Looking for what to do in New York? We've got the latest on all the goings-on in NYC, from concerts to museum exhibitions to comedy to the best in city sightseeing. This week, Brasil Summerfest and NYC Restaurant Week continue, plus enjoy FREE Broadway performances in Bryant Park, see great exhibits on Chihuly and Jim Henson, make a splash with Citi Summer Streets, and more! 

THE BIG EVENT

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(now-8/13) Brasil Summerfest 2017 is a weeklong music and arts festival that presents a series of events each year at high profile NYC venues, showcasing the richness and diversity of Brazilian music and culture. 

(New! Ongoing) $16 Burger & Beer Weekdays, 11am-4pm, at Heartland Brewery Empire State Building.

(now-8/13) Final weekend! Lincoln Center Out of Doors! lincolncenter.org

(now-8/18) NYC Restaurant Week. Take advantage of specially priced three-course lunches for $29 and $42 dinner specials some of NYC's best restaurants, such as David Burke Kitchen (above).  

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Photo: Joan Marcus 

(8/10) Broadway in Bryant Park, with FREE performances including Come From Away, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Bandstand. 12:30pm.  

EXHIBITION OF THE WEEK

(New!) At the Museum of the Moving Image, The Jim Henson Exhibition. This permanent exhibition celebrates the life and legacy of the famed Muppet creator, exploring both his prolific career and the enduring effect his work has on pop culture. Visitors will learn more about the creation of such beloved works as The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labryinth, as well as discovering the cutting-edge experimental works Henson made throughout his career. 

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(Now-1/7/18) The photographs in the new exhibit American Visionary: John F. Kennedy's Life and Times at the New-York Historical Society convey the sensation you’ve seen them before: JFK in the White House, his kids joyfully playing nearby; JFK with wife Jackie at an event, both of them elegant and assured (in truth, many images here have only rarely been shown). It’s part of the famous Kennedy allure, conveying a world that’s simultaneously approachable, glittering, and rarefied. This well-curated exhibition charts  JFK’s trajectory as a politician, as well as the cultural and historical pulse of the times, when photojournalism was at an apex. It’s s a wonderful opportunity to observe a world both familiar and lost, and to reflect on where the country was—and is.

(Now-10/1) Frank Lloyd Wright: Unpacking the Archive opens at MoMA. MoMA’s acquisition of 55,000 drawings, 300,000 pages of letters, 125,000 photos, and 2,700 manuscripts, along with models, movies, and other memorabilia inspired this exhibit, timed to coincide with Wright’s 150th birthday. 

(Now-10/29) CHIHULY at the The New York Botanical Garden features nearly two dozen breathtaking works of art by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly at NYBG in his first major garden exhibition in more than ten years in New York. And on Thursdays in August, enjoy CHIHULY Nights, 6:30pm-9:30pm.

(8/12-8/13) Chillin' with CHIHULY--Spend the day exploring the beauty of CHIHULY's work, live glass fire work demonstrations, relax to live music on the Conservatory Lawn, and stay cool with treats and refreshments. 10am-6pm. nybg.org.

(Now-9/3) World War I Beyond the Trenches at the New-York Historical Society features powerful works by artists like John Singer Sargent, George Bellows, and Georgia O’Keeffe, joined by artifacts from the museum’s collection (propaganda posters, letters, sheet music, uniforms, and military gear) that provide insightful context. The New-York Historical Society's Fourth Floor Renovation, now complete, includes a brand new Tiffany Lamps Gallery, in addition to the opening of its Women's History Center.

(Now-10/29) Drones: Is the Sky the Limit? at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. It's the first major museum exhibition on pilotless aircraft to open in the U.S. The large-scale exhibition, which will be located in a 6,000-square-foot, custom-designed pavilion on the Museum's Pier 86, will reveal the history of drone technology, from its modern-day origins in World War I and its military development to its current applications in solving complex humanitarian challenges. Take $5 off admission with this coupon now! 

Image courtesy of BIG Team/Rebuild by Design competition

(Ongoing) The Museum of the City of New York presents NY at Its Core. Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org

(New) Chocolate aficionado Jacques Torres opens up his brand-new Choco Story New York, the city's first chocolate museum, in SoHo. Admission includes nine premium chocolate tastings of white, milk and dark varieties; original Mayan hot chocolate freshly ground by hand; and handmade chocolate truffles. There's a kids corner, too. $10-$15. 350 Hudson St. mrchocolate.com/museum 

(Now-7/30) Muslims in NY at the Museum of the City of New York features 34 images by four photographers who have documented Muslim New Yorkers from the mid-20th to the early 21st century. Works by Alexander Alland date to ca. 1940, a time when New York’s diverse Muslim community included Arabs, Turks, Afghans, East Indians, Albanians, Malayans, African Americans, and others. Photographs by Ed Grazda come from his 1990s project “New York Masjid: The Mosques of New York City,” and cover both immigrant populations and native New York Muslims, including converts, the long-standing African-American community, and a growing Latino Muslim community. Mel Rosenthal’s photographs of Arab New York Muslims from the early 2000s were commissioned for the Museum of the City of New York’s exhibition A Community of Many Worlds: Arab Americans in New York (2002). Robert Gerhardt’s images, a promised gift to the museum’s collections, document Muslim New Yorkers in the early 2010s. 

