Top Events for Kids in NYC in October 2025

Best Things To Do in NYC this October with Kids

Interventions: Firebird on Governors Island
Governors Island
Friday, October 3-Saturday, October 4, 2025
Amsterdam-based artist collective Touki Delphine’s Firebird features an orchestra of light made from more than 600 recycled car taillights that illuminate the dance of the firebird, creating a symphony of light re-envisioning Igor Stravinsky’s 1919 Firebird Suite as an homage. Visit the website here.

Little Red Lighthouse Festival
Hudson Heights – FREE
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.

Mid-Autumn Family Moon Festival at Museum of Chinese in America
Chinatown
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) with mooncakes, magic, and the Jade Rabbit on the moon! Stop by for an afternoon of storytelling, drop-in arts and crafts, mooncake making, and more. Visit the website here.

Maker Faire on Coney Island
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 4-Sunday, October 5, 2025
Head to Coney Island for hands-on exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops in fields such as robotics, crafts, engineering, art, music, 3D-printing, and future technologies, designed by students, teachers, and independent folks who build interesting things. Visit the website here.

Blessing of the Animals at St. John the Divine
Morningside Heights – FREE
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.

Disney's Moana Live-To-Film Concert at Lehman Center
Kingsbridge Heights, Bronx
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents a screening of Disney's Moana Live to Film Concert. Enjoy a full-length screening of the beloved movie paired with live performances starring Hollywood-style musicians, Polynesian rhythm masters, and vocalists. Visit the website here.

Wicked Day at the New York Botanical Garden
Bronx Park, the Bronx
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Witches land at NYBG, with live performances by Wicked on Broadway cast members, face painting, hands-on games, Wicked trivia, giveaways, and more. Visit the website here.

Rockefeller Center Skating Rink Opening Week
Midtown West
Opens Saturday, October 11, 2025
The world's most famous ice rink opens for the season. Grab your ice skates and your reservations, and take a spin on this iconic ice skating rink. Visit the website here.

Indigenous Peoples Day on Randall's Island
Randall's Island – FREE
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.

Columbus Day Parade
Midtown West
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.

Open House New York
Citywide – FREE
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.

Brooklyn Bridge Park's Harvest Festival
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
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.

High Wire: Calder's Circus at 100 Opens at the Whitney
West Village
Opens Saturday, October 18, 2025
High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100 celebrates the centennial of one of Alexander Calder’s most iconic works and one of the most beloved works in the Whitney’s collection, Calder’s Circus (1926–31). This exhibition brings together more than 100 objects from this installation, along with more than 20 related works, including drawings, archival material, and film. Visit the website here.

A Night at the Museum of Natural History
Upper West Side
Friday, October 24, 2025
Discover the museum after dark before drifting off to sleep underneath the blue whale or surrounded by other beloved museum exhibits. From flashlight tours to hands-on activities, scavenger hunts, group games, and more, this unique and unforgettable program is designed to spark wonder. Visit the website here.

Circus Kikasse: Sante! at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side – FREE
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! Visit the website here.

Alice in Wonderland at 92Y
Upper East Side
Opens Saturday, October 25, 2025
Featuring a brand-new score, delightful dance, and whacky hilarity, this production of Alice in Wonderland at the 92nd Street Y is a zany adventure just right for little theater fans. Visit the website here.

Grand Opening of Winter Village at Bryant Park
Midtown West
Opens 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.

Court Street Spectacular Street Fest
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Brooklyn's last big street festival of the year features shopping, food, and lots of kid-friendly amusement rides. Visit the website here.

Ballet of Lights: Cinderella at the Kaye Playhouse
Upper East Side
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Ballet of Lights presents the classic fairy tale, reimagined in a ballet show where dancers shine in glow-in-the-dark costumes. Visit the website here.

Best Halloween Events in NYC 2025 for Kids
Citywide
Multiple Dates
The spooky season is upon us and these are the must-do's in NYC this Halloween. Read more.