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Things to Do in NYC (10/20-10/27)

(10/20-10/27) Each week City Guide's Things to Do in NYC brings you the best in special NYC events, exhibits, sightseeing activities, fun for kids, concerts, and nightlife. This week, pamper yourself at bargain rates during Spa Week, indulge your sweet tooth at the Artisanal Sweets Treats Bazaar, show off your dog in the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, bring the family out for foliage cruises and pumpkin-picking excursions, and much more! 

THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK: THE BIG EVENT

Sheva Thai Spa

(now-10/23) Spa lovers are already lining up for New York's biannual National Spa Week, and for good reason. Spa Week not only makes available a wide range of treatments, it offers them at the killer price of $50. Check out Sheva Thai Spa for authentic Royal Thai treatments in midtown. shevaspany.com, spaweek.com.

(10/23) Check out the Artisanal Sweet Treats Bazaar, 10am-5:30pm at Grand Bazaar NYCCome discover and meet 25 of the most talented sweet makers in New York City! Shop and enjoy the best artisanal macaroons, experimental donuts & ice cream sandwiches, spiced pumpkin pies, freshly baked cupcakes & scones, and the most mouthwatering truffles and chocolates you ever had. 

(10/22) Bring your pooch out for the Tompkins Square Dog Halloween Parade. Pooches let their alter-egos shine, putting on some of the cutest and most creative costumes you've ever seen at the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. They'll compete for thousands of dollars in prizes. Noon-3pm. tompkindssquaredogrun.com

(now-11/8) Cast a Vote for Deliciousness: Get Your Election Sundae! Iconic restaurant Serendipity 3 takes a bipartisan stand on the 2016 Presidential election by creating an ice cream concoction for each candidate. The restaurant, known for creating the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate and the Guinness World Record-holder Golden Opulence Sundae, is bringing both parties together for a battle of the ice cream sundaes.

big ink demo hell's kitchen flea market

(10/22-23) Big Ink, which puts together print-related programming for museums, art festivals, and studios, is joining forces with the Manhattan Graphics Center at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market. Basically bringing an artist’s studio to the flea, they’ll be creating a staging that will include 13 artists making unique, giant images carved on large woodblocks and printed on Big Ink's one-of-a-kind wooden presses. They'll be demonstrating large-scale woodcut printing to the public from 10am–5pm at the Hell's Kitchen Flea. Printmakers from throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and as far away as Ohio and Texas will contribute carved woodblocks to be printed throughout the day by Big Ink's staff of volunteers.

(ongoing) Halloween Shopping at Grand Central Terminal. Catching a train is only the beginning at Grand Central Terminal, a New York landmark that’s also great for dining, architecture, history, and shopping. All October long, you can find great gifts and general Halloween supplies: think candy from Li-Lac Chocolates, Metro-North Railroad Costumes from the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store, or a Magic Pumpkin from Jacques Torres Chocolate. When you're done shopping, catch a break with a Candy Corn Cosmo at Michael Jordan's The Steak House N.Y.C.

THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK: EXHIBITION OF THE WEEK

MAD Museum Chris Antemann

Chris Antemann's "Little Maid", part of the exhibit, Forbidden Fruit.

The Museum of Arts and Design unveils its 2016 Fall exhibits, including Chris Antemenn: Forbidden Fruit, Coille Hooven: Tell It By Heart, and more.

(now-10/31) Catch it now before it's gone!  In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the beloved series Star Trek, the Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum welcomes the new exhibition Star Trek: The Starfleet Academy Experience. The museum is the first place in the U.S. to host this brand-new, immersive “Trek Tech” experience, which spans a starship-sized 12,000 square feet. Visitors become cadets, joining the Starfleet Academy’s Career Day in the 26th century. After “student orientation,” cadets visit zones that focus on the Academy’s special training in language, medicine, engineering, navigation, science, and command skills. Check out interactive activities and unique technology, including voice recognition to communicate in Klingon, a medical tricorder table, planet projection mapping, holograms, and a target game using the show’s iconic phasers. You can get your results and a certificate emailed to you. On your way out, take a selfie in the captain’s chair; you can also visit the fully restored Shuttlecraft Galileo, which carried the crew in the original series.

Click here for our Intrepid Coupon to save $5 off Star Trek Starfleet Academy admission!

Click here for our Intrepid Coupon to save $3 now (max 4 persons) off general admission!

