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Best Summer Festivals in New York City in August 2026
BAAND Together Dance Fest at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side – FREE
Tuesday, July 28-Saturday, August 1, 2026
See five of NYC’s most iconic dance companies—Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem—as the BAAND Together Dance Festival returns to the Koch Theatre. Website
Kingsland Wildflowers Festival
Greenpoint, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Kingsland Wildflowers is a 24,000-square-foot native pollinator garden nestled in Greenpoint, Brooklyn’s industrial business zone. Stop by to explore the rooftop wildflower meadows, hands-on activities, entertainment, and more. Website
Summer Streets
Multiple Locations – FREE
Saturdays August 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2026
New York's favorite car-free street festival returns as Summer Streets opens miles of NYC streets for people to play, run, walk, and bike across multiple weeks and in all five boroughs. Website
Harlem Week
Harlem – FREE
Saturday, August 1-Sunday, August 16, 2026
The 52nd annual Harlem Week returns with experiences celebrating the people, arts, culture, entertainment, and history of Harlem, centered around the theme, “Black Constellation: Mapping Our Joy, Dreams, and Liberation." Website
NoMad Jazz Festival in Madison Square Park
Gramercy – FREE
Sunday, August 2-Saturday, August 8, 2026
The NoMad Jazz Festival returns to Madison Square Park, with dance-worthy sets, tap performances, morning kids’ programming, and pop-up cultural moments. Website
National Night Out in St. Catherine's Park
Upper East Side – FREE
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
The 19th Precinct hosts an annual National Night Out celebration that includes delicious food, music, raffle prizes, and plenty of fun activities. Meet leaders and personnel from your local precinct and engage with neighbors, community members, and local businesses. Website
Sunset Film Festival in Carl Schurz Park
Upper East Side – FREE
Wednesday, August 5 and Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Carl Schurz's all-too-brief foray into outdoor evening films includes two family-friendly favorites this summer. The park provides the popcorn! Website
Hindu Lamp Ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Dumbo, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 8, 2026
The 14th annual Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony returns to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pebble Beach. Guests are invited to decorate palm leaf lamps and release them along the East River. Special guest artists are in attendance displaying their works. Website
Sprinkler Day at Asphalt Green
Upper East Side – FREE
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Don’t let the soaring summer temperatures discourage you from enjoying the outdoors. Cool off by splashing around in Asphalt Green’s high-powered sprinklers and slip and slides. Website
STooPS Art Crawl in Bed-Stuy
Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 8, 2026
STooPS Bed-Stuy, an annual celebration of creativity in Brooklyn, returns to Bedford-Stuyvesant for an afternoon of dance, music, spoken word, theater, visual art, conversations, and workshops as artists transform the stoops, storefronts, yards, and sidewalks of Hancock Street into dynamic stages for interactive art performances. Website
Queensboro Dance Festival in Socrates Sculpture Park
Long Island City, Queens – FREE
Saturday, August 8, 2026
The Queensboro Dance Festival (QDF) returns to Socrates with performances by a diverse line-up of Queens dance companies. Come early or stay after for family-friendly dance classes that teach dances from various Queens cultures. Website
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Flushing, Queens – FREE
Saturday, August 8-Sunday, August 9, 2026
This annual sporting and multicultural event is held to celebrate the fifth moon (or the fifth month) of the lunar calendar. In addition to providing audiences with traditional Chinese foods and performances, the festival hosts dragon boat teams from across North America. Website
Summer at the Terminal: Community and Family Day
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, August 9, 2026
Brooklyn Army Terminal hosts a community‑centered, family‑friendly event offering activities, entertainment, and waterfront fun for all ages. Website
Battery Dance Festival in Wagner Park
Battery Park – FREE
Monday, August 10-Sunday, August 16, 2026
New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival returns to Wagner Park this summer. The Battery Dance Festival brings together spectacular international and local dance companies. Each evening ends with, “Everybody dance now!” Website
