New York City is a multicultural hub with dozens of museums, hundreds of parks and millions of people. The number of potential things to see and do can feel overwhelming, but NY1 has you covered with some of the highlights taking place this weekend across the five boroughs.

Coney Island Sandsculpting Competition

  • Saturday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Boardwalk at West 12th Street, Coney Island
  • More information here

Coney Island will host its 33rd annual sandsculpting competition Saturday, a free-to-enter event for artists to build impressive creations entirely out of sand.

The competition is open to all ages, with four categories to compete in: solo artist, adult group, family group or semi-professional.

New York City Circus Festival

  • Saturday, Aug. 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Bryant Park, Manhattan
  • More informationĀ here

Admission is free for the inaugural New York City Circus Festival at Bryant Park on Saturday.

There will be aerial artists, acrobats, clowns and “a giant Rolly apparatus.”

Battle of the Badges

  • Sunday, Aug. 17 at 4 p.m. (Gates open at 2 p.m.)
  • Citi Field, Queens
  • More informationĀ here

Mets Hall of Famer David Wright hosts this year’s baseball battle between the FDNY and the NYPD.

Tickets cost $20 for the annual charity game, with the teams made up of former high school, college and Minor League ball players.

Taste of the Farm

  • Saturday, Aug. 16 from noon to 3 p.m.
  • Urban Farm on Randallā€™s Island
  • More informationĀ here

Food and family-friendly fun are at the heart of this free event on Randall’s Island.

Celebrating the height of growing season at the island’s urban farm, New Yorkers can get a taste of the fresh ingredients, with dishes inspired by countries around the world and made from the “200+ varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs grown on the farm.”

There will also be lawn games, arts and crafts, ice cream making and flower arranging, among other activities.

The Grand Lawn at Grand Central

  • Saturday, Aug. 16
  • 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • 40th Street and Park Avenue, Manhattan
  • More information here

There will be “classic games and tasty treats” at this free lawn celebration, part of the city’s car-free Summer Streets program.

Vendors from Grand Central Terminal will be at the event, providing a variety of food and drink options.

Rolling Stone Presents: ‘AMPLIFIED’

  • Open through Labor Day
  • ARTECHOUSE NYC, Manhattan
  • More information here

Kevin Bacon narrates this “50-minute immersive journey into the music, history, imagery and culture of rock ā€˜nā€™ roll” atĀ ARTECHOUSE NYC in Chelsea Market.

The exhibit features more than 1,000 photographs, 200 videos and 1,300 Rolling Stone covers to highlight hundreds of influential artists.

Shakespeare in the Park

  • Performances through Sept. 14
  • The Delacorte Theater, Central Park
  • More informationĀ here

Shakespeare in the Park has returned to the Delacorte Theater, which is newly reopened after two years of renovations.

Saheem Ali, aĀ Tony Award nominee, directs “Twelfth Night,” a romantic comedy about twins separated in a shipwreck. Tickets are free, but securing them might require dedication. Here’s how to get them.

Ā 

(Courtesy The Public Theater)

NYC Public Pools

  • Open for the season
  • Across the five boroughs
  • A list of pools by borough is availableĀ here

The city’s outdoor pools are now open for the season. New Yorkers can take a swim every day fromĀ 11 a.m.Ā throughĀ 7 p.m., with aĀ break for pool cleaning between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

A swimsuit is required to enter a pool area, and for those who want to wear a T-shirt, it needs to be white, according to the Parks Department.

The city provides free sunscreen and free swim programs.

Luna ParkĀ 

  • Open for the season
  • 1000 Surf Ave., Brooklyn
  • Ticket information here

At the largest amusement park in the city, returning visitors may notice some new arcade games and renovated retail outlets.

The park is open every day, though hours vary.

Movies Under the Stars

  • Now through October
  • Various locations around the city
  • Find an event near youĀ here

The city’s Parks Department is hosting more than 150 free film screenings throughout the five boroughs during the warmer months this year.