(Final Weeks! Now-9/6) The newest show at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim, provides a chance to explore in-depth some of the key artists of this essential New York institution. Framed by the interests of six leading patrons, Visionaries brings together canvases from masters like Max Ernst, René Magritte, and Yves Tanguy, and sculptures by Joseph Cornell and Alberto Giacometti. In addition, Jackson Pollock’s Alchemy (1947) is being shown in the U.S. for the first time in nearly 50 years. More than a dozen works on paper by Picasso and Van Gogh, rarely on view to the public, can be seen in the Thannhauser Gallery, and paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Gauguin, and Édouard Manet are displayed on the museum’s legendary ramps.

(Ongoing) The legendary aircraft carrier that’s now the Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum served three tours of duty in Vietnam between 1966 and 1969. Learn more about its experiences in the Gulf of Tonkin, launching aircraft for missions over mainland Vietnam, at the exhibit On the Line: Intrepid and the Vietnam War, featuring many artifacts displayed for the very first time.

COMEDY

KIDS 

(8/12, 8/19) Citi Summer Streets returns to make a splash with traffic-free stretches of roadway opened up across the city. Centre Street in Lower Manhattan will be transformed into a makeshift beach and waterpark, including a giant 300-foot waterslide. New this year, a water park shaped like a dishwasher. Get an early start: Citi Summer Streets runs from 7am-1pm.  

(8/12, 8/13, 8/19) Moving Image Studio: Kids' Puppet Workshop at Museum of the Moving Image. Moving Image Studio is the Museum's drop-in space where visitors of all ages can create media and other projects. Stop by and create your own puppets and animation inspired by The Jim Henson Exhibition. Activities include animating puppet faces, paper bag puppets, mixed up monster game and coloring. 11am-4pm. *On 8/12 at 1pm, check out a screening of Muppets Treasure Island. 

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(Now-8/27) Angry Birds Universe: fans of the popular Angry Birds games can join Red, Bomb, Stella, and the rest of the flock at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens this summer. The colorful birds land at the museum on July 1 for the U.S. premiere of Angry Birds Universe: The Art and Science of a Global Phenomenon. The summer exhibition uses activities to explore mass, energy, simple machines, architecture, and other science topics. Twenty hands-on exhibits place museum visitors inside the world of the Angry Birds games. 

(Now-10/9) Eloise at the Museum reveals the creative collaboration between cabaret star Kay Thompson (1909-1998) and the young illustrator Hilary Knight (b. 1926) that brought the precocious character Eloise to life. The exhibition showcases more than 75 objects, ranging from original manuscript pages to sketchbooks, portraits, photographs, and vintage dolls.

(Ongoing) Blue Man Group at Astor Place Theatre. Best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows, Blue Man Group combines music, comedy, and multimedia theatrics to produce a unique form of entertainment. The hour and forty five minute show is fun for the whole family. The show recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.

(Ongoing) Explore the beautiful interactive exhibit Connected Worlds at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. 

For more kids activities, check out our sister site nymetroparents.com!

SIGHTSEEING

Photo by Kenny Rodriguez provided courtesy of VR Worldwide, Inc.

(New!) All you can play virtual reality at VR World NYC. 

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(8/10-8/13) Italian Traditional Festival: Giglio Society of East Harlem. The Giglio Feast of Saint Antonio celebrates Italian food, culture, religion, and tradition. On Sunday, a platform holding a 12-piece band and 80-foot statue is carried through the streets of East Harlem. 

(8/12) Make the most of summer with an adventure beyond the city’s boundaries to scenic Long Island. High Quality Tours leaves from Manhattan for a River & Brews Tour that combines breakfast on the river, a two-hour canoe, kayak, or standup paddle board trip, and beer and live music at local legend Blue Point Brewery. You’ll enjoy it all via a state-of-the-art luxury ride.

(Ongoing) Day or night, the Manhattan skyline is a sight to behold. Circle Line Sightseeing sails year-round and has cruises of varying interests and lengths, including a 3-hour Best of NYC Cruise, a 2-hour Landmark Cruise, and a Harbor Lights Cruise for a romantic spring evening. Last year, Circle Line added its popular Landmark + Brooklyn Cruise. Guests can purchase food and drink from Brooklyn’s famed artisanal vendors, including Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Gin, Brooklyn Cupcake, Blue Marble Ice Cream, and cheesecakes from Junior’s. circleline42.com

Giving a shout out to A Slice of Brooklyn Tours, as they celebrate their 12th anniversary. They continue to bring locals and tourists alike the best Brooklyn Pizza, Christmas Lights,  Chocolate Tours, and more. Founded by Brooklyn native and travel lover Tony Muia, the company has received Certificates of Excellence from TripAdvisor for the past six years! All tours conveniently depart and return to Union Square! Congratulations! Book your tour today! 

