Sure, sometimes it seems uncertain that the warmth will ever stick around long enough to properly enjoy it, but considering it’s almost spring and the sun has been shining quite a lot, it’s safe to say winter is almost behind us.
Which is to say, it’s time to do some exploring! If you’re looking for plans during this magical time of year, here’s a list of the best things to see and do in NYC this spring!
1. Cherry blossoms
You can spend a beautiful day walking around NYC taking totally Instagrammable pictures with the pink and white blooms. Although predictions are pointing towards a later mid-April bloom, we can still expect a city of full beautiful colors this spring.
Both Central Park and Brooklyn Botanic Garden are just some of our favorite to view them (they’re already in pre-peak!), but the options are truly endless.
That means it’s time to study up on the best places to see cherry blossoms in NYC so you can beat the crowd!
2. The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism
The New York Botanical Garden’s 2025 iteration of The Orchid Show is one of the best spring outings, and their theme this year is Mexican Modernism.
The exhibit is inspired by Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán (1902–1988), and features thousands of organic textures and bright colors from the country on display.
Snap photos of this tropical beauty, discover the orchids carefully situated into color walls and fountains, and even visit for “Orchid Nights” for after dark music, food, and drinks. It’s a must-hit!
🌺 Learn more about The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism
3. Macy’s Flower Show
Making its return once again, Macy’s Iconic Flower Show is set to bloom again this spring beginning April 27th through May 11th at Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square.
While this year’s theme hasn’t been announced quite yet, expect a collaboration with a particular brand or theme to bring the store to life. Last year’s iteration was in partnership with Dior.
🌼 Learn more about Macy’s Flower Show.
4. Governors Island glamping
Governors Island’s lovely glamping experience is a great way to roll into the warmer weather!
Camp under the stars and enjoy morning meditation, culinary classes, and campfire s’mores as you stare out at the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. Accommodations are able to be booked now, and activities are always running!
⛺ Learn more about Governors Island glamping
5. Rooftop bars in NYC
Raise the roof because the temperatures are creeping up! One of the best things to do in warm weather is enjoy a nice rooftop cocktail and these NYC bars are the best place to do it!
Take in skyline views and nestle onto a rooftop bar’s patio to get that ultimate Spring Fever feeling.
🍸 See our list of best rooftop bars in NYC.
6. Spring Broadway debuts
Broadway’s spring season is getting ready to kickoff, and that means plenty of production debuts we’re already eyeing. From brand new musicals to star-studded plays, we’ve hand-picked a few shows that you should be on your Spring Broadway Bucket List:
- BOOP! The Musical: The iconic character Betty Boop gets reimagined on Broadway by a cast of Jasmine Amy Rogers as Betty and Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell as director and choreographer (Opens April 5th).
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow: Teleport to the Upside Down as Netflix’s smash TV show Stranger Things comes to Broadway (Opens March 28th).
- Good Night, and Good Luck: Ilana Glazer and George Clooney star in the iconic push-and-pull tale between journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy (Opens April 5th).
🎭 See the full list of upcoming and current Broadway shows
7. Free Tulip Day
New York City’s annual Tulip Day is set to return to Union Square on Sunday, March 30th, 2025, bringing a vibrant splash of color to welcome spring.
Visitors will have the opportunity to pick their own free bouquet of ten tulips from a stunning display of 170,000 blooms. This cherished spring event promises to transform Union Square into a floral paradise, offering a perfect photo opportunity and a chance to bring home a touch of European floral heritage.
Remember to reserve your free ticket starting March 17th to participate in this colorful celebration.
📍 Union Square
🗓️ Sunday, March 30th, 2025, 11:30 am – 4 pm
8. Queens Night Market
One our favorite NYC night markets is returning to the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring, happening every Saturday night starting April 12th.
The open-air night market will feature up to 100 vendors selling one-of-a-kind merchandise, art, and food! The best part is that their $5/6 cap on food prices will remain intact this year!
