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.

Manhattanhenge

  • Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12 at sunset
  • Various east-west streets of Manhattan
  • More information is available here.

Twice every year, Manhattanhenge captivates New Yorkers and tourists alike as the sun matches up with Manhattan’s east-west street grid, casting rays along the city’s west-east streets.

The name was coined by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was inspired by Stonehenge, where the sun aligns with England’s prehistoric stones during solstices.

This year’s first viewings, on May 28 and May 29, were obscured by cloudy skies, but skies are expected to be clear for this weekend.

(AP Photo, File)

West Side Fest

  • Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13
  • West Side of Manhattan
  • More information is available here.

West Side Fest is a celebration of arts and culture, including artmaking, workshops, dancing, crafts and other special programming, across participating organizations from the West Side Cultural Network.

Institutes like the Whitney Museum, Poster House, The Joyce Theater, The Shed and more will be hosting events during in this year’s festival.

Jamaica Bay Festival

  • Saturday, July 12; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens
  • More information is available here.

The eighth annual Jamaica Bay Festival will get underway on City of Water Day this Saturday, hosted by the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy.

The event is free and offers kayaking, fishing, surfing, hiking, bird watching and more throughout various locations in Queens and Brooklyn.

Advanced registration is required for some events. Check the organization’s website for more details and a full list of events.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast

  • Through Sunday, July 20
  • North 8th Street, Brooklyn
  • More information is available here.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg has been hosting its annual feast since 1887. Events this year kicked off on Wednesday, bringing food vendors, rides, games and nightly entertainment to the neighborhood to benefit the church.

Each year also features the iconic Dancing of the Giglio, which involves the lifting and parading of a 70-foot-tall structure called the “Giglio” (Italian for lily) and a boat, carried by 100 men through the streets.

This year, the Giglio will be lifted at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

(Spectrum News NY1/Louis Finley)

NYC Public Pools

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

The city’s outdoor pools are now open for the season. New Yorkers can take a swim every day from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m., with a 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.

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 American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space celebrating 25 years since its opening.

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.

Movies Under the Stars

  • Now through October
  • Various locations around the city
  • Find an event near you 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’s a variety of options every weekend and some weeknights.

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

SummerStage concerts

  • Now through October
  • Locations across the city
  • Full show calendar 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.

Luna Park 

  • 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.

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 information here

Returning for its 15th year, Smorgasburg — an outdoor food bazaar with more than 60 vendors — 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.

‘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 Clark)

Mission: Impossible – Story and Spectacle exhibit

  • 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.