Top Events in New York City, NY
Events in New York City
- Traveller favouritesThings to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
- Traveller rankingHighest rated attractions on Tripadvisor, based on traveller reviews.
Category types
Events
Traveller rating
Neighbourhoods
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23 places sorted by traveller favourites
Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
Cultural Events
Hudson Square
Cultural Events
Randalls and Wards Islands
Food & Drink Festivals
Flatiron District
Music Festivals
Randalls and Wards Islands
Music Festivals
Randalls and Wards Islands
Cultural Events
Downtown Manhattan (Downtown)
Cultural Events
Sporting Events
Harlem
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Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.
What travellers are saying
- Shabbaranks1Darlington, UK137 contributionsRecommended by a friend prior to our trip to New York. Excellent Christmas show that we thoroughly enjoyed. Medium priced tickets but still had an excellent view on the bottom floor. Well worth a visit and will go again in future. Only negative is drinks etc are very expensiveWritten 22 January 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- StephenCrossDublin, Ireland16,913 contributionsThe Christmas Tree at the Rockerfellow Centre is world famous and e can see it from our New York office. Amazing sight and worth a visit.Written 3 February 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Mark TOrlando, FL398 contributionsDue to the wind the balloons flew low but even from the 29th floor we could still see and hear it all. With you children this was a great way to watch the parade.Written 26 April 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- femaleboxerNew York City, NY602 contributionsThousands upon thousands lined the streets to watch thousands of costumed locals and visitors parade through the Village. There were floats. There were bands. There were costumes that left little to the imagination and some that raised far too many questions. You need to get there EARLY if you want to be able to see, and there's no place to rest your tired feet.Written 31 March 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Roger MRedhill, UK182 contributionsDespite the gloomy weather a lot of people turned out to this annual event. Good humoured and slightly bonkers!Written 12 June 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- SteveOSNew York City, NY59 contributionsShow is great as always, but at box office, our “digital” promotions from LIRR were not acceptable and printed copy was needed beware!Written 2 May 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- JanLinksGroningenGroningen, The Netherlands1,230 contributionsWhen You are in New York And You can see this, Go. But don’t travel more than 30minutes for It. But it is ok!Written 16 October 2018This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Juan GBrooklyn, NY133 contributionsExcept for the crowd being larger then usual I was able to have an amazing time ! You can find something for everyone at this place , also the costumes are by far the most amazing you will see ... place welcomes all ages and all sorts of Interest. Only thing I can say never come with out money make sure you have enough because there are so many amazing things to purchase and so much great food to eat 😋Written 16 October 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- adventixBoston, MA1,310 contributionsThis year the festival was moved to Whitney Pond Park, LI. Parking and shuttle bus were easy and comfortable. The festival itself was OK. What I was mostly missing was some dynamic lights. Almost all the attractions were static illuminated sculptures. I think it is much more suitable for adults, which will enjoy the art. the kids just fast walk through all of it. Price-wise it is a bit expensive for the experience.Written 21 November 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- GeorgiaKem25Liverpool, UK13 contributionsThis is one of the hardest things I've ever had to organise in my life! The reviews are appalling and TBH there is just a lot of moaning about security and not much on what actually happens etc!
So here is my review which I hope is better than the ones I had!
Firstly the event we went to was Tonic Bar Times Square! Booking the event was very easy once we decided we was going Tonic, the process was a long few weeks as you truly are shooting in the dark as the lack of reviews is astounding and it's hard to see on a map where the ball drops, if you can actually see or even go on the street to watch the ball drop!
So once we chose Tonic bar we booked it through their website which was linked to event bite! The tickets where $370 roughly £300 this included an open bar and food being passed around (pizza, cheese sticks, sliders etc) Honestly I was more interested in street access, something this event offered and this is the reason we booked it as it was the most 'reasonable' priced place we could find. So yeah we booked it and the tickets where sent via email and that was it!
New Year's Eve - so we arrived in NYC 28/12/16 and over those days we got told by many New Yorkers to make sure we leave our hotel at least 1-1.5 hours before our event is due to start as there is a lot of security (something I'd seen a lot of people mention online) so we decided to leave our hotel 'double tree hilton' on 51st Lexington avenue at around 18:30! Security was tight but in all honesty I found it comforting especially in the world we live in today! What I can tell you about security and access to your event is that you have to access on the street of your event. You won't get through if it's not. So ours was between 48th and 49th so we went through 49th off 6th! Don't bother 'trying' as they check your ticket and in our case google map the bar if they are unsure! So just make your life easier and do what you're told haha. Many didn't in my line and it's really annoying! So you get bag checked and your body scanned once that's done you're through to the next batch of security who are the ones who escort you to your bar/restaurant etc! The only minor hiccup we had was that the bar didn't open till 20:00 and we arrived through security at 19:15 so we had a 45 minute wait but hey ho can't have it all!
