fall foliage report for new york state: for all your fall foliage fun, check out i heart ny’s ‘live’ leaf peeping map of conditions across the state. >>
cultural fests / street fairs / food events / markets / shopping events (free admission, unless noted otherwise):
► fri 11am-5pm (while supplies last): free glittery magnum ice cream bars: ice cream truck on the corner of west 4th + cornelia streets (greenwich village). >>
► fri thru sun: 36th annual jersey city art + studio tour: multiple venues across jersey city. >>
► fri thru sun: tattoo society world expo: zerospace (gowanus). $25. >>
► sat: fourth annual city of forest day: 120 events across the five boroughs. >>
► sat 10am: nigeria independence day parade: madison ave from 38th st to 24th st. >>
► sat 10am-5pm: old stone house artisans fall bazaar: washington park (park slope). >>
► sat 10-6pm: korean parade + festival: parade (12-2pm): sixth ave from 38th to 27th st; festival (10am-6pm): koreatown, 32nd st bet broadway + fifth ave. >>
► sat 11am-6pm: philippines fest presents: ubeland new york: 4th avenue bet 9th + 10th streets (east village). >>
► sat 12-3pm: chinatown mid-autumn open streets: pell street, manhattan. >>
► sat 12-6pm: diwali on hudson: exchange place in jersey city. >>
► sat 3-9pm: jersey city night market: city hall ancillary lot. >>
► sat + sun (11am-5pm): maker faire coney island: coney island amphitheater, $25. >>
► sun 11am-3pm: 3rd fungus festival: randalls island urban farm. >>
► sun 12pm-2pm: st. francis day fair and pet blessings: the cathedral of saint john the divine (morningside heights). >>
► sun 12-6pm: 50th annual atlantic antic street festival (‘brooklyn’s oldest + largest street fest’): along brooklyn’s atlantic avenue from hicks street to 4th avenue. >>
► sun 12:30am: 88th annual pulaski day parade: starts at fifth ave and 41st street. >>
► sun 2-5pm: kids costume swap: the windjammer (ridgewood). >>
five film fests / series (various prices):
► fri thru sun: annual new york indie shorts awards: look dine-in cinemas w57. >>
► fri thru 10/25: hack the planet: ghost in the shell, hackers, pi, sneakers, wargames, and more. metrograph (les). >>
► sat 5:30pm doors: wia nyc animation festival: sva theatre (chelsea). >>
► sat + sun: fifth annual autumn’s dawn film festival: film noir cinema (greenpoint). >>
► mon thru 10/12: sixth annual brooklyn scifi film festival: stuart cinema + cafe (greenpoint), alamo drafthouse (downtown brooklyn), and online. >>
sponsored
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friday
thru 10/23: lincoln center presents: festival of firsts: lincoln center’s fourth annual festival of firsts presents three weeks of premieres and new collaborations by theater, music, and dance performers exploring new horizons and celebrating major career milestones. lincoln center’s david rubenstein atrium (uws), free admission. >>
sponsored: fri + sat: flop house comedy club: nyc’s friendliest indie comedy club—with great comics, a cozy atmosphere, and no drink minimums—has some incredible lineups this weekend! save 33% with promo code ‘skint’ for any of these shows at 362 grand street in williamsburg: shane torres, elle orlando, ian levy, and dan vezza (friday 8pm + 9:30pm); judah friedlander, sienna hubert ross, alex asifo, and skye grayson (saturday 8pm + 9:30pm). drinks will be available for purchase. >>
fri + sat (7pm): firebird on governors island: inspired by igor stravinsky’s 1919 firebird suite, amsterdam-based artist collective touki delphine brings a light-and-sound spectacle to governors island. after arriving by ferry, audiences don shimmering metallic capes and join a glittering procession to the parade ground, where firebird‘s synchronized light show made with 500 recycled car taillights and music awaits. $20. >>
fri various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
guardians of the galaxy volume 3 at sunset park (brooklyn) >>
rent at the hudson yards public square and gardens >>
wicked at manhattan ave + west 110th st in morningside park >>
fri 12pm: reservations for the 23rd annual open house new york weekend festival go live this morning: on october 17-19, more than 300 locations across the five boroughs, including skyscrapers, power plants, artist studios, new projects, and more will open their doors for talks, tours, and behind-the-scenes access. half are free and don’t require a reservation, while limited-access sites require $7 advance tickets, which will go on sale today at 12pm. pro tip: demand for these tickets is high and can crash the ohny website, so bookmark the eventbrite pages for the sessions you’re most interested in now. >>
