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61 Free Activities in NYC September 2025 for Kids

Italian pride—and tasty eats—are on the menu at the annual Feast of San Gennaro, which takes over Little Italy in September. Photo by Jody Mercier
Italian pride—and tasty eats—are on the menu at the annual Feast of San Gennaro, which takes over Little Italy in September. Photo by Jody Mercier
9/1/25 - By Drew Kristofik

Back-to-school season can be expensive, but we've found 61 free things to do in NYC with kids this September. Our picks for free things to do include the last few bites of summer fun at Little Italy's Feast of San Gennaro, the big Brooklyn Book Festival (with a special appearance by Mommy Poppins herself, Anna Fader!), and a Mommy Poppins-sponsored back-to-school bash at Pier 57.

Plus, Broadway is staging a free concert in celebration of NYC's 400th birthday!

Read on for the best free things to do in New York City this September with kids, including events in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Find more top events on our always-packed Family Activity Calendar.

More Things To Do in NYC this September with Kids

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Free Things To Do in NYC All September Long

Maison Millefleurs in Battery Park City

Battery Park City
Daily through September 21, 2025
Step into a small jewel box of a greenhouse that's filled with a tangled garden of life-sized flowers, each illuminated by programmed LED lights during this public art pop-up. READ MORE

Picnic Performances in Bryant Park

Midtown West
Thursdays and Fridays through Friday, September 12, 2025
Picnic Performances are the perfect way to spend a summer evening, with 25 live and in-person music, dance, and theatrical shows. Bring a blanket and a picnic (of course). READ MORE

Movie Nights on the Overlook at Wollman Rink

Central Park
Thursdays, September 4, 11, and 18, 2025
Wollman transforms its scenic overlook into an open-air cinema, giving guests the opportunity to relax under the stars, take in sweeping skyline views, and enjoy a classic movie-night experience in a setting that's uniquely NYC. READ MORE

Community Science Fishing in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 20, 2025
Learn the basics of catch-and-release line fishing from the Brooklyn Bridge Park's Education team. During this clinic, participants learn how to tie knots, bait a hook, drop a line, and (with some luck) reel up a fish! READ MORE

Le Carrousel Extravaganza in Bryant Park

Bryant Park
Fridays, September 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2025
Bryant Park's charming carousel serves as the backdrop for a mix of kid-friendly entertainment. Discover scientific marvels, be awed by trickery in magic shows, and see puppet shows and storytimes, too.  READ MORE

Starlight Cinema in Van Cortlandt Park

Van Corlandt Park, Bronx
Fridays, September 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2025
Explore the universe on the Van Cortlandt Park Parade Ground with Starlight Cinema's free outdoor movie series. Seating begins at 6pm with music that matches the release date of the night's movie, followed by movie-themed crafts and, at dusk, the film. READ MORE

Summer Shebang!

Various locations in Manhattan
Saturday, September 6, Sunday, September 7, and Sunday, September 21, 2025
The Creative Stage Collective's 2024 Summer Shebang! is a musical sketch comedy revue that romps through various locations in NYC.   READ MORE

The Six Foot Platform

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Saturdays from September 6-October 18, 2025
New York City’s most iconic block becomes home to full-day immersive performances by seven Brooklyn-based artists.    READ MORE

Home Sweet Home, or A Life in New York

Locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan
Weekends through Sunday, September 14, 2025
Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company presents Home Sweet Home, or A Life in New York, a rip-roaring original musical that tells a story of a young orphan, born in America but longing to understand his roots, as deportations shake the lives of his immigrant friends.    READ MORE

99th Annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy

Little Italy
Thursday, September 11-Sunday, September 21, 2025
The Feast of San Gennaro honors Italian Americans in professional baseball this year with its blocks-long street festival dubbed the "Feast of all Feasts!" Enjoy food, entertainment, and vendors along Mulberry Street from Houston to Canal.  READ MORE

