As the last scares of Halloween fade, it’s truly time to start the holiday season. We’ve got your guide to the best things to do in NYC in November, from the biggest retrospective on Andy Warhol in decades to a week of the best comedians taking over the city’s stages and the bright lights of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting up Midtown.
Things to do in NYC: Mustaches are the new fashion accessory
Men need to take better care of their health, and each year the Movember Foundation hopes to start that conversation by asking men to shave their facial hair and grow a mustache for a month, and women to urge the men in their lives to make health care appointments. To benefit the cause, the Movember Ball at Refinery Rooftop on Nov. 6 pits nine of chefs against each other to find who makes the best meatballs — you try them all to pick the winner ($25). us.movember.com
Drink your apples responsibly
It’s the height of the apple harvest, and Cider Week is your chance to take advantage of the season’s bounty at events all over the city. New York state’s cider scene is booming, and Cider Week celebrates the best ranging from tastings and food pairings to panels and game nights. In addition to pairing dinners, tastings, brewer meet-and-greets and more, try more than 100 varieties in one place at the Lower East Side Cider Fest (Nov. 8). Nov. 2-11, ciderweeknyc.com
Look into the crystal ball
Interested in where food is heading? The annual Food Loves Tech convention returns to Brooklyn on Nov. 2-3, laying out a spread of the latest kitchen gadgets and the hottest new foods to sample, all to show how we’ll be eating in the not-so-distant future. $75, foodlovestech.com
Things to do in NYC: Ready, set, run!
November kicks off with the biggest race of the city’s calendar: the TCS New York City Marathon, taking over the five boroughs on Nov. 4. Whether you need a place to carbo-load before the race or want know the best spots to cheer on the runners, we’ve got your guide.
It’s officially silly season
The best of the comedy world takes over pretty much every stand-up venue during the New York Comedy Festival, returning Nov. 5-11 for a full seven-day schedule for the first time. They had to fit in more than 200 comedians presenting over 100 shows, after all, including names like Anthony Jeselnik, Conan O’Brien, David Cross and Tracy Morgan. nycomedyfestival.com
The best of the world’s theater comes to NYC
The curators of the acclaimed Fringe Encore Series go all over the world to scout the best theater productions of the year, then bring them to SoHo Playhouse. This year’s entries feature comedies, dramas, cabaret and even shadow puppetry from Edinburgh, Hollywood, Orlando, Toronto and some local stars, too. Nov. 6-Dec. 12, fringeencores.org
A deep look at our world, right now
The world’s largest documentary festival with over 300 films and events takes place right here in New York. Doc NYC 2018 keeps its range broad, from lighthearted fare like a look inside the world of the most diehard boyband fans to the woman who serves as the legal guardian of 2,000 migrant children and Lady Parts Justice League’s fight for reproductive rights. Nov. 8-15, docnyc.net
Saluting those who serve
On Nov. 11, we pause to remember the men and women who have served our country and fought for the freedoms we enjoy. The annual parade in Midtown begins at 11 a.m. with 25,000 marchers, including 30 floats and 150 vehicles. parade.uwvc.org
Things to Do in NYC: Jeff Goldblum takes on the music world
Will we survive Jeff Goldblum playing jazz piano? The lifelong player is releasing his first-ever record with his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra this month, and he’ll be talking about life, love, comedy and more at the 92Y on Nov. 11. $35 and up, 92y.org
Who’s fighting for humanity?
Artists are fighting the global tide of fascism in any way they can. On Nov. 12-18, they’re gathering here for the International Human Rights Art Festival at Wild Project. The weeklong event features more than 100 speakers, artists and performers from over a dozen countries, with 30 events (dance, theater, music, spoken word and comedy) exploring how art can be activism. Tickets $21, ihraf.org
Beyond the Campbell’s Soup cans
Who is Andy Warhol? The Whitney Museum goes on a vast journey to find out in its major winter exhibit Andy Warhol: From A to B and Back Again, opening Nov. 12. The show peels back his carefully crafted persona, the show looks at how Warhol changed the role of artists in society, including new materials discovered after his death in 1987. whitney.org
Things to Do in NYC: See all the holiday windows
Since Thanksgiving is just a general “hooray, it’s fall!” holiday, the world has largely decided to skip right from Halloween decorations to Christmas in November. And there’s no more spectacular display than the elaborate holiday windows that come to life in Midtown’s department stores — Macy’s will unveil their intergalactic-themed Christmas windows on Nov. 15, with the rest of the big names following soon after.
The return of holiday traditions
Winter in New York brings a whole festival of holiday events unique to the city. There’s all the holiday markets, starting with Winter Village in Bryant Park, the Holiday Train Show in Grand Central (Nov. 15) and the New York Botanical Garden (Nov. 17), the annual Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes (Nov. 9-Jan. 1, 2019), Gingerbread Lane at the New York Hall of Science (Nov. 11-Jan. 15, 2019) and the season’s final outdoor food and culture festival, Winter’s Eve (Nov. 26).
Things to Do in NYC: The turkey holiday is here
Thanksgiving is never just dinner in New York. For the most resilient, it begins the night before as they watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons be inflated (Nov. 21). Then there’s getting up crazy early to stake out your spot on the route, then an incredible brunch before rolling right into an amazing Thanksgiving dinner spread whether at a restaurant or home (Nov. 22). Gobble gobble!
The biggest shopping days of the year
This is the shopping holiday weekend you’ve been saving for all year: Black Friday (Nov. 23) and Cyber Monday (Nov. 26). We’ll have roundups of all the best deals IRL and online — until then, these shopping strategies should help you make the most of these two retail holidays.
Rockefeller Center in all its splendor
It’s not Christmas in New York until they light the Rockfeller Center Christmas tree, which happens on Nov. 28 (through Jan. 7, 2019) with the usual oversized fanfare. Celebrity performances have yet to be announced, but you know the drill: performances by the biggest pop stars, the most famous announcers, the Radio City Rockettes and at last, someone flips the most important switch of the holiday season.
