All Weekend

Astoria Park Festival – Astoria
Get ready for some old-fashioned thrills and chills as the parking lot of the popular Queens green space hosts a colorful carnival with rides, games, food and live performances. Free admission but there are fees for activities.

Red Grooms' New York City Opening Weekend – Upper West Side
Check out the playful Pop Art-style pieces of multimedia artist Red Grooms at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. All of the works on display celebrate NYC, including a five-foot sculpto-pictorama of Rockefeller Center. The museum is offering art workshops in conjunction with the exhibit, where kids can be inspired by Grooms' colorful style. Free with admission: $11

Harlem Arts Festival – Harlem
Celebrate Harlem's vibrant arts scene at this two-day interdisciplinary fest featuring live music, dance and spoken word performances, a visual arts area, and a kids' corner with face painting and craft activities. FREE

Saturday, June 29

SummerStage Kids Bronx Family Day – Mott Haven
SummerStage Kids' second Family Day takes place in the boogie down Bronx. Catch juggling acts by the wacky Gizmo Guys and magic tricks by LuckyBob, plus performances by KR3TS Dance Company, Double Dutch Dreamz and BAM's house DJ, Idlemind. FREE

Produce Art with Molly Smith – Long Island City
Play with your food at Socrates Sculpture Park! Artist Molly Smith will show kids how turn fruits and veggies into cool paints and stamps. FREE

Nostalgia Ride: Coney Island Bound – Brooklyn Heights and Coney Island
Head to the beach old-school style on vintage R1/9 subway cars courtesy of the New York Transit Museum. Once you arrive, disembark and explore everything Coney Island has to offer or ride the train all day! $50 for adults, $25 for children ages 2-17

Outdoor Summer Movie Series: The Hunger Games – Roosevelt Island
Pack a picnic and tram over to the isle for an outdoor screening of last year's megahit The Hunger Game. Make a day of it by arriving early and exploring the picturesque island. FREE

Family Fishing Celebration – Harlem
In honor of New York State's Free Fishing Days, families can cast a line in the Harlem Meer, no permit required. Catch and release largemouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, bluegill sunfish, carp and chain pickerel, and enjoy fish-themed art projects and live performances. All equipment provided. FREE

Summer on the Hudson: River Fish Celebration – Harlem
More fishing fun! Drop a line in the Hudson with the NYC Park Rangers, and enjoy arts and crafts, and other festivities. FREE

Family Art Workshop: Weaving Workshop with Red, Yellow and Blue – Flatiron
Using Orly Genger's amazing knotted rope public art installation in Madison Square Park as inspiration, children can experiment with weaving techniques to create a bookmark. The artist herself will be at the first workshop session! FREE

Funky Town Playground – Midtown West
Head to the Bryant Park Reading Room for an outdoor concert by Funky Town Playground. Afterward, stick around for stories with Flaubert Frog and a ride on the carousel. FREE

Family Art Workshop – Soho
Tour the Drawing Center's new Ken Price exhibit Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Works on Paper 1962-2010 and then create art using similar techniques. Advance registration required. FREE

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, June 30

Riverdale RiverFest – Riverdale
Celebrate the mighty Hudson River at this outdoor waterfront festival packed with live music, environmental activities, fun for kids and a reenactment of a Medieval battle. There will also be rides on sailing ships the Clearwater and A.J. Meerwald, and the historic John J. Harvey fireboat. Free admission but boat rides are $25 for adults, $15 for children under age 10

Learn to Fly Day – Staten Island
Aspiring aviators can hit the Field of Dreams in the Greenbelt to learn how to fly radio-controlled planes. Afterward, explore the massive Staten Island green space. Children ages 12 and up only. FREE

Astrograss – Williamsburg
Catch the high-energy bluegrass band in an all-ages show at Brooklyn Bowl in celebration of the new album The Colored Pencil Factory. Free admission but bowling costs $25 per lane per half hour.

See all Sunday events.
 

Outside NYC

Head across the Hudson to New Jersey to watch the 12th annual Hoboken Baby Parade, where local tots are pushed through town with handmade mini-floats balanced on their strollers and wagons.

Or travel to New Haven, Connecticut for the huge St. Andrew's Italian Feast for a bit of San Gennaro-style fun.

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