Things to Do for Kids in New York City in September 2026
Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Fest at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side – FREE
Wednesday, September 2-Monday, September 7, 2026
The Met’s 17th Summer HD Festival features 10 thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series. Approximately 2,500 seats are set up in front of the opera house each night, and additional standing room is available in designated areas around Lincoln Center Plaza. Website
NYC Unicycle Festival
Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens – FREE
Thursday, September 3-Sunday, September 6, 2026
The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus rolls out its annual NYC Unicycle Festival across New York City, bringing together recreational riders, world-class performers, mountain and off-road unicycle enthusiasts, and mono-wheel vehicle inventors. Website
Public Works' Public Record at the Delacorte Theater
Central Park – FREE
Friday, September 4-Tuesday, September 8, 2026
New Yorkers from all five boroughs come together to create a live album—on stage, in real time. PUBLIC RECORD, based on a concept by Dan Canham and Emily Lim, brings Public Works community members, musicians, and dancers into a cast of over 100 to capture how our city sings, moves, and tells its story in this moment. Website
Richmond County Fair
Richmond, Staten Island
Friday, September 5-Monday, September 7, 2026
An old-fashioned county fair in New York City, the 43-year-old Staten Island tradition features family fun and entertainment for all ages, including circus performers, crafts and rides for the kids, live music, a butterfly vivarium, pony rides, plenty of eats, and contests. Website
West Side County Fair
Upper West Side
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Summer on the Hudson's biggest event of the season—the West Side County Fair—brings with it a full afternoon of county fair magic in Manhattan. Enjoy live bands, sideshow performers, carnival amusements, local vendors, and cotton candy. Website
Best of BAMkids Film Festival for Preschoolers
Downtown Brooklyn Saturday, September 12, 2026
Enjoy a delightful selection of the top films from this year’s BAMkids Film Festival, curated for audiences ages 3-5 years old. Website
Morningside Lights at Columbia University
Morningside Heights – FREE
Saturday, September 12-Saturday, September 19, 2026
Morningside Lights returns for its 15th year, illuminating the night in a procession of awe-inspiring handmade lanterns floating through Morningside Park to Columbia's campus. Website
Ferragosto 2026 in the Bronx
Arthur Avenue, the Bronx
Sunday, September 13, 2026
The Belmont section of the Bronx hosts the annual Ferragosto festival in the original Little Italy: Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street. Website
Astoria Alive Street Fair
Astoria, Queens
Sunday, September 13, 2026
The annual Astoria Alive Street Fair runs along 31st Street between Ditmars Boulevard and 21st Avenue, with fun food, great shopping, and exciting kiddie rides. Website
Illumination NYC: Light Art Festival at Wagner Park
Battery Park City – FREE
Thursday, September 17-Saturday, September 19, 2026
Illumination NYC shines with immersive installations, projection mapping, performances, food, drinks, and community celebration—all free and open to the public. Website
Annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy
Little Italy
Thursday, September 17-Sunday, September 27, 2026
The Feast of San Gennaro honors Italian Americans in professional baseball this year with its blocks-long street festival dubbed the "Feast of all Feasts!" Enjoy food, entertainment, and vendors along Mulberry Street from Houston to Canal. Website
Mulan at the David Koch Theater
Upper West Side
Friday, September 18-Sunday, September 20, 2026
MULAN is a sweeping, visually resplendent dance drama that reimagines one of China’s most enduring legends for global audiences. Beyond depicting a warrior’s journey, it unfolds a profound narrative of self-identity, inner growth and human compassion — the story of a woman who stands firm for her family, her homeland and her true self. Website
Annual Bus Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Dumbo, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, September 19, 2026
The New York Transit Museum invites visitors aboard some of its beloved vintage vehicles at this annual fest. Explore buses from the vintage fleet representing more than 80 years of New York City surface transit history. Website
Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi
Downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, September 19-Sunday, September 20, 2026
Fifty life-sized buffalo puppets storm the streets of downtown Brooklyn and lower Manhattan in a performance collaboration between St. Ann's Warehouse and The Walk Productions. Website
Brooklyn Book Festival
Downtown Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, September 20-Sunday, September 27, 2026
Dive into some great books at the 2026 Brooklyn Book Festival. Kid-friendly programming abounds during Children's Day on Saturday, September 26. Website
Red Riding Hood: The Musical at 92Y
Upper East Side
Opens Saturday, September 26, 2026
The 92Y's hit version of the beloved classic Little Red Riding Hood comes to life in dance and song. The Y's family-friendly take on this classic tale features an original score. Website
Poseidon Parade
Rockaways, Queens – FREE
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Family-friendly and art-centered, this annual march celebrates self-expression, community, and the beauty of the Rockaway shore. Website
Mid-Autumn Family Moon Festival at MOCA
Chinatown
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) with mooncakes, lanterns, crafts, shadow puppets, and more. Website
Kid Fest @ Atlantic Antic
Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, September 27, 2026
NYC's largest street fest, the Atlantic Antic, fills Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue with food and craft vendors, family fun, and amazing performances. A highlight for families is the block-long Mommy Poppins Kid Fest with free arts and crafts, music and lots of active play. Website
Flatbush Frolic
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 27, 2026
One of NYC's largest street fairs, featuring thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors, the Flatbush Frolic dizzies up Cortelyou Road with food, games, pony rides, carnival rides, music, and more. Website