Local Events in New York Calendar: Festivals You Can Attend Every Year
NEW YORK- the city that never sleeps!
Ask any New Yorker about their schedule and their calendar will be filled to the brim! NYC is the place to do and see everything. New York Community events are world-famous for their entertainment and fun elements. Spring and summer are the busiest seasons; most major festivals happen at this time of the year. In addition, New York hosts sporting events, art performances, seasonal food festivals, state fairs and plenty of other local events that you must visit. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, you must remember to maintain a social distance, wear a mask and follow other guidelines given by the State government. If you plan to visit New York next year, our list below will help you find the most happening events you can enjoy during your stay. We also suggest checking various websites and confirming details before making plans or reservations.
Community Events In New York (First Half Of The Year)
JANUARY
Winter Jazzfest - The festival features tremendous musical talent for you to discover. There are over 100 musicians’ sets to see, which are highly popular. Top venues include Webster Hall, the Bitter End and Le Poisson Rouge. Colin Stetson, Russell Gunn’s Ethnomusicology and Dee Bridgewater are among the best performers.
New York Jewish Film Festival - this local event is a collaborative effort between the Film Society of Lincoln Centre and the Jewish Museum. It aims to celebrate the Jewish experience. Two weeks of narratives, including shorts, documentaries and other cinematic offerings, are organized. In previous years, New York community events have highlighted films that have gone on to great national acclaim in Beaufort, Empty Nest and Africa.
New York Boat Show - don't miss the opportunity to attend one of the most famous local events in New York. You will find fishing boats, yachts and kayaks at the Boat Show. The festival has been here for more than a century now! Thousands of people attend this excellent event each year at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center to browse the latest boats, fishing equipment and much boat-related items. In addition, visitors can attend daily seminars with a full slate of boating and fishing pros.
NY Must-See Week - The festival offers extensive attractions, tours, museums and performing arts venues. In recent years, people have included the iconic NYC skyline views, historic sites and world-class attractions in a similar vein. Most of them gather at free meetup sites and roam around the city.
FEBRUARY
Lunar New Year Parade - the beloved community event of New York usually takes place at prominent venues. The lunar parade is in Queens, Flushing, Manhattan’s Chinatown, Sunset Park and Brooklyn. Dazzling troupes make their way through the streets and draws thousands of crowds. Local organizations allow people to participate in marching bands, martial artists, elaborated floats, become musicians, magicians, and much more. Other programs include the Cultural Festival, the Firecracker Ceremony, the Lantern Festival and cultural events.
You may also like to read: Which are the best personal and professional local Meetup groups in New York?
New York Restaurant Week - celebrating dining at restaurants week takes place each summer and winter. The event offers you the opportunity to dine on two-course lunches and three-course dinners at top class restaurants in New York. People enjoy these community events in New York where they can be served by the city's renowned chefs in fabulous eateries. This year, NY Restaurant Week is debuted by the Signature dining and takeout experience, giving more dining options than ever. Hold on to see what they do next!
Orchid Show - NYC Botanical Garden is featuring a themed exhibition with thousands of brilliantly-colored orchids every year. The local events and shows related to the Orchid Festival take place in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The beautiful flowers are surrounded by lush settings despite their natural habitat. Marvel the flowery local events of New York and stay in touch with nature.
MARCH
International Children Film Festival - redefine the genre of kid's movies with the New York International Children’s Film Festival which shines a light on the most engaging, uniquely thoughtful youth-oriented films. These movies are made outside of Hollywood so they range from animated short films to long action dramas. NYICFF aims to cover every style, age and cultural background, which makes it ideal for family and friends.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade - you do need to be Irish to get a kiss at events like the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This parade was first held in 1762 and that is one of the oldest, largest community events in New York. Started by the archbishop of NY, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates Catholic and Irish cultural faith. The parade is led by members of the National Guard’s Infantry Regiment, known as the Fighting 69th, and runs along 44th and 79th Streets Fifth Avenue.
