Fall is always a special time in New York; there’s no shortage of seasonal foods, arts and crafts, and displays of the creative work that makes our city one of the most dynamic in the world. Here are my recommendations to make the end of the year memorable and satisfying to all of your senses.
Lucky Seat
Feeling lucky? Enter the Lucky Seat lottery here for a chance to buy extremely discounted tickets to Fall’s hottest Broadway shows. Lotteries are held daily and you can enter all of them to win! Current ticket lotteries are for The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Kinky Boots, and Springsteen on Broadway! You can also download the app and enter from your mobile device.
IMAGE: VILLAGE HALLOWEEN PARADE
44th Annual Village Halloween Parade
October 31, 7 PM
6th Avenue and Canal Street
New York, NY 10013
IMAGE: WIKICOMMONS
TCS New York City Marathon
November 5th, 9:50AM-3PM
Recommended Cheer Zones:
Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn (Miles 2–4)
Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn (Miles 10–13)
Pulaski Bridge (Mile 13.1)
First Avenue, Manhattan (Miles 16–18)
East Harlem (Miles 18–20) Museum Mile,
Fifth Avenue (Miles 23–24)
IMAGE: NEW YORK TASTE/FACEBOOK
New York Taste
November 6, 6-9PM
The Waterfront
269 11th Avenue near 28th Street
New York, NY 11011
Tickets start at $100
Who better to curate your defining fall food event than New York Magazine, the publication known for spotting the next best food trend? The 19th annual New York Taste celebration will feature delicacies from over forty of the city’s best restaurants, chefs, and mixologists. Best of all, you can feast with a good conscious, because NYMag donates a portion of their proceeds to City Harvest, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger in New York City.
IMAGE: THESALONNY.COM
Adrian Sassoon at the Salon Art + Design
November 9-13, 11AM-8PM
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue near 67th Street
New York, NY 11065
Cost: $25
Curated by the UK’s best international, contemporary art gallery, this showcase will feature work from talented artists working in mediums that range from ancient hardstones to glass to precious metals. The unifying theme of this pop-up gallery will be “innovative, luxurious objects,” and should provide plenty of inspiration for that redecorating plan you’ve been putting off all year.
IMAGE: RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR/FACEBOOK
Renegade Craft Fair
November 18 + 19, 11AM-6PM
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street near 6th Avenue
New York, NY 10011
Free Entry
A celebration of New York’s most talented DIY-ers, this is the world’s largest fair for crafts and design. It’s also just about the best place to go shopping for unique holiday presents, with hundreds of stands featuring creative gifts made by metalworkers, jewelers, quilters, and puppet-makers. The food and beverage stands will keep you fed and watered as you peruse.
IMAGE: NYBG.ORG
New York Botanical Gardens Holiday Train Show
2900 Southern Boulevard near Bronx Park Road
Bronx, NY 10485
November 22 – January 15, 2018, 10AM-6PM
Adults: $28
Students & Seniors (65+): $25
Children (2–12): $12
Members & Children under 2: Free
Transportation is probably the least romantic thing about living in New York unless, of course, you’re at the NYBG’s annual Holiday Train Show. Mechanical toy trains travel along half-a-mile’s worth of train tracks through a cityscape that features 150+ NYC landmarks, ranging from Yankee Stadium to the Statue of Liberty. Incredibly, the entire display is made out of natural materials, like bark, leaves, and seeds!
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
November 23rd, 9AM-12PM
Central Park West & West 77th Street
New York, NY 10024
IMAGE: FACEBOOK/ANIMALS R FAMILY
New York: Best Friends Super Adoption
December 9-10, 10am – 7pm
Meadowlands Exposition Center
355 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
Adoptions start at $25
The holiday spirit is in full force at this 2-day pet extravaganza, where you might just find your new best friend! Come out and meet over 600 dogs/puppies & cats/kittens from dozens of rescue shelters, all looking for a good home. If you’re eager to complete a same-day adoption, be sure and come with a valid form of identification, payment (including a checkbook), and, if you’re a renter, a letter from your landlord confirming that you’re allowed to own a pet.
Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration
Thursday, Dec. 14 at 8pm
Friday, Dec. 15 at 8pm
Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2pm & 7:30PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue near 113th Street
New York, NY 11025
$40-$150
To Order Tickets: Call 866-811-4111
What better way to celebrate the end of the fall season than by celebrating the winter solstice, the longest night of the year? The Cathedral of St. John the Divine’s Winter Solstice concert has become a staple of the holiday season, featuring premiere saxophonist Paul Winter, gospel singer Theresa Thomason, and the famous Forces of Nature Dance Theatre performers.
IMAGE: HIP HOP NUTCRACKER
The Hip Hop Nutcracker
December 14th, Doors: 6:30PM, Show: 7:30PM-9:30PM
United Palace
4140 Broadway near 176th Street
New York, NY 10033
$15-$100
This one-of-a-kind holiday show combines the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet with the beats and passion of hip-hop choreography, resulting in a show that The New York Times promises is “sure to heat up even the most restless and wintry of souls.” With a top-tier roster of dancers, an on-stage DJ, and high-tech digital scenery, this performance delivers a refreshing reboot of one of your holiday favorites, just in time to say goodbye to fall and welcome the incoming winter.
As you can see, these next few months are full of ways to celebrate the season. I hope you’ll enjoy these recommendations and make the most of the end of the year in our beautiful city!
