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Best Free Events for Kids in NYC in October 2025
Free Things To Do in NYC All October 2025 Long
The Six Foot Platform
Dumbo, Brooklyn
Saturdays through Saturday, October 18, 2025
New York City’s most iconic block becomes home to full-day immersive performances by seven Brooklyn-based artists. Visit the website here.
Fall Movie Nights at Hudson Yards
Midtown West
Fridays through Friday, October 24, 2025
Grab your crew and head to the Big Screen in the Public Square & Gardens, where you can kick back in a lounger (or spread out on a blanket you bring from home) and take in a movie outside while the sun sets. Visit the website here.
Waterfront Walks
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Select dates through Sunday, October 26, 2025
Learn about the history of the Brooklyn waterfront, the park’s sustainable design, and how the park came to life on this free walking tour. Waterfront Walks are held every Sunday through October starting from Pier 1. Visit the website here.
Tunes & Tales for Toddlers in Teardrop Park
Battery Park City
Mondays through Monday, October 27, 2025
Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to enjoy interactive music-making, storytelling, and more entertainment at these weekly sessions in Teardrop Park. Visit the website here.
Stargazing on The High Line
Chelsea
Tuesdays through Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Gaze at the stars, planets, and moon through the high-powered telescopes of the Amateur Astronomers Association, and chat with the experts about the sights you see. Visit the website here.
Sing with Suzi in JJ Byrne Playground
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Thursdays from Thursday, October 8-Thursday, October 30, 2025
Enjoy an interactive, family-friendly concert series featuring award‑winning children’s performer Suzi Shelton and special guests staged in this beloved park. The entertainment includes giant bubbles, dancing, and sing‑alongs in the heart of Park Slope. Visit the website here.
Free Things To Do in NYC from Wednesday, October 1-Sunday, October 5, 2025
Flowers for Skyscrapers at the Skyscraper Museum
Battery Park City
Saturday, October 4, 2025
The Skyscraper Museum team ventures out to Battery Park City Authority’s Go Fish! and City of Forest Day festival to celebrate terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems! This family program takes place outdoors at the museum's table in Wagner Park, where kids can learn about environmentally friendly skyscrapers, then design paper flowers and plants to help turn a skyscraper green! Visit the website here.
Little Red Lighthouse Festival
Hudson Heights
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse with Urban Park Ranger presentations, readings of The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge children’s book, live music, and activities for all ages. Visit the website here.
Fall Festival in Fort Totten Park
Bay Terrace, Queens
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Fort Totten beckons with family fun. Enjoy games and activities, a puppet show, and more. Visit the website here.
Turtle Island in Prospect Park
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Prospect Park Alliance, Haudenosaunee artist G. Peter Jemison (Seneca, Heron Clan), the Skywoman Iroquois Dance Theater, and Plasticiens Volants present an outdoor family-friendly production that brings to life the foundational Haudenosaunee Creation Story through a vibrant fusion of aerial puppetry, dance, and community engagement. Visit the website here.
Hands On History: City of Forest Day at King Manor Museum
Jamaica, Queens
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Kids can participate in tree looming crafts, and all ages are welcome for a paper casting workshop and tree walk with artist Reijin Lyes in celebration of her Touch Jamaica exhibit at King Manor. Visit the website here.
Dia de los Muertos Fun in Battery Park City
Battery Park City
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Learn how to prepare for Dia de los Muertos and explore the roots, meanings, and purpose of the holiday while participating in activities. Arts and crafts are facilitated by a teaching artist. Guests can enjoy live music and register for the open mic! Register online in advance. Visit the website here.
Carroll Park Fair
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 4, 2025
The annual Carroll Park Fair returns. Find some bargains and meet your neighbors. Enjoy activities, including face painting, music, crafts, housewares, art, books, clothes, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and more. Visit the website here.
Sunnyside Gardens Park Annual Oktoberfest
Sunnyside, Queens
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Sunnyside Gardens Park transforms its picnic grove into an authentic biergarten with German-style beer, traditional German food, and live music and entertainment for the whole family. Visit the website here.
