Free & Paid Things to Do in NYC This November 2025
You can tell November’s in full swing when the city feels caught between fall strolls and early holiday chaos. One day you’re chasing the last bit of autumn color in Central Park, and the next you’re planning which market or concert to hit next. That’s why this guide to free & paid things to do in NYC this November 2025 highlights the best ways to enjoy it all. And since a quick trip beyond the city can be a nice change of pace, I’ve included a few great picks outside NYC, too. November’s too good to spend inside.
To avoid surprises, always check the event’s official pages for updates. While entry is free, be prepared for potential RSVP requirements or separate fees for food, drinks, and special activities.
The Ultimate NYC November Guide: Marathon, Thanksgiving & More
Free Fun Events & Activities
2025 TCS New York City Marathon
Even if running isn’t your thing, cheering definitely can be. The TCS NYC Marathon is one of those classic New York moments — thousands of runners, five boroughs, and crowd energy. And yep, it’s one of the best free & paid things to do in NYC this November 2025 tickets.
- When: November 2, 2025
- Where: Starts on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, climbs over five major bridges throughout the boroughs, and finishes in Central Park.
- Tickets: Watch most of the race for free between mile 3 and mile 26. Grandstand Seating tickets are also available.
- Website: https://www.nyrr.org
- Best For: Fitness fans and people-watchers.
Grand Bazaar NYC
Vintage finds, handmade jewelry, and street food? The Grand Bazaar offers the perfect lazy Sunday activity and is one of those underrated free events in NYC today.
- November 2 – Wellness Weekend
- November 9 – One Of A Kind Bazaar
- November 16 – Autumn Bazaar
- November 23 – Homecoming Bazaar
- November 30 – Grand Holiday Bazaar
- Where: 100 West 77th St., New York
- Tickets: Free admission
- Website: https://grandbazaarnyc.org
- Best For: Bargain hunters and casual weekend explorers.
FAD Market – Fall Pop-Up at Empire Stores
Weekend plans without the guilt? FAD Market pops up in DUMBO with 50+ indie vendors selling everything from jewelry to handmade soaps. It’s one of the best free things to do in NYC next week if you’re feeling artsy.
- When: November 8-9, 2025
- Where: lobby of Empire Stores (53-83 Water Street, Brooklyn)
- Tickets: Free admission
- Website: https://fadmarket.co
- Best For: Local shoppers and casual browsers.
JAPAN Fes
The smell alone is enough reason to go. JAPAN Fes takes over NYC streets with ramen, takoyaki, mochi, and every delicious thing in between. Perfect for anyone hunting for fun activities in NYC for adults that don’t involve another bar night.
- When: November 8 & 15, 2025
- Where: East Village
- Tickets: Free admission
- Website: https://www.japanfes.com
- Best For: Foodies and curious eaters.
Studio Museum in Harlem Reopening
After years of anticipation, the Studio Museum in Harlem is set to reopen. And it has a free community event for all ages on opening day, making it one of the most exciting things to do in New York for free this month.
- When: November 15, 2025
- Where: 144 W 125th St, New York
- Tickets: Free to $19
- Website: https://www.studiomuseum.org
- Best For: Art enthusiasts.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The giant balloons are back, the marching bands are marching, and Broadway’s best are belting out show tunes at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
- When: November 27, 2025
- Where: The Parade will travel 2.5 miles on Thanksgiving morning, ending at the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.
- Tickets: Free to watch
- Website: https://www.macys.com
- Best For: Parade lovers, kids, and out-of-towners.
Queens Craft Brigade
Support local artists and pick up gifts that mean something at Queens Craft Brigade. Handmade jewelry, indie art, and fashion — all in one laid-back market. It’s part shopping spree, part hangout.
- When: November 29, 2025
- Where: QED (27-16 23rd Ave, Astoria)
- Tickets: Free admission
- Website: https://queenscraftbrigade.com
- Best For: Creative types and gift-hunters.
