What's on in New York

By Kirsten McCroskrie

There is so much to see and do in New York; keep up to date with our What's On page and make sure you have a holiday to remember. From one-off events to parades, New York is packed with things to do and places to go from local haunts to famous venues. Check out the New York Pass blog for more local information, suggested itineraries, events calendar, and more.

January

Three Kings’ Day Parade
Celebrate Three Kings’ Day with a march that begins at 106th Street and Lexington Avenue and travels to Third Avenue to end at 115th Street and Park Avenue. Expect floats, camels and puppets in this quirky event.

Broadway Week/Must-See Week
Keep an eye out for bargains this week as there are loads of Broadway shows and museums are offering half-price tickets.

February

Chinese New Year
Celebrate the Year of the Pig in Chinatown where you will see the annual Chinese New Year Parade. Expect floats, dancing, and yummy food.

New York Fashion Week
Get your hands on some fashion show tickets or scan the streets for the fashionistas flocking to Manhattan. Cameras at the ready!

Valentine’s Day
New York City is the perfect place to spend Valentine’s Day with a loved one. Go on a date to the top of the Empire State Building, or take a romantic sunset boat cruise around Manhattan Island.

George Washington’s Birthday/Presidents’ Day
There are plenty of events happening in NYC for Presidents’ Day, and as schools have the day off, there are loads of events specifically for kids!

March

St Patrick’s Day
Celebrate at the St Patrick’s Day Parade before heading to one of New York City’s many Irish pubs for a pint of Guinness.

Macy’s Flower Show
If you need an excuse to go shopping, you have to visit Macy’s for their flower show. See, and smell, the stunning, themed flower arrangements fill up the iconic department store.

April

Easter Parade
If you’re lucky enough to be in New York City over Easter, you can’t miss the Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival. See the wonderfully weird bonnets at Fifth Avenue, from 49th St to 57th St.

May

Five Boro Bike Tour
Join 30,000 riders on a 40-mile tour around New York City’s five boroughs, as the cyclists take over the roads.

Mother’s Day
Take your mother to NYC for mother’s day, and go see some art at MoMA, or take a tour around Radio City.

Memorial Day
A day of remembrance for those who have died in service to the United States is commemorated by parades in Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx and observance in Manhattan.

June

National Puerto Rican Day Parade
Join the crowds along Fifth Avenue to celebrate National Puerto Rican Day with a parade honoring Puerto Rican culture.

Father’s Day
Treat your dad to a trip to New York for father’s day and take him to see the iconic Madison Square Garden and go on a bike ride around Central Park.

New York Pride Parade
Don your rainbow attire and join the crowds celebrating Pride in the heart of Manhattan.

July

Independence Day
The fourth of July is one of the most important dates in the US calendar - celebrate in style with many events happening all over NYC.

August

US Open
Tennis fans have to head to Queens to attend the US Open, one of the most important tennis events of the year.

September

SummerStage
Throughout September Central Park will be taken over by New York City’s largest free, open-air arts and culture festival.

Labor Day
Celebrate the annual workers’ holiday with parties and barbecues all over New York - or escape the city and head to the beach.

Feast of San Gennaro
There’s only one place to be on 19 September and that’s Little Italy. Head to the district to celebrate the Italian-American holiday with live music and delicious food.

October

New York Film Festival
Get tickets to the screening at the New York Film Festival to see preview screenings and interviews with the stars.

New York Comic-Con
Join thousands of fans at the annual New York Comic Con and see the amazing costumes and meet your favorite stars.

Columbus Day
The Columbus Day Parade takes place on Fifth Avenue and celebrates Christopher Columbus landing in the Caribbean in 1492.

Village Halloween Parade
The village is the only place to be on Halloween, as thousands of New Yorkers march in amazing costumes.

November

New York Marathon
Take to the streets to cheer the runners as they make their way through NYC’s five boroughs in the annual marathon.

Veterans Day Parade
Join New Yorkers at the parade as they celebrate with the biggest Veterans Day event across the US.

