Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros
Mothers Day, as well as Other Things to do This Weekend & Next Week in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx & Staten Island Events - Details Below
May 8, 2026 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.
The photo at right, is of a statue by Thomas J. Price, entitled Grounded in the Stars. The statue depicts an African American woman whom a considerable number of women seemed to cozy up to, on the eve of Mothers Day last year, when we took this photo. This year, there won't be any Mothers Day artwork in Times Square, but there are three performances of gospel music in honor of Mothers Day at the Palladium Times Square. See details below.
Sunrise 5.46 am. Sunset 7.59 pm. We're getting 14 hours & 14 minutes of sunlight, or five hours and 1 minute more of sunlight than we were getting the week of the Winter Solstice, on December 21, 2025 when the sun rose at 7.18 am and the sun set at 4.31 pm. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of this year, providing 9 hours and 13 minutes of sunlight in NYC.
NYC Weather - NYC Can Differ Slightly / Significantly vs TriState TV News Forecasts. There's a 65% - 90% chance of about 1/3 inch of rain between 10.30 am and 6 pm on Saturday and a 50% - 60% chance of about 1/3 inch of rain after 4 pm on Sunday. On neither day does rain seem like a show stopper, but grab your umbrella if you plan to be out during those times. On Friday and Saturday the temperature highs will be around 60, rising to 70 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be about 50 on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid 50's on Sunday. The humidity will rise from 30% to 80% on Friday, and continue upwardly between 65% and 100% on Saturday, and then falling from 100% to 60% Sunday afternoon, before rising again. Winds are expected to range from 5 to 15 mph Friday, and then settle back down to 3 - 5 mph for the rest of the weekend. All tolled, a manageable spring weekend.
Friday, May 8, 2026 at 3.45 am - Done, including attendant pages. We will also socially post links sometime Saturday via BSky.app, Facebook and X.com. Please Like or be-Friend us, to stay abreast of events, and obtain news related to your borough. This week we continue to strive toward providing a mix of weekly news posts.
Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in NYC
Thursday & Friday, May 7 & 8, 2026 - CUNY Jazz Festival - Free. See full details in Manhattan section below.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 10 am to 8 pm - Transportation Alternatives 5 Boro Pizza Challenge - begins at 19 Fulton Street in Manhattan. Bike to all five boroughs, stopping at some of the best pizza places selected by TA. It's a fundraiser and costs $80 to adults / $35 kids. For details and to rsvp see - https://transalt.org/pizza-challenge
Sunday, May 10, 2026 - Mothers Day in the USA. Scroll down for some dining suggestions in the report that follows this one.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 beginning at 6 pm - Cracks in the YIMBY Consensus - on Zoom. This presentation explores whether we can upzone our way out of the affordability crisis. For details and to register [free] see - https://villagepreservation.my.site.com/s/event-detail?eventId=a1wQP000002odg9
- Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 4 pm - Rally for Free Speech - at 7th Street and Avenue B on the Lower East Side by various folks and their children who are affiliated with the Alliance for Quality Education. NYC Council passed a bill [Intro 175-B] which would have started to curtail New Yorkers' rights to free speech by limiting where they can express themselves. Thankfully, Mayor Mamdani vetoed it.
- We'll have more on this in our News Section - but it's disturbing to say the least, especially given that NYC Council Speaker Menin managed to convince or cajole enough NYC Councilmembers to vote for it. In Hamlet, Shakespeare said 'there's something rotten in Denmark'. Votes like this, convince me there's something rotten in the NYC Council.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 - Manhattan City Council Special Election District 3 Early Voting Ranked Choice Voting Results published. The special election results for NYC City Council representation of Hells Kitchen, Chelsea and the West Village was published. We'll post them either here over the weekend, or separately with one of the prior related reports.
Saturday, June 13, 2026 is the last day you'll be able to Register to Vote in the NYC Primary on June 23, 2026. Applications must be received by the NY Board of Elections to be eligible to vote in this election.
Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Manhattan NYC
NY African Film Fest, CUNY Jazz Fest, Clio Art Fair, Japan Parade & Fest & Macys Flower Show, Korean / Philippines Fest, Turban Day in TSQ
The photo above or at right was taken at the Frick Museum before it closed for renovations. After years of renovations, the museum reopened a year ago on April 17, 2025.
Also see NYC citywide events above.
Wednesday thru Tuesday, May 6 - 12, 2026 at various times - 33rd Annual New York African Film Festival - at Lincoln Center on the UWS of Manhattan. Tickets range from $16 / $19 and all Festival Passes for $65 / $89. They describe the event as follows, " ... showcasing African and Diaspora filmmakers’ unique storytelling through the moving image ... NYAFF will spotlight 14 contemporary and classic feature films and 25 short films ...". For details and to buy tickets see - https://www.filmlinc.org/festivals/new-york-african-film-festival/
Thursday & Friday, May 7 & 8, 2026 from 11.30 am to 8 / 8.30 pm - CUNY Jazz Festival - in Aaron Davis Hall at 129 Convent Avenue in Washington Heights Manhattan NYC. They tell us, " ... Performances by CCNY faculty and student ensembles. Featuring performances and master classes with saxophonist Chris Potter, and drummer Adam Cruz ..." Free and open to the public. For details see - https://ccnyjazz.com/cuny-jazz-fest/
Thursday - Sunday, May 7 - 10 & 14 - 17, 2026 from 12 noon - 8 pm except Thursday when it's 6 to 9 pm and Sunday when it closes at 6 pm - Clio Art Fair - at 511 West 25th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan NYC. For details and free rsvp or tickets [$35 for opening night] copy & paste - https://www.clioartfair.com
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 11 am to 5 pm - Japan Parade & Street Fair - the parade kicks off at 1 pm marches south from 81st Street to 67th Street along Central Park West. There's a Japan Parade Street Fair that runs from 11 am to 5 pm along 72nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West. Street fairs on the UWS in NYC. For details see - https://japanparadenyc.org/
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 11 am to 5 pm - Korean / Philippines Fest - along 6th Avenue between 30th and 31st Streets in Koreatown. A multi-ethnic outdoor food festival. The details came in an email from a Korean liaison.
May 9, 2026 from 12 noon to 4 pm - LUNGs Parade & Fest - at Losaida United Neighborhood Gardens [aka LUNGS] near Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side. This is a small neighborhood garden gathering that's open to the public. For details see https://lungsnyc.org
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 12 noon to 7 pm - Turban Day - celebrating Sikh Culture in Times Square. Celebration and fundraiser where you can buy fabric and have it rolled into a turban - https://turbanday.org
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 10 am to 4 pm - Pickwick Vintage Show - at Grand Central Terminal. They charge $10 to enter. For details and tickets see - https://grandcentralterminal.com/event/pickwick-vintage-show/ or https://pickwickvintage.com
Thursday - Sunday, April 23 - May 10, 2026 - The Macy's Flower Show - at Macy's Herald Square in Midtown. Macy's is open from 10 am - 9 pm weekdays, open until 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays, and opens at 11 am on Sundays. For details see - https://www.macys.com/s/flower-show/
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Manhattan Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Manhattan Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Queens NYC
Sunnyside Art & Crafts Fair, Queens Night Market, Next Week Taste of Queens, Paint & Sip
The photo above or at right, was taken this week in a Queens neighborhood. Spring has sprung.
Also see NYC citywide events above.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm - Sunnyside Art & Crafts Fair - at the Queen of Angels Parish Hall at 44th Street & Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside. It's an opportunity to buy artwork by local artists. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/SunnysideArtists/
Saturday, May 9, 2026 - Queens Night Market began April 18, 2026 and continues thru July. Use the street fairs link below for details on it and other markets.