Free Admission Family Day at MoMA
Midtown West
Saturday, October 4, 2025
MoMA invites families for a day of hands-on activities, performances, readings, and creative exploration. Advance registration is required. Visit the website here.
Family Concert: Brown Rice Family at Carnegie Hall
Upper West Side
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Experience a joyful musical adventure with Brown Rice Family at free, interactive performances that invite kids ages 3-10 and grownups to sing, dance, and celebrate together. Brown Rice Family performs an irresistible mix of reggae, hip-hop, dance hall, Afrobeat, jazz, Latin, and funk music. Sign up for free tickets online in advance. Visit the website here.
Shoelace Park Forest Fest
Woodlawn Heights, the Bronx
Saturday, October 4, 2025
The Bronx River Alliance hosts a free, family-friendly event that includes canoeing on the Bronx River, a guided nature walk through the park, a park clean-up, educational information about research projects along the Bronx River, and ways to get involved and help steward this amazing community resource. Visit the website here.
Fall Festival at St. Mary's Park
South Bronx
Saturday, October 4, 2025
NYC Parks and Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala host a fall festival event at St. Mary's Park with family games, sports, fall crafts, and more. Visit the website here.
City of Forest Day Dance Program on Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Choreographer Jody Sperling and her Time Lapse Dance Ensemble return to Roosevelt Island for the annual City of Forest Day with a visually stunning program exploring the human relationship with nature. Visit the website here.
Fungus Festival on Randall's Island
Randalls Island
Sunday, October 5, 2025
The New York Mycological Society (NYMS) hosts its annual Fungus Festival, welcoming mushroom-curious amateurs and experts of all ages. Visit the website here.
Blessing of the Animals at St. John the Divine
Morningside Heights
Sunday, October 5, 2025
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine welcomes families for a day of music, prayer, joy, blessings, and fun in honor of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. Visit the website here.
Blessing of the Animals at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery
Lower East Side
Sunday, October 5, 2o25
Creatures great and small are welcome in the sanctuary of St. Mark's in the Bowery for the annual blessing of the animals. Visit the website here.
Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, October 6-Sunday, October 12, 2025
How to Train Your Dragon in Sol Lain Playground
Lower East Side
Friday, October 10, 2025
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive, yet overlooked, son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition by befriending Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Visit the website here.
When Julia Danced Bomba at the Bronx Library Center
Kingsbridge, the Bronx
Friday, October 10, 2025
Dr. Raquel Ortiz talks about her bilingual book, When Julia Danced Bomba/Cuando Julia bailaba bomba. This booktalk will be followed by a screening of the award-winning short film, Julia's Dance: A Bomba Flamenco Bedtime Tale, and an interactive Bomba dance lesson. Visit the website here.
Raptorama at Salt Marsh Nature Center
Marine Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 11, 2025
See live birds of prey up close at the Salt Marsh Nature Center with NYC Bird Alliance, American Littoral Society, and the Marine Park Alliance Forever Wild Committee. Visit the website here.
Wonderspark Puppets at Hudson Yards
Midtown West
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Wonderspark Puppets performs a free interactive show that brings classic tales to life with engaging storytelling, colorful characters, and plenty of audience participation. Register in advance, online. Visit the website here.
Fall Fest Atlantic Terminal Mall Plaza
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Atlantic Terminal Mall and Brooklyn Bridge Parents host a free family-friendly fall festival on Atlantic Terminal’s outdoor plaza and car-free Fort Greene Place with an "urban pumpkin patch" with 1,000 pumpkins waiting to be decorated by the kiddos, along with arts and crafts, pumpkin painting, block building, haunted trucks to enter (if you dare), soccer, costume dance party, face painting and more! Visit the website here.
Children's Harvest Festival at Far Rockaway Farms
Rockaways, Queens
Saturday, October 11, 2025
The Children's Harvest Festival is an annual street fair hosted by The Campaign Against Hunger. Stop by for face-painting, scavenger hunts, performances, free food, games, and more. Visit the website here.
Gladiators NYC in Central Park
Central Park
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Knights in full armor battle on the grass in Central Park behind The Met. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Visit the website here.