Stargazing on The High Line

Chelsea
Tuesdays through October 21, 2025
Gaze at the stars, planets, and moon through the high-powered telescopes of the Amateur Astronomers Association, and chat with the experts about the sights you see. READ MORE

Fall Movie Nights at Hudson Yards

Midtown West
Fridays from September 12-October 23, 2025
Grab your crew and head to the Big Screen in the Public Square & Gardens, where you can kick back in a lounger (or spread out on a blanket you bring from home) and take in a movie outside while the sun sets. READ MORE

Park Slope Open Streets - Fall

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Saturdays through October 25, 2025
Park Slope Open Streets is back for another season! This year, it covers 3 more blocks (5th Avenue from Union to 4th Street) and features loads of family-friendly programming.   READ MORE

Battery Park Playscape Presents Sundays at the ShowBox

Battery Park City
Sundays through October 26, 2025
The ShowBox Theater, located in the beautiful Battery Park Playscape, hosts a full season of music, dance, puppetry, and more with special free performances on Sunday afternoons. READ MORE

Tunes & Tales for Toddlers in Teardrop Park

Battery Park City
Mondays through October 27, 2025
Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to enjoy interactive music-making, storytelling, and more entertainment at these weekly sessions in Teardrop Park. READ MORE

Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, September 1-Sunday, September 7, 2025

Circus Kikasse: SANTÉ! at Abolitionist Place

Downtown Brooklyn
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Cirque Kikasse, a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary mobile circus, where daring acrobatics are performed on top of and around a food truck, wow with juggling, tumbling, music, spectacular surprises...and tasty food and drinks! READ MORE

BPC Back to School Movie Night: Ratatouille in Rockefeller Park

Battery Park City
Friday, September 5, 2025
Celebrate the return to school at Battery Park City's family community event featuring a DJ set, followed by a screening of Ratatouille (PG) complete with popcorn and surprises.   READ MORE

Live & Local Art Pop-Up on Randall's Island

Randall's Island
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Randall's Island presents an immersive art experience in which local artists create art live before your eyes and showcase previously-created pieces. Choose your own journey by watching a live art demonstration, admiring finished pieces, creating your own piece, or all of the above.    READ MORE

2025 Fall Open House at BAX

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Enjoy a day of free and fun collaborative activities for the whole family, starting outdoors at the Old Stone House from 9:30-11am, followed by sample youth classes in creative movement, tumbling, dance, drag performance, and drama (for ages 3+). READ MORE

New York Proud: Stories From the City of Immigrants at The Perelman

Financial District
Saturday, September 6, 2025
New York Proud: Stories From the City of Immigrants combines live storytelling, music, and community reflection to honor the profound contributions of immigrants to New York City.   READ MORE

Broadway in Battery Park City

Battery Park City
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Broadway stars Ana Gasteyer, Darlesia Cearcy, Richard Kind, Ethan Slater, Tamkia Lawrence, Mary Louise Parker, and more bring the bright lights of Broadway to Battery Park City with a one-night-only concert featuring showtunes that celebrate the Big Apple.    READ MORE

Henry Street Settlement Community Day

Lower East Side
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Henry Street's Community Day block party offers activities for all ages, including outdoor games, face painting, bingo, a live DJ, and art making with Abrons Art Center. Enjoy free refreshments and explore all Henry Street has to offer.   READ MORE

2025 Back to School Wellness Dance Festival in East Harlem

East Harlem
Saturday, September 6, 2025
KR3TS Dance Company hosts a family-friendly festival with a great lineup of free activities, services, and performances designed to energize and support the community. READ MORE

Williamsbridge Oval Back to School

Norwood, the Bronx
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Williamsbridge Oval teams up with Tiga Pediatrics to celebrate education through recreation. Stop by for learning through games, art, and more! School supplies and books are distributed throughout the event, while supplies last.   READ MORE

Founded by Broadway Concert in Times Square

Midtown West
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Broadway celebrates NYC's 400th anniversary with a free concert featuring cast members from 23 Broadway shows. Head to the red stairs in Duffy Square to catch all the action. READ MORE