PLUS

(now-1/8/17) The Battle of Brooklyn at the New-York Historical Society presents the dramatic story of the largest single battle of the American Revolution. On August 27, 1776, on the marshy fields of Gowanus and Red Hook, George Washington and his ragtag army of untrained soldiers fought Great Britain’s Royal Army, one of the most powerful military forces in the world. Things did not go well. In the first major armed campaign for the colonies after declaring their independence, the British seized control of the strategically important city of New York. Washington was able to make a surprising retreat that saved the day for his troops and ultimately for the American cause. Through 90 objects and documents, including Hugh Gaine’s printing of the Declaration of Independence, a camp bed used by George Washington during the war, Thomas Paine’s 1776 Common Sense, which lays out the arguments for independence, and a rare hunting shirt that became the first “uniform” of the Continental Army, this new exhibition presents the dramatic story of the near-disaster that played a major role in the making of America. 

(now-1/2/17) Marking the 200th anniversary of her birth in 1816, Charlotte Brontë: An Independent Will celebrates Brontë’s life and successes, tracing her life from ambitious teenager to celebrated novelist, at the Morgan Library and Museum.

(now-1/8/17) Who Shot Sports, A Photographic History, 1843-Present at the Brooklyn Museum gathers together approximately 230 works—from daguerreotypes and salted paper prints to digital images—that capture the universal appeal of sports, highlighting unforgettable moments of drama and excitement from around the globe.

(now-1/17) The exciting new exhibit Dinosaurs Among Us, at the American Museum of Natural History, examines how one group of dinosaurs evolved into the birds of today.

(now-1/17) The American Museum of Natural History welcomes an exhibit with bite: Crocs: Ancient Predators in a Modern World provides a fascinating look at the world of archosaurs, a group that includes alligators and crocodiles as well as extinct dinosaurs and modern birds.

(permanent) New York’s latest resident is a 122-foot-long dinosaur so new it has yet to be formally named. Going by “Titanosaur for now, it has taken up residence at the American Museum of Natural History, in a cast of 84 fossil bones uncovered in Patagonia in 2014. The find included a colossal 8-ft. thigh bone, whose shape and size indicated a new species—and one of the biggest dinosaurs ever found. The titanosaur is so large, in fact, that it doesn’t fit in the gallery: a 39-ft.-long neck in a new permanent exhibit extends out towards the elevator banks.

(ongoing) On The Line: Intrepid & The Vietnam War is up at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space MuseumIntrepid made three tours of duty in Vietnam between 1966-1969.

THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK: COMEDY

Bert Kreischer

(10/21-10/23) Bert Kreischer of Travel Channel's Trip Flip, featuring Angelo Lozada & Shane Torres, at Gotham Comedy Club.  

PLUS

(10/20) New York's Funniest Stand UP at Stand Up NY.

(10/20) wellRED Comedy Tour, featuring Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, at Gotham Comedy Club

(10/21) Stand Up NY Showcase, featuring Brian Scott McFadden, Jon Laster, and Adrienne Iapalucci, at Stand Up NY.

(10/22) Stand Up NY Showcase, featuring Paul Mercurio, Hadiyah Robinson, and Aaron Berg, at Stand Up NY.

(10/24) Lewis Black performs his final show of his Broadway run at the Marquis Theatre.

Get free admission for two to Stand Up NY!

THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK: KIDS

Haunted Hayride

 
(now-10/31) Randall's Island Haunted Hayride. Recommended for children 8+. Grab your best friends and get ready for thrills! For the first time, hayrides will debut three experiences, House of Shadows, Purgatory Haunted Village, and the Theater Macabre. 
 
PLUS
 
(10/19) AMNH Presents: Family Party. The 23nd Annual Family Party—one of the Museum’s best-loved traditions—features educational activities and entertainment for children of all ages. 5pm-7:30pm. 
 

(now-10/23) Final weekend!  Arcade Classics: Video Games from the Museum's Collection at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. Check out vintage arcade games including Space Invaders, Asteroids, Tempest, Centipede, Berzerk, and more!

(now-10/30) Scarecrows & Pumpkins at New York Botanical Garden. Experience the thrills and chills of the season with a garden full of intricately carved pumpkin sculptures, bugs, bats, parties, and parades. 

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

THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK: SIGHTSEEING

Circle Line Bear Mountain Cruises

(now-11/6) Enjoy a foliage-filled ride along the Hudson while sampling tasty brews and listening to live Oktoberfest music on Circle Line Bear Mountain Cruises, complemented with craft vendors and the largest pretzels known to mankind. 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. Every weekend. $65 adults, $52 kids. Boards 8:30am sharp, Pier 83, W. 42nd St. and 12th Ave., NY, 212-563-3200, circleline42.com

PLUS

(10/23, 10/30, 11/5, 11/6) Don't get leafed behind! Enjoy a Fall Foliage Cruise with New York Water Taxi. Noon-4:30pm. $85 pp. 

