27 Fun Options to Unlock in New York when Making Plans with Friends

With smart technologies knocking at your doorsteps, it has made it easy for individuals to make new friends, meet them in real-time, and make certain plans. Today, when you connect with friends online through these smart technologies, especially digital one-you can plan to go out on the town and hang out with your friends. Wondering how it is possible? It’s through social planning apps! The best part of these applications is that you can connect with new friends online and make plans in NYC with friends. You can measure the success of these apps in cities like New York (NYC), where individuals are taking advantage of it by planning corporate events, outdoor tours, and more. Today, it will be a good idea to call social planning applications as make a plan with friends’ apps as they are more than just options of fun things.

Today, it’s always a good idea that the friends connect socially through making a plan with friends type apps, incorporating maximum fun with friends in planning the best Fall season attractions. You might say October and November mark the height of Fall; when the temperature dips, it stays colder than usual, and places are covered with snow in New York. In a city like Manhattan in New York, you can check out the pumpkin patches and apple orchards, which are ripe for picking. Cafes have hit their pumpkin spiced latte stride, and throughout most of the New York finest locations, the colorful change of foliage will peak sometime during October and November, making this particular autumn month synonymous with prime leaf-peeping.

The only problem with October and November—despite all its Fall glory—is that it tends to fly by so quickly that come November and December, we'll have let it slip by without enjoying what it has to offer. So, before the month is up and winter is upon us, why not do one or two characteristically planned Fall activities with friends? All that matters is proper planning for the options of fun in this FALL season.

There are many ways to relax in the season's offering, both big and small, near or far from home.

Here are fascinating things to do in October and November to take advantage of the beautiful weather, seasonal changes, gorgeous foliage, and calm before the holiday storm to make plans with friends.

1.    Check Out Fall’s Flora

Planning to meet your friends in the Fall is always a great experience in New York. With your best friends around you, check out the famous local parks and plan other options of fun rolling smoother with you and your friends connected socially through make a plan with friends’ apps. How about checking out New York City’s best places to see the entire gorgeous, vibrant Fall Flora? The best you can do is click the best pictures and get ready to marvel at the yellows, oranges, and reds of the Fall season.

2.    Explore Pumpkin Picking

Head to a pumpkin patch with your best friends to find the perfect pumpkins for this coming November doorstep or naturally Fall décor. If you are hitting this option with your buddies, you will love being able to choose your favorite pumpkins and taking them home to carve or paint.

3.    Go Out for a Hike

Hiking is a fascinating experience that you can do with your buddies. All that matters is that you do it with proper care. Going hiking can leave you awestruck with enjoyment among nature, surrounded by cool, clean air and Fall-touched trees. To experience this option for making a plan with friends, go together with a bunch of friends, pack for a picnic, and don’t forget to carry essentials, especially a camera.

4.    Go Apple Picking

Apple picking season usually starts in August and peaks during October but there’s still time to squeeze in a trip to a nearby apple orchard. Even if the apples aren’t at their best, you can still walk through the apple farm and take photos with your camera. But, of course, the best option is to spend the day outside doing something useful.

5.    Take a Ride on Bike with Your Friends

Meeting your friends in real-time is always great, so how about using the time riding a rented bike? November is one of the last months of the year before the weather turns too cold for a bike ride in many parts of the country. Therefore, make the most of the Fall season on a bike with proper clothing to protect you from the weather.

6.    Go to a Fall Festival

To enjoy the Fall season to its fullest, look for local Fall festivals coming up near you as a make plan with friends’ option. The best activities at a Fall festival are pumpkin picking, haunted houses, local food stalls, outdoor entertainment, and caramel apples. But, is there any more fun you can ask for from a Fall Festival?

7.    Tour a Brewery

People often think of spending the day at a brewery when they meet up with their favorite friends’ base. However, a brewery isn’t usually as crowded in October or November, plus most places have indoor seating in chilly weather. Otherwise, it's the perfect justification to wear your cutest Fall scarf and boots and enjoy some delicious wine together with friends.

8.    Take a Haunted Road trip

Make a plan with friends to find a haunted city nearby and go on an awesome Halloween-inspired haunted road trip. Other unnerving options include going on a ghost tour or visiting an old cemetery.

9.    Rally Friends for a Game of Touch Football

Again, take advantage before the weather turns cold to play a game of touch football with family, friends, and neighbors. Head to a local park or pick up a board game to plan and learn something new with your friends. Don't forget to invite friends in numbers.

10. Swamp Summer Clothing for Fall Clothing

It's time to trade in those sandals and showering suits for the best winter wear. Spend a rainy Saturday or Sunday in November making room in your closet for your Fall clothing. Put on your favorite song, a podcast, or an old TV show and have more FUN than ever.

11. Make Halloween Costumes

Make a plan with friends to create the best Halloween costumes. With more people planning this upfront, scare your best friends and have fun. With friends around you with whom you have connected over social planning apps, you can help them make sure that they can scare you in reality as you have watched out a ghost. It’s the best way to have fun with friends.

12. Decorate the House for Fall

Whether your style is natural, minimal, glam, or rustic, take advantage of a rainy or cloudy weekend in November to finally get your home looking festive for the Fall season. Hang a garland on the door, prop mini pumpkins and gourds on the table, and sweep a pretty Fall garland across the mantle.

