Search

Things to Do in NYC This Weekend (October 19-21)

Looking for what to do in New York this weekend? 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. Read on for our picks for the best of this weekend in New York City.

THE BIG EVENT

Order of the Phoenix Illustration Jim Kay

(Now-1/27/19) Gather round ye muggles and wizards, squibs and witches, tourists and natives: magic is on its way. Harry Potter: A History of Magic, commemorating the beloved series’s 20th anniversary, is now open at the New-York Historical Society. One of the most eagerly anticipated exhibits to hit the city since, well, ever, the show comes straight from the British Library in London, where, not surprisingly, it was the institution’s most successful exhibition. Artifacts like crystal balls, Leonardo da Vinci notebooks, and the first written record of the magic word “abracadabra” are among the treasures on display, joined by original materials from author J.K. Rowling’s archives. Also on view to the public for the first time will be Mary GrandPré’s illustrations created for Scholastic’s original editions of the novels. Costumes and set models from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which opened on Broadway in April, will be showcased in the exhibition. A long list of events will take place in conjunction with the exhibit, including trivia night, talks, an adult costume party, and morenyhistory.org

(Now-1/27/19) Psst! Catch HP star Daniel Radcliffe, alongside Cherry Jones and Bobby Cannavale on Broadway, in Lifespan of a Fact!

PLUS

The Rink at Rock Center

(Ongoing) The Rink at Rockefeller Center has officially opened for the season. The most famous ice rink in the world will continue its time-honored tradition as the first New York rink to open each year.

(Now-10/31) Bring on Archtober 2018. New York’s annual Architecture and Design Month, now in its seventh year, is a celebration of all things architectural. This year’s festival features over 150 events, from lectures to activities to exhibitions.

EXHIBITION OF THE WEEK

Klint Group IV The Ten Largest, No. 3 Youth

Group IV, the Ten Largest, No. 3, Youth, 1907, from Untitled Series. Photo: Albin Dahlström, Moderna Museet, Stockholm

(Now-2/3/19) Before abstract art was a speck in Kandinsky’s eye, the painter Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was pioneering non-representational painting in Sweden. A spiritualist who claimed to communicate with the dead, af Klint worked in near-obscurity, forbidding her paintings from public exposure until 20 years after her death. Upon her death in 1944, she left 1300 paintings behind, a body of work constituting some of the world’s first abstract art. Discover Hilma af Klint, a woman before her time, at the new Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum exhibit Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future.

PLUS

Black Children Keep Your Spirits Free

Carolyn Lawrence, Black Children Keep Your Spirits Free. The exhibition, which opens September 14, presents a wide range of painting, photography, and sculpture from over 60 artists on the fourth and fifth floors of the museum. Photo by Michael Tropea.

(Now-2/3/19) A new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum brings together for the first time the disparate practices of more than 60 Black artists from the revolutionary years of 1963 to 1983. Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power offers an unparalleled opportunity to see these extraordinary creations side by side. Among the 150 works on display you’ll find a diversity of expression, including figurative and abstract painting, prints, and photography; assemblage and sculpture; and performance art. Although the political and social justice perspectives may vary, the show is tied together by a universal spirit of aesthetic innovation. On October 6th, you can also catch a Target First Saturday, a free night at the museum, which this month will have the theme “Come Together in Honor of Brooklyn’s Latinx Communities.”

(New!) The first tremors of the American Revolution were felt in New York City, as a group of colonists came together to fight for freedom. The new exhibition at Fraunces Tavern MuseumFear and Force: New York’s Sons of Liberty, tells the story of these early resisters. The show relays the first bloodshed of the Revolutionary War (it took place just a couple of blocks from here), shows off relics like part of the original Bowling Green Park fence present when King George III’s statue was torn down, and gives context to pivotal moments in the birth of America.

comeback season mike piazza uniform

Photo: Jin Lee

(Ongoing) Sports in America provided a unique form of solace after the seismic losses of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. Comeback Season: Sports After 9/11, a special exhibition at the National September 11  Memorial & Museum, delves into uplifting moments at games in the aftermath of the attacks. Explore the stories of Mike Piazza’s home run during a New York Mets home game, President George W. Bush’s first pitch at a World Series game at Yankee Stadium, and the New York City Marathon on November 4th, 2001. Video, artifacts, and moving images help provide context for a nation coming back together. 

(Now-10/28) Final weeks! In 1939, the pioneering American Modernist Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) went to Hawaii on commission for a Hawaiian Pineapple Company promotional campaign. What she created provides the inspiration for the landmark new exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai‘i at The New York Botanical Garden. A stunning display in the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Art Gallery includes 17 of O’Keeffe’s Hawaii paintings, not seen together in New York since their debut in 1940. The historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory explores the remarkable beauty and variety of Hawaiian flora, as well as its complex botanical and cultural history. The garden (just a 20-minute Metro-North ride from Grand Central Terminal) also features a living collection of more than one million plants.

(Now-12/2/18) Art of the Mountain: Through the Chinese Photographer’s Lens at the China Institute. Featuring over 60 photographs from a range of modern Chinese photographers, this exhibition will allow visitors to consider the role of mountains in China’s geography, history, art, and philosophy.

(Permanent) The Jim Henson Exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image will celebrate the life and legacy of the famed Muppet creator, exploring both his prolific career and the enduring effect his work has on pop culture to this day. Visitors can expect to learn more about the creation of such beloved works as The Muppet ShowSesame StreetFraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labryinth, as well as to discover the cutting-edge experimental works Henson made throughout his career.