Ferragosto 2025 in the Bronx

Belmont, the Bronx
Sunday, September 7, 2025
The Belmont section of the Bronx hosts the annual Ferragosto festival in the original Little Italy: Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street. READ MORE

Uptown Kid Lit in Inwood Hill Park

Inwood
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Uptown Kid Lit—Word Up’s book festival for kids—showcases the fun and possibilities of books, reading, writing, and art, for kids of all ages and backgrounds, and their adults. Free books and school supplies are provided for all who register in advance! READ MORE

Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, September 8-Sunday, September 14, 2025

American Opera Scenes: A Concert for 9/11 in Socrates Sculpture Park

Long Island City, Queens
Thursday, September 11, 2025
The Little Opera Theater of New York presents this concert, featuring music by Carlisle Floyd, William Grant Still, and Virgil Thomson; with words by Langston Hughes, Verna Arvey, and Gertrude Stein. The scenes are drawn from the history of the Americas both historical and fictional, including Huey Long, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and Susan B. Anthony. READ MORE

Flotsam River Circus in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Friday, September 12, 2025
Flotsam River Circus makes a stop at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pebble Beach! The troupe of musicians, puppeteers, and circus artists, who travel on a ramshackle raft giving free performances in riverfront towns along the way, are taking their craft down the canal and the Hudson River from Buffalo to New York City—with Brooklyn Bridge Park toward the conclusion of their journey.  READ MORE

Wonderspark Puppets at Hudson Yards

Midtown West
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Wonderspark Puppets perform free interactive shows bring classic tales to life with engaging storytelling, colorful characters, and plenty of audience participation. READ MORE

Gladiators NYC in Central Park

Upper East Side
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Knights in full armor battle on the grass in Central Park behind The Met. Bring a blanket and a picnic.  READ MORE

FAMChella on Fifth

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Brooklyn Bridge Parents and the 5th Avenue BID host a free family-friendly block party inspired by the fun and flair of Coachella, turning the car-free stretch of 5th Avenue from 68th to 81st Street into a lively festival zone filled with free kids' activities, including a bouncy house, arts and crafts, Lego play, water fun, DIY bedazzled headbands, and more.   READ MORE

Walt Whitman's Song Of Myself in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Contribute your own barbaric yawp to the 21st-annual marathon of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself. Organized by the Walt Whitman Initiative and led by Karen Karbiener, this beloved New York institution is back in person—surrounded by spectacular views. READ MORE

Fête de la Rentrée at L'Alliance

Midtown East
Saturday, September 13, 2025
L'Alliance celebrates the "return" to school and work with an open house that includes a trial French class, a free story time, a creative arts workshop, an interactive gallery exhibition, and a French movie screening. READ MORE

City Island Fall Arts & Crafts Fair

City Island, the Bronx
Saturday, September 13-Sunday, September 14, 2025
Featuring fine art, jewelry, photography, wood crafts, candles, soaps, body care, crochet, face painting and more, the City Island Art Fair hosts 50+ vendors and local businesses displaying their work on the sidewalk from Bay Street to Schofield Street in the center of City Island.  READ MORE

United Lenape/Lunáapeew Nations Pow Wow in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 13-Sunday, September 14, 2025
Prospect Park Alliance, Eenda-Lunaapeewahkiing Collective, and American Indian Community House host the Lenape/Lunáapeew Nations Pow Wow, welcoming the original Indigenous Lenape peoples with a weekend of family-friendly fun, culture, art, and learning with Indigenous dancers, drummers, and artisan craft and food vendors. READ MORE

Morningside Lights at Columbia University

Upper West Side
Saturday, September 13-Saturday, September 20, 2025
Morningside Lights returns for its 14th year, illuminating the night in a procession of awe-inspiring handmade lanterns floating through Morningside Park to Columbia's campus. READ MORE

