Festivals
New York City is filled with celebrations of all types. From Coney Island's Mermaid Parade to the Dance Parade, and beyond, parades and festivals large and small bring joy to people of all ages and interests.
Festivals Events
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Goatham Festival
at Ten Mile Lawn (in Riverside Park), Manhattan 

11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of Riverside Park’s famous herd of landscaper goats.
Free!
New Amsterdam to Manhattan 400 Years of Freedom Ways & Community Upliftment
at Smith Garden- Alfred Smith houses (NYCHA)
12:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Join NYC Parks and The Ancestors Speaks for a Commemoration of the Abolition of Slavery in NYS, July 4, 1827.
Free!
Sounds of St. Nick
at West 135th Street Plaza (in St. Nicholas Park), Manhattan, James Baldwin Lawn (in St. Nicholas Park), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sounds of Sr. Nick seeks to highlight emerging musicians of today who are building on the legacy of yesterday as they carry the sounds and spirit of the Harlem Renaissance forward.
Free!
Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival
at Prison Ship Martyrs Monument (in Fort Greene Park), Brooklyn
3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
The Fort Greene neighborhood has housed a multitude of great Jazz Musicians including Max Roach, Randy Weston, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Betty Carter, Gary Bartz, Cecil Taylor, Bill Lee, Slide Hampton, Toshi Reagon, and Carla Cook. It is the home of many of today's greats and tomorrow’s future legends!
Free!
Event
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Disability Unite Festival 2025: Love Unites
at Naumburg Bandshell (in Central Park), Manhattan 

11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Celebrate Disability Pride at the 6th Annual Disability Pride Festival, marking the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Free!
Event
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Baisley Pond Park Basketball Festival
at Baisley Pond South Playground - 150th Street Playground (in Baisley Pond Park), Queens
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Basketball Festival at Baisley Pond Park on July 17th & July 18th from 12PM-4PM for Youth Ages 8-14.
Free!
Kids
Friday, July 18, 2025
Baisley Pond Park Basketball Festival
at Baisley Pond South Playground - 150th Street Playground (in Baisley Pond Park), Queens
12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Basketball Festival at Baisley Pond Park on July 17th & July 18th from 12PM-4PM for Youth Ages 8-14.
Free!
Kids
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Waterfront Festival Volunteers
at East River Picnic Area (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Volunteers will assist in setting up the festival, working with vendors and craft tables, and breaking down the event.
Free!
Waterfront Festival
at East River Picnic Area (in Randall's Island Park), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
At the peak of summer, we’re bringing you a family-friendly, interactive day of fun centering water as a natural and refreshing resource.
Free!
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Queensboro Dance Festival: Performances at Fort Totten Park
at Bayside Historical Society (in Fort Totten Park), Queens 

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Queensboro Dance Festival is back on tour this summer throughout Queens and Bayside Historical Society is proud to be a venue partner again this year!
Free!
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Nueva York’s Guelaguetza
at Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens
12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
This summer celebration originated in Oaxaca City, Mexico, where representatives of the eight regions of Oaxaca gather together wearing traditional costumes to dance, sing, and give gifts to the crowd; creating strong bonds between the different regions.
Free!
Saturday, August 16, 2025
Summer on the Hudson: FlyNYC
at Pier I (in Riverside Park South), Manhattan
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Music and kites fill the air at this festival for all ages celebrating simple fun!
Free!
Hindu Lamp Ceremony
at 334 Furman Street (in Brooklyn Bridge Park), Brooklyn
4:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Join for the traditional Hindu Aarti ceremony at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Free!
Picnic Performances: New York City Circus Festival
at Bryant Park Stage (in Bryant Park), Manhattan
6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture.
Free!
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Summer on the Hudson: West Side County Fair
at Pier I (in Riverside Park South), Manhattan
1:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Enjoy a full day of county fair magic in Manhattan with live bands, sideshow performers, carnival rides and games, local vendors, cotton candy, and more!
Free!
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Summer on the Hudson: Little Red Lighthouse Festival
at Little Red Lighthouse (in Fort Washington Park), Manhattan 

12:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse with the Urban Park Rangers!
Free!
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Compostapalooza!
at 95th St. Compost Compound (in Riverside Park), Manhattan
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Celebrate the Conservancy’s work with compost and appreciate its impact on urban soil at this day of demonstrations, science experiments, and live entertainment!
Free!
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Halloween Harvest Festival
at Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens
12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
The beloved Halloween Harvest Festival is back with family-friendly workshops, a community resource fair, as well as New York’s second largest dog costume contest co-presented with Chateau le Woof. Celebrate the autumn season with us with pumpkin decorating and creative workshops. It’s a Halloween Harvest like no other that you do not want to miss! More details to come!
Free!