Seaport Pumpkin Arch
The Seaport Pumpkin Arch is back. Stroll by during the day for pretty skyline views or swing by at night when it lights up. Either way, it’s peak fall aesthetic and one of the most photogenic things to do in NYC this weekend.
- When: Until November 17, 2025
- Where: Heineken Riverdeck, North Side of Pier 17 (89 South Street, New York)
- Tickets: Free admission
- Website: https://theseaport.nyc
- Best For: Couples and photo lovers.
Paid & Ticketed Things To Do
Halloween Vinyl Nights
Still holding on to the spooky season? Lace up your skates for Vinyl Nights: Night of the Zombies — disco, funk, and Thriller dancers doing their thing. Bonus points if you show up in costume.
- When: November 1, 2025
- Where: 262 Starr St. Bushwick, Brooklyn
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://vinylnightsnyc.com
- Best For: 21+ skaters and night owls.
The New York Comedy Festival
Need a laugh before winter fully takes over your mood? The New York Comedy Festival is back with over 200 comedians. It’s one of the biggest November events NYC 2025 has to offer, where legends meet podcast stars.
- When: November 7-16, 2025
- Where: Multiple venues
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://nycomedyfestival.com
- Best For: Comedy lovers.
NYBG Holiday Train Show
NYC’s most charming holiday tradition is back — the Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Garden. Mini trains weave through a tiny version of the city made entirely of plants. It’s the event that quietly kicks off the holiday season.
- When: November 15, 2025-January 11, 2026
- Where: 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.nybg.org
- Best For: Families and date nights.
The Big Shabbat
Now this is a dinner party. The Big Shabbat at Javits North is aiming for a Guinness World Record with 3,000 guests sharing challah, salmon, and a fun atmosphere.
- When: November 21, 2025
- Where: North Javits (445 11th Avenue, New York)
- Tickets: Currently sold out, but you can join the waitlist.
- Website: https://www.thebigshabbat.com
- Best For: Foodies and community-minded New Yorkers.
Cityside Pumpkin Patch
Fall’s not over till the last pumpkin’s smashed and at Cityside Pumpkin Patch, that’s kind of the point. Perched on The Summer Club rooftop, this massive Halloween hangout turns the city skyline into your fall playground.
- When: Until November 2, 2025
- Where: The Summer Club (8-08 Queens Plaza S, Long Island City)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://citysidepumpkinpatch.com
- Best For: Families, date nights, and couples.
FRIGID New York’s Days of the Dead Festival
Can’t quite let go of the spooky season? FRIGID New York offers horror plays, death-themed acts, musical performances, and more.
- When: Until November 2, 2025
- Where: UNDER St Marks Theater (94 St. Marks Place, New York)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://frigid.nyc
- Best For: Theater lovers and the goth at heart.
Halloween Harvest at Luna Park
Coney Island’s Halloween Harvest has all the charm of fall with carnival flair, where you’ll enjoy pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating, and apple-flavored everything. It’s a fun send-off before winter kicks in.
- When: Until November 2, 2025
- Where: 1000 Surf Ave, Brooklyn
- Tickets: Get wristbands here.
- Website: https://lunaparknyc.com
- Best For: Families and thrill-seekers.
Blood Manor
If jump scares are your cardio, Blood Manor delivers. With 10,000 square feet of haunted chaos, it’s where horror fans go to scream, laugh, and immediately question their life choices.
- When: Until November 8, 2025
- Where: 359 Broadway, New York
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.bloodmanor.com
- Best For: Adrenaline junkies and brave couples.
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
Still not over fall? Same. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze keeps the pumpkin magic going with thousands of hand-carved lanterns lighting up the night. It’s mesmerizing and one of the top 10 things to do in New York before winter rolls in.
- When: Until November 16, 2025
- Where: Van Cortlandt Manor (525 S Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://pumpkinblaze.org
- Best For: Families and couples.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail
The New York Botanical Garden brings Jack Skellington and Sally to life with glowing lights, music, and spooky-sweet nostalgia. Bring the kids or your inner kid, and enjoy this magical crossover between Halloween and Christmas.