Once in we had a ball! The atmosphere is great and in all honesty its worth it for a once in your life experience! We got access to the street to watch the ball drop but I'd definitely start queuing at the door earlier so I can get next to the barrier (best view) if I done it again which I probably would. However I still got to see the ball drop so that's great! What I would like to say that I wish you wasn't allowed balloons and tall hats it's not fair on other revellers as some couldn't see because of them! Something the organisers should think about!
So yeah I had a great time! A quick note I'm going to make now is places you can go to and see the ball if you want to go and can't get Tonic bar!
Tonic bar
Olive garden
TGIFridays - 51st (my parents went here the same night for New Years and they loved it)
Bubba gumps
Applebees
The view (expensive)
Marriott (expensive)
Hope this helps! If you need any help let me know (I've already done a separate review of tonic bar on their own review thing)Written 8 January 2017This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - Dawn LNew York City, NY12 contributionsI came with my boyfriend and his parents. We were really excited to come but weren’t really sure what to expect. To say the least, it was disappointing.
Pros
Short line to get in even though we arrived at 5:30pm. It was a bit crowded but it wasn’t too bad. The light displays and animations were very well put together. Clearly, they put a lot of time and effort into creating this. No complaints whatsoever. There were plenty of port a potties but only one working sink. Food vendors were all local. There were American food, Spanish (empanadas), bubble tea, donuts, t-swirl crepes, ceviche, Cambodian, baos, Italian, and a cocktail bar. Prices were also decent and didn’t have to fight anyone for a table (all standing).
Cons
Parking is difficult. It was also expensive to park in the lot, Trains weren’t any better. The 7 train is horrendous no matter what time of day it is. The ball pit was cute but wow was there a long line (kids only). There were two interactive displays. One was a seesaw and a set of swings but long line. The other one was riding cars that looked like dinosaurs. Kids were just riding around in the parking lot, no boundaries, right by the exit where people were leaving.
I am giving this event 3 stars ultimately because it was a very poor representation of the Chinese culture. All the tents had little vendors with Chinese writing, Chinese ornaments, and that was really it. The only thing that was really cool was the candied strawberries. The entertainment was disgusting. Again, a grossly inaccurate representation of the Chinese culture and how we celebrate Chinese New Year. The music was uncensored (American racial slurs, profanity). Teenage girls scantly dressed and dancing way inappropriately for a family event. Don’t waste your money. There is a way to represent Asian culture without degrading oneself and the culture.Written 11 January 2020This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. - Lynn CCleveland, OH54,302 contributionsSo we were very disappointed by the Food & Wine Festival particularly with the food selection at the Grand Tasting event on 10-12-19. The food was prepared by vendors (mostly local grocery stores like ShopRite or Citarella's) and local restaurants. We went mainly for the cooking demos by the celebrity chefs which we loved. We tried to hit a few food booths before and in between the demos, but all the food we tasted was horrible. The pizza we tried was cold; the lobster gnocchi i tried was good but cold; Brazilian truffles were yummy; there was some rum chocolate cake which was horrid; my husband hated all the burgers and chips or fries. The food was definitely a let down. The gift bags were neat and had bruschetta crackers, green tea cookies, apple baby squeeze pouches, some cappacinos in a can, and a few other items. The demos were fantastic and loved the Food Network Chef citings.Written 12 October 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Felicia MPhiladelphia, PA14 contributionsWe found this by chance while, exploring Manhattan, and thoroughly enjoyed wandering through all the stand exploring the different tastes.Written 6 August 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- TheSchachterLos Angeles, CA157 contributionsHad a great time and enjoyed the likes of DIPLO and Kaskade. The VIP areas were truly VIP. The place had a smaller feel than other festivals and I enjoyed the line up. I would go again next year.Written 1 September 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
- Mónica MGuatemala City, Guatemala16 contributionsWell, really cool festival, well organized, but the weather wasn't the best, I really was into the line up.
The food was cool, good prices but the booze was kind of expensive.Written 4 July 2016This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Frequently Asked Questions about New York City
- These are the best places for kid-friendly events in New York City:
- Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- Easter Parade
- New York International Auto Show
- These are the best places for couples seeking events in New York City:
- Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- These are the best places for groups seeking events in New York City:
- Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- These are the best places for budget-friendly events in New York City:
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
- The Village Halloween Parade
- Easter Parade
- St. Patrick’s Day Parade New York City