As with any major city around the world, there is always something going on in New York, with a large number of annual events and festivals taking place each year.
There are way too many for us to list here, so instead we’ve chosen ten events spread across the year that you might want to check out if they fit in with your travel plans…
New York Fashion Week - Feb/Sept
New York is a city with loads of appeal for fashion lovers at the best of times, but even more so when the semi-annual Fashion Week takes place.
The first is held in February with a second in September, providing the general public - alongside the press and potential buyers - with the chance to check out fresh designs and collections from some of the biggest names in the industry.
Expect to see events taking place across the city, with New York’s fashion week seen as one of the most important in the world.
New York Auto Show - March/April
The New York International Auto Show is held in late March or early April, and is one of the oldest shows of its kind in the world having first been held in the early 1900s.
Visitors to the show at the Javit’s Centre - located on Eleventh Avenue in Manhattan - are given the chance to see a number of new production and concept cars for the first time, with the event being used by a number of major manufacturers to debut new models.
Mercedes, Porsche and Toyota are amongst the brands to do just that back in 2019 when the event was last held before a COVID-enforced two-year hiatus that is due to end in 2022.
River to River Festival - June
The River to River Festival was added to the New York events scene in 2002 in response to 9/11 as a way to help the city recover from the devastating attack on the World Trade Centre.
The event is held in Downtown Manhattan and now organised by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and features live art and installations in a range of public spaces that are free and open to the public.
Dance, music and performance art are amongst the things that you can expect to see whilst the festival is taking place.
New York Pride - June
New York Pride is one of the largest events in the world for the LGBTQ community and takes place every June, with the highlight being the annual Pride March.
The march travels through Lower Manhattan and includes the Stonewall National Monument, which was the site of riots in the 1960s after members of the gay community fought back against police after they attempted to raid the Stonewall Inn.
It was seen as a landmark moment in the fight for equal rights for the LGBT community and is widely seen as an event that led to the birth of what is now known as gay pride.
Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest - July
Competitive eating is big business in the USA (quite literally) and one of the biggest annual events takes place in Brooklyn every July.
As the name suggests, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest sees a group of contestants go head-to-head to see who can eat the most hot dogs (and buns) over the course of ten minutes.
The event - organised by Major League Eating - is held at the Nathan's Famous, Inc. restaurant in Coney Island with those taking part having to qualify in order to take part. The world record for men stands at 76, and 48.5 for women.
US Open - August/September
The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season and takes place at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre - better known as Flushing Meadows - in Queens.
Scheduled to start on the final Monday of August, the event runs for two weeks and is one of the sporting highlights of the New York calendar as the best players in the world arrive in the city to do battle on the famous hard courts.
It’s a major draw for tourists, who head for the courts in their thousands to cheer on their favourite players.
New York Comic Con - October
Perfect for those who want to ‘geek out’, the New York Comic Con is an annual event dedicated to comics, cosplay, graphic novels and anime - amongst other things.
Held since 2006 at the Covits Centre, the Comic Con is hugely popular that has grown to the stage where more than 250,000 people attended in both 2018 and 2019 - the last events to be held before restrictions had to be put in place as a result of COVID-19.
Comic Con fans from around the globe welcome the chance to experience pop culture at its very best, with the chance to meet up like-minded fans as well as some of the leading comic artists and creators.
New York Marathon - November
Another major sporting event that draws in visitors from across the globe, the New York Marathon is held on the first Sunday in November and is one of the largest events of its type in the world.
Open to professionals and amateurs alike, the race is on the bucket list for many long distance runners as they look to take on the route, which starts on Staten Island before heading across the five boroughs of New York to the finish in Central Park.
Such is the popularity of the event, a lottery is held to determine who is lucky enough to earn a slot on the startline.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade - November
If you’re planning a trip to New York to take in Thanksgiving in late November then the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is an absolute must.
Lasting for the best part of three hours, the parade is one of the largest in the world and is held in Manhattan; coming to an end outside the flagship Macy’s store on Herald Square.
The parade has been held every year for nearly 100 years and features a raft of floats and balloons whilst there are also live performances from famous musicians and celebrities as well as from marching bands from across the USA. Such is the popularity of the parade, it is even broadcast live on TV.
Times Square Ball Drop - December
After the various events that take place across New York for Christmas, the Times Square Ball Drop is the one that then welcomes in the New Year - and which draws in some of the biggest crowds seen in the city all year.
The crowd in Times Square then gets to see the ball on top of One Times Square descend down its flagpole to reach the bottom at Midnight - kicking off the celebrations as a new year begins.