9. Candlelight Spring concerts
Get into the spirit of springtime by attending a Candlelight Spring concert at a breathtaking venue in the city. As well as illuminating unique spaces with countless candles, these mesmerizing performances feature what appears to be a meadow of flowers. And with tributes to Whitney Houston, The Beatles, and more to choose from, there’s a performance for every kind of music lover.
🕯️ Discover your next Candlelight adventure here.
10. Brunch in New York City
We love brunch. But in the spring…we love OUTDOOR brunch! Start your spring morning with some tasty pancakes and mimosas before hitting Central Park for a little stroll. Because trust us, nothing beats a little fresh air and some mimosas.
🥞 See our favorite places to have brunch in NYC
11. Easter Parade & Easter Bonnet Festival
The annual vibrant Easter Parade & Easter Bonnet Festival will happen this spring on Easter Sunday when everyone is welcome to join near St. Patrick’s Cathedral in their holiday attire. The celebration is all about the bonnets of course, and the outfits to match.
The parade begins at 10 am on Easter Sunday (April 20th).
🐰 Learn more Easter Parade & Easter Bonnet Festival.
12. Grand reopening of The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection is set to reopen this spring (April 17th), after multiple years of renovation! The Upper East Side museum will debut their restored first-floor galleries and new second-floor galleries, as well as brand new education rooms, a 220-seat auditorium, and so much more.
Whether or not you’re familiar with this UES institution, you’ve got to swing by and check out an exhibit or two this spring.
📍 1 E 70th St
13. Free tickets to the Vessel
The Vessel at Hudson Yards is offering free tickets to New Yorkers every Thursday starting this March.
This iconic NYC attraction will make tickets available online on the last Friday of each month for the following month. Locals can explore this architectural marvel at no cost with a valid ID. The structure has reopened with new safety features, including steel mesh barriers on the upper levels.
📍 Hudson Yards
🗓️ Starting March 2025, every Thursday
14. The opening of Davis Center at Harlem Meer
Get ready for a game-changing addition to Central Park! The highly-anticipated Davis Center at the Harlem Meer is set to open in spring 2025.
This massive 11-acre recreation center will feature NYC’s eighth-largest swimming pool, an ice skating rink, and a turf field. The $160 million project aims to reconnect visitors with nature, offering year-round programs and facilities for all ages.
🌳 Learn more about Davis Center at Harlem Meer
15. St. Patrick’s Day in NYC
This March, embrace the Irish spirit with a variety of St. Patrick’s Day events in NYC.
From attending the iconic St. Patrick’s Day Parade to enjoying Irish pub crawls and traditional music, there’s something for everyone.
🍀 See full list of St. Patrick’s Day events in NYC
16. Joan Didion archival exhibit at NYPL
This spring, literary enthusiasts can delve into the world of iconic writer Joan Didion at the New York Public Library.
The exhibit features over 300 boxes of mostly private archival material, offering a unique glimpse into Didion’s life and work. Visitors can explore typescripts from interviews with notable figures, dinner party menus with celebrity guests, and even Didion’s “Babyhood” book.
This free exhibition provides an unparalleled opportunity to understand the intellectual journey of one of America’s most influential writers.
📍 NYPL Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (476 Fifth Ave)
🗓️ Beginning Wednesday, March 26, 2025
17. Hanami Nights at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is about to be in full bloom for spring, and that means all the flowers are out and about!
On April 22nd – 25th (5 – 8:30 pm), they’ll be hosting Hanami Nights, encouraging visitors to come find a spot on Cherry Esplanade to enjoy the cherry blossoms, lit up for maximum effect! There will be live performances, a bar selling Japanese beer and cocktails, pop-up food vendors, and more!
🌸 Learn more about Hanami Nights
18. BAM’s Winter/Spring 2025 Season
BAM’s spring 2025 season is now full underway and there’s plenty of programs that should catch your eye. Some of which include the Paul Mescal-led revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, as well as Barrie Kosky’s The Threepenny Opera, and Whitney White’s Macbeth in Stride.
There’s also the typical productions by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Batsheva Dance Company and Dance Africa as well.