fri 6pm: first novel friday at the center for fiction: join the center for fiction for an evening celebrating a selection of notable 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 authors include lauren morrow (little movement), amy silverberg (first time, long time), souvankham thammavongsa (pick a color, and moderator maris kreizman (i want to burn this place down. 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: ‘fangs.’ hosted by matt storrs. $10 admission ($5 of the ticket price can be applied towards any item in the bookstore or café). >>
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, the dominican republic, germany, pakistan, puerto rico, romania, sweden, and turkey with performers carolina montesquieu (don’t tell comedy), jarrett campbell (juno award winner), mo yaqub (hbo), oscar aydin (subway takes), and rojo perez (fallon). a portion of the proceeds will go to new women new yorkers. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25). >>
fri 7-10pm: antics magazine release party: antics, a new quarterly music magazine, hosts its fourth issue release party at cassette (ridgewood) with dj sets from jordana, grace robins-somerville, and godcaster. free admission. >>
fri 8pm: 2 gays, 1 mic: the life of a showgirl release show + party: titular gays carson mlnarik and ryan curcie celebrate the release of taylor swift’s new album with a comedy show and dance party at intimate club cumming (east village). tonight’s lineup includes caroline baniewicz, divya gunasekaran, erik martini, and sheri ciprane. dancing starts at 10pm. $12 adv, $15 day of. >>
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 performers include jonathan van halem, mike early, skye grayson, maggie lalley, noah goldstein, and alaina bamfield. free admission (a tip jar will be passed around at the end of the show). >>
fri 9pm: the drunk texts: meaneth girls or, the tragedy of regina george: random access theatre celebrates mean girls day with the return of meaneth girls or, the tragedy of regina george, robert price and erin leigh schmoyer’s shakespearean retelling of mean girls that combines drinking games, improvisation, and audience participation. the rat nyc (dumbo), $12. >>
fri 9pm: what i did for love: improv based on your love story: ucb improvisers interview an audience member about their love life, then turn their stories into a fully improvised performance. $15 adv, $20 day of. >>
saturday
sat thru 3/15/2026: new exhibitions open at museum of arts and design: designing motherhood: things that make and break our births and douriean fletcher: jewelry of the afrofuture. museum of arts and design (midtown west), $20 general, $16 seniors, $14 students. >>
sat thru 10/9 (7pm): 10th annual momenta quartet festival: momenta string quartet’s annual festival returns for a 10th season with four diverse chamber music programs, each curated by a member of the quartet. broadway presbyterian church (washington heights) and americas society (ues). free admission. >>
sat various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
🎃 ghostbusters at the naval cemetery landscape (south east williamsburg) >>
rouge one: a star wars story at playground in seward park (les) >>
sat 10am-5:30pm: 2025 new york state yoyo contest: watch spin masters bust out tricks that go way beyond rock the baby at the annual new york state yoyo contest, held at brooklyn children’s museum (crown heights). $25+ to compete, $10-15 to watch. >>
sat 12-4pm (season ends today): north brooklyn community boathouse free community public paddle: hop into a 29-foot canoe with experienced guides for a short (20-30 min) trip on newton creek, where you’ll paddle out toward the east river and maybe even catch a glimpse of the manhattan skyline. no experience necessary. manhattan avenue street end park (greenpoint), free. >>
sat 2:30-7pm: free show brain concert: show brain returns to maria hernandez park (bushwick) with a free, all-ages concert featuring the thing, 95 bulls, soklo, slashers, sunshine spazz, and daniel b. >>
🎃 sat 5pm (+ 10/8 at 96 tears): when we spoke to the dead: how ghosts gave american women their voice: ilise s. carter, aka sideshow performer the lady aye, comes to the morbid anatomy library (industry city) for an in-person reading and signing of her new nonfiction book examining how the mediums of the victorian-era spiritualist movement have influenced everything from disneyland to modern medicine. free admission. >>
sponsored: sat 7pm: jonathan van halem headlines sesh comedy: jonathan van halem (clickhole, vulture) has spent all of 2025 touring the united states. he now returns to new york city to perform an hour of stand-up comedy. featuring an opening set by michael kandel (hotel art thief). sesh comedy (les), $12. >>
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 rae sanni (the good place), ranaan hershberg (corden), and barnard professor and author carl wennerlind (scarcity: a history of the origins of capitalism to the climate crisis). save $5 with promo code ‘tomdnyc’ >>