- When: Until November 30, 2025
- Where: 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://thenightmarebeforechristmaslighttrail.com
- Best For: Families and Tim Burton fans.
Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tours
Catch this before it disappears for the season. Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tour glides through Brooklyn’s haunted history with ghost stories and the right dose of “wait, is this real?”
- When: September-November 2025
- Where: 510 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn
- Tickets: $69
- Website: https://www.madamemorbid.com
- Best For: History buffs and spooky date nights.
Concerts
Sabrina Carpenter – Short n’ Sweet Tour
Pop’s current golden girl, Sabrina Carpenter, is wrapping her tour in NYC. Expect catchy hits, glittery production, and a crowd that knows every lyric.
- When: Until November 1, 2025
- Where: Madison Square Garden
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://store.sabrinacarpenter.com
- Best For: Pop fans.
John Legend: Get Lifted – 20th Anniversary Tour
R&B royalty John Legend celebrates 20 years of Get Lifted with a night of love songs, nostalgia, and goosebumps. It’s date-night perfection.
- When: November 4, 2025
- Where: Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://johnlegend.com
- Best For: Hopeless romantics and music lovers.
Giveon – Dear Beloved, The Tour
Smooth vocals, heartbreak lyrics, and that voice that sounds like velvet? Yep, Giveon is back. Prepare for slow jams and heartbreak therapy.
- When: November 6, 2025
- Where: Madison Square Garden
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.giveonofficial.com
- Best For: R&B fans and sad-song playlists.
Playboi Carti – Antagonist Tour
Want to feel the bass in your bones? Playboi Carti brings energy with his experimental beats and wild stage performances.
- When: November 6, 2025
- Where: Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://tour.playboicarti.com
- Best For: Rap fans and adrenaline seekers.
Boyce Avenue
YouTube’s favorite brothers Boyce Avenue bring acoustic covers and chill originals to NYC. It’s low-key, melodic, and nostalgic in concert form.
- When: November 7, 2025
- Where: Sony Hall (235 W 46th St, New York)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.boyceavenue.com
- Best For: Acoustic lovers and soft-rock romantics.
Maroon 5 – LOVE IS LIKE Tour
Maroon 5 is back, playing all the hits you know every word to and pretending you don’t. From Sugar to She Will Be Loved, it’s a sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs kind of night.
- When: November 19-20, 2025
- Where: Madison Square Garden
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.maroon5.com
- Best For: Pop fans and karaoke pros.
Stevie Nicks
The legend herself, Stevie Nicks, takes the stage for a night of unmistakable vocals and magnetic energy.
- When: November 19, 2025
- Where: Barclays Center (620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://stevienicksofficial.com
- Best For: Classic rock fans and dreamers.
Katseye – The Beautiful Chaos Tour
Global girl group Katseye is lighting up NYC with killer vocals and synchronized perfection. Expect power moves, fan chants, and energy that won’t quit.
- November 21: Hammerstein Ballroom (311 W 34th St., New York)
- November 22: The Theater at Madison Square Garden
- Tickets: Click here (Nov 21) or here (Nov 22).
- Website: https://www.katseye.world
- Best For: Pop fans and concert-hoppers.
All Time Low – Everyone’s Talking! Tour
End the month with nostalgia and noise. All Time Low brings their “Everyone’s Talking!” tour to NYC. And yes, they still know how to throw a pop-punk party.
- When: November 24-25, 2025
- Where: Hammerstein Ballroom (311 W 34th St., New York)
- Tickets: Click here.
- Website: https://www.alltimelow.com
- Best For: Pop-punk and alt-rock lovers.
As the weather gets chillier, you’ll definitely need some comfy, indoor inspiration. We’ve rounded up the best romantic and fun plans in our guide to 15+ Cozy Indoor Date Ideas in NYC for Winter (2025 Guide).
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