(Permanent) The Museum of the City of New York presents NY at Its Core. Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core presents 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. 

COMEDY

Pete Correale

(10/18-10/20) Pete Correale at Gotham Comedy Club.

PLUS

(10/18-10/20) SNL's Chris Redd at Carolines.

(Ongoing) Catch the latest and funniest on the comic strip at the LOL Times Square Comedy Club. Use promo code CITYGUIDE for 50% off tickets!

Click here for more comedy shows in NYC this weekend.

KIDS

Pumpkin Patch

(Now-10/27) It's the Kick Off to Fall! On weekends, bring the family out to the  Pumpkin Patch at the Queens County Farm Museum. Enjoy the crisp fall air and wander through the patch to find the perfect pumpkin. Grab some cider and donuts, too. 11:30am-4:30pm. queensfarm.org

PLUS

intrepid astronomy night

(10/20) Family Astronomy Night on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Reveals Our Moon: its findings reveal that the moon isn't as dry or as dormant as we once thought. See the imagery captured by the orbiter, explore the visualizations created from its data, and find out how its discoveries have changed lunar science from NASA’s Ernie Wright. Stargazing on the flight deck will follow the presentation (weather permitting).

face paint pirate halloween

Get in on the fun early! Join Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn along the Atlantic shore weekends now through Oct. 28 for family-friendly activities. Luna Park’s Halloween Harvest, now in its sixth year, features pumpkin picking and painting and FREE activities like trick or treating, daily entertainment, costumed characters, caricature artists, balloonbenders and twisters, magicians, one of NYC’s largest pumpkins, and more! lunaparknyc.com

Read more about Halloween in NYC 2018: Scary Good Times.

(Now-October) Get a taste of what it's like to walk on the moon, FREE, with Samsung's 837 Gear VR in the Meatpacking District. Must be 13+ and make a reservation. 837gearvr.com

(Ongoing) Exhilarating Family Fun at Stomp NYC. Special discount packages available!

Click here for more things to do with kids this weekend.

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

SIGHTSEEING

events in nyc in october 2015

(10/20-10/21, 10/27-10/28), take advantage of Circle Line’s Bear Mountain Cruise, or as it has come to be known by many, the Oktoberfest Cruise. Peak fall foliage, live bands, craft vendors, and the largest pretzels known to mankind all welcome you to a hoppy universe far away from the daily grind. You can burn off all those beer and brats, plus stock up on fresh air, with a gorgeous three-hour hike along one of the 50 hiking trails in Bear Mountain State Park. They'll be setting sail Columbus Day, too. $65 adults, $52 kids. Boards 8:30am sharp. circleline42.com

PLUS 

(Ongoing) Check out NYC's hottest new museum, exploring the world of espionage, SPYSCAPE

Nat Geo Encounter Ocean Odyssey

Immerse yourself in the deep, dark depths of the ocean, where Humboldt squid fight to the death, 50 foot whales ride overhead, play with sea lions, navigate a sea kelp maze and more at National Geographic Encounter: Ocean OdysseyHere's a $5 off coupon

Bring a loved one to take in the breathtaking view at Top of the Rock

Zip up 100 stories in 60 seconds and see New York City atop One World ObservatoryUse this coupon and save: 20% off!

Explore New York City from the best vantage points with Helicopter Flight Services Tours. Choose from four different itineraries.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in The Empire Strikes Back

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. 

(New!) With over 500 exhibitions, many of them world-famous relics, there’s something to hold anyone’s attention at Ripley's Believe It or Not! Times Square. (Robert Ripley himself tracked down many of the items in the collection—he was a long-time presence in New York.) This month from a galaxy far, far away comes an original Star Wars Lightsaber. This is the actual prop used by actor Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back! The Lightsaber was constructed from a vintage 1930s Graflex camera flash gun, with the original Graflex logo still etched into the handle. In addition to the Lightsaber, you’ll find other unique Star Wars memorabilia like a Darth Vader portrait constructed entirely from staples. Here's a coupon for discount Ripley's admission!

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

victor lesser sings

(10/19) Victor Lesser is a dynamic jazz/R&B/blues artist who has been described as “Sinatra meets Ray Charles meets King Curtis”! He plays great saxophone and piano, but his soulful, swinging vocals are his first instrument, and entertaining is clearly his first love. Don't miss the Victor Lesser Quartet as they perform Friday night at The Sound Bite!

(10/19-10/20) Little Cinema No 40: Secret Halloween Special (Immersive) at House of Yes in Bushwick. This audiovisual experience will be a new take on dark comedy horror featuring serial killers, virgins, and of course the victims! And, as they say, “Remember: movies don't create psychos--movies make psychos more creative.” This event is 21+. For more info click here.

(10/20) Lily Allen at Terminal 5.

PLUS 

The Campbell

(10/21) Enjoy jazz duo Acute Inflections at the glamourous secret cocktail bar at Grand Central Terminal, The Campbell Bar NYC, on Sundays, 6-10pm.

(Now-October) Calling all rosé fans for a pop-up "Rosé Mansion" in the city! Get tickets hereYou can read about more Instagrammable Pop Up Exhibits in NYC here

Click here for more nightlife this weekend.

Cheers! Check out the Best Rooftop Bars in NYC.

For information on LGBTQ nightlife, visit our brother site metrosource.com!


Like what you see here? Share it with your friends on Facebook! Find out more about what to do in October. We've got November covered, too!

Bringing a group to NYC? Free planning services

Let us know what you are looking for and we will try to connect you directly and get discounts.

Enter the code: 3972

More Articles