Carnivals, Festivals, and Parades August 2023
August is full of festivals, carnivals and parades for the whole family all month long! We’ve rounded up some of the best ones coming up.
Psst… New Brower Park Library Opens Inside Brooklyn Children’s Museum!
Click on your region to jump to events near you!
- Manhattan
- Bronx
- Queens
- Staten Island
- Long Island, Nassau County
- Long Island, Suffolk County
- Rockland/Bergen
Manhattan
Play NYC
Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, Chelsea
Aug. 5-6, Saturday, 1 – 6 pm and Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm
Ages 9 and older
$39
New York’s premier gaming convention unites creators and fans from the New York area and beyond in a two-day celebration of games featuring playable games, creators from the NYC gaming industry, and opportunities to play the best games coming out of NYC right now.
Harlem’s 5th Annual Afribembé Festival
Harlem Art Park, E 120th St & Sylvan Pl, Harlem
Saturday, August 12, 12 – 6 pm
All ages
Free
This daylong celebration of Pan-African artistry, intellectuality, and musicality will harnesses the power of its theme, Black to the Future, to elevate Afrofuturism from a global Diasporic lens with Africa at the center.
The event features artists and DJ’s utilizing global Diasporic rhythms and sounds to move festivalgoers through statements of Black identity, agency, and freedom.
National Dominican Day Parade
Along 6th Ave. between West 37 St and West 38 St., Midtown
Sunday, Aug. 13, 12 – 4 pm
All ages
Free
Come together to honor the culture and to recognize the many accomplishments Dominicans have made in the United States, and around the world. With music, dancing, and over 10,000 marchers, there is plenty of fun to go around!
Pokémon GO Fest
Randall’s Island Park, 10 Central Rd. and around Manhattan
Aug. 18-20, Friday – Sunday
Park Experience: 9 am – 1 pm
City Experience: 9 am – 7 pm
All ages
$30
GO Fest 2023: New York City is split into different experiences between two locations: Randall’s Island Park and throughout New York City!
Attendees will enjoy glittering gameplay, beautiful bonuses, and hidden surprises as they adventure alongside thousands of fellow Trainers and spend half their day in Randall’s Island Park and half exploring the larger New York City area!
Bronx
BxArts Factory’s Block pARTy
BxArts Factory, 240 East 153rd Street, Melrose
Saturday, Aug. 12, 2 – 5 pm
All ages
Free
Get ready for an epic afternoon of music, street art, arts & crafts, games, poetry and performances for the whole family to enjoy!
Queens
Annual Honey Harvest Festival
Voelker Orth Museum, 14919 38th Ave, Flushing
Tuesday, Aug. 22, 1 – 3:30 pm
All ages
$10 a family; $4 individual; free for children younger than 3
See how beekeepers harvests honey, make bee-inspired art, sample different types of honey, and learn what it takes to make a bee friendly garden.
Staten Island
Open Village
Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Ave.
Wednesdays-Sundays, 11am-5pm through Oct. 1
All ages
$10; $5 ages 6-11, free for kids ages 5 and younger
Step back in time and experience the open village at Historic Richmond Town. The open air museum is alive with living history, demonstrated by costumed historical interpreters in structures throughout the campus.
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Hip-Hop Celebration
Stapleton Waterfront Park, Water Street and Navy Pier Court
Friday, Aug. 11, 5pm
All ages
Free
Staten Island Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop: Hosted by Raekwon The Chef & Friends, featuring Tyrone Briggs with The Jazztronauts, Shyheim and more.
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage: Freestyle Throwback Jam
Stapleton Waterfront Park, Water Street and Navy Pier Court
Saturday, Aug. 12, 5pm
All ages
Free
Enjoy a free freestyle throwback jam featuring several of the genre’s stars.
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage Concert
Stapleton Waterfront Park, Water Street and Navy Pier Court
All ages
Free
A diverse lineup of women-led groups spanning the country and globe will perform a free show.