SambaSunday on The East River Waterfront Esplanade

Midtown East
Sunday, September 14, 2025
EsplanadeFriends host SambaSunday, with live music, featuring the Samba band Embola Carambola and vocalist Malaya Sol, plus Samba lessons with Luciana Da Silva, and free ice cream—while supplies last. Enjoy art activities from The Craft Studio and other fun for kids of all ages, plus you're surrounded by a spectacular water view!  READ MORE

Back-to-School Party in Brooklyn Heights

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Brooklyn Bridge Parents host an annual back-to-school party during Open Streets on Montague, with 25 free kids' activities, a dance party, and a science show. Stop by for games, arts and crafts, soccer, face painting, building activities, an obstacle course, and more.   READ MORE

The Klezmatics in Concert in Battery Park City

Battery Park City
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Grammy-winning klezmer superstars infuse Eastern European Jewish roots with bold contemporary themes like human rights. Their eclectic sound blends Latin stomps, jazz riffs, and rhythms from the Balkans, Middle East, Africa, and America. READ MORE

Tales, Tails, and Travel at the Brooklyn Book Fest

Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Bring the kids for a joyful afternoon of stories, crafts, and creativity with Brooklyn children’s book authors, Malcolm Dill and Mommy Poppins founder Anna Fader! READ MORE

Fronda and Friends Unusual Creatures Puppet Party at Old Stone House

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 14, 2025
Catch a performance of Unusual Creatures by Michael Hearst and his band, then stay for a dance party with DJ Fronda—the 15-foot-tall puppet DJ created by Leroy's Place. READ MORE

Brooklyn Book Festival

Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, September 14-Monday, September 22, 2025
Dive into some great books at the 2025 Brooklyn Book Festival. Kid-friendly programming abounds during Children's Day on Saturday, September 20. READ MORE

Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, September 15-Sunday, September 21, 2025

Fall Equinox Garden Party in Rockefeller Park

Battery Park City
Friday, September 19, 2025
Wind down your week in the Children’s Garden and celebrate the changing of the seasons. Enjoy fall-blooming flowers, treats from the garden, and a fun take-home craft in a festive atmosphere. Plus, Sarabesque performs. READ MORE

Family Fridays: Roll the Dice at MoMath

Gramercy
Friday, September 19, 2025
AoPS Academy Associate Director Oona Wood and instructor Adam Cordeiro lead a hands-on evening where families cut, fold, and tape together dice of all shapes, then put them to the test. Explore how geometry meets randomness, why “fair” isn’t always obvious, and how culture has shaped these tiny chance machines. READ MORE

CJ Hendry's Flower Market 2.0 at Rockefeller Center

Midtown West
Friday, September 19-Sunday, September 21, 2025
Artist CJ Hendry brings her vibrant, colorful flower market to Rockefeller Center. Free to attend—and browse—thousands of blossoms in 27 different varieties are on display in this colorful pop-up installation. READ MORE

Battery Park City Block Party

Battery Park City
Saturday, September 20, 2025
The beloved neighborhood tradition returns to Battery Park City, with children’s games and family activities, live musical performances, local business and restaurant vendors, contests, prizes, and much more! READ MORE

NYSoM SuperHero Festival in Sherman Creek Park

Inwood
Saturday, September 20, 2025
NYSoM celebrates the arrival of autumn with Batman, the Incredible Hulk, Darth Vader, Harry Potter, Pokemon, and more during this daylong celebration. READ MORE

Family Fun Day at Hudson Yards

Midtown West
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Hudson Yards hosts an action-packed day of family-friendly entertainment, with music, magic, and interactive performances that include a Back to School, Back to Rhythm concert by Mozart for Munchkins, a high-energy western set by Hopalong Andrew, and a magic show you won’t want to miss! READ MORE

National Dance Day Festival in Fort Tryon Park

Inwood
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Celebrate National Dance Day with an immersive, multi-disciplinary arts experience in Fort Tryon Park!  Walk the Broadway path and encounter Uptown Dance Collective’s (UDC) “Tales: Altered and Repaired,”  inspired by folk and fairy tales with dance, music, and spoken word all woven into the landscape of the parkland.  READ MORE