International Puppet Fringe Festival
Lower East Side
Wednesday, August 12-Sunday, August 16, 2026
Five family-friendly shows are highlighed in this year's Puppet Fringe Fest: Thumbelina, Word Play, Viva Pinocchio, Judy Punches Back, and The Selfish Giant. The fest also features exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and more. Website
Governors Island House Crawl and Parade
Governors Island – FREE
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Sally Beauti Twin leads her signature eco-luminary art parade as it takes over Nolan Park and Colonels Row. Participants DIY their own costumes, luminaries, and puppets before engaging in a house-to-house parade that honors the flora, fauna, and celestial bodies of Governors Island. Website
Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest
Coney Island, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 15, 2026
Hundreds of sand sculptors descend on Coney Island annually to create amazing works of art using all-natural elements at the beach. Amateur sculptors compete in five categories and both adults and kids can participate. Artists and leaders from the Coney Island community serve as judges. Website
Hudson River Park's Blues Barbecue at Pier 76
Midtown West
Saturday, August 15, 2026
The 26th annual Hudson River Park Blues Barbecue Festival returns to Pier 76 for a day filled with smoky goodness and great music. Pit powerhouses like Bark BBQ, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Jase’s BBQ, Kimchi Smoke, and Tikkun BBQ fire up their smokers while you take in live blues and roots performances. Website
NYSoM Back-to-School Bonanza in Bushwick Playground
Bushwick, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 15, 2026
NYSoM distributes school supplies on a first-come, first-served basis at this back-to-school fest. Stop by and meet Iron Man and Batman, pose for pictures, and take part in various America-themed activities. Website
One Crown Heights Neighborhood Festival
Crown Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Celebrate diversity and unity in the community through local eats, live music, dance, Double Dutch, and performances at the ninth annual One Crown Heights fest. Website
Battle of Brooklyn 250th Anniversary Reenactment and Commemoration
Prospect Park, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 22, 2026
The Prospect Park Alliance, the Old Stone House of Brooklyn, and the Brigade of the American Revolution commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle of the Revolutionary War, with a re-enactment of the historic battle. Follow the footsteps of the soldiers who fought in this historic military event, from the Long Meadow in Prospect Park, down 3rd Street to the Old Stone House. Website
Harlem Meer Performance Festival
Harlem – FREE
Sundays through Sunday, August 23, 2026
Each summer, the Harlem Meer Performance Festival brings the best local talent to Central Park and delights thousands of attendees with its celebratory atmosphere. Enjoy sweeping views of the Harlem Meer and a variety of performances, featuring multicultural and family-friendly music, dance, and entertainment for all ages. Website
Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the US Open
Arthur Ashe Stadium
124-02 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Flushing, NY
(718) 760-6200
FREE
Sunday, August 23, 2026
9:30 am - 4:00 pm ET
The 28th edition of this family fun day offers interactive games, face painting, balloon artists, prizes, music, special guests, and more. Kids can step onto the US Open courts, just like the pros, with tennis activities for all ages and abilities. Website
Battle of Brooklyn 250 Family Day at Green-Wood Cemetery
Sunset Park, Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, August 23, 2026
Commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn, fought in 1776 on land now a part of Green-Wood Cemetery, during this family-friendly afternoon event, which includes a parade up to Battle Hill. Immerse yourself in August 1776 through costumed interpreters, civilian and soldier stories, diverse perspectives on this pivotal moment, and a special parade and commemoration ceremony. Website
NYSoM Wonderland Back-to-School at East Harlem Community Garden
East Harlem – FREE
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Head through the looking glass and snag some school supplies. NYSoM presents an Alice in Wonderland-themed giveaway at the community garden. Website
Herbert Holler's Freedom Party in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, August 29, 2026
NYC’s longest-running throwback dance party comes outdoors, as Herbert spins hip-hop, R&B, reggae, house, rock, disco and pop, from the '60s through the 2000s. Sing along and hit the dance floor as the sun sets at the Pier 6 Plaza. Website