All Weekend

Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Cabaret – Park Slope
One of our March Go List picks: While there are lots of circus shows in town, we're particularly excited about the 20th anniversary revue by NYC's own Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. Their style is pure old-school vaudeville, comedic and edgy but still kid-friendly. Head to the Brooklyn Lyceum to marvel at Ringmistress Philomena's wicked humor and whip-cracking, Kinko the Clown's silly silent antics and a slew of jugglers, unicyclists and acrobats. $12, family four-pack $40

The House – Hudson Square
And here's a much darker show aimed at children ages 10 and up: Denmark's Sofie Krog Theater brings its avant-garde puppet production about the Warehouse Family funeral home to the HERE Arts Center. Watch as the creepy matriarch reveals life-altering secrets on her deathbed. $20 for adults, $15 for children

New York International Children's Film Festival – Manhattan
Another March Go List pick: This month-long film fest continues this weekend with kids' flicks from around the globe. Highlights include Saturday's The Muppets sing-along led by Walter the Muppet and singer/songwriter Bret McKenzie, who wrote the film's Oscar-winning song "Man or Muppet," and multiple screenings of the 2014 Academy Award-nominated animated film Ernest & Celestine. Tickets are going fast so if you find a flick you want to see, order right away. $13-$16 but you can save $2 per ticket on most screenings and $4 on the Muppets sing-along with the discount code MOMPOP14
 

Saturday, March 15

Peace, Love and Cupcakes: The Musical – Upper West Side
Another March Go List pick: Catch the opening performance of Vital Children's Theatre's latest page-to-stage production. Unlike the troupe's hit musicalizations of picture books like Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious, this show is based on The Cupcake Club chapter book series and is aimed at children ages 6 to 12. Watch as quirky Kylie and her tweenage pals try to navigate the middle school social scene. $30

Harriet the Spy at 50 – Upper East Side
Celebrate the 50th birthday of NYC's youngest, smartest gumshoe with popular YA author Rebecca Stead, Wicked writer Gregory Maguire and kid-lit historian Leonard Marcus at the 92nd Street Y. In addition to reading from a special anniversary edition of Louise Fitzhugh’s 1964 classic, the guests will show off their Harriet fan cred. $10

Super Sabado: arteXplorers – East Harlem
Get artsy at the March edition of El Museo del Barrio's monthly fest. Activities include making multimedia collages; meeting Juan Rodriguez, a 17th-century NYC immigrant in an interactive music, dance and theater performance; learning a few Afro-Brazilian capoeira moves and catching an acrobatic show by Dzul Dance. FREE

Spring into Norouz: Persian New Year Family Day – Upper East Side
Ring in the Persian New Year, which also honors spring solstice, at the Asia Society. The celebration includes a Persian carpet art project, Persian calligraphy, face painting, a shadow puppet show, and traditional music and dance performances from Central Asia and Iran. $12 for adults, $5 for children

We're Going on a Bear Hunt – Upper West Side
Perfect for preschoolers. Watch as the popular picture book comes to life at Symphony Space in this inventive show from the U.K. filled with songs and interactive scenes. $25 for adults, $15 for children

Leo Lionni’s Swimmy, Frederick & Inch by Inch – Tribeca
More quality family theater: Head to the Tribeca Performing Arts Center where the puppet masters from the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia bring three of Leo Lionni's Caldecott Honor-winning to the stage: Inch by Inch, Swimmy and Frederick. $25

La MaMa Kids: Kaila & Kid Beat-Box Workshop – East Village
Learn how to beat box with NYC-based performers Kid Lucky & Kaila Mullady. The "beat rhyming" duo combine beatboxing, rapping, spoken word, scatting and vocal sound effects for a unique style they call floetry. $5 for children, free for adults

Thalia Kids' Book Club: An Afternoon with Kevin Henkes – Upper West Side
Attention bookworms: The Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator talks about his creative process at Symphony Space and takes questions from his young readers. Fans of Kitten's First Full Moon, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and his latest release, The Year of Billy Miller, won't want to miss it. $15

See all Saturday events. 
 

Sunday, March 16

Purim Family Carnival at the JCC – Upper West Side
And another March Go List pick: This huge annual Purim bash at the JCC in Manhattan is a ton of fun on multiple floors. Families can enjoy carnival games with tchotchkes as prizes, holiday goodies, multiple inflatable houses, face painting and an exotic animal petting zoo. All the kids (and some adults) come in costume. Although admission is free, you need to buy activity tickets, so it can be costly if you don't set a firm limit. And it's always pretty crowded, but there are so many things to do, the lines tend to move quickly. Free admission but there are fees for activities

Girls World Expo Presented by The Queens Courier – Flushing
Got a tween or teen girl at home? Then you won't want to miss this expo, which is chock-full of workshops, demos and panels on healthy eating, boys and education. There will also be an art display, a fashion show, special guests and exhibitors, including Mommy Poppins. Be sure to drop by our booth to try our marshmallow catapult, snag coupons for treats courtesy of Pesso's Italian Ices, and enter to win one-week camp sessions from Oasis Day Camp and Engineering for Kids, or tickets for the New Victory Theater. The Expo is FREE but preregistration is required

Purim Carnival – Upper East Side
More Purim fun at the 92nd Street Y's annual bash, including carnival games, a petting zoo, a bounce house, a holiday play, a magic show, and the chance to make your own hamentashen and mishloach manot (treat-filled Purim baskets). $12 for adults, $17 for children

Baby Loves Disco – Greenwich Village
Dust off your bell bottoms and platform shoes and get ready to boogie down '70s-style at this all-ages dance party. Enjoy a live DJ and a cash bar (adults only) while kids groove, nosh on healthy snacks by Honest Kids, play with toys and puzzles, or relax in the book nook. $20; $60 for a family four-pack but save $5 by using the code MOM

Brooklyn St. Patrick's Day Parade – Park Slope
Put on your best green garb and celebrate the holiday at this small, family-friendly parade featuring bagpipers and lots of local Irish charm. FREE

Throggs Neck St. Patrick’s Day Parade – the Bronx
The 16th annual Throggs Neck Benevolent Association's celebration starts with mass at St. Benedict's Church followed by a complimentary breakfast and finally a parade around the Bronx neighborhood. FREE

A Brown Bear, a Moon, and a Caterpillar: Treasured Stories by Eric Carle – Flatbush
More quality kids' entertainment from the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. Head to the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts to see page-to-stage adaptations of Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me. $7

See all Sunday events.
 

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