Free Things to Do for Kids in New York City in September 2026
Free Things To Do in NYC All September Long
Le Carrousel Extravaganza in Bryant Park
Bryant Park
Wednesdays, September 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2026 (Science Shows and Concerts) Mondays, September 7, 14, and 21, 2026 (Magic Shows)
Le Carrousel Extravaganza presents a lively, all-in-one entertainment experience featuring magic, puppetry, science, music, and storytelling. Website
Picnic Performances in Bryant Park
Midtown West
Thursdays and Fridays through Friday, September 11, 2026
Picnic Performances are the perfect way to spend a summer evening, with live and in-person music, dance, and theatrical shows. Bring a blanket and a picnic (of course). Website
Play in the Square in Domino Square
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sundays, September 13 and 27, 2026
Domino Park's twice-monthly, summer-long entertainment series features lively sing-alongs, followed by interactive fun, including creative crafts and puppet shows. Website
Battery Park Playscape Presents Sundays at the ShowBox
Battery Park City
Sundays through Sunday, October 25, 2026
The ShowBox Theater, located in the beautiful Battery Park Playscape, hosts a full season of music, dance, puppetry, and more with special free performances on Sunday afternoons. Website
Tunes & Tales for Toddlers in Teardrop Park
Battery Park City
Mondays through October 26, 2026
(Not offered on September 7 or October 12)
Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to enjoy interactive music-making, storytelling, and more entertainment at these weekly sessions in Teardrop Park. Website
Free Things To Do in NYC from September 1-September 6, 2026
Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Fest at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side
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 and Queens
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
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
Back to School Wellness Dance Festival in East Harlem
East Harlem
Saturday, September 5, 2026
KR3TS Dance Company hosts a family-friendly festival with a great lineup of free activities, services, and performances designed to energize and support the community. Website
Free Things To Do in NYC from September 7- eptember 13, 2026
Bryant Park Movie Nights
Midtown West
Monday, September 7, 2026
Classic films under the stars on the big screen are back in Bryant Park, and this summer, the series celebrates its 33rd anniversary. Bring a blanket and sit on the lawn to enjoy great food, friends, and entertainment. Website
Summer on the Hudson: Nature Explorers in Riverside Park
Upper West Side
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Conservancy staff and special guests lead arts and crafts, storytelling, and nature-focused workshops for kids. Website
Gladiators NYC in Central Park
Upper East Side
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Knights in full armor battle on the grass in Central Park behind The Met. Bring a blanket and a picnic. Website
Vespa: A Girl and Her Pet Wasp at Old Stone House
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 12, 2026
A young girl and her pet wasp lead some friends on a journey into the mysterious world of insects in this family-friendly outdoor opera concert in the pollinator garden at Old Stone House. Get ready to chirp, hum, and buzz along. Come dressed as your favorite insect! Website
The Root of It All: A Dentist's Tale by Theater for the New City
Upper West Side
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Lower East Side
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company presents The Root of it All: A Dentist’s Tale, a comic musical in which a neighborhood dentist and a brigade of unlikely heroes battle cavities of fear, hatred, and injustice after an ICE raid. Website
Morningside Lights at Columbia University
Upper West Side
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
Uptown Kid Lit in Inwood Hill Park
Inwood
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Uptown Kid Lit—Word Up’s book festival for kids—showcases the fun and possibilities of books, reading, writing, and art, for kids of all ages and backgrounds, and their adults. Free books and school supplies are provided for all who register in advance! Website
Brooklyn Arts Exchange Free Fall Open House
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 13, 2026
BAX kicks off its 35th anniversary season with a joyful community celebration for all ages! Enjoy family-friendly activities, music, and collaborative fun outdoors at the Old Stone House from 9:30-11:30am, followed by free sample fall youth classes (ages 2+) in the BAX Building from 12-2:30pm. Website
Free Things To Do in NYC from September 14-September 20, 2026
Doll Dressing Art Exhibit Opening at Fashion Institute of Technology
Battery Park City
Opens Wednesday, September 16, 2026
A groundbreaking exhibition examining the enduring and often unexpected relationship between dolls and fashion, Doll Dressing features more than 170 objects—including fashion dolls displayed alongside full-size garments, accessories, videos, and artworks. The exhibition highlights how the influence of dolls extends far beyond childhood play. Website
Oculus Outdoors
Financial District
Thursday, September 17-Friday, September 18, 2026
Bring a blanket or portable chairs to the North Oculus Plaza and watch (mostly) family-friendly flicks on select Thursday and Friday evenings. Walkups are welcome, but RSVPing online is recommended. Films begin at 7pm. Website
Illumination NYC: Light Art Festival at Wagner Park
Battery Park City
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
Tales of Summer Pop-up Series by the Uptown Film Center
Upper West Side
Friday, September 18, 2026
The Uptown Film Center hosts this season-long festival of outdoor film screenings with themed movie nights. Website
Bread and Puppet: The Upside Down World Circus at Old Stone House
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Friday, September 18, 2026
Bread & Puppet draws on traditional circus troupes to focus attention to the urgent issues of the day. Stilt dancers, paper maché beasts of all sizes and a riotous brass band make a raucous, colorful spectacle of protest and celebration. Website
National Dance Day Festival in Fort Tryon Park
Inwood
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Celebrate National Dance Day with an immersive, multi-disciplinary arts experience in Fort Tryon Park! Walk the Broadway path and encounter Uptown Dance Collective’s (UDC) Alterations and Repairs: Nature and Us, with dance, music, and spoken word all woven into the landscape of the parkland. Website
Mozart for Munchkins at Hudson Yards
Midtown West
Saturday, September 19, 2026
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. Website
Annual Bus Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Dumbo, Brooklyn
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
Open Worlds: Science at the Museum of the Moving Image
Astoria, Queens
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Explore the world through science and the moving image with seven free public events that tackle big ideas in science in unexpected ways. Website
Taste of the Farm on Randall's Island
Randall's Island
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Indulge in a family-friendly day of activities and food celebrating the height of the growing season at Randall’s Island Park Alliance’s Urban Farm. Website
Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi
Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan
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
Free Things To Do in NYC from September 21-September 27, 2026
Brooklyn Book Festival
Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, September 20-Sunday, September 27, 2026
Children's Day: Saturday, September 26, 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
Poseidon Parade
Far Rockaway, Queens
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Family-friendly and art-centered, this annual march celebrates self-expression, community, and the beauty of the Rockaway shore. Website
Bilingual Broadway en Vivo at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Hosted by Luis E. Mora, this Hispanic Heritage month celebration features live performances of some of the greatest stage songs en Español! If you’ve ever wondered what composers like Sondheim, Webber, Lippa, and Miranda sound like in Spanish, this is your chance to find out. Website
Live Music and Kids Activities on The East River Waterfront Esplanade
Midtown East
Saturday, September 26, 2026
EsplanadeFriends hosts a free live music event on the East River waterfront, with live music, free ice cream (while supplies last), and craft activities for kids—all with a spectacular water view! Website
Mark Morris Dance Group Workshops at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Mark Morris Dance Group offers two interactive dance workshops at Brooklyn Bridge Park, exploring accessible movement and wellness. Designed for those with limited mobility, this co-presented series is focused on flexibility, balance, and range of motion. No prior dance experience required—just bring your energy and favorite dance attire! All ages welcome. 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