This Weekend At A Glance
- #1 — First Taste 001 (an 8it experience): Saturday, Sep 19 · 2–8 PM · LilliStar Rooftop, Williamsburg, Brooklyn · Tiered ticket pricing with limited tickets available at the door
- Feast Of San Gennaro (100th Year): Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 27, 2026 · Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston Streets, Little Italy, Manhattan · Free admission
- Queens Night Market (Fall Opening): Saturday, Sep 19 · 4 PM–midnight · Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens · Free admission
- NYC Broadway Week (Final Weekend): Through Sunday, Sep 20 · Theater District, Manhattan · 2-for-1 with code 241BWSHOW
- Washington Square Park Folk Festival: Sunday, Sep 20 · 1 PM · Greenwich Village, Manhattan · Free
Secure your spot at First Taste 001
The Weekend, Day By Day
Friday, September 18
1. Dumbo Pizza Party — DUMBO, Brooklyn · starting at 5 PM · Free
The DUMBO Archway on Water Street at Anchorage Place goes car-free for an evening of $2 slices from Ziggy’s, Juliana’s, Grimaldi’s, and Ignazio’s. Expect gelato, live music from The Jelly, and free kids’ activities. Arrive early because the best slices disappear fast.
2. Movies With A View (Season Finale) — Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, Brooklyn Heights · 6 PM lawn open, film at sunset · Free
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Movies With A View series closes its 2026 season with a free screening of How to Train Your Dragon on the Harbor View Lawn at Pier 1. Seating is first come, first served, so bring a blanket and claim a spot.
3. Return Of The Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi — Lower Manhattan · 5–7:30 PM · Free
Forty life-size buffalo puppets made from recycled materials process from Bowling Green Park to Foley Square. Gospel choirs, marching bands, and tribal ceremonies created with Lenape and Lakota elders turn the route into a moving performance. The procession continues through Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon.
Save your First Taste ticket now
Saturday, September 19
1. First Taste 001 (an 8it experience) — LilliStar Rooftop, 353 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn · 2–8 PM · Tiered ticket pricing with limited tickets available at the door · 21+
First Taste 001 is the weekend’s headline pick. This one-day-only rooftop food-and-culture drop offers a tightly capped crowd and a full afternoon of exclusive experiences. Every dish, drink, DJ set, and drop happens only at First Taste 001 on September 19.
The food program focuses on collaborations that debut here and stay here:
- Chinese Sausage & Peppers Detroit-Style Pie — Potluck Club × Ace’s Pizza. Order this first.
- Bánh Mì Empanada — Titi’s Empanadas × After Eden. Two downtown staples in one bite.
- The Big OREO Roll — Loser’s Eating House × Oreo. A collab that feels like a surprise.
Every ticket includes a complimentary Hennessy welcome sip. Cocktails by Gelo of After Eden and a new Hennessy Ready-to-Serve cocktail created for this event round out the drinks.
The music lineup features 1-of-1 DJ sets from Sunny Cheeba b2b Curly Nez, Just Dimy, Rae Sada, and Dos Flakos. New York Penn also drops a limited-run jacket on-site.
Practical Tip: Buy advance tickets at the link below to lock in the lower tier. Tables are available for groups that want a home base.
Grab advance access to First Taste 001
2. Queens Night Market (Fall Opening Night) — Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens · 4 PM–midnight · Free
Queens Night Market opens its fall 2026 season behind the New York Hall of Science and runs on Saturdays through October 31, 2026. Over 100 independent vendors sell merchandise, art, and food from dozens of countries. Most food items stay in the $5–$6 range per plate. Take the 7 train to 111th Street and walk four blocks south.
3. Feast Of San Gennaro (100th Year) — Mulberry Street, Little Italy, Manhattan · Free admission
The 100th Annual Feast of San Gennaro runs through September 27, with the traditional Feast Day of San Gennaro on September 19 and the Grand Procession on September 26. Expect peak street energy on those dates. Arrive in the late afternoon to enjoy the atmosphere before the biggest evening crowds. Food and games cost extra, while admission stays free.
4. Steuben Parade — Fifth Avenue, 68th to 86th Street, Upper East Side · Free
The 69th German-American Steuben Parade marches north on Fifth Avenue from 68th to 86th Street with marching bands, floats, and traditional German attire. Festivities often spill into Central Park afterward. Watching from the sidewalk costs nothing.