APRIL
Easter Festival - every Easter falls between late March and early April. People love to showcase their festive side at local events in New York. For example, people start at 49th Street and travel north marching along Fifth Avenue. The best way to watch the whole parade is from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Cherry Blossom Festival - more than 200 cherry trees bloom in Brooklyn Botanic Garden every spring. The event celebrates the weekend-long Cherry Blossom Festival as s festival of victory. Also known by its Japanese name, Sakura Matsuri, people enjoy scores of Japanese cultural community events during the festival, like J-pop concerts, traditional dance and music, martial arts, taiko drumming, Bonsai pruning workshops, Manga art and tea ceremonies.
Also you must read this: Community Events in New York
MAY
New York City x Design - NYC celebrates design and creativity in the annual NYCxDESIGN event, which is known as the City’s official appreciation of global design. Multifaceted programming exhibitions, talks, installations, trade shows and studios take place. Among all the shows and famous design community events of New York are Collective Design, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), BKLYN Designs, Frieze New York and Wanted Design.
Bronx Week - Bronx stands out in the city of islands as NYC's emissary. The attachment gives the Bronx a distinctive flavor and quiet charisma. The city comes together each year and follows a tradition that has been going since the 1970s, celebrating the beautiful event with a parade, live music, trolley tour and the latest additions to the Bronx Walk of Fame.
JUNE
Celebrate Brooklyn Festival - the fun event goes through to August and has a wonderful opening. The Celebrate Brooklyn event has offered free dance, music, film, theatre and commissioned projects for four decades now and is one of the longest running art festivals and local events in New York. It has featured acts like They Might Be Giants & Maceo Parke. You can't miss this amazing music and movies program where recognized artists mix with the screening of silent, short and animated movies.
Pride Week - New York is home to the most vibrant transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual communities. The whole week/month is dedicated to them as a pride moment. The city embraces its beauty and incredible diversity. Such community events are a source of strength and showcase the progress of the LGBT community. The whole month is dedicated to PRIDE and most of the major events happen in the last week of June, including the famous march down Fifth Avenue Street on the last Sunday.
Local Events In New York (Second Half Of The Year)
JULY
Lincoln Center Summer – the summer season is welcomed at the Lincoln Center. An annual program with different themes is launched; the first is Midsummer Night Swing where people can take dance lessons and try out their unique moves to live music under the stars. The whole local event is based on dance, music, family shows and spoken word events, all for free. The second is Mozart performances of the acclaimed composer’s works.
Hot Dog Eating Contest - with a combination of highly expandable, steely grit stomachs, people compete in a competition called Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. Being one of New York’s local events, the contest takes place in NYC Dogs to delight of screaming fans. A group of selected people eat hot dogs at high noon for 10 minutes and stop for nothing, not for mustard or ketchup or even French fries! This is everyone's favorite event to attend each year!
AUGUST
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival – In the early 1950s, Charlie Parker made his home in Alphabet City. The neighborhood hasn't forgotten him although he’s been gone a long time. The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival was first organized in 1993 at Tompkins Square Park, across the street from his home. All the events are held over there but some performances take place uptown in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park.
Summer Streets - large sections of Park Avenue and neighboring streets are closed to traffic on three Saturdays in August. Between 7am and 1pm, the streets are open to the public for biking and dancing. Haven't you always wanted to slide or walk right down Park Avenue, free from shoulder-bumping and honking horns? If yes, this event is made just for you!
SEPTEMBER
New York Fashion Week - Fashion Week showcases new styles and promises a week of star-studded stories for the upcoming season. Top NYC designers and those from around the world debut their collection on the runway while industry insiders and style-conscious celebrities look on. Register yourself on the guest list. NYFW is considered one of the most reputable, prominent local events in New York.
Commemorating 9/11 - every September, New York honors and remember the victims of the World Trade Center attacks. A variety of memorial events taken place in churches, synagogues and temples throughout the city. In addition, special community events are hosted for people affected by the tragedy, such as memorial concerts and fundraisers throughout the month. The 9/11 Memorial Museum is a year-long tribute to those who lost their lives on 11 September 2001 and 26 February 1993. The whole event is an educational resource for all.
New York Film Festival - the festival brings the world's most inventive cinema to NY and has done since 1963. Here you will see cutting-edge movies before they hit the big time. In the past, the New York Film Festival has showcased the likes of Pedro Almodóvar, Jean-Luc Godard and Martin Scorsese. Adventurous cineastes check out the Projections sidebar a selection of recent Avant Garde films.