Mozart for Munchkins at Hudson Yards

Midtown West
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Mozart for Munchkins puts on free Saturday concerts that focus on a different style of music each week—classical, jazz, bluegrass, and more—performed by first-rate artists who have played the stages of Carnegie Hall, Broadway, Lincoln Center, and other top venues. READ MORE

Farmhouse Family Day: Soil Studies

Flatbush, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 20, 2025
The farm comes alive with a rainbow of colors. Create your own colorful dyed fabric with materials from around the farm with guest artist Iviva Olenick.   READ MORE

Back to School Fall Fest at Pier 57

Chelsea
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Join Mommy Poppins at Pier 57 in Chelsea for a day of free fall fun. Enjoy games, crafts, magic and puppet shows, circus and martial arts, pencil pouch decorating, face painters, STEM activities, and dozens of free activities for kids of all ages. Discover schools, after schools, enrichment and preschool programs while having a blast! READ MORE

Flatbush Frolic

Flatbush, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 21, 2025
One of NYC's largest street fairs, featuring thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors, the Flatbush Frolic dizzies up Cortelyou Road with food, games, pony rides, carnival rides, music, and more.  READ MORE

Annual Bus Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Sunday, September 21, 2025
The New York Transit Museum invites visitors aboard some of its beloved vintage vehicles at this annual fest. Explore buses from the vintage fleet representing more than 80 years of New York City surface transit history.  READ MORE

Free Things To Do in NYC from Monday, September 22-Sunday, September 28, 2025

Fall Family Festival at Bright Horizons

Multiple Locations
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Bright Horizons is bringing fun, friends, and family together at its fall festival. Meet other families, get to know the Bright Horizons community, and participate in hands-on fall activities. Everyone is welcome. READ MORE

Poseidon Parade

Far Rockaway, Queens
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Family-friendly and art-centered, this annual march celebrates self-expression, community, and the beauty of the Rockaway shore. READ MORE

Green Thumb Annual Harvest Fair in Von King Park

Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Green Thumb's annual celebration honors thousands of community gardeners and greening professionals across New York City for their work during the season and gives them the opportunity to show off their harvests. READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Citywide
Saturday, September 27, 2025
On select days throughout the year, all national parks in the United States are open to the public with no admission fee.  READ MORE

Uncle Jumbo at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side
Saturday, September 27, 2025
Grammy-nominated artist Uncle Jumbo blends heartfelt lyrics with messages of positivity to inspire young minds to dream big. Dance along to hits from his albums, Taste the Sky and Garden Groove—music that lifts the spirit and sparks the imagination.   READ MORE

Create-athon: Draw Your Escape at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Lincoln Center’s first create-athon of the 2025-26 season is a dive into the world of superheroes and super villains! Learn from professional comic book illustrators and writers how to make your own comic book panel. And, since The Metropolitan Opera is a partner, you’ll get to bring your project to life with added sound effects—just in time for The Met premiere of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. READ MORE

RIPA's Harvest Festival

Randall's Island
Sunday, September 28, 2025
The Randall’s Island Park Alliance hosts a free, family-friendly celebration of fall. Decorate and bring home your very own pumpkin from RI's immersive patch, participate in a cooking demonstration with seasonal vegetables, enjoy live performances, have your face painted, and learn about nature. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Brooklyn Bridge Park]
Various Manhattan locations
Perelman Performing Arts Center
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center
Inwood Hill Park - Pat's Lawn
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Hudson Yards - Public Square and Gardens
LeFrak Center at Lakeside
Miller Theater at Columbia University
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
National Museum of Mathematics Pop Up
Hudson Yards - Public Square and Gardens
Emily Warren Roebling Plaza
National Parks - Multiple Locations
Lincoln Center - Rubenstein Atrium

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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