(Ongoing) At a time when the planet seems ever more divided, it’s amazing to be reminded that we all share one world. Gulliver's Gate is one of the most ambitious attractions to ever land in New York, a $40 million extravaganza that allows visitors to travel the earth without leaving Times Square. Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Europe are all here in incredibly detailed miniature, reflecting craftspeople’s work from around the globe. Through the wonder of 3D printing, visitors can also enjoy the thrill of having themselves (and their families) immortalized in 1:87 scale.

(New!) Take a ride through time and learn about Downtown New York City's rich heritage with THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE Powered by THE RIDE. Enhanced with virtual reality technology (thanks to Timelooper), experience highlight moments in NYC's history like never before! Here's a coupon!

(Ongoing) No trip to New York City is complete without visiting the home of the 27-time World Champion New York Yankees. Game tickets may be scarce, but it’s easy to get the full experience with Yankee Stadium Tours, which offers exclusive access to the stadium. The tours also bring fans close to historic baseball artifacts like Babe Ruth’s bat, Lou Gehrig’s jersey, and rings and trophies. The Yankee Stadium Pregame Tour is a great option for fans who want early access to the stadium with a valid game ticket—fans can enjoy a guided tour through the New York Yankees Museum Presented by Bank of America, private access to legendary Monument Park before it opens to the public, and exclusive access to batting practice in Section 105. 

(Ongoing) Read here for more about the Best NYC Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours!

(Ongoing) King Kong has made his way back to New York, the city he once terrorized (at least in the movies!), but this time, it's in wax form. The famed Madame Tussauds New York in Times Square welcomes a wax replica of King Kong’s head to its collection, providing visitors not only with a perfect photo op with the notorious gorilla, but an entire KONG: Skull Island experience.

(New) Every year, at 11:59pm on December 31st, people from all over the world are focused on the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. Millions of voices unite to count down the final seconds of the old year and celebrate the beginning of the new. Now you can get up close and personal with the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball at Ripley’s Believe It or Not—Times Square! Press the button yourself and ring in the New Year every day of the year. A home to rare artifacts and thrilling interactive exhibits, Ripley’s is for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the unexpected and the unbelievable. Here is a coupon. 

(Ongoing) Grab a date or friend and enjoy the most incredible views of NYC at Top of the Rock.

(Ongoing) Take a one-hour tour of one of the world's most important buildings, the United Nations, now celebrating 71 years. (Tours offered weekdays only.)

NIGHTLIFE

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(8/9) Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. 

(8/9 & 8/16) Summer on the Hudson Pier 1 Picture Show. Jeff Bridges stars in the 1998 cult classic, The Big Lebowski. The Dude abides. Pier 1 Riverside South West 70th Street, Manhattan. Starts sunset, around 8:30pm. (Wednesday the 16th it's 1988's Bettlejuice.)

(8/10) Interactive Game "Confidential" at Delilah. Become a secret agent for a night as you step into the world of CONFIDENTIAL—a game of social interaction designed to blend seamlessly with reality. Start by wearing an outfit worthy of James Bond or Mata Hari and test your powers of perception while sharpening your seduction skills as you gather clues needed to complete your mission and win the game. 

(now-8/13) The first ever Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema will be featuring more than 150 new films from Queens best filmmakers at Kew Gardens Cinema. Take a 15 minute LIRR ride to the Kew Gardens stop on the Long Island Railroad and you're right across the street. 

(8/10) Maxi Priest at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. 

(8/10) Bowie Bowl with the Band from Mars at Brooklyn Bowl. 

(now-8/12)

Evoking the ambience of a 1920s speakeasy, Feinstein’s/54 Below combines performances by Broadway’s best with innovative New American cuisine in an elegant setting. This summer, Michael Feinstein, “Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” returns to the club that bears his name with Michael Feinstein: Showstoppers. Enjoy the greatest hits of Broadway, performed by its premiere interpreter, with Feinstein revealing fascinating backstories of the songs along the way. He’ll also be bringing in some special guests, like Jersey Boys’s Erich Bergen on August 12th.

(8/11-9/1) Fireworks Friday Karaoke on the Boardwalk in Coney Island.

(Now-8/13) Shakespeare in the Park continues with FREE performances in the Delacorte Theater, now with A Midsummer Night's Dream, with Phylicia Rashad. *Tickets are required.

(Now-8/27) See It Big! 70mm! Cool off and enjoy classic blockbusters in 70MM at Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image! 

(8/10-8/17) Passport Thursdays Outdoor International Dance, Music Film Series at Queens Museum.

Click here for more information on NYC's Best Jazz Clubs.

SNEAK PEEK, NEXT WEEK

(8/19) The Blues BBQ Festival at Pier 97 will feature tasty goodness from Arrogant Swine, Dinosaur Bar-B-Cue, and Fort Gansevoort BBQ. There's also live entertainment, with The Campbell Brothers, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Dumpstaphunk, Terri Odabi, and more!

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(8/17-8/20) 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan at Carolines on Broadway. 

(8/20) India Parade NYC 2017 fianjt.org.

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