(8/2-8/4) Looking for what to do in New York this weekend? We've got the latest on all the goings-on, from concerts to museum exhibitions to comedy to the best in city sightseeing. This weekend, we're excited about the Dragon Boat Festival, Babs at MSG, the ongoing Harlem Week Festival, and much more!
THE BIG EVENT
(8/3-8/4) It's time for the 29th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. hkdbf-ny.org
PLUS
(7/30-8/2) Stella Artois's East River Riviera. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to elevate your evening commute, and make home the place you’ll want to write home about. From North Cove Marina in Manhattan to One 15 Marina in Brooklyn, and running through Friday, August 2nd, you could be whisked away on a European-inspired luxury Riva-style boat to enjoy the sights and sounds of the East River with all the vacation vibes of a trip to Europe. The route runs both directions between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Reservations required.
(8/3) The Gauntlet. On Saturday, August 3, hundreds of singers will bathe thousands of people in waves of harmony, poetry, and gesture. This free show, being offered at 4pm and again at 7pm, will fill the plazas of Rockefeller Center with an immersive choral and dance performance.
(Now-8/16) Summer Restaurant Week NYC 2019 returns. There are 370 spots participating, rolling out a very affordable red carpet with three-course specials for both lunch and dinner (the meals are mostly on the weekdays, with a few Sundays, and a few brunches, included in the mix). The cost is a fraction of what you might find other weeks—$26 for a two-course lunch and $42 for a three-course dinner, not including tax, tip, and drinks.
(Ongoing) Use City Guide's coupon booklet for The Mills at Jersey Gardens. Outlet shopping plus additional savings!
EXHIBITION OF THE WEEK
Terry O'Neill (British, born 1938). Raquel Welch in a Pierre Cardin outfit featuring a miniskirt and necklace in blue vinyl, worn with a Plexiglas visor, 1970. Image courtesy of Iconic Images. © Terry O’Neill / Iconic Images.
(Through 1/5/20) Experience the past, present, and future of fashion all at once at the Brooklyn Museumthis summer. Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion celebrates the French designer who embodied the Space Age and futuristic concepts in his designs. A living legend at 97, this is the first retrospective of Cardin’s work hosted in New York for 40 years. It holds over 170 objects, dynamically displayed, collected from the Pierre Cardin archive, including recent work that feels every bit as vital as Cardin’s historic designs. The show also shows how Cardin designed outside the realm of fashion, crafting “couture furniture,” lighting, and even cars. Don’t miss the fashion that literally lights up, arranged in the exhibit’s back room. brooklynmuseum.org
For the duration of the exhibition, house restaurant The Norm has been rebranded as Maxim's at The Norm.
PLUS
Pieces from Shepard Fairey's Obey Giant series, part of his 30th anniversary collection. Photo: Dan Bradica, courtesy of Beyond the Streets.
(Now-8/25) Beyond the Streets at the space Twenty Five Kent in Williamsburg, Brooklyn celebrates some of the biggest names in graffiti, including work from NYC legends Tats Cru, Lady Pink, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as Shepard Fairey, Invader, Brooklyn duo FAILE, artifacts from NYC's beloved Beastie Boys, street photographer Martha Cooper, and much more. Get tickets at beyondthestreets.com.
Installation view of Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: Punk Graphics, 1976-1986 at the Museum of Arts and Design. Photo by Jenna Bascom.
(Now-8/18) Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: Punk Graphics, 1976-1986 at the Museum of Arts and Design. More than 40 years after punk exploded onto the music scenes of New York and London, its impact on the larger culture is still being felt. Born in a period of economic malaise, punk’s energy coalesced into a powerful subcultural phenomenon that transcended music to affect other fields, and especially graphic design.Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die explores the visual language of punk through hundreds of its most memorable graphics, from the shocking remixes of expropriated images and texts to the DIY zines and flyers that challenged the commercial slickness of the mainstream media. #PunkGraphics
(Now-1/3/20) The most significant site of the Holocaust, Auschwitz was not a single entity, but a complex of 48 concentration, forced labor, and extermination camps, at which 1 million Jews—and tens of thousands of others—were murdered. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., a new exhibition at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, explores the legacy of history’s deadliest mass murder site. More than 700 original objects and 400 photographs are on display, many for the first time in North America. Among the artifacts: personal possessions, fragments of a barrack, a gas mask used by the SS, and an original German-made Model 2 freight wagon used for the deportation of Jews to the ghettos and extermination camps in occupied Poland. 36 Battery Pl. (1st Pl.), 646-437-4202,;mjhnyc.org
(Now-10/1) When you see the sheer volume (some 130) of mind-blowing instruments that have been played by a broad cross-section of iconic musicians, all tucked into one space, you’ll understand why the sprawling Metropolitan Museum of Art is the appropriate place for the new show, Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll. It’s the first time a music exhibit of this magnitude has been presented, with guitars alone including the white Fender that Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock, Prince’s 1993 “Love Symbol” guitar, and one of Pete Townshend’s smashed Gibsons encased in Lucite.