Lock in your Saturday at First Taste 001
Sunday, September 20
1. Washington Square Park Folk Festival — Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Manhattan · 1 PM · Free
The 16th annual Washington Square Park Folk Festival returns with four free afternoon sets presented by the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music. No ticket or RSVP is required. Bring a blanket and drop in for as long as you like.
2. African American Day Parade — Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd, 111th to 137th Streets, Harlem · Parade from 12:30 PM · Free
The 57th Annual African American Day Parade steps off at 12:30 PM with the 2026 theme “Good Businesses Sustain Our Future.” Marching bands, floats, and community organizations fill the route. Spectators line the boulevard for a free, high-energy afternoon.
3. FAD Market Open Streets On Montague — Montague Street, Brooklyn Heights · 12–6 PM · Free
Montague Street goes car-free with over 70 local vendors at the September 20, 2026 edition. Expect handmade jewelry, apparel, accessories, and artisanal food. Entry is free, and leashed pets are welcome.
4. NYC Broadway Week (Final Day) — Theater District, Manhattan · Various showtimes
Today marks the last day of NYC Broadway Week’s fall 2026 edition, which offers 2-for-1 tickets to 25 Broadway shows. Performances run September 8–20, 2026, with titles like Wicked, Hadestown, Oh, Mary!, The Lion King, and The Rocky Horror Show. Use code 241BWSHOW at checkout. Availability varies by show and date, so book before tonight.
Plan Sunday around First Taste 001
More Events Worth Knowing About
Several other events fill out the weekend. Bushwick Open Studios 2026 runs Friday, September 18 through Sunday, September 20, with hours varying by venue and free access to hundreds of studios, galleries, and creative spaces. The New York Transit Museum Bus Festival takes over Emily Warren Roebling Plaza in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Saturday from 10 AM–3:30 PM with vintage buses, including a 1931 enclosed double-decker, and free entry.
Smorgasburg Williamsburg runs Saturdays from 11 AM–6 PM at Marsha P. Johnson State Park with more than 70 vendors from April through October. Smorgasburg Prospect Park runs Sunday from 11 AM–6 PM at Breeze Hill. The Autumn Moon Festival at Snug Harbor’s New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden on September 19, 2026 charges $12 in advance online and $15 in person. It runs Saturday from 2–5 PM with traditional performances and hands-on crafts.
The Morningside Lights lantern procession steps off Saturday at 8 PM from Morningside Park and proceeds rain or shine. On the music side, Gustavo Dudamel opens his first season as New York Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director with subscription concerts at David Geffen Hall on September 18–19, 2026. Harry Styles’ 30-night Madison Square Garden residency, part of his “Together, Together” tour, runs from September 18 through October 31, 2026 with shows on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Reserve your First Taste experience
What This Weekend Reveals
Two patterns define September 18–20, 2026. Debuts and finales land on the same weekend: First Taste 001 launches as a one-day-only event, Broadway Week closes its fall run on Sunday, Queens Night Market opens its fall season on Saturday, and Movies With A View ends its season Friday night. Free programming dominates the calendar, from the Feast of San Gennaro and Queens Night Market to Bushwick Open Studios, the Folk Festival, the Steuben Parade, the African American Day Parade, and the Buffalo procession.
Strong options appear across Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island at the same time. Planning hinges more on geography than on budget. For anyone chasing the rarest single experience, First Taste 001 stands out as a one-time opportunity with a firm ticket cap and a hard stop at 8 PM.
Claim one of the limited First Taste tickets
Practical Reader Guidance
By Occasion: For a group night out with food at the center, choose First Taste 001 on Saturday for a rooftop setting, DJs, exclusive dishes, and a jacket drop in one place. For a free family Saturday, pair the Feast of San Gennaro in the afternoon with the Morningside Lights procession at 8 PM. For a Sunday wind-down, combine the Folk Festival in Washington Square Park with a Broadway matinee using the 241BWSHOW code.
By Budget: Most of this weekend’s programming is free. The main ticketed events to plan around are First Taste 001, Broadway Week shows with half-price seats using the code, and the Autumn Moon Festival at Snug Harbor. Markets, parades, outdoor screenings, and the Folk Festival all offer free entry.