Thanksgiving Day Parade
If you’re in New York for the holidays then the Thanksgiving Day Parade is a must. See huge floats, balloons and performers make their way down through Manhattan.

Looking for even more things to do this Thanksgiving?

December

Radio City Christmas Spectacular
A Christmas must in New York is seeing the Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Looking for even more things to do this Christmas?

The Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting
You know the season is upon us when The Rockefeller Center Tree gets lit up.

Christmas has arrived in New York City!

New Year’s Eve
There’s only one place to be on New Year’s Eve and that’s at the iconic Times Square.

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Blog

Attraction of the Week - Greenwich Village Walking Tour

[caption id="attachment_1187" align="alignright" width="5145"] Arch at Washington Square Park[/caption] New York is known as the city that never sleeps and Greenwich Village is evidence of that claim. There's always something happening in Greenwich Village or "the Green District". Home to a diverse palette of dining establishments, NYU students and the ever-lively Washington Square Park, it's hard to get bored in this area. Like many other neighborhoods in New York, Greenwich Village has a rich artistic history. Writers like Edgar Allan Poe and artists like Jackson Pollock spent time cultivating the local creative scene. Modern day talents like Leonardo DiCaprio and Julia Roberts have also lived in the neighborhood. Washington Square Park is a beautiful 9 acre public park that unites some of the most creative individuals in the city. Street performers take residence in the park daily to dance, sing, play the piano and even juggle. Local festivities like the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit and the Washington Square Film festival are great activities for the warmer months and attract huge crowds. If you'r sick of wondering around alone, take the Greenwich Village Walking Tour with your New York Pass. Available daily at 1:30pm.
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Blog

How to Get Your Poetry Fix in New York

February 25, 2020 Into every life a little poetry should fall. If you're looking to write it, hear it, discuss it, or even look at art exhibits about it, New York is the place to be. We've got the ways for you to get your poetry fix in New York. The Poetry Society of New York First, if you’ve participated in a poetry-themed event in New York, chances are the Poetry Society had something to do with it. Dedicated to promoting poetry within the culture, they offer numerous poetry-themed events. These include a poetry festival on Governor’s Island the last weekend in July and The Poetry Brothel, an immersive literary cabaret. They also offer student workshops and micro-residencies, which give working poets small blocks of time to write. Plus, there's the Typewriter Project, which installs vintage typewriters at different sites around the city. Participants can write, read, and comment upon online poetry. They also have their own press, dedicated to publishing both poems and visual art. And they’re perhaps best known for Poetry in Motion—a partnership with MTA Arts and Design. It combines poetry with visual art in posters in subways cars and digital screen in subway platforms. If you see or participate in some form of poetry in New York, you’ve probably been involved with the Poetry Society. One way to get your poetry fix in New York! [caption id="attachment_3953" align="alignnone" width="649"] Credit: MTA Arts and Design[/caption] Poets House Next, if you want more of a library-type feel, Poets House is a national poetry library and literary center. It offers one of the most comprehensive independent poetry collections in the country. Poets House houses more than 70,000 poetry books and related collections. They also offer workshops, conversations, and exhibitions. Workshops range from the straightforward: “Dream Work/Poem Work,” to the more complicated: “Poetics of Terror: Visceral Performance & Cyborg/Trans Poetics.” Exhibits tend to focus on books, manuscripts, and artwork that illuminate the relationship between poetry and visual arts. And if you want to listen and not necessarily write, upcoming workshops include “Tuesday Talk: Nature in Poetry with Bob Holman" (April 21). It celebrates Earth Day with a screening, discussions, and readings that look at endangered languages and endangered species. Nuyorican Poets Café Another way to get your poetry fix in New York? A multicultural, multi arts institution, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe is best known for its open mic events. Those events are mostly known for poetry and music--often jazz and hip hop. However, comics and storytellers also appear. The Café offers a voice for rising poets, musicians, actors and filmmakers. Founded in 1973 by Miguel Algarin as a salon in the East Village, it gave a voice to artists who weren't being represented by mainstream industries. The cafe is also known for its poetry slam. It offered the first one in New York in 1989, and two slam events are now held each week. And huzzah! Those who advance far enough get to participate in the National Poetry Slam. Bowery Poetry Bowery Poetry also offers poetry open mic nights, which include some bilingual nights. They also offer workshops like “Writing with Attitude,” a free creative writing workshop that operates like a college workshop. It includes discussions and participants commenting on each other’s work. At the end of the year, LUNA, a themed literary magazine of the participants' work, is published. And musicians--they also offer songwriting and a musical showcase. The Poetry Project And finally, founded more than 50 years ago, The Poetry Project was an offshoot of coffeehouses that held readings on New York’s Lower East Side. Today, it promotes contemporary poetry through readings, workshops, a newsletter, and a literary magazine. It also offers internships, fellowships and archives. They’re well-known for their annual New Year’s Day marathon reading. Luminaries such as Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, Patti Smith and Yoko Ono all appeared there. Before literary fame flashes though your mind: It’s invitation only. But don't despair: They always need volunteers.
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Blog

