Downtown

This extra-long weekend is even more packed out than usual, with Columbus Day events, harvest and fall events, OpenHouse NewYork events galore. The smallest and tallest members of the family (and even the furry ones, too) can all find something fabulous to do over these three days, and if you’re (unfortunately) not off Monday, there’s plenty going on to make up for that. Grab your favorite hats and boots--especially if you're heading to the last weekend for Governors Island this season--and round up the troops for a fall-tacular weekend.

If the chill in the air doesn’t give it away, the abundance of apples, pumpkins, corn and hay sure does: Fall is here. Though we’ve said goodbye to the beach, there’s even more to do outside this season, like playing in pumpkin patches right here in New York City, enjoying fall foods at all the street fairs and festivals, learning how to play chess (OK, not a typical outdoor activity), biking, readings, and celebrating various cultures. Get a taste (literally!) of all that this weekend offers at events like the Irish Fair, San Gennaro feast, Native American Festival, Queens County Fair, Tasty Harvest, Tour de Parc and even more.

Summer may be over, but the events are not slowing down at all. In fact, it’s almost as if everyone waited for summer vacation to end and planned all these absurdly cool (and mostly free) events for this weekend. From celebrating Henry Hudson’s 400^th anniversary, to county fairs, book festivals, motorcycle shows, films, and more fun on Governor’s Island (and you thought GI was done for the season…) there’s almost too much to do to fit it all into one weekend. Ease everyone's transition back-to-school by picking your favorite events and then heading out—there’s no time to waste!  
 

Don't forget we have more weekend activities in our event calendar and separate round-ups for Long Island and New Jersey on those pages. Or sign up to get our new Long Island and New Jersey newsletters.

If you're in town this weekend you could score free admission to a hip museum and get your and the kids' hands dirty in some art, make instruments, build a kick-butt sand castle in the beaches of NYC, enjoy free boat rides, learn about life in the City pre-Mr. Hudson, hang with some batty creatures, or watch an old-fashioned (and super cheap) circus. And if you are looking to flee, here are our top 30 day-trips  to get you started. 

We also have weekly listings for Long Island events and New Jersey events on their respective pages (whether you live there or are looking for a day trip). And of course, our event calendar is jammed with even more things to do, and don't forget to enter to win a dinner for 10 in our Summer Activity Guide.

Outdoor sports and free are not necessarily the first words that jump to the mind when thinking about summer in the City. But, it turns out, that just because you live in the concrete jungle doesn't mean your kids can't have a summer filled with great sports activities. And you don't have to be a Hilton to afford them. New York City offers many opportunities for city kids to learn team sports, tennis, swimming, golfing, fishing, kayaking, hiking, camping and more. We've updated this list with 15 of the best programs for kids to enjoy sports this summer:

I don't know about you, but this summer we've pared back on camps and vacations in an effort not to spend money we don't have. But our loss is your gain because, instead, what we're going to be doing this summer is exploring New York City and all the fun stuff we don't always have time to do during the school year.

To get organized for a full summer of fun NYC style (and 62 scarily empty days), I planned out an activity for just about every single day in July and August, 'cause, as my son would say, "that's what me do."

The following list is not comprehensive. These are the things I'm looking forward to doing this summer. These are the coolest family events coming up this summer, plus some great places I've just been meaning to get to. And most of them are free.

The Hamptons isn't all that, hang with me right here in New York. It's gonna be a blast (and don't forget to check out our Summer Activity Guide for even more great things to do with kids in NYC this summer).  I hope to see you there.

50 Things to Do This Summer With Kids in New York City:

There are plenty of free swimming pools in NYC, but if the idea of putting your kids in a public pool makes your skin crawl, then you need another option. Ideally, you have wisely cultivated a friend with access to a free pool in their building, but for those of us who are mooch-challenged, don't worry. It's not commonly known, but there are plenty of private pools in New York that you can pay to swim in just for one day, or even have a moderate membership fee.

You can check the websites of each swimming pool for their varying hours, which change by season, but I strongly recommend that you call before you go because many of them close randomly for events or may have changed their policy.

This Sunday is Father's Day and so it's time to celebrate dads.  All year long Dads take the kids to kid-centric weekend activities. For Father's Day Weekend let there be no kiddie music or bouncie castles. This weekend treat dad to some fun family activities that he will enjoy as much as the kids will. There's a sports carnival, family field day, hip hop family festival, baseball games, great music and much more. And most of it is completely free!

Top events for Father Day Weekend in New York City

What's not to love about free outdoor movies in the the city? Enjoy a summer evening under the stars, just as the day is starting to cool off and chillax. There are a growing number of these outdoor film series and many of them show films your whole family can enjoy. Movies begin at dusk which is generally at around 8 or 8:30pm and many of these series include other entertainment that help you pass the time until the show begins.

Here's a rundown of the best free outdoor movies for kids in NYC this summer:

Every single event in this post is free (not even one pay-as-you wish!). Not that there aren't cool events worth paying for this weekend, but there's just so much goodness going on for absolutely free, why pay: Giant BBQs, monster art festivals, science fairs (and not the 5th grade kind) and tons of free music, food, shows and so much more. Isn't summer in the city great?