The Beat

The 2026 season kicks off with a two-day celebration on March 28th and 29th

Annual Coney Island Cyclone Egg Cream Christening ceremony slated for March 29th at 11 AM EST and the first 99 riders receive a FREE Cyclone ride and an egg cream treat to honor the iconic coaster’s 99th birthday

Brooklyn, NY (March 19, 2026) – New York City’s most iconic seaside playground, Luna Park in Coney Island, will welcome guests back for the 2026 season on Saturday, March 28 at 11:00 AM EST.  Opening Weekend will be marked with a vibrant two-day celebration packed with classic charm and high-flying excitement.  Festivities begin with the park's opening on Saturday and culminate in the traditional egg cream christening of the Coney Island Cyclone on Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 AM EST, alongside a full lineup of rides, treats and seaside fun.

New York, N.Y. (March 19, 2026) – The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today initial casting for the Free Shakespeare in the Park production of ROMEO & JULIET at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Directed by Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director Saheem Ali, this will mark the first time in nearly 20 years the story of star-crossed lovers will captivate Free Shakespeare in the Park audiences.

Astoria, NY (March 19, 2026) — Aziz Isham, Executive Director of the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), announced today the fifth annual Marvels of Media Festival, a celebration of outstanding work created by autistic media makers, taking place March 26–28, 2026 at the Museum. The festival will feature screenings, panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions, and an exhibition of experimental shorts, a virtual reality project, and a video game.

The annual 5K run/3K walk will take place Saturday, April 25, 2026.

WCS Run for the Wild is sponsored by Montefiore Einstein.

Register HERE to participate

Bronx, N.Y. (March 18, 2026) — Calling all runners, walkers, and wildlife advