🍁🍂 fall foliage report: leaf peepers, bookmark these: i love ny’s ‘live’ map tracks fall foliage across the state, while the central park conservancy’s tracker follows the changing colors closer to home.
cultural fests / food events / markets / shopping events (free admission, unless noted otherwise):
► fri thru sun: the annual nyc yarn crawl: 12 participating stores in manhattan, brooklyn, and queens. >>
► fri thru sun: 37th annual jersey city art + studio tour: multiple venues across jersey city. most events are free. >>
► fri thru sun (1-7pm): the annual chinatown mid-autumn festival: gotham park (1 rose st., manhattan). >>
► sat: the fifth annual city of forest day: 150+ events across the five boroughs. >>
► sat 10am: 66th annual nigeria independence day parade: 2nd ave between e 54th st + e 44th st. >>
► sat 10am-4pm: the brooklyn card show: st. patrick academy (bay ridge). $5 admission. >>
► sat 10am-5pm (rescheduled from 9/26 due to weather): 36th annual west 104th street yard sale: west 104th st between west end ave + riverside drive. >>
► sat 10am-5pm: madison avenue fall gallery walk: participating galleries on madison avenue and side streets from east 57th st to east 86th st. >>
► sat 10-6pm: 42nd korean parade + festival: parade 12-2pm: sixth ave from 38th to 27th st; festival 10am-6pm: koreatown, 32nd st. >>
► sat 10am-6pm: philippines fest x mexico fest: mexpino new york: 4th ave between 11th st + 12th st, manhattan. >>
► sat 10am-6pm: fifth annual bed-stuy walls mural festival + block party: lexington ave between stuyvesant + lewis aves, brooklyn. >>
► sat 11am-4pm (rescheduled from 9/26 due to weather): the second annual park slope super stoop sale: throughout park slope. map here.
► sat 11am-5pm: the annual new york queer zine fair: the lesbian, gay, bisexual + transgender community center (greenwich village). >>
► sat 11am-6pm: the third annual la feria: print media fair: the latinx project at nyu, 20 cooper square (noho/east village). >>
► sat 12-4pm: cutie market 2 melt ice: hive mind books (bushwick). >>
► sat 12-5pm (rescheduled from 9/26 due to weather): hoboken river city fair: sinatra drive from first street to fifth street (hoboken, nj). >>
► sat 12-7pm: latin food fest nyc: under the viaduct @ w 133rd st + 12th ave (west harlem). free admission (rsvp is required). >>
► sat 3-9pm: vibe house pop-up: vendors, music, drinks: finback brewery (gowanus). >>
► sat 3-9pm: jersey city y2k night market: city hall ancillary lot. >>
►sat 6-9pm: the floyd bennett field! public arts festival: marine park, brooklyn. >>
► sat + sun 10am-5pm: 43rd annual queens agricultural fair: queens county farm museum (floral park). $17 admission. >>
► sat + sun (sat 10am-7pm, sun 10am-4pm): the third united lenape / lunáapeew nations pow wow: lefrak center at lakeside, prospect park (brooklyn). >>
► sat + sun 11am-6pm (rescheduled from 9/26-27 due to weather): taste of korea in the bronx: fall edition: 171 lincoln avenue (mott haven). >>
► sun 10am-3pm: the national arts club community day (gramercy). >>
► sun 10am-6pm (rescheduled from 9/27 due to weather): 53rd annual 3rd avenue festival: 3rd avenue from 69th to 94th street (bay ridge). >>
► sun 11am-4pm: vinyl revolution record show: bohemian hall + beer garden (astoria). $5 admission ($10 for 10am early entry). >>
► sun 11am-6pm: spellbound fall market: honey’s (bushwick). >>
► sun 12-2pm: the annual st. francis day fair and pet blessings: the cathedral of saint john the divine (morningside heights). >>
► sun 12-4pm (rescheduled from 9/27 due to weather): brooklyn heights neighborhood tag sale: montague st from henry st to hicks st (part of montague open streets). >>
► sun 12-4pm: celebración latina: ballet hispánico’s annual block party: w 89th st between amsterdam + columbus aves. >>
► sun 12-4pm: the japanese folk dance institute of new york presents: fun fest japan: corlears hook park (les). >>
► sun 12-6pm (rescheduled from 9/27 due to weather): 51st annual atlantic antic street festival: along brooklyn’s atlantic avenue from hicks st to 4th ave. >>
► sun 12:30pm: 89th annual pulaski day parade: starts at fifth ave and 41st street. >>
► sun 1-7pm: greenpoint stoopfest: >>
► sun 2-5pm: kids costume swap: footlight underground at the windjammer (ridgewood). >>
sponsored
Image: Orchestra photo by Fadi Kheir; festival graphics by Saboteur Studios, UK; historic photo in the public domain.
Look closely at this famous 1869 photo celebrating the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion. Do you notice someone missing? 90% of the workers who built the Railroad were Chinese, but none were at the completion ceremony. On October 11, they finally take center stage.
Men of Iron and the Golden Spike, a symphonic oratorio by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Zhou Long, brings this story to life with a full symphony orchestra, a 120-voice chorus, and 4 soloists.
The same afternoon brings the U.S. premiere of Li Shaosheng’s Chasing the Sky, a symphonic suite about humanity’s dreams and journey of space exploration.
Together they close the 9th annual China Now Music Festival, whose theme “Chasing Dreams” celebrates America’s 250th anniversary. From railroad tracks to rocket launches, this afternoon tells the stories of the shared dreams, resilience, and creativity that connect us all.
Sunday, October 11 at 3 PM, Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Save 30% on tickets with code RIFT30 — get tickets here today!
nine film fests / series (various prices):
► fri thru 10/8: annual new york indie shorts awards: cinema village (greenwich village), free admission. >>
► fri thru 10/24: a cyberpunk cannon: blade runner: the final cut, ghost in the shell, tetsuo: the iron man, the terminator, and more. metrograph (les), $18. >>
► fri thru 10/31: spooky season at nitehawk: an american werewolf in london, attack the block, cat people, halloween, hocus pocus, little shop of horrors, the funhouse, young frankenstein, and more. williamsburg and prospect park locations. $15.
► sat 7:30pm: filmshow: short films and live experimental theater: rollin studios (greenpoint), $22. >>
► sat 7:30pm: tootsie’s video vault: biannual 3 minute film festival. littlefield (gowanus), $10. >>
► sat + sun: sixth annual autumn’s dawn film festival: film noir cinema (greenpoint). $19.99. >>
► sat thru 10/25: winona ryder, analogue youth: beetlejuce, heathers, mermaids, night on earth, and more. metrograph (les), $18. >>
► 🎃 sat thru 10/31: handcrafted horrors: an american werewolf in london, fantasia, nosferatu, poltergeist, the exorcist, and more: museum of the moving image (astoria), $17.50 general, $12.50 seniors/students. >>
► mon thru 10/11: seventh annual brooklyn scifi film festival: various locations and online. >>
friday
fri thru 6/27/2027: fall exhibitions at brooklyn museum: cézanne to modigliani: gifts of modern art from the pearlman collection (10/2-4/18/2027); hopi kachina dolls: blessings for a balanced world (10/2-6/27/2027); mika ninagawa: feel the flow(ers) (10/2-4/2027); art of manga (10/3-1/31/2027); manga before manga: japanese art from the collection (10/3-1/31/2027). museum admission is pay-what-you-can (suggested: $20 general, $14 seniors/students). note: a separate ticket is required for art of manga ($30 general, $21 seniors/students, which includes admission to the rest of the museum). >>
fri thru 4/4/2027: you should be dancing: new york, 1976 and beyond: a new exhibition at the new york historical (uws) takes you back to the decade when punk, disco, and hip hop sprang up in nyc, as the city struggled with a severe financial crisis. highlights include a fender guitar signed by dee dee ramone, a patti smith backstage pass, a studio 54 opening-night invitation, the original saturday night fever screenplay, early hip hop party flyers, and the bass guitar played on ‘rapper’s delight.’ $24 general, $19 seniors, $13 students, pay-what-you-wish fridays 5-8pm. >>
fri thru 10/8 (7pm): 11th annual momenta quartet festival: nyc-based momenta string quartet’s annual festival presents four diverse chamber music programs, each curated by a member of the quartet. broadway presbyterian church (washington heights) and americas society (ues). free admission. >>
fri thru sun: 24th annual new york burlesque festival: 50 burlesque, drag and circus performers from nyc and beyond fill three brooklyn and manhattan venues with tassles, tease, gags, and glamour. $25+. >>
sponsored: fri + sat (various times): flop house comedy club: nyc’s friendliest indie comedy club—with great comics and a cozy atmosphere—has some incredible lineups this weekend! save 50% with promo code ‘skint’ on tickets to these shows at 362 grand street in williamsburg: friday 8pm, 9:30pm, and 11pm; and the east village location is back at 201 allen st store 2 friday + saturday at 8:00pm. new: monthly member’s pass ($20) to see as many shows as you want + happy hour drinks + secret drop in announcements! >>
fri + sat (8pm): the chelsea symphony: ‘shostakovich’: the chelsea symphony opens its 21st anniversary season with shostakovich’s fifth symphony, the east coast premiere of nicholas bentz’s puzzle box, and a different featured violin work each night. the dimenna center for classical music (midtown west), $20 suggested donation at the door, or $30 adv for premium seating. >>
fri 12pm: reservations for the 24th annual open house new york weekend festival go live this morning: from october 16-18, more than 300 locations across the five boroughs, including new buildings, historic landmarks, industrial spaces, private collections, and more will open their doors for behind-the-scenes tours and special activities. half are free and don’t require a reservation (just show up!), while half require $7 advance tickets that go on sale today at 12pm. pro tip: demand for these tickets is always high and can crash the ohny website, so bookmark the eventbrite pages for the sessions you’re most interested before 12pm. >>
sponsored: fri 5:30-9pm: louis vuitton first fridays at the frick collection: spend a friday evening at the frick—for free! grab your friends for a free evening of art and culture with after-hours gallery access, live jazz, drop-in drawing, drinks and bites in the garden court, and more. these events are offered on the first friday of each month (except january). advance registration is closed for tonight, but walk-ups are welcome! >>
fri 6pm: first novel friday at the center for fiction: join the center for fiction for an evening celebrating a selection of debut novels. the night begins with a happy hour reception in the lounge (cash bar), followed by author readings, discussion, and signings in the auditorium. tonight’s featured authors include deesha philyaw (the true confessions of first lady freeman), bobuq sayed (no god but us), ankur thakkar (blow yourself up), and moderator jemimah wei (the original daughter). the center for fiction (fort greene), $5+ admission. >>
fri 6:30pm (monthly): lower east stories: p+t knitwear bookstore + café (les) presents a storytelling salon where each month brings a fresh theme and fresh tales. tonight’s theme: ‘ruse.’ hosted by matt storrs. $10 admission. >>
fri 7pm (monthly): immigrant jam comedy: german-born, nyc-raised comedian and actor lucie pohl (overwatch) celebrates all things cross-cultural, international, and delightfully different at the immigrant jam stand-up show, featuring immigrant and first generation comedians. tonight’s lineup reps canada, chile, india, liberia, mexico, and romania with performers fabrizio copano, shivani davé, daniel geneen, alfonso hernandez, and meka mo. a portion of the proceeds will go to new women new yorkers. caveat (les), $13.61 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25). >>
🎃 fri 7pm doors: deadly crush: a childhood ruining erotic horror film: join comedian max kohl for the ninth annual showing of the terrible erotic horror movie that was filmed in his childhood home, with a pre-show powerpoint presentation of the movie’s history, a drinking game, halloween costumes, and more. cloud city (williamsburg), $15.08. >>
sponsored: fri 7:30pm: 9th annual china now music festival opening concert: ‘chasing dreams’ featuring bard east/west ensemble and china now chamber orchestra: to celebrate america’s 250th anniversary, the china now music festival presents the rift, an opera in one act by composer huang ruo and tony award-winning playwright david henry hwang that explores the story behind maya lin’s iconic vietnam veterans memorial. the bard east/west ensemble, which combines western and chinese instruments, also performs works by contemporary composers. zankel hall at carnegie hall, save 30% on tickets with code ‘mus57515’ >>
fri 7:30pm: björk drag tribute show: get ready for some big time sensuality at mocha + dj lady simon’s annual björk drag tribute show at c’mon everybody (bed-stuy). $13.39 >>
fri 7:30pm: gayc/dc + guns n’ hoses: cover bands with a twist take over tv eye (ridgewood). $19.57. >>
fri 8pm: string orchestra of brooklyn: the sob’s season opening concert, ‘american reveries,’ presents three composers’ differing perspectives of america: duke ellington’s black, brown and beige, samuel barber’s knoxville: summer of 1915, and sergei rachmaninoff’s symphonic dances. st. ann + the holy trinity church (brooklyn heights), $20 general / $15 seniors/students in advance, $25 door. >>
fri 8:30pm: bitches brew comedy show: this women-produced-and-hosted comedy show conjures up big laughs in the back room of halyards (gowanus). tonight’s lineup includes arjun banerjee (don’t tell comedy), salma hindy (ramy), blair dawson (vulture), jeff braun, alon elian, and jake silberman. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>
🎃 fri 11pm doors: the rocky horror picture show: do the time warp again at brooklyn bowl’s free screening of the 1975 classic, hosted by androgyny. costumes encouraged. >>
saturday
sat 1pm: lamp: a variety show: who says variety shows have to start after dark? spend your saturday afternoon with stand-up and live music hosted by the daily show writer matt koff and musician emily frembgen. young ethel’s (south slope), free admission. >>
sat 2pm: world’s biggest ‘careless whisper’ saxophone meetup: saxophonists and lovers gather in washington square park to collectively rip through george michael’s ‘careless whisper’ at the same time, led by viral social media saxophonist prazul. >>
sat 6pm doors (weather permitting): free outdoor movie: quinn whitney wilson and viridiana lieberman’s new documentary, jean-michel basquiat, with a pre-show performance by serpentwithfeet at socrates sculpture park (lic). >>
sat 7pm (monthly): tom d’s big new york show: comedian and licensed nyc tour guide tom delgado takes you through different aspects of nyc each month, with history, comedy, trivia with prizes, and special guests. tonight’s show features historian and author david conrad-perez fire in the heart of the city: the triangle shirtwaist fire and the origins of modern charity). $15 with promo code ‘tomdnyc’ (reg. $24-25). >>
sat 7pm (monthly): you see black (ucblk): a variety show spotlighting black performers: join hosts justin catchens, dominique kaplowitz, and shem pennant for a night of improv, sketch, stand-up, and more—featuring a dynamic lineup of black performers. ucb (east village), $18.91 with promo code ‘youseeoct’ (reg. $23.91). >>
sat 7pm: the cultural center at st. john’s: greenpoint’s st. john’s lutheran church christents its new cultural and performing arts center with a chamber music series, continuing tonight with ananth rayar + friends. $20 suggested donation. >>
sat 7:30pm (monthly): feel the news with marcela onyango: an anarchist comedy news hour: in this monthly anti-capitalist, anti-fascist comedy show, comedian and writer marcela onyango breaks down the latest headlines—helping you decide whether to be mad, glad, or just deeply confused. each show supports direct action efforts, raising funds for mutual aid projects. tonight’s guests iniclude james mwaura, lizzie martinez, amanda gordon, and lucie pohl. friends and lovers (crown heights), $10. >>
sat 7:30pm: solo: a show about friendship: in preaparation of an upcoming filming, gabe mollica (this american life) brings his off-broadway show to q.e.d. astoria, with opener chris gethard. $15. >>
sunday
sun thru 10/7: the banned wagon: browse 50+ banned and challenged books for readers of all ages and take home a free copy (while supplies last), aboard penguin random house’s traveling banned-books bookmobile. the five-borough tour makes public stops at hunters point library (10/4), brooklyn public library’s bushwick branch (10/5), the new york public library’s stephen a. schwarzman building (10/6), and the charleston library on staten island (10/7). >>
sun 2pm (monthly thru april): schneider concerts chamber music series at the new school: the new school’s annual showcase of emerging ensembles returns for the 2026-27 season. today: tesla quartet performs works by caroline shaw, grażyna bacewicz, franz joseph haydn, and robert schumann. the new school’s tishman auditorium (greenwich village), $20 general, $17 seniors, $5 students standby. >>
sun 2:30-5pm: super-type high score competition: put your typing skills to the test with super-type, a fast, frantic arcade game with a look reminiscent of missile command that turns the entire keyboard into a controller. fend off waves of threats as the screen gets increasingly chaotic, and try to top the leaderboard for a $200 cash prize. wonderville (bushwick), free admission. >>
sun 2:30pm: house rules: a comedy game show: emmy-winning, emmy-nominated, and emmy-rejected comedians lie, cheat, scheme, and generally do whatever it takes to win while the rules change and the points may or may not matter. hosted by kevin mcnulty. caveat (les), $9.49 with promo code ‘houserulesskint’ (reg. $15-17). >>
sun 3pm: daylighters (a comedy show you can bring your kids to): bring the tweens to an afternoon of clean comedy you can enjoy together without anyone having to cover their ears or pretend they didn’t hear that. hosted by kurt braunohler (bananas podcast, bob’s burgers) and appropriate for tweens and up, it’s not comedy for kids, it’s comedy you can enjoy with your kids. featuring kate micucci, chris gethard, jordan carlos, and more. littlefield (gowanus), $14.86 with promo code ‘skint8’ (reg. $24.36). >>
sun 3pm: greenwich village orchestra: ‘friends’ : the downtown community orchestra kicks off its 40th concert season with a program featuring arvo pärt’s cantus in memoriam benjamin britten and brahms’ double concerto for violin and cello. the high school of fashion industries (chelsea), $20-30 adv, or pay-what-you-wish at the door. >>
sun 6pm (monthly): you are not alone: an uplifting show about depression: improvisers and artists that battle depression and mental illness in their day-to-day lives create scenes inspired by personal experiences, showing how laughter can be the best medicine. hosted by aaron gold and michael serpe. magnet theater (chelsea), $10. >>
sponsored: sun 7:30pm: comedians interview experts: caveat’s new flagship series brings together some of comedy’s sharpest voices and experts from a wide range of fields for unscripted conversations that are equal parts educational, surprising, and funny. each installment invites a comedian to interview an expert on a topic they’ve always wanted to know more about, creating an evening where audiences can learn something new while laughing along the way. tonight: negin farsad (wait wait, don’t tell me) interviews nyt puzzle editor wyna liu. caveat (les), $18.76 with promo code ‘skinterview’ (reg. $24.41 adv, $25 door). >>
sun 7:30pm: character night: discover new, unusual, and funny characters, impressions, and bits created by a lineup of imaginative performers. hosted by russ feder. magnet theater (chelsea), $10. >>
sun 8:30pm: dirty boots: indie sleaze hoedown: dance to charli xcx into dolly, the dare + slayyyter into dasha, and more spun by ivy oh and dj cor (niche night nyc), with line dancing pros teaching beginners a few moves. alphaville (bushwick), free admission. >>
monday
mon thru 10/25: spark theatre festival: emerging artists theatre company’s biannual spark theatre festival presents 60+ polished ‘works-in-progress’ plays, solo shows, and dance performances with post-show talkbacks at the 28th street theatre. $20+. >>
mon thru 10/18: nyc off-broadway week: two seats, one price. score 2-for-1 tickets to 24 off-broadway shows including heated rivalry: the unauthorized musical parody, the 25th annual putnam county spelling bee, pre-existing condition, and more. >>
mon + tues: you don’t need a smartphone with august lamm: artist, writer, and anti-tech activist august lamm launches her practical guide to downgrading your phone and upgrading your life at strand bookstore (mon 7pm, $10) and greenlight bookstore (tues 7:30pm, free).
mon 6:30pm doors: news + brews: prediction markets: put the phone away and hear the story behind the story as newsreel’s ‘news and brews’ series pairs live journalism conversations with drinks in a bar setting. tonight: mia sato (senior reporter, the verge) on prediction markets and what they mean for society. followed by trivia and discussion. crystal lake brooklyn (williamsburg). a limited number of tickets are available for skint readers for $12.50 with promo code ‘halfoff’ (reg. $25). bonus: ticket includes a drink. >>
mon 7pm (monthly): biology on tap:: bio and beer blend at the biology on tap speaker series, featuring talks, trivia, and prizes. tonight’s topic: biohazard. pete’s candy store (williamsburg), free admission ($5 suggested donation). >>
mon 7pm (monthly): living radio: contemporary radio drama, with a revisionist twist: living radio stages live performances of five short radio plays inspired by the news, with results ranging from wacky to reflective. under st. marks theater (greenwich village), pay-what-you-can admission ($7 min). >>
mon 7pm: broadway nights off: joe iconis, the composer of be more chill and a resident artist at 54 below, and a lineup of broadway friends host a musical-theater open mic and concert at downtown’s robert f. wagner park. at the beginning of the evening, composers who want to share an original song put their names in a hat, and throughout the show joe draws names at random to take the stage and perform. free admission. >>
mon 7pm (rescheduled from 9/26 due to weather): the cultural center at st. john’s: greenpoint’s st. john’s lutheran church christents its new cultural and performing arts center with a chamber music series, continuing tonight with string quartet the rhythm method featuring noelle tannen. $20 suggested donation. >>
mon 7pm: new york modular society seventh anniversary: the new york modular society, a collective dedicated to sharing love and knowledge about modular synthesizers, celebrates its seventh b-day on the sultan room rooftop (bushwick) with six modular acts and no laptops. $14. >>
mon 7:30pm (monthly): miss manhattan non-fiction reading series: an evening with black lipstick: elyssa goodman and r.c. gstaad iii’s monthly showcase teams up with black lipstick magazine for an evening of readings from writers emily leibert (the cut), sl carroll (the art of conjuring), madison jamar (polyester), and doe glass (diet cokehead). niagara bar (east village), free admission. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 40+ ongoing events: university open air, gaia, oktoberfest events, the amazing maize maze, and more. >>
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