projects, a photo booth and more. FREE

Go Fish! Featuring Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem – Battery Park
Wagner Park hosts a day of catch-and-release fishing, birding, arts and crafts, and a concert by Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem. FREE

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, September 16

Flatbush Frolic – Flatbush
Kids can put on their favorite outfits and march in the festive Banner and Costume Parade that kicks off this 36th annual street fair. Along with food, rides, live music and vendors, there will be a special kids' area on the corner of Argyle Road with gymnastics, karate, yoga, hula hooping, a performance by the Musical Explorers and African mask-making with Art House. FREE

Spellbound Theatre’s Wink – Fort Greene
This inventive show based on Eugene Field's kids' poem Wynken, Blynken and Nod is told through shadow puppets, physical theater and projections. $20 for adults, free for children.

Big Movies For Little Kids: Student Film Festival – Governors Island
It's one of the last weekends to visit Governors Island before it closes for the season on September 30. Today, catch a program of kid-directed shorts, including the Children’s Museum of the Arts' award-winning Diamond of the Pig. Kids can also participate in video and art projects led by CMA staff. FREE

See all Sunday events.
 

Monday, September 17 & Tuesday, September 18

Although there really aren't any special kids' events going on these two days, we do have lots of great ideas for ways to entertain your family.

It's apple picking season! Head out of town to grab a bushel or two straight from the tree. There are even a few orchards in the tri-state area that are accessible by public transportation.

Explore a kid-friendly exhibit. Some of our favorites currently on view include Art Forms: 75 Years of Arts Education at the wonderful Children's Museum of the Arts (open Monday but closed on Tuesday); Spiders Alive! at the American Museum of Natural History and Lunch Hour NYC at the central branch of the New York Public Library. Note: The Brooklyn Children's Museum is closed for fall cleaning, so don't go there!

Or go on a public art hunt. There are several cool outdoor displays around town like a giant ketchup bottle in City Hall Park and Niki de Saint Phalle's colorful mosaic sculptures on Park Avenue.

The weather's still nice, so enjoy NYC's fabulous playgrounds while you can. You'll find many of our favorites in our Playgrounds & Parks Guide, including posts about recently renovated or brand-new play spots like Riverside Park's Elephant Playground, Park Slope's overhauled J.J. Byrne Playground and the stunning transformation of Rockaway Park in Queens.

And a four-day weekend is the perfect time for a quick getaway. Our Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut sites all have info on local apple orchards, museums and other family attractions, plus we have wonderful day trip ideas on the NYC site.

You can find even more cool things to do in NYC in our Event Calendar.