Best Things To Do In New York City This Weekend
So spring technically began on March 20, but April really marks the start of the season of renewal, greenery and outdoor fun. This weekend you can head to the start of Smorgasburg, participate in a pillow fight and much more. Read on for our picks in the best in eating, drinking and merrymaking in New York City this weekend. By Jessica Allen.
Photos: International Auto Show 2016
The largest car show in North America, the International Auto Show has been around since the early 1900s. The sets of wheels you'll see today are much different than those back then, of course, and it's fun to stroll around, even if you're not in the market for a new car. Indeed, the show features almost 1,000 cars and trucks, including "futuristic concept cars, " over four floors of display space. Friday, March 25, through Sunday, April 3, 10 am to 10 pm, $16, tickets required.
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An art fair for the 99 percent! Offering "affordable art," this annual fair features work by more than 500 artists from around the world, with more than half selling for less than $5,000. The idea is that art can -- and should -- be for everyone, not for a wealthy or privileged few. So go ahead and have a walk around—you never know what might catch your eye. Wednesday, March 30, through Sunday, April 3, $18, tickets required.
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Smorgasburg is back! After spending the winter hibernating at Industry City, in Sunset Park, the food market run by the folks behind Brooklyn Flea opens for the (outdoor) season this weekend, featuring such vendors as Bamboo Bites and Bombay Sandwich Company. On Saturdays, Smorgasburg takes place rain or shine at East River State Park; on Sundays, it migrates, weather-be-damned, to Prospect Park. Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, 11 am to 6 pm, food and drink prices vary.
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New York City has seen a vast increase in the production of craft alcohol in recent years, thanks to the repeal of Prohibition-era laws prohibiting the distillation of spirits within the five boroughs. See what's been brewing/fermenting at the annual NYC Craft Distillers Festival, featuring 60-odd craft spirits, live jazz music and an atmosphere straight out of the roaring 20s. Saturday, April 2, from 1 to 4 pm or from 7 to 10 pm, prices vary, tickets required, Gatsby-era duds suggested.
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Jammies are optional (but clothes are not) at the annual International Pillow Fight, exactly what it sounds like. You can bang out your aggression, act like you're seven again, or just wallop your friends with your favorite down-filled comfort item. Plus, you can take comfort in the fact that similar pillow fights are erupting around the globe, from Amsterdam to Atlanta to Achill Island, Ireland, or as the organizers put it: "[a]ny city worth living in has at least an annual pillow fight." Saturday, April 2, 3 pm, free.