(10/22, 10/29) It's all aboard for the Sleepy Hollow Ferry, with New York Water Taxi. $25 adults, $15 children (roundtrip.) 

(New!) Sample a taste of heaven on the brand new Slice of Brooklyn Chocolate Tour! Sure to be a hit this fall season and beyond, TripAdvisor's top-rated NYC tour company A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours  has launched its Brooklyn Chocolate Tour, which visits artisanal chocolate sites Jacques Torres Chocolate in DUMBO, The Chocolate Room in Cobble Hill, Raaka in Red Hook, and Li-Lac Chocolates in Industry City, Sunset Park. 

Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink

(New) The Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink is now open for its 80th season! 

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

(ongoing) Catch the new Ghostbusters Experience (walk through/immersive) and Ghostbusters Dimension, a Virtual Reality Experience at Madame Tussauds. Get ready to strap on some gear and laser some ghosts against breathtaking, realistic backdrops. The technology puts you right there!

(ongoing) Take a one-hour tour of one of the world's most important buildings, the United Nations, now celebrating 70 years. (Tours offered weekdays only.)

Explore NYC with a magical live interactive experience when you take THE RIDE and The TOUR!

Check out the new "tour about nothing" When Harry Met Seinfeld with On Location Tours

There’s only one tallest. Only one strongest. And only one destination selected as the Best New Attraction in the World. These superlatives belong to One World Trade Center, and its pinnacle, the One World Observatory, rising over 100 stories in the sky. Catch 360° sights of the city and beyond, from the rivers to the harbor, and from the Statue of Liberty to the Empire State Building. Click here for information about ordering tickets and getting a free collectible pin!

Explore NYC's Financial District with Wall Street Walks

THIS WEEK IN NEW YORK: NIGHTLIFE & MUSIC


(now-10/22) (extended!) Adam Pascal & Anthony Rapp "Acoustically Speaking-A 20 Year Friendship" at Feinstein's/54 Below. The co-stars of Rent share with fans an evening of stories and music.

(10/18-10/22) Known for her roles in “My Favorite Year” (Golden Globe Nomination), Coppola’s “One From The Heart,” Spielberg’s “Harry and the Hendersons,” “Beaches,” “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” Adam Sandler’s “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” and most recently “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, " Lainie Kazan has had an extraordinary Broadway and film career. Catch her performing six shows across four nights at Iridium.

PLUS 

(10/19-11/16) Wild Women of Planet Wongo at Parkside Lounge. 

(now-10/29) Steely Dan begins a 10-day residency at the Beacon Theatre

Laverne Cox Rocky Horror Picture Show on Fox

(10/20) The Lindeman, Hell's Kitchen dining destination, hosts the premiere party for FOX's new production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a live screening. $45 price includes three course dinner, Time Warp 101, popcorn, giveaways and surprises. Dinner begins at 6pm. thelinedman.com

(10/21-10/28) Halloween Murder Mystery at Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & GardenIn this fictional mystery game, loosely based on an historic newspaper account, an unidentified skeleton has been discovered at the Mount Vernon Hotel. Explore the Museum by candlelight, and collect clues to unravel the mystery and solve the case. Recommended for families with children 8+. 

(10/23) Melissa Etheridge brings her show Memphis Rock n Soul to the legendary Apollo Theater.

(now-4/29/17) New York Theatre Ballet 2016/17 Season at St. Mark's in the Bowery.  

SNEAK PEEK, NEXT WEEK

NYC Halloween Village Parade

Halloween is just around the corner! It falls on a Monday, but there are plenty of fun filled activities taking place beforehand!  Click here for more information on Halloween NYC 2016: Scary Good Times. 

PLUS

(10/29) Take advantage of Spirit of New York's Fall Foliage Lunch Cruises along the Hudson. Cruises depart from Chelsea Piers. Great fun for the whole family. $62.90 adults, $37.95 children. Boards 11:30am, sails noon-3pm.

(10/25) Sia performs at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. 

(10/26-10/29) Jazz singer Kurt Elling performs at Birdland to celebrate his new release, Beautiful Day.

(10/27) Country power couple Faith Hill & Tim McGraw bring their Soul 2 Soul Tour at Barclays Center in Brookyn.

(10/31-11/3) Late night Comedian Conan O'Brien plays four evenings at the Apollo Theater

Click here for continuous updates on 2016 NYC Halloween events!

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