Long Island, Nassau County
Arts In The Plaza
Kennedy Plaza, 1 West Chester St. Long Beach
Saturdays through October 28, 10 am – 3 pm
All ages
Free
This weekly Arts Festival features handcrafted art by Long Island artists, live music, cultural performances and a Kids Art Station.
Meet artists and hear the stories behind their creations and shop an amazing selection of fine art, photography, custom jewelry, and unique handmade gifts in a myriad of mediums.
Annual Family Festival
Holy Family Church, 17 Fordham Ave., Hicksville
Aug. 9-12, Wednesday and Thursday, 6 – 10 pm, Friday and Saturday, 6 – 11 pm
Free
Admission is free; prices vary for rides.
Bring the family out for thrilling rides, exciting games, delicious food, and a great time!
Long Island Retro Gaming Expo
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City
Aug. 11-13, Friday, 4 – 10 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 10 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.
All ages
$15-$40
Get ready to play all your retro favorites, browse retro gaming vendors, participate in panel discussions, bring your best cosplay, enter tournaments, and win prizes!
Electrify Expo
Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale
Aug. 12-13, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.
All ages
$15 in advance; $20 day of show
Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle festival filled with over 1 million square feet of the world’s top electric brands!
Experience and drive electric cars & trucks, ride E-Bikes, E-Motorcycles, E-Scooters, E-Skateboards, & E-Watercraft. Enjoy great food, music, a huge kids zone, and learn about all things electric.
Time Warp Wonderland! Long Island’s Retro Festival
Samanea New York, 1500 Old Country Road, Westbury
Saturday, Aug. 19, 12 – 5 pm
All ages
Free
Explore over 100 vendors and exhibitors at Long Island’s biggest retro festival. See classic cars, a kids playland, great food, and more.
SUMAQ Peruvian Food Festival
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City
Aug. 26-27, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am – 8 pm.
All ages
$25 in advance; $30 at the door; $15 children 2-12.
Check out the over 20 food vendors, a mixture of local and award-winning chefs from Peru, that will be participating in this year’s festival. There will also be music, live performances, cultural dances & kids entertainment!
Long Island, Suffolk County
Alive on 25 @ Downtown Riverhead
Downtown Riverhead, Main Street from Griffing Avenue to McDermott Avenue, Riverhead
Friday, August 11, 5 – 9:30 pm
All ages
Free
Alive on 25 is a walkable, pop-up summer street festival in Downtown Riverhead offering live music on multiple stages, car show, local craft beverages, outdoor dining, Long Island artists, performers and street vendors.
This is where the east end comes ALIVE between Long Island’s Hamptons and North Fork!
Dino Safari Festival
Walt Whitman Shops, 160 Walt Whitman Rd, Huntington Station
Daily, 4 – 10 pm, through Sept. 4.
All ages
$22.98-$28.98; free for children 3 and younger.
Travel back in time through this immersive experience that combines interactive fun, exhilarating adventure, and fascinating learning experiences.
Sayville Summerfest
Gillette Park, 35 Gillette Ave, Sayville
Aug. 4-6, Friday, 5 – 10 pm; Saturday, 11 am – 10 pm; Sunday, 11 am – 9 pm.
All ages
Admission is free; prices vary for rides
Bring the entire family out for live entertainment, rides, attractions, craft & food vendors, car show, and more.
Annual International Feast at Our Lady of Assumption
Our Lady of Assumption, 1 Molloy Street, Copiague
Aug. 4-6, Saturday, Aug. 5 and Sunday, 3 pm
All ages
Prices vary for rides
Celebrate the rebuilding of the church with family and friends! There will be live music, international foods, rides, games, and fun!
St. Joseph Parish 2nd Annual Family Festival
Church of St. Joseph, 59 Church Street, Kings Park
Aug. 17-20, Thursday, 6 – 10 pm; Friday and Saturday, 6 – 11 pm; Sunday, 6 – 10 pm.
All ages
Admission is free; prices vary for rides
Bring the family out for exciting rides, fun, and fireworks and Friday!
