Best Things To Do In NYC This Weekend
Lots going on this weekend, including Super Bowl 50 and celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Herewith, what to see, do, eat, and experience in New York City on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. By Jessica Allen.
This year's Dance Concert and Pow Wow includes performances of an Iroquois smoke dance, a hoop dance, a Hopi eagle dance, a Yaqui deer dance, and a "jingle dress" dance from the people of the Northern Plains. All told, more than 10 tribes from the Iroquois and Native Peoples of the Northeast, Great Plains, and Southwest regions participate in the annual event, held by the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. Friday, Feb. 5, through Sunday, Feb. 14, see schedule for details, $10, tickets required.
The second annual Winter Carnival at Bryant Park celebrates the season with all kinds of snowy activities, from curling lessons to ice golf to a silent disco on the ice. 2016 US National Champion Adam Rippon, The Skyliners synchronized skating team, and athletes from the Special Olympics will also be on hand to show you how the pros glide. You can stay warm by playing a frosty game of ping pong, or by heading into the Brew House for trivia and live music and DJs. Friday, Feb. 5, and Saturday, Feb. 6, 12 to 10 p.m., free.
Organized by the parents of Figure Skating in Harlem, the annual Soul on Ice Winter Skating Party features food, music, a raffle, time on the ice, meets-and-greets with Olympians, and demonstrations by Figure Skating of Harlem, which seeks to "combin[e] the power of education with the discipline of figure skating to transform young lives and help underserved girls achieve academic success, physical health, and emotional well-being." This sounds like a worthy cause to us. Saturday, Feb. 6, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., $15, tickets at the door.
This weekend you can visit a vineyard in Times Square. A ticket to the NYC Winter Wine Festival gets you three hours of access to more than 250 wines from around the world, including South Africa, Portugal, Japan, and California, along with a selection of light nibbles, plus a souvenir wine glass with custom etching. You can also sway away to live jazz. Consider the VIP package, which offers wines that have scored a 90+ point rating on critics' scales. Saturday, Feb. 6, 3 to 6 p.m. or 8 to 11 p.m., $89, tickets required, must be 21+.
The Gruccis know their way around fireworks. Now in its sixth generation, Fireworks by Grucci have lit up the night sky in celebration in some of the world's most impressive destinations. To celebrate the Year of the Monkey, they'll be bringing their pyrotechnic talents to the Hudson River, illuminating designs by the China Central Academy of Fine Arts. Accompanying the show will be music by Tan Dun (a simulcast, not live). You'll be able to see the display along the river in Midtown Manhattan and New Jersey. Saturday, Feb. 6, 8:30 p.m., free.