Our list of fun and low-cost things to do with kids in Brooklyn this September includes several concerts, fall fairs and festivals, and more in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, Canarsie, Coney Island, Crown Heights, DUMBO, Fort Greene, and beyond.
Bike Tour at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard, Vinegar Hill
Sept. 2
For something fun, recreational, and educational, try the Bike Tour at Brooklyn Navy Yard. You’ll explore the newly rejuvenated Navy Yard, learn about its history, and also learn how its new industrial park is leading the way in urban sustainability. Advance tickets are required. Bikes are available at nearby CitiBike depots.
Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival
Fort Greene
Sept. 7
Cynthia Holiday, Taeko Fukao, and the Eric Frazier Quintet lead the roster at this showcase of jazz talent that reside in and around Fort Greene but are internationally renowned. FREE!
Block Party
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Crown Heights
Sept. 14-15
Kids let their imaginations soar to new heights as they explore a unique assortment of blocks. They can build an imaginary castle with foam blocks, map out a new neighborhood with wooden ones, or use cardboard blocks to create whimsical patterns.
Sweetbeatz in Concert
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Crown Heights
Sept. 21
Sweetbeatz is Meredith Wright, a theater artist, musician, songwriter, and early childhood educator. Wright is also an accomplished and super-talented vocalist with a lush, soulful, jazz-infected style that works well with her equally soulful, often-jazzy, always bouncy children’s music. Wright’s prime audience seems to be the 5-and-younger crowd, based on her songs, which lyrically cover the simple activities of daily living: doing laundry, having play dates, going swimming, exploring the neighborhood, and growing up in the city. Wright’s music often embeds the clamor of city life within an adult contemporary sound: acoustic guitars plucking away with gentle percussion rhythms and Wright’s sensual voice. Elsewhere, uptempo rhythms and themes seem determined to create a lively dance party. Ultimately, the kids and grownups will enjoy this combination of Wright’s many musical moods.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s
West 15th Street and the Boardwalk, Coney Island
Sept. 22
Alzheimer’s Disease is not a normal part of aging, and being forgetful and confused does not go hand-in-hand with the normal aging process. Such is the message that the Alzheimer’s Association wishes to convey. We all seem to know or know of someone affected by this rather sad disease. And while there have been some great advances in medical research toward finding a cure, there’s never enough money to pay for it. Which is why events like the Walk to End Alzheimer’s happen throughout the country. This 3-mile walk on the Coney Island Boardwalk is the perfect opportunity to, individually or as a team, raise money and donate to this important mission. You can set a personal fundraising goal (say, $250) and find sponsors. Or you can walk by making a personal donation ($35 minimum). Kids and dogs are welcome to participate.
DUMBO Arts Festival
Main Street, DUMBO
Sept. 27-29
Like many of NYC’s “hip” neighborhoods, DUMBO began its ascent to popularity when artists began moving into then-inexpensive loft space in the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge (DUMBO is an acronym for Down Under [the] Manhattan Bridge Overpass). The inevitable rebirth of an otherwise forgotten neighborhood has led to a hugely popular destination for people who admire the neighborhood for its artist enclave vibe and its commercial offerings. The DUMBO Arts Festival celebrates DUMBO’s renown as an artists’ neighborhood with more than 500 local, national, and international artists displaying work that transcends disciplines. Visitors can explore 100 individual studios and 50 galleries and stages featuring fine art as well as plenty of music, dance, performance art, and other performing arts disciplines. You’ll observe muralists working away on the street, digital art, and indoor and outdoor exhibitions. You may also find yourself part of a strange social experiment under the guise of “art.” The kids will enjoy hands-on art-making and learning via the Children’s Museum of the Arts, which will have an outpost at the festival. FREE!
Fall Fairs and Festivals in NYC
Throughout Brooklyn and beyond
Throughout September
Summer is over, the kids are heading back to school, and stay-at-home parents are getting their lives back. The leaves on the trees are changing, and you can start drinking red wine again. Ring in the new season with a bevy of fall fairs and festivals happening in Brooklyn and throughout NYC—find the full list here.
More Fun
Head out of the city this fall to pick your own apples at a nearby farm or orchard
Search our full calendar of events for even more fun family activities in the NYC area