Compostapalooza in Riverside Park
Upper West Side
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Celebrate the Riverside Park Conservancy’s work with compost and its impact on the local soil with demonstrations, science experiments, and live entertainment. Visit the website here.
The Legend of Gideon at the Central Park Carousel
Central Park
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Meet Gideon, the carousel horse set free by a wizard's spell, as he gallops off to rescue his best friend with help from a sweet rat, brave pigeons, and a touch of magic. Visit the website here.
Carl Schurz Park's Annual Harvest Festival
Upper East Side
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Carl Schurz Park's annual harvest fest packs a punch with plenty of festive fall activities for the whole family. Visit the pumpkin patch on the Mayor's Lawn at East End Avenue and East 88th Street to pick your own pumpkin and decorate it. Visit the website here.
Diwali at Times Square
Midtown West
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Billed as "the largest Indian Festival outside India," Diwali at Times Square features cultural performances, folk dances, concerts, Indian food, Indian clothing and jewels, Henna/Mehandi artists, balloon figures, and face painting plus free gifts and raffle drawings. Visit the website here.
Indigenous Peoples Day on Randall's Island
Randall's Island
Sunday, October 12-Monday, October 13, 2025
Head to Randall's Island for a celebration of NYC's indigenous people. This two-day fest includes performances of spoken word, live music, and guest speakers. Food and wares are available for purchase. Visit the website here.
Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, October 13-Sunday, October 19, 2025
Columbus Day Parade
Midtown
Monday, October 13, 2025
The 81st annual Columbus Day Parade processes up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 72nd Street—with red carpet performances on Fifth Avenue between 67th and 69th Streets—including high school bands, professional musicians, folk dance troupes, floats, and more. Visit the website here.
Indigenous Peoples Day in Prospect Park
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Monday, October 13, 2025
Join the Prospect Park Alliance when school is closed for Indigenous Peoples Day. Enjoy free nature education activities, animal encounters, bird walks, and more at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, and take a ride on the beloved Prospect Park Carousel. Visit the website here.
Movies Under the Stars: A Minecraft Movie in Colden Playground
Flushing, Queens
Friday, October 17, 2025
Four misfits are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a quest with an unexpected, expert crafter. Visit the website here.
Open House New York
Citywide
Friday, October 17-Sunday, October 19, 2025
Open House New York is an annual festival that unlocks 300 destinations across the five boroughs for behind-the-scenes tours and special activities. Look at new buildings transforming the skyline, step inside infrastructure facilities keeping the city running, explore parks offering respite, discover state-of-the-art performance spaces, visit manufacturing workshops, browse private collections, and much more. Visit the website here.
Fall Festival at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
Inwood
Saturday, October 18, 2025
The Fall Festival returns to the Dyckman Farmhouse with live music, a contemporary exhibition by Cheyney McKnight, a community altar curated by Regina Evans, and more. Visit the website here.
Brooklyn Bridge Park's Harvest Festival
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Celebrate the fall season at the 14th annual harvest festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park. A fun procession kicks off the event, which includes arts and crafts, storytelling, lawn games, and more—plus BBP's signature pumpkin patch. Visit the website here.
Old Home Day at Historic Richmond Town
Richmond, Staten Island
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Head to Historic Richmond Town for the annual Old Home Day. Visitors can witness historic trade demonstrations like blacksmithing, tinsmithing, carpentry, cabinet-making, and more. Enjoy music, food, crafts, and sweet treats. Visit the website here.
Hands On History: Corn Husk Dolls at King Manor Museum
Jamaica, Queens
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Celebrate autumn with a cornhusk doll crafting afternoon at King Manor. Visit the website here.
Fall Foliage Fiesta at Soundview Park
Soundview, the Bronx
Saturday, October 18, 2025
NYC Parks and Council Member Amanda Farias hosts a fall festival event at Soundview Park with family games, sports, fall crafts, and more. Visit the website here.
Mozart for Munchkins at Hudson Yards
Midtown West
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Mozart for Munchkins puts on free Saturday concerts that focus on a different style of music each week—classical, jazz, bluegrass, and more—performed by first-rate artists who have played the stages of Carnegie Hall, Broadway, Lincoln Center, and other top venues. Register in advance, online. Visit the website here.