13. Watch a Scary Movie

In action mode, make a plan with your friends to watch a scary movie to bring life to what you are planning for! You can encourage your friends to watch The Conjuring, Grave Encounters, 1408, The Innkeepers, Babadook, Cabin in the woods, Sinister, and Annabelle. The listed movies may not be scary for some of your friends who have gathered in real-time. But, it may be surely for someone. It is the action mode that should be planned accordingly in Fall so that more people can have fun and fear rolling simultaneously.

14. Attend a concert in NYC

As December is approaching and Fall is in full swing in NYC, it’s always a great decision to attend a concert and plan with friends’ apps.  The attending of the concert can be in any genre that you and your friends love. The fascinating part is that you can get your hands to the hard rock, pop music, R & B, and other plenty of tunes to enjoy.

By attending a concert in NYC, you and your friends can surely invest time to listen to the best performers in the Fall season.

15. See a Broadway Show

When in New York, you can enjoy the fall season months like October, November, and December in full swing.  Today, you can vouch for wonderful shows playing on Broadway. It’s always great to invest your time in Broadway shows in NYC - The creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, will surely be bringing an old show back to Broadway for a limited engagement. The best part of these Broadway shows is that they are arranged every year in NYC. So it’s always the best way to have fun rolling with this option.

16. Learn New Skills

Learning is fun as well as being a great way to meet and new friends. Like Lynda, there are many websites that have easy-to-follow, interactive group lessons covering everything from marketing to digital photography. Invest your time learning something new with an active approach to making plans with your friends.

17. Go Ice Skating

After having connected with your friends with an intention to make a plan with friends in NYC, you can think about doing Ice skating. The best part here is that it requires a minimum investment to step into a fun-loving activity that helps you enjoy the fall season better in a limited time. What you can do to make it fascinating is organize a competition to learn this skill and emerge as a champion player. Moreover, if you are skilled in ice skating, you can help your friends get new learning with easy options. If you are looking to organize a competition of ice skating in NYC for November and December- you can choose Central Park.

18. Window Shopping

The option of window shopping is very much popular among New York audiences to have maximum fun rolling among friends. From Bloomingdale’s to Macy’s, a walk down Fifth Avenue in December is sure to get you in the holiday spirit when you are in NYC. Not to deny that every year, Manhattan’s department stores put on a big show to reveal their elaborately designed windows, which usually remain on display until January 1st.

Each storefront is beautifully decorated with stunning lights and garlands and has a unique theme. Some depict whimsical wintry scenes, others tell fascinating stories, yet all look like genuine art installations, attracting visitors from far and wide.

Christmas window shopping doesn't get more glamorous than this, with glittery wreaths, charming characters, and high-end fashion at every step!

19. Play Drinking Games, Remotely!

How about making a plan with friends to play the beer pong game but remotely? It’s one of the most trending drinking games in the USA, and the best part is that it’s easy to set up and play with official rules. So when your friends gather for remote drinking games, form teams to play this as a team sport.

The option is surely helping many people have fun by being involved in a quality fun option.

20. Become Workout Buddies

Working out and supporting each other’s fitness routines is always a good thing to do when you make plans with friends to try something new. Communities of friends can gather together and suggest their fitness levels, but with precautions, so that other friend can implement it without getting hurt.

21. Play 3D Board Games

With digital technology encouraging people to go to Rocky Star mode, it’s always best for friends to gather and enjoy a technology-based 3D board game. You and your friends can view and play the game virtually as you would in real life. The best part of today’s 3D games is that you can use your mouse to grab and manipulate objects, such as physically drawing playing cards.

22. Head Out on a Two or Three-Day Vacation

How about connecting with your best buddies and planning a small vacation? It’s always better to know each other and get to know what they like and want to do.  The best place to get this option rolling harder is Manhattan city of New York.

23. Learn TikTok

TikTok is one of the best social media apps for making short videos, and you can connect with your best buddies through these apps to make new videos. How about connecting with friends in New York over Tiktok so that you can see how the fun options can have no full-stop?

24. Sing-Along to TikTok’s Top Tunes

Once you are familiar with TikTok’s memes, get ready to meet your favorite TikToker’s through online means and connect with friends for a sing-along to TikTok’s top tunes.

25. Host a virtual group hangout

As we’re in the golden age of remote everything, there are many ways to keep in touch online in a virtual environment. Check out the latest friend communities to make plans with your friends and have fun hosting virtual meet-ups. For example, you can access the New York City virtual group hangout in this Fall season by connecting with your friend circle.

26. Look Up Running Clubs

If team sports aren't your cup of tea, think about joining a gym or yoga studio. If you go regularly, you're likely to meet new people, make new friends, and see some familiar faces. But, of course, the best option could be to join the NYC running clubs in this fall season so that you can eye on your health too.

27. Go to Cultural Events

It's usually affordable and sometimes free, too. One of the best ways to have fun with friends is going to concerts in the park, art exhibits, and theatre or outdoor plays. The cultural events could be any form that can help you and your friends learn the power of storytelling, helping you recall your special skills.

Conclusion

Planning the perfect outing this Fall season with your friends is always a great experience. It’s all about connecting with your friends and finding the most suitable option, like make a plan with friends’ apps! If you are looking to connect with a website or app that can help you connect with friends without worrying about border constraints, connect with Leaf.

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 :)