sat 7pm: breakdancers vs comedians: breakdancers face off up against comedians in ‘the most one-sided challenge you’ll ever see’—a high-energy competition that answers the question: can comedians dance? hosted by domino gilley and wilder troxel. eris mainstage (williamsburg), $12 adv, $17 day of. >>
sat 7:30pm: friend island comedy: castaway your worries at the friend island comedy show, hosted by pals by alex murdoch and kevin mulharin. featuring performances by andy haynes, nina tarr, clare donaher, sunny laprade, carlos nolla, and ash diggs. fiction bar/cafe (williamsburg), $10 adv, $15 door. >>
sat 7:30pm (monthly): feel the news with marcela onyango: in this monthly variety comedy show, ‘radical lefty’ comedian 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 include lucie pohl, hollie harper, jenny tian, geneva rust-orta, and winter. friends and lovers (crown heights), $10. >>
sat 7:30pm: make it good: noa osheroff and dan rosen host a night of short films and stand-up comedy at brooklyn art haus (williamsburg). tonight’s edition features comedy by leclerc andre, raanan hershberg, and karli marulli, with films by daphne gardner, mary dauterman, and peter campball. $17.85 with promo code ‘sogood’ (reg. $23.18). >>
sat 9:30pm: f*cked-up play fest: short play festival meets drinking game at the f*cked-up playfest, where you can play a drinking game while watching a series of new 10-minute plays by six up-and-coming playwrights. caveat (les), $18 adv, $20 door. >>
sunday
sun 2pm (monthly thru april): schneider concerts chamber music series at the new school: the new school’s annual chamber music series showcasing emerging ensembles returns for the 2025-26 season. celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, the season honors abigail adams’ 1776 call to ‘remember the ladies’ with works by women composers paired with traditional works. today’s season-opening concert features juilliard’s the dolphins quartet performing works by montgomery, mozart, schulhoff, and an ensemble-composed work. the new school’s auditorium (greenwich village), $20 general, $17 seniors, $5 students standby. >>
sun 12-6pm: (monthly): pioneer works second sundays: pioneer works’ free monthly open house celebrates creativity across art, music, science, and community. with programming spread across three floors the garden, this month’s edition features open studios with current artists-in-residence, live music, hands-on workshops, solargazing with the amateur astronomers association, astronomy on tap: scary science, a drop-in workshop with the new york theremin society, and more. pioneer works (red hook), free admission (donations welcome). >>
sun 2-4pm: get out the vote postcard-writing hang out: raise a glass and help raise democratic voter turnout in swing states at this informal postcard-writing hang at wild east brewing co (gowanus). >>
sun 5pm: rejected shorts: writer and comedian michelle cohn (vulture, mcsweeney’s) hosts a show where nyc writers and comedians join together to celebrate scorned satire, bad headlines, jokes that don’t land, and other art smacked with the cruel hand of rejection. featuring samantha mann, jeremy pinson, kelly slater, alise morales, chine ikoro, hilary campbell, and ronuk johal. caveat (les), $15.67 with promo code ‘skint’ (reg. $24-25) >>
monday
mon 4pm, 7:15pm (monthly): angelika ‘classics’ screening series: village east by angelika’s ‘classics’ screening series celebrates iconic films. next up: steven spielberg’s close encounters of the third kind (1977), starring richard dreyfuss, françois truffaut, melinda dillon, and teri garr. $19. >>
🎃 mon 6:45pm (+ 11/5): green-wood moonlight tour: under the glow of the full moon, explore green-wood cemetery’s monuments and catacombs on this walking tour led by historian jeff richman. $30. >>
mon 7pm (monthly): biology on tap: ‘bloody marys’ edition: bio and beer blend at the biology on tap speaker series, featuring talks, trivia, and prizes. 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 (greenwich village), sliding scale admission. >>
mon 7:30pm (monthly): miss manhattan non-fiction reading series: an evening with black lipstick magazine: elyssa goodman and r.c. gstaad iii’s monthly showcase for nonfiction writers returns with an evening of readings by black lipstick magazine founder and editor mila jaroniec along with contributors danielle chelosky (female loneliness epidemic), jay ludlow martin (death by nostalgia), and al shapiro (maudlin review). niagara bar (east village), free admission. >>
mon 8pm: the moth storyslam: the popular community-based open mic storytelling competition, where anyone can share a five-minute tale based on the evening’s theme to an attentive audience, returns to the bell house (gowanus). tonight’s theme: ‘gumption.’ $19.65. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 50+ ongoing events: the amazing maize maze (thru 10/26), food markets, rooftop movies, and more. >>
stay safe and healthy
– the skint