(Ongoing) You can experience the world of history’s most famous spy at Driven: 007 x SPYSCAPE, a new exhibition inside New York’s spy museum, SPYSCAPE. This immersive exhibition brings you into the Bond universe with sets, props, and insights about the creation of the ageless secret agent. Among the highlights: an Aston Martin DB5, the lab of Quartermaster (or Q), M16’s gadget master, concept art from Oscar-winning production designer Sir Ken Adams, and an exploration of 2012 Bond film Skyfall’s unforgettable final scene.
COMEDY
PLUS
(8/2) Janeane Garofalo, Sherrod Small, Cipha Sounds, No Two Drink Minimum--Exclusive Special Show--EastVille Comedy Club in Brooklyn.
(8/3-8/4) Sarah Tiana at Gotham Comedy Club.
(Now-8/24) Aussie comedienne Hannah Gadsby brings her new show, Douglas, to the Daryl Roth Theatre.
Click here for more Comedy Shows in NYC This Weekend.
KIDS
(8/3, 8/10, 8/17) 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. Get an early start: Summer Streets runs from 7am-1pm.
PLUS
Photo: Etienne Frossard.
(8/3) Sacred Hindu Lamp Ceremony at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Presented by Indian dance arts educator Aeilushi Mistry, this annual event involves decorating palm leaf lamps and releasing them into the river, expressing gratitude and asking for protection. Saturday 4-8pm at Pebble Beach.
(Now-11/3) Kids of all ages will want to check out the new Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari. It's the biggest, most realistic dinosaur safari ride in America. Travel back in time on a guided tour to learn about dinos of the past and descendent animals of the present. The experience will take riders through 2 acres of woods, in which they will meet animatronic dinosaurs, including two 40-foot-long T. rexes, a 60-foot-long herbivore called Omeisaurus, and the Spinosaurus, one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs to ever exist. For even more kids activities, and to learn more about the brand new Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari, check out our sister site nymetroparents.com!
(Now-9/8) Above & Beyond: The Ultimate Flight Exhibition at The New York Hall of Science. NYSCI’s summer exhibition uses flight simulation, augmented reality, touch tables, design and skill challenges, virtual reality, and more to immerse visitors in the wonders of flight.
(Ongoing) Color Factory, a massive interactive art space, began in August 2017 in San Francisco. Wildly popular, the project has set up shop in SoHo and is sure to inspire lines as long as the cronut did at nearby Dominique Ansel Bakery. Designed by a wide spectrum of artists, Color Factory walks visitors through 16 rooms devoted to the wonder of color. You’re invited to compliment someone using color words, discover your signature color, and read wishes for the world written by NYC school children on varicolored balloons. Each room is equipped with a camera that can take a picture of you and send it to your phone: the better to post with! On view now through August, 2019. 251 Spring St., support@colorfactory.co,colorfactory.co, @colorfactoryco
Updated!! Read about more Instagrammable pop-up exhibits in NYC here.
(Ongoing) Exhilarating Family Fun at Stomp NYC. Special discount packages available!
Click here for more Things to Do with Kids in NYC This Weekend.
For more kids activities, check out our sister site nymetroparents.com!
SIGHTSEEING
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Bring a loved one to take in the breathtaking view at Top of the Rock.
PLUS
(Ongoing) Feelin' the need for speed? The BEAST Speedboat Ride is back! Zoom past the Statue of Liberty at a heart-racing 45 mph!
Paddlesports Galore! Free Kayaking, Rowboat Rentals & Paddleboard Yoga in NYC.