From new releases to classics, there are a variety of options every weekend and some weeknights.Ā 

Rooftop FilmsĀ and Bryant Park also offer their own free movie nights.

SummerStage concerts

  • Now through October
  • Locations across the city
  • Full show calendarĀ here

SummerStage, the city’s annual free concert series, returns to the five boroughs this season with more than 70 shows across 13 parks. Many of the shows are free.

Perfomers this season include Marcus Miller, Tank and the Bangas, The Soul Rebels, The Roots and The Saw Doctors.

BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! also returns to Prospect Park this summer with 18 shows, 14 of which are free.

Queens Night Market

  • Open Saturday nights through summer
  • Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
  • Free and open to the public

The Queens Night Market has returned for the warmer months, with up to 100 independent vendors selling everything from food to art and other merchandise.

Organizers say the open-air market is the city’s “first and most affordable” night market, with prices for all food at the event capped at $6. The variety of food available is said to reflect the diversity of Queens, known as “the world’s borough.”

(Spectrum News NY1)

Smorgasburg

  • Weekly through October
  • Saturdays at Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
  • Sundays at Prospect Park, Brooklyn
  • More informationĀ here

Returning for its 15th year, Smorgasburg ā€” an outdoor food bazaar with more than 60 vendors ā€” is back for the season.

Offerings include tacos, cheesesteaks, barbecue, fish and chips, dumplings, coffee, snacks, desserts and more. For a full list of vendors, check here.

‘100 Years of Bonsai’

  • Collection on display through Oct. 19
  • Brooklyn Botanic Garden
  • More information here

To celebrate 100 years of its renowned Bonsai collection, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has opened anĀ expanded display of the tiny trees.

There will also be special tours, exhibits and workshops to honor the anniversary.Ā The collection features more than 400 Bonsai.

‘Van Gogh’s Flowers’ at NYBG

  • On display through Oct. 26
  • New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx
  • More information here

“Van Gogh’s Flowers” at the New York Botanical Garden allows visitors to “revel in the beauty of the flowers that inspired his iconic paintings.”

Featuring botanical displays andĀ 3D sculptures from contemporary artists, the exhibit celebrates the legendary Dutch painter’s connection to the natural world.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

Bronx Zoo’s ‘World of Darkness’

  • Now reopen after closing in 2009
  • Bronx Zoo
  • More information here

At the Bronx Zoo, visitors can see more than two dozen species in the newly reopened ā€œWorld of Darknessā€ exhibit. ItĀ originally opened in 1969, but closed in 2009 amid the global financial crisis.

The exhibit is designed to mimic nightfall and allows visitors to observe nocturnal animals in action.

‘Mission: Impossible ā€“ Story and Spectacle’

  • Open until Dec. 14
  • Museum of the Moving Image, Queens
  • More information and full lineupĀ here

A new exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image takes a look at the artistry behind the action of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise.

Each film in the series will have a section in the exhibition focused on its key stunt or action sequence. There’s also behind-the-scenes content including props, costumes and production materials.

‘Urban Stomp’

  • Open through Feb. 2026
  • Museum of the City of New York, Manhattan
  • More information here

An exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, “Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor,”Ā guides visitors through a rich history of social dances born, shaped or popularized in the city.

There are around 30 video tutorials teaching the steps of dance styles like the foxtrot, Lindy Hop, salsa, hip-hop, breaking, hustle and vogue, with related cultural artifacts on display.

‘Encounters in the Milky Way’

  • Now open
  • American Museum of Natural History, Manhattan
  • More information here

“Encounters in the Milky Way” is a new show at the Hayden Planetarium that gives visitors a “front-row seat to spectacular moments in our solar system’s past and future.”

Narrated by Pedro Pascal, the show takes viewers through the paths of stars, comets and other interstellar debris. It’s part of the Rose Center for Earth and Space’s celebration of 25 years since its opening.