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.

‘Ascarium’ at New York Aquarium

  • Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 11 through Oct. 26
  • 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • New York Aquarium, Brooklyn
  • More information here

The New York Aquarium in Coney Island is hosting Halloween-themed events on weekends throughout the month.

Activities include “marine-themed magic shows, Halloween crafts, Wildlife Theater shows” and games, as well as the chance to learn why animals like piranhas, wolf eels, bat sea stars and spider crabs are not as spooky as you might think.

‘One Piece’ at Mercer Labs

  • Now through Nov. 30
  • Mercer Labs, 21 Dey St. in Manhattan
  • More information here

A new exhibit at the Mercer Labs Museum of Art and Technology in Lower Manhattan is celebrating the iconic “One Piece” anime franchise. 

The exhibition, a collaboration between Mercer Labs and legendary Japanese animation studio Toei Animation, has 15 installations featuring various technology. Tickets are available online.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

Shiba Costume Contest

  • Saturday, Oct. 11 at 12:30 p.m.
  • Mineral Springs, Central Park
  • More information and RSVP here

At least 50 Shibas from the New York City area will compete in the third annual Halloween costume contest specifically featuring Shiba Inus.

Shibas are a Japanese hunting dog breed. Attendees can expect to see them dressed up as monsters, superheroes, celebrities and more.

OktoberFest NYC

  • Daily through Oct. 26; timing depends on day
  • Saturdays from noon to 1 a.m., Sundays from noon to 11 p.m.
  • Watermark bar, Pier 15, Manhattan
  • More information here

Authentic German beer, brats and giant pretzels are all part of what organizers say is the city’s largest annual Oktoberfest celebration.

The 10,000-square-foot venue is adorned with Oktoberfest decorations, and those celebrating are sure to catch someone in a pair of lederhosen.

‘Dear New York’ at Grand Central

  • Daily through Oct. 19 from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
  • Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse
  • More information here

Anyone passing through Grand Central’s Main Concourse this month is sure to spot a new installation that the transit hub calls “a sweeping visual love letter to the people of New York.”

Created by Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind “Humans of New York,” the “first-of-its-kind immersive experience” projects images of New Yorkers onto the concourse’s colossal walls, along with quotes from the people featured.

There will also be 50-minute piano performances from Juilliard students and alumni.

New York Film Festival

  • Daily events through Oct. 13
  • Lincoln Center and various venues across the city
  • More information here

The 63rd annual New York Film Festival is taking place now, with exclusive film screenings, Q&As and premieres.

Tickets are sold for individual events here, with many hosted at Lincoln Center and others at participating venues throughout the city.

‘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 an expanded display of the tiny trees.

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

Queens Night Market

  • Saturday nights through Oct. 25
  • Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens
  • Free and open to the public. More information here

The Queens Night Market is back, 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)

‘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 and 3D sculptures from contemporary artists, the exhibit celebrates the legendary Dutch painter’s connection to the natural world.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger C

lark)

Smorgasburg

  • Weekly through Oct. 26
  • Saturdays at Marsha P. Johnson State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
  • Sundays in Prospect Park, Brooklyn
  • More information here

Now in its 15th year, Smorgasburg is an outdoor food bazaar with more than 60 vendors.

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

Movies Under the Stars

  • Events through Oct. 30
  • Various locations around the city
  • Find an event near you here

The city’s Parks Department hosts free film screenings throughout the five boroughs during the warmer months of the year.

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

Harvest Glow at the Bronx Zoo

  • Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Oct. 31
  • The Bronx Zoo
  • More information here

The Bronx Zoo is hosting a “family-friendly Halloween spectacular” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Oct. 31. 

Activities include live pumpkin carving, games, an “animal-themed illuminated Jack O’Lantern Trail” and more. Tickets, which are required for attendees ages 3 and up, are available on the zoo’s website (and must be reserved in advance).

(Courtesy of the Wildlife Conservation Society)

Luna Park 

  • Open weekends and select days through Nov. 2
  • 1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn
  • Ticket information here

At the largest amusement park in the city, visitors can enjoy rides and arcade games and peruse a variety of shops.

The park is open weekends and select days, though hours vary. Its “Halloween Harvest” celebration — which includes activities like trick-or-treating and pumpkin decorating — kicked off Sept. 19.

‘Celebrating the Ultimate Workplace Comedy’

  • Open Wednesday to Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. until Nov. 16
  • Paley Center for Media, Manhattan
  • More information here

A new exhibit at the Paley Center for Media celebrates 20 years of “The Office” with iconic props and costumes from the series, including Dwight’s suit from the finale and a screenplay of “Threat Level: Midnight.”

The display also includes a look at the new series “The Paper,” set in the same universe as “The Office,” with the documentary crew’s focus now on the staff of a historic Midwestern newspaper.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

‘Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties’

  • Now through Dec. 13
  • Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery, Manhattan
  • More information here

A new exhibition at the Lévy Gorvy Dayan Gallery on the Upper East Side is showcasing work from legends of the 1980s New York art scene. 

“Downtown/Uptown: New York in the Eighties” features pieces by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons and more — and admission is free.

The gallery is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

‘Mission: Impossible – Story and Spectacle’

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

‘Jamaica/Jamaica’

  • Open through Dec. 20
  • King Manor Museum, Queens
  • More information here

A new exhibit at the King Manor Museum in Jamaica, Queens explores Jamaican heritage in the neighborhood.

Traditional Jamaican food, elaborate Carnival costumes and items from VP Records — a Caribbean music label based in the neighborhood — are just some of the cultural items on display.

(Spectrum News NY1/Roger Clark)

‘Urban Stomp’

  • Open through February 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,” 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.