College Point Street Fair
College Point, Queens
Sunday, October 19, 2025
College Point boasts the only NYC street fair that offers free rides, including a bouncy house. Enjoy games, fair food, and more. Visit the website here.
Corn Husk Doll Making in Marine Park
Marine Park, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Learn this easy Native American craft made of one of the most useful grasses. Visit the website here.
Pippi Longstocking! Puppet Show in Andrew Haswell Green Park
Upper East Side
Sunday, October 19, 2025
EsplanadeFriends present the wonderful CityParks PuppetMobile production of Pippi Longstocking, plus some added fun and free treats after the show. Come dressed as Pippi! Visit the website here.
Family Science: Fall Edition at Greenbelt Nature Center
Greenbelt, Staten Island
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Learn about bats, acorns, and other wonders of the fall season through a series of experiments, demonstrations, and STEAM activities that families can do together. Visit the website here.
Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, October 20-Sunday, October 26, 2025
Diwali in Prospect Park
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Monday, October 20, 2025
Join Prospect Park Alliance for nature education programs during the school holiday for Diwali at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. Visit the website here.
Family Fridays: Math Meets Motion at MoMath
Gramercy
Friday, October 24, 2025
What happens when you combine math, movement, and massive amounts of fun? You get Giant Math Winder, a life-sized puzzle game created by David L. Hoyt. In this fun, team-based game, players create winding paths of math equations across a giant game board — thinking strategically while working together and solving problems on the fly. Along the way, David shares how he designs puzzles that engage minds of all ages and make learning feel like play. Visit the website here.
Grand Opening of Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown West
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Bryant Park braces for winter with the official launch of its 25th annual winter village. That means one of NYC's favorite, free ice skating rinks is ready to make its season debut, too. Enjoy a twirl on the ice and enjoy a snack at the Lodge Deck. Visit the website here.
Lenfest Kids: Hook
Morningside Heights
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Years after his adventures in Neverland, the whimsical Peter Pan (Robin Williams) has forgotten the magic of childhood and grown up into a grouchy, middle-aged lawyer named Peter Banning. Stick around after the movie for entertainment and fun hosted by Columbia Artist/Teachers (CA/T)! Activities may include storytelling, poetry, songwriting, and maybe clowning around with Loony Lenny. Register for tickets online in advance. Visit the website here.
Campfire Stories and Songs in Teardrop Park
Battery Park
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Cozy up to a campfire for stories and singalongs with family and friends, take part in a City of Forest Day nature project, Halloween craft, lawn games, and more! Register online in advance. Visit the website here.
Lenfest Teens: The Outsiders
Morningside Heights
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Enjoy a showing of Francis Ford Coppola’s star-studded adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s coming-of-age novel. Stick around after the movie for entertainment and fun hosted by Columbia Artist/Teachers (CA/T)! Activities may include storytelling, poetry, songwriting, and maybe clowning around with Loony Lenny. Register for tickets online in advance. Visit the website here.
Circus Kikasse: Sante! at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side
Saturday, October 25-Sunday, October 26, 2025
Cirque Kikasse, a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary mobile circus, where daring acrobatics are performed on top of and around a food truck, wows with juggling, tumbling, music, spectacular surprises...and tasty food and drinks! Showtimes at 1pm and 3pm each day. Visit the website here.
Movies on the Waterfront: Hunters Point Park
Long Island City, Queens
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Hollywood epics illuminate a 30-foot inflatable screen, with Midtown Manhattan twinkling in the background. Visit the website here.
Open House at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side
Sunday, October 26, 2025
David Geffen Hall welcomes guests to experience the performing arts up close, with free workshops, participatory art-making, music, and dance. Visit the website here.
Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, October 27-Friday, October 31, 2025
Release of the Fishes in Hudson River Park
Greenwich Village
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Help the Hudson River Park’s River Project team return its Wetlab fish residents to the Hudson River as the flow-through aquarium closes for the season. Visit the website here.
33rd Annual Canstruction Competition at Brookfield Place
Battery Park City
Opens Thursday, October 30, 2025
This extraordinary annual design competition is the most unique food charity in the world, Canstruction challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food. Visit the website here.