(New!) Madame Tussauds New York Presents Broadway. Take a magical journey starting with a cocktail at the Broadway Bar, and then traveling through a kaleidoscope of your favorite musicals. Enter the world of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, and Cats. You can sing “Memory” with Grizabella the “Glamour Cat” and wear the Dreamcoat yourself as you become a Broadway star. The Phantom of the Opera will also guide you through this dazzling backstage experience, and perhaps do a little singing himself along the way. Live actors will be on hand to enhance the rush both on- and offstage.
(Ongoing) Get the full stadium experience with Yankee Stadium Tours, which offers exclusive access to New York Yankee historic spots like Monument Park, The Great Hall, and even down to the dugout. The daily tours also bring you close to baseball artifacts like Babe Ruth’s bat, Lou Gehrig’s jersey, and rings and trophies representing the Yankees’ 27 world championships.
(Ongoing) For more than 70 years, Circle Line has been showing visitors the city, including the only cruise that goes all the way around Manhattan: Circle Line’s Best of NYC Cruise. One trip will show off five boroughs, three rivers, and more than 20 bridges on the way to 101 New York City sights. State-of-the-art Empire Class ships have recently launched, providing quieter rides, better sound for the personable onboard guides, bigger windows, improved climate control, and more outdoor deck space. (For dining and entertainment, take a ride on Hudson’s, a three-story “floating rooftop” that’s a Circle Line sibling.)
Immerse yourself in the deep, dark depths of the ocean, where Humboldt squid fight to the death and 50-foot whales ride overhead. Play with virtual sea lions, navigate a kelp maze, and more at National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey! Here's a $10 off coupon!
(Ongoing) Part show. Part tour. All entertainment. THE RIDE is a one-of-a-kind experience that turns the streets of New York into a stage. Journey through Times Square and midtown Manhattan as the city’s landmarks unfold before your very eyes. THE RIDE’s theatres-on-wheels also tour lower Manhattan, with THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE Powered by THE RIDE, which lets visitors re-live iconic moments in New York history through the magic of TimeLooper Virtual Reality Headsets. Use our coupon and save $10 off!
FOOD, MUSIC, AND NIGHTLIFE
(7/28-8/24) 45th Annual Harlem Week Festival (yes, it goes on for almost a month). harlemweek.com
PLUS
(8/1-8/4, 8/10, 8/11) See It Big! 70mm screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.
(8/1) Chemical Brothers at Forest Hills Stadium.
(8/2) An Intimate Evening with Sarah McLachlan and New York Pops at Forest Hills Stadium.
(8/3-8/4, 8/8-8/11) See it Big! 70mm screening of Roma at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens.
(8/3) Bad Religion at Brooklyn Steel.
(8/3) Barbra Streisand at Madison Square Garden.
(Now-8/11) The popular Shakespeare in the Park program returns to Central Park. Now up is a production of Coriolanus. FREE. Tickets required.
(8/2-8/18) Peter Murphy: Should the World Fall Apart residency at Le Poisson Rouge.
(Now-9/30) It’s rosé all day once again. Rosé Mansion is back for another summer residency in NYC after a successful run last year. The designs in all 14 rooms will be brand-new, and the mansion will be twice the size of last year’s iteration. You’ll get tastings of 8 different pink wines as you travel through a champagne ball pit, a mini-theme park called Roséland, and a tree house! There will also be two different rosé wine bars where you can hang out, plus grub from Taco Dumbo on hand. rosewinemansion.com, @rosewinemansion
(Ongoing) Drink, laugh, and save! Summer Savings on The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking! Choose from the evening show or Day Drinking: The Brunch Musical. Sit back and enjoy music and three cocktails, while the cast of The Imbible give insight into the history and science behind alcoholic beverages, tracing their economic and political impact on our cultural development. They'll also conduct live demonstrations of brewing beer and distilling spirits. Save $15 off admission with City Guide's coupon.
Click here for more Nightlife in NYC This Weekend.
Click here for Where to See Drag Shows in NYC.
Click here for 10 Things to Do in Brooklyn This Summer.
EVERYTHING TO DO NYC
Want free advice on what to do and see in New York? Join our Facebook group Everything to Do NYC, a place for people to ask questions and get tips on how to make the most of the city.
Like what you see? Click here for more ideas on Things to Do in NYC in August. We've got September covered, too! Going to be in town this summer? Read more about Where to Find Outdoor Concerts This Summer in NYC.