Next Week.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 from 6 - 9 pm - Taste of Queens - at the NY Hall of Science at 4-40 44th Drive in Long Island City Queens [moved from its historical Flushing roots]. Taste the food and beverages from around the globe made by about 50 food and beverage vendors, many of which are based in Queens. For details and $125 - $200 tickets see - https://www.queenstaste.org or https://queensny.org/
Thursday, May 14, 2026 beginning at 7 pm - Paint & Sip with Megan Carey - at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue in LIC. An evening of painting and sipping something good with an artist. For details and $44 tickets [drinks and art materials included] copy & paste - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org
Saturday, May 16, 2026 beginning from 2 to 5 pm - Sunnyside Rhythm Block - at the Sunnyside Arch at Queens Blvd & 46th Street in Sunnyside Queens. Musical performances each week by a different ethnic culture starting with China, followed by Myanmar, then India and lastly Korea. For details and to free rsvp, see - https://partiful.com/e/XXcbsh9b82lFFlND378M
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS - Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Queens Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Queens Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 - Spring Concert - at the Kupferberg Center at Queens College in Flushing. Use the MCAL link above to obtain details.
Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in Brooklyn NYC
Atlantic Avenue Art Walk, Haitian Parade & Festival , Open Stages Festival Prospect Park, Black Zine Fair Gowanus, Luna Park & FAD Market
The photo above or at right, taken this past week, showing folks outside, enjoying the fresh air, while dining.
Also see NYC citywide events above.
May 9, 2026 from 3 to 6 pm - Open Stages - in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. They tell us the event includes 19 stages of free outdoor music, involving hundreds of artists and partners. This is a fundraiser by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music which provides musical education and therapy for over 7,000 people across all five boroughs. Rain or Shine. For details and to rsvp and possibly make a small donation copy & paste - https://bkcm.org/openstages/
May 9, 2026 from 11 am to 6 pm - Black Zine Fair - at PowerHouse Arts at 322 Third Street in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. This fair encompasses most - if not all - aspects of publishing, with a focus on African Americans because there aren't enough platforms and venues for Black Authors and Publishers to learn, mix and mingle. There are nearly 100 exhibitors signed up. Free and open to the general public. For details see - https://blackzinefair.org/
May 9 - 17, 2026 from noon to 6 pm - Atlantic Avenue Art Walk in Brooklyn - along Atlantic Avenue from 4th Street to the Waterfront in Brooklyn. They describe the event as follows, "... This 1.5-mile, self-guided tour along Atlantic Avenue ... and its immediate side streets, will feature art from different mediums while showcasing approximately 150 emerging and established Brooklyn artists at 70+ participating businesses ... eclectic shops, diverse restaurants, galleries and wide range of vital businesses and organizations ... [along a] tree-lined avenue that stretches through charming Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill to Downtown Brooklyn ...". The map with locations and artists is supposed to be posted on their website by the time the event begins. There are also three dates for tours 5/9, 5/16 & 5/17/2026. Organized by Atlantic Ave LDC. For rsvps, maps & details see - https://www.atlanticave.org/artwalk
May 9, 2026 w/ Parade beginning at 10 am followed by Market / Celebration beginning at 12 noon - 7th Annual Haitian Parade & Cultural Festival - Ayiti Nou La Toujoul - begins at Church & Nostrand Avenues, marching through Little Haiti & Little Caribbean neighborhoods in Flatbush Brooklyn. For details see - WS - https://www.lohnyc.org/haitian-culture-day-2025-1 or FB - https://www.facebook.com/events/26180213004947036/
Saturday & Sunday, May 9 & 10, 2026 from 10 am to 5 pm - Brooklyn Flea market - under the arch of the Manhattan Bridge at 80 Pearl Street between Water and Plymouth in the Dumbo neighborhood. Street fairs in Brooklyn NYC. It's an outdoor market that stays open weekends until December 20, 2026. For details see - https://www.brooklynflea.com
Friday, May 15, 2026 Luna Park expands opening days to include Friday & on May 22 they open daily. Currently Saturdays & Sundays - Luna Park open in Coney Island. For hours, details and tickets see - https://lunaparknyc.com/plan/park-hours/
Saturday & Sunday, May 9 & 10, 2026 from 11 am to 6 pm - There's a FAD Pop Up Market - at Empire Stores at 55 Water Street. See street fairs for details.
See events calendar below for arts, music, dance and other cultural, as well as outdoor activities. We're in the process of bringing this feature up again for the season, so please be patient as we work to get this into a rhythm.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Brooklyn BLVD New Member Sign Up. Click this link Brooklyn Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups. This month includes x.
Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week in the Bronx NYC
Bronx Night Market Returns for an Evening, BAFA Boishakhi Parade & Festival & Bronx Weeks Continue
The photo above or at right was taken this past week. It shows a locked bicycle along the sidewalk. A public transit strike has been approved by one of the transit unions representing 3,500 workers of the LIRR. The strike could begin as early as 12.01 am on May 16, 2026, impacting LIRR service. This is a possible strike where biking wouldn't be a realistic alternative mode of transit.
Also see NYC citywide events above.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 12 noon to 7 pm - 1st Bronx Night (food) Market of the Season - at 161st Street and Grand Concourse [NOTE - THEY ARE NORMALLY at 1 Fordham Plaza] in the Bronx. FYI - There are only two dates in 2026 at this location - also October 10, 2026 same times / location. Their presence at Fordham Plaza, after eight years, ended following the 2025 season. For details see - https://www.bronxnightmarket.com/
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 4 to 8 pm - BAFA Boishakhi Parade & Festival - begins at 2172 Starling Avenue and ends about 3 blocks later at the Parkchester Elementary School on Olmsted Avenue. A mela, which is a Hindu fair, will follow and at 6.15 pm cultural performances begin. Organized by the Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/BAFA.USA or https://www.facebook.com/events/928230496783821/
Friday - Sunday, May 1 - 17, 2026 - Bronx Weeks - returns with a parade, festival and other activities. In early April there was an announcement that it was going to be discontinued. Following the announcement, community leaders organized to ensure its continuation. Bronx Week opened today, with events on many days of the two week long event. The biggest events fall on the final weekend, 5/16 & 5/17 including a Ball, a parade and a fair. We'll have more as we approach each weekend. For details see - https://www.ilovethebronx.com/bronx-week-2026
Next Week.
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 from 12 noon to 4 to 7 pm - Produce Giveaway / Bronx Eats at the Vegan Bazaar - at the Andrew Freeman Home. This needs clarification. It's a part of Bronx Week. For details see - https://www.ilovethebronx.com/bronx-week-2026
We post weekend events & festivals, generally on Fridays late.
See events calendar below for arts, music, dance and other cultural, as well as outdoor activities. We're in the process of bringing this feature up again for the season, so please be patient as we work to get this into a rhythm.
MCAL _ MEMBER CALENDAR EVENTS. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Bronx Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Bronx MCAL Member Events Calendar to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Assn Hosts Mayor's Public Engagement Unit aka PEU - See MCAL link above for details.
Things To Do This Weekend & Next Week on Staten Island NYC
Annual Golf Outing with the Lighthouse Museum & New Dorp Moravian Market
In the photo above or at right, taken in a prior year on northern Staten Island. The views of Staten Island not only encompass Manhattan and New Jersey, but also the south and western ends of Brooklyn, as depicted in this photo.
Also see NYC citywide events above.
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Annual Golf Outing with the National Lighthouse Museum. For details and tickets copy & paste - https://lighthousemuseum.org.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 10 am to 2 pm - Rummage / Trash to Treasure Sale - at New Dorp Moravian Church at 2205 Richmond Road on Staten Island. There will be donated items for sale. Clothing, bed linens and large furniture items not accepted as donations. Free entry. For details see - https://www.newdorpmoravian.org/event/trash-to-treasure-sale/
Coming Next Week.
Yankee Peddler Day is coming to the HRT in Staten Island on May 17, 2026. Details coming next week, generally on Fridays, late.
And Pridefest and the annual Spring Outdoor Market in on the south end of Staten Island is coming in early June, a month later than last year. We'll provide details as we get closer in.
See events calendar below for arts, music, dance and other cultural, as well as outdoor activities. We're in the process of bringing this feature up again for the season, so please be patient as we work to get this into a rhythm.
MCAL _ MEMBER EVENTS CALENDAR. Use this link for new member sign up and posting - Staten Buzz New Member Sign Up. Click this link Staten Island Events - Member Events to view free posts made by arts, cultural and community groups.
Have a nice beginning of May weekend.