💃 Learn more about BAM’s Winter/Spring 2025 season
19. Amy Sherald: American Sublime at The Whitney
Amy Sherald’s newest exhibition lands at The Whitney on April 9th, featuring nearly 50 of her works from the past couple decades.
The artist, whose best known for her portrait of first lady Michelle Obama (pictured above), will showcase her solo pieces that depict privileged Black Americans in an “everyday people” sort of way.
It’s one of our most picks for best upcoming art exhibits coming to NYC this spring.
20. New York City Football Club Soccer
New York City FC‘s season is officially underway and heading to a game this spring is a fun way to get outdoors! Come see star players like James Sands, Maxi Moralez, and more score goals at a packed out Yankee Stadium!
21. Frieze New York
One of the world’s most renowned international art fairs, Art Frieze, will return to The Shed this May (7th – 11th) featuring more than 65 galleries spanning 25 countries.
Many renowned New York-based galleries will be participating this year (including Pace Gallery and David Zwirner to name a few), with many international ones too. There’s also set to be a Focus section, dedicated to solo presentations of emerging and lesser-known artists.
🖼️ Learn more about Frieze New York 2025.
22. Outdoor public art
New York is known for its vibrant art culture and spring is one of the best times to head outdoors and see all the public art installations there is to find around the city! From statues to street art, anything in New York is a canvas.
Check out some of our favorite public art exhibits like “Love Continuum” and “The Gates” here.
23. Tribeca Film Festival
This festival gives movie lovers the chance to chase movies all over Manhattan in theaters from Tribeca up to Chelsea and goes on from June 4th – 15th this year. Get ready to check out innovative storytelling across film, TV, immersive, games, talks, audio storytelling, and more!
🎥 Learn more about Tribeca Film Festival.
24. Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month and that means celebrating all of the fantastic women-led elements of our great city. From supporting locally female-owned businesses to attending performances and exhibitions illustrating female success, there are so many ways to celebrate. Check out all our favorite women-focused events happening across the month here and get involved!
25. Holi
NYC’s colorful Hindu holiday Holi is happening this year on March 14th, and there are plenty of events going on to celebrate! From limited-time Indian food menus to full on powder parties, get ready to see a splash of colors like never before.
🕉️ See our favorite events for Holi in NYC here!
26. New York City Ballet’s spring season
See the city’s greatest choreography this spring as the New York City Ballet’s spring season runs from April 22nd – June 1st.
Highlights of the program include returns of Divertimento No. 15 and Scotch Symphony, Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky’s Solitude, Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain and Kyle Abraham’s When We Fell, and a season closer of George Balanchine’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
🩰 Learn more about NYCB’s Spring ’25 season.
27. Fleet Week
Get up close and personal with the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard at Fleet Week which will return this spring!
Happening from May 23rd – 26th, NYC locals and tourists alike will be able to explore public ships, check out a variety of military demonstrations, and much more! Stay tuned for more details coming soon.
28. New York Yankees & New York Mets game
Spring marks the official start of baseball season, and baseball games are way too fun to miss out on! Opening Day is officially set for March 27th for the Yankees and April 4th for the Mets. Make sure you add one to your calendar!
⚾ Full MLB schedule sand tickets.
29. Squid Game: The Experience
Experience the classic Netflix show Squid Game in real life while it’s still in NYC this spring! Fans of the show can test their luck and try different challenges inspired by the show (including Red Light, Green Light), as well as shop for officially licensed merchandise and try out themed food and drinks!
🔺 Buy your tickets to Squid Game: The Experience
30. Bronx Night Market
You know spring is around the corner when NYC’s tasty food festivals start to return, and on April 5th the Bronx Night Market will be back and happening on the first Saturday of the month through October!
Returning for its eighth season, the mouth-watering market will be serving up some of the best global cuisine the city has to offer. We’re talking 50+ vendors featuring food from over 20+ countries. What could be a better way than ringing in spring with a mac & cheese fried burrito or watermelon pizza?
🫔 Learn more about Bronx Night Market.