Food on Foot Tours: A Traveler's Guide

The famous Artichoke Basille's Pizza [spacer height="20px"] New York is known to be a melting pot of all sorts of individuals from around the world. Different walks of life have brought varying styles to the city and with such a wide spectrum of culture, comes an array of tastes. Seemingly on almost every block in the city you can find a great local restaurant offering dishes that may not be native to New York but the natives still love them. The Food on Foot Tours offers an in-depth look into some of the communities in New York where you can find some of the best dishes from around the world. Not only do tour participants get an idea of where to find some of these mouth-watering meals, but they also get to learn about the cultures that produce them. Some of the guided tours offered will travel through the East Village, Midtown, Brooklyn and many other food-centric NYC neighborhoods. This allows visitors to become more familiar with areas outside of the usual Manhattan attractions. Another great feature of the Food on Foot tours is the fact that they offer the vegetarian option for tourists who do not eat meat. The Food on Foot Tours are not like other food tours in New York City. You get to eat real food (not just samples) with your tour guide, Corey, who's expertise in local cuisine is unmatched. You will eat food like a real New Yorker, at the restaurants most beloved by locals. Along the way you will try some of New York's best pizza, tacos, sweets, street food and get a really good idea why New York is such a popular foodie destination. You can take the Food on Foot tour for free with your New York Pass, but don't forget to book ahead of time, as these tours are popular and tend to fill up. New York Pass holders are able to reserve Food on Foot Tours for free. How to Book In order to book your reservation for a Food on Foot Tour, you'll need to visit www.foodonfoottours.com. Once you're on the website, you can click the red box that reads "Click Here : Purchase all Guided Tour & Pass Holder Tickets". From there you will be directed to a calendar where you will select the specific tour that you are looking to reserve. Select the date for the tour and click the bar with the >> to confirm. This will bring up a box for you to schedule the amount of tickets. You're going to enter the amount of people going on the tour in the 'Gold Tickets' drop down. When asked "Will you be using Gold Tickets?" select Yes. From there, you will be prompted to enter your name. In the "Do you have a promo code?" section, enter NYPFoodFun. Under "What type of pass do you have?" select NY Pass. The next box will ask you for your pass number/confirmation number. You can get your pass number from the physical New York Pass card. It will be a nine digit number on the bottom left of your pass. If you don't have your passes yet, you can use your order confirmation number (starts with NYP). You will need to click on the NY Pass holder agreement At the bottom of the page, you will be prompted to enter your contact information as well as your card information (Don't worry, you will not be charged, unless you fail to show up for the tour). To finish off your reservation, you can simply click the "Complete your Booking" button all the way at the bottom. Once you're done booking, make sure you show up for the tour at the specified location and enjoy your tour. For other walking tours and attractions you can visit with your New York Pass, visiw our website.
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