Long Island Tropic Con 2023
Hyatt Regency Long Island, 1717 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge
Aug. 19-20, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm.
All ages
$27 single day pass; $43.91 weekend pass
If you love cosplay, collectibles, anime, gaming, comics, Sci-Fi, fantasy, and so much more, this is the Pop Culture paradise for you! In addition to all the great returning vendors, artists, and guests the TROPIC CON COSPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP is back as well!
With even more categories being added this year, open to cosplayers of all experience levels, this is truly a cosplay contest for everyone.
Riverhead Polish Festival
Riverhead Polish Hall, 214 Marcy Avenue, Riverhead
Saturday, Aug. 19, 11 am
All ages
Free
This annual festival features local artisans, vendors, polka music, traditional polish food and drink also available for purchase!
Rockland/Bergen
Ulster County Fair
Ulster County Fairgrounds, 249 Libertyville Road, New Paltz
Aug. 1-6, Tuesday, 4 – 10 pm; Wednesday-Friday, 10 am – 10 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 11 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 8 pm.
All ages
Tickets start at $18
This family-fun tradition since 1886 features midway rides for all ages, interactive Cowboy Circus, racing pigs, a petting zoo, mini-circus, horse shows, “Ultimate Stilt Walker” Carrie McQueen, Wednesday night fireworks, Baby Contest, exhibits, demonstrations, favorite fair food, and concerts.
Garfield Events Committee Carnival
Columbus Park- Garfield, 394 Outwater Lane, Garfield, NJ
Aug. 2-6, Saturday and Sunday, 2 – 10 pm, Wednesday – Friday, 6 – 10 pm
All ages
Various prices for rides
Enjoy rides, games, food, beer & wine garden, entertainment and much more!
2nd Annual Greenwood Lake Pirate Festival
Greenwood Lake Garden Center, 1197 NY-17A, Greenwood Lake
Saturday, Aug. 5, 2 – 9 pm
All ages
$15 in advance; $20 at the door; $10 ages 4-10 (at the door, cash only); free for children younger than 4.
It’s going to be a Grrrreat time with music by Too Many Captains, games, Sea Shanties, Sword Fights, Pirate Take Over, contests, Cannonball Battle, and so much more!
Unicorn World
Meadowlands Exposition Center, 355 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ
Aug. 5-6, Saturday, 9 am – 5:30 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 5:30 pm.
All ages
$39
Travel to the magical world of unicorns and enjoy a day of fun-filled unicorn activities for the whole family.
Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show
New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, 97 Sunfield Ave., Edison
Aug. 12-13, Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm.
All ages
$12 Saturday; $11 Sunday; free for children 11 and younger
The train show is designed for children of all ages; for modelers, collectors and enthusiasts; for families in search of good old-fashioned fun; and for the simply curious.
Each show features hundreds of tables of trains, accessories, scale models and collectible toys for sale as well as huge operating exhibits, activities for kids, free seminars and educational opportunities, and much more.
Paramus Summer Food Truck Festival
Paramus Park Mall, 700 Paramus Park, Paramus
Sunday, Aug. 13, 11 am – 7 pm
All ages
$5 admission; free for children younger than 5
Check out 20 gourmet food trucks, DJ Louis, vendors, kid activities including pony rides, petting zoo, bungee trampoline, miniature golf, face painting, sand art, knocker ball, knockerball, bounce house, slide, games, & so much more!
New York Renaissance Faire
New York Renaissance Faire, 600 State Route 17A, Tuxedo Park
Aug. 26-Oct. 8, Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am – 7 pm.
All ages
$42; $18 ages 5-12; Free for children 4 and younger
Travel back in time to an age of adventure! Join Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I on a grand visit to a beautiful 16th century English village. Cheer your favorite knight at the Joust Tournament.
Meet Robin Hood and his Merry Band. Feast on savory sweets and tempting treats. See amazing acrobats, magical fairies, swashbuckling pirates, and more!