Transit Notes: For First Taste 001 at LilliStar Rooftop, head to 353 Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For Queens Night Market, ride the 7 train to 111th Street and walk four blocks south. For the Feast of San Gennaro, use the 6 train to Spring Street or Canal Street. Broadway Week shows cluster in the Theater District, so any train to Times Square or 42nd Street works.
For passenger and small commercial vehicles with a valid E-ZPass, congestion pricing charges $9 during peak periods (5 a.m.–9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. weekends) and $2.25 overnight. This fee is charged once per day for entering local streets and avenues in Manhattan south of and including 60 Street. Exceptions include the FDR Drive, West Side Highway/Route 9A, and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connections to West Street.
Reservations: First Taste 001 uses tiered ticket pricing, and only a limited number of tickets are available at the door. Broadway Week availability varies by show, so book now for Sunday performances. Whitney Museum Free Friday Nights from 5–10 PM require a ticket, and advance tickets are recommended and available up to five weeks ahead. Everything else on this list works as walk-up.
Book First Taste before prices rise
Frequently Asked Questions
Is There Anything Going On In NYC This Weekend, September 18–20, 2026?
This weekend ranks among the busiest of the fall. Highlights include First Taste 001 on Saturday, a one-day-only rooftop food-and-culture drop in Williamsburg, the 100th Annual Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy, the Queens Night Market fall opening on Saturday night in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and the final day of NYC Broadway Week’s 2-for-1 ticket offer on Sunday. Bushwick Open Studios runs all three days, the African American Day Parade steps off Sunday in Harlem, and the Washington Square Park Folk Festival closes the weekend with free afternoon sets.
What Are The Best Free Things To Do In NYC This Weekend?
Top free picks include the Feast of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street, with free admission and paid food, and the Queens Night Market fall opening on Saturday from 4 PM to midnight. The Washington Square Park Folk Festival on Sunday from 1 PM, the African American Day Parade on Sunday in Harlem, and the Return of the Buffalo puppet procession on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon all add strong options. Morningside Lights on Saturday at 8 PM, Bushwick Open Studios across all three days, the Dumbo Pizza Party on Friday from 5–8 PM with $2 slices, the Movies With A View season finale on Friday at Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the New York Transit Museum Bus Festival on Saturday morning round out the list.
What Should I Eat This Weekend In NYC?
The rarest food of the weekend appears at First Taste 001 on Saturday, with three dishes that exist only on September 19: the Chinese Sausage & Peppers Detroit-style pie from Potluck Club × Ace’s Pizza, the Bánh Mì Empanada from Titi’s Empanadas × After Eden, and The Big OREO Roll from Loser’s Eating House × Oreo. Every ticket also includes a complimentary Hennessy welcome sip. Beyond First Taste, the Feast of San Gennaro brings Italian street food to Mulberry Street, Queens Night Market offers 100+ vendors with most dishes in the $5–$6 range, and Smorgasburg runs both Saturday in Williamsburg and Sunday in Prospect Park with more than 70 vendors, including newer names like Rogers Burgers and Pizzeria Fantastica.
Is NYC Broadway Week Still Running This Weekend?
NYC Broadway Week continues through Sunday, September 20, 2026. The fall 2026 edition offers 2-for-1 tickets to 25 participating shows, including Wicked, Hadestown, The Lion King, Oh, Mary!, and The Rocky Horror Show. Use discount code 241BWSHOW at checkout. Availability varies by show and date, so book as early as possible for Sunday performances. The code UPBWSHOW works for seat upgrades on select shows.
How Do I Get First Taste 001 Tickets, And What Should I Know Before Going?
First Taste 001 uses tiered ticket pricing, and only a limited number of tickets are available at the door. Tables are $500 for groups that want reserved seating. The event is 21+ and runs Saturday, September 19 from 2–8 PM at LilliStar Rooftop at 353 Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Every dish, drink, DJ set, and the New York Penn jacket drop is exclusive to this event. Arrive early to catch all three food collaborations before they sell out.
Planning Your Food Stops This Weekend?
8it maps the exact dishes worth ordering near every stop on this itinerary, from the exclusive collabs at First Taste 001 to standout vendors at Smorgasburg and beyond. Skip screenshots and scattered notes. See the dish, who recommended it, and how to get there in one place.
