Annual Events Calendar

The following is a list of annual events in New York maintained by LinkedList NYC, aka Nick and Dave. Don't see your favorite annual event? Email us.

1. January

   • Polar Bear swim – people swim in the ocean on New Year's Day
   • No Pants Subway Ride – people ride the subway in their underwear
   • Idiotarod – Goofy shopping cart race
   • New York Boat Show

2. February

   • Empire State Building Run-Up – race to the top of the ESB
   • Fashion Week
   • The Chinese New Year Parade and Festival
   • The Westminster Dog Show

3. March

   • The Armory Show – contemporary and modern art fair
   • St. Patrick's Day Parade
   • New York International Auto Show
   • Whitney Biennial

4. April

   • Village Community Boathouse rowing season begins – free rowing sessions!
   • Tribeca Fim Festival
   • Pillow Fight NYC – A giant pillow fight

5. May

   • MASNYC Jane's Walk – volunteer-led walking tours throughout the five boroughs
   • The Met's rooftop opens – one of the List's favorite places in the world
   • 5th Ave street fair (Brooklyn)
   • Cherry Blossom Festival at BBG
   • The Five Boro Bike Tour
   • Fleet Week
   • The Blessing of the Bikes – ride your bike inside a Gothic cathedral
   • Manhattanhenge
   • NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon
   • Passport to Taiwan Festival
   • TOAST ARTwalk – Tribeca Open Artist Studio Tour

6. June

   • Summer movies begin – Bryant Park, Riverside, Brooklyn Bridge, and many more
   • Shakespeare in the Park begins
   • SummerStage begins – free outdoor concerts
   • River to River Festival – concerts, dance, theater, art, more
   • Coney Island Mermaid Parade – exactly what you'd expect
   • NYC Pride Parade
   • Israel Day Parade
   • Museum Mile Festival – free museum access
   • National Puerto Rican Parade
   • New York Asian Film Festival
   • Figment Festival – participatory arts festival on Governor's Island
   • Bang on a Can Marathon – 12-hour contemporary music marathon
   • NYC PictureStart Film Festival – short films from all over the world
   • OrigamiUSA Annual Convention – the world's largest origami convention
   • West Chelsea Artists Open Studios

7. July

   • 4th of July fireworks
   • Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
   • MoMA PS1 Warm Up – live music, DJs, dance
   • Manhattanhenge
   • NY Mini – annual 9-man volleyball tournament in Chinatown

8. August

   • NYC Summer Streets – walk from 72nd to the Brooklyn Bridge, car free
   • Park Slope Summer Strolls – three weekends with free activities and no cars on parts of 5th Ave in Brooklyn
   • US Open
   • Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival – live music, DJs, dance
   • New York Fringe Festival – experimental theater

9. September

   • West Indian Day Parade
   • Tugboat race
   • NYC Century – hundred mile bike ride
   • Fashion Week
   • The Metropolitan Opera season begins
   • New York Film Festival
   • Feast of San Gennaro – delicious Italian street food
   • Atlantic Antic – huge street fair on Atlantic Ave; includes old buses
   • Oysterfest on Stone Street
   • World Maker Faire

10. October

    • Bushwick Open Studios
    • Open House New York – explore places you normally can't
    • The New Yorker Festival – pretentious stuff
    • Village Halloween Parade
    • Columbus Day Parade
    • Saint Francis Day: The Blessing of the Animals – exotic animals at a Gothic cathedral
    • New York Comic Con
    • Big Apple Circus opens
    • Gowanus Open Studios
    • The Pond at Bryant Park opens
    • CMJ Music Festival

11. November

    • New York City Marathon
    • Thanksgiving day parade
    • Holiday markets open
    • Rockefeller Center tree lighting
    • George Balanchine's The Nutcracker opens at the NYC Ballet
    • Holiday Train Show begins – model trains surrounded by flowers
    • Radio City Christmas Spectacular begins

12. December

    • SantaCon – dress up as santa; drink
    • Tubachristmas – 500 tubas and euphoniums play Christmas carols
    • Times Square ball drops – Happy New Year!