OCTOBER
New York Comic-Con - geek culture is being established, creating an undeniable influence over the mainstream entertainment world. Comic-Con is now more popular than ever! The event is gaining more and more ground. Even if you don't hit the fest booths, screenings and panels, you can expect to see a lot of costumed players to gawk at. All this can be seen at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
New York Broadway Week - the popular annual program typically takes place in winter, usually in February, and fall in October. It offers 2-for-1 tickets to off-Broadway productions. In past years, the event has featured many famous shows, including Stomp and Blue Man Group. Whilst the event is not taking place in 2021, get ready to enjoy it in 2022!
Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks Open – many of New York’s ice skating rinks open in winter and give you the first glimpse of the holiday season. People get excited in attending the event and share their skating experience with others. All of this comes with a killer view; enjoy the spectacular surroundings of the seasonal rink in December at the Rockefeller Center. The Bank of America Village at Bryant Park is open from late October to March.
NOVEMBER
TCS New York City marathon- This is one of the biggest sports community events in New York. It often proves to be a life-changing event, and people experience a lot as a physical challenge. The New York city race covers 26 million miles. Like all marathon NY also offer the same but sounds and sheer excitement of NYC marathon are incredible. It extends from Staten Island to Central Park. The field this year is limited to 33,000 runners. In fact, it is two-third of the usual number. Corona has affected things badly!
New York Comedy Festival - most big names and local events embrace the New York City stage during NYCF. Past year participants have included Bridget Everett, Hannibal Buress, Iliza Shlesinger, Judd Apatow, Ricky Gervais and Norm MacDonald. In addition, professional people share the schedule with over-the-top nights in small venues and large-scale shows, at venues like Town hall and Madison Square Garden.
The Art Show - ADAA (Art Dealers Association of America) presents their annual show which curates exhibitions at Park Avenue Armory. You can see solo projects and group shows from the late 19th century until today. A special community event in New York takes place each year that includes a panel discussion and a gala to benefit the Henry Street Settlement. It is a Lower East Side social service and health care organization. The art show is usually held in spring but this year, it took place in November.
Holiday Train Show - every family hops upon the Holiday Train Show happening at the New York Botanical Garden. The favorite train show features toy trains going along 175 city landmark replicas. The trains are made from the seed, bark and other plant materials. The highlights include the famous Coney Island rides, the Yankee Stadium, assorted Midtown skyscrapers, a sound-and-light show and the George Washington Bridge which spans the exhibition’s entrance.
DECEMBER
Holiday Shops - December is the best time of the year to enjoy the holiday shops and satisfy your thirst for shopping. Get into the holiday spirit by visiting outdoor holiday shops that pop up around the city. Grand Central Terminal, Union Square, Columbus Circle, Bryant Park and hundreds of merchants set up their shops offering clothes, food and gift items. In addition, help local merchants and find a little something for yourself, too.
The Lighting of the World’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah - Celebrate Hanukkah week with the world's largest lighting community events in New York. The event takes place at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street in Manhattan. The gold-colored, 32-foot long, 4,000 pond, steel-weighted holiday icon is a sight to behold. The menorah sits across the river at the head of Prospect Park in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. A candle is lit on each menorah every evening of the holiday.
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker - for more than 50 years, New York City’s Ballet have brought the visions of marching toy soldiers, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King to life with the Lincoln Center’s production of The Nutcracker. The performance is full old-fashioned costumes, magical sets, a one-ton Christmas tree, Tchaikovsky’s timeless music and the spectacle of an on-stage snowstorm.
Times Square’s New Year’s Eve - every New York calendar is not complete without Times Square’s New Year’s Eve event. A New Year’s Eve without the crystal ball drop in Times Square is a flop! Everyone gathers around to watch performances and countdown to midnight. Unfortunately, the NYC event that ushered in 2021 was virtual for most people so check and research precisely before attending local events in New York.
Endnote
No city other than New York has more fun things to do! The city has world-class museums and is home to an amazing community as well as local events all year long. Here is a list of things and events you can attend to discover the best of New York City. It is people's dream city and that is why most popular events take place here. New York has something for everyone so whether you are looking for nightlife, food, history or art, New York will never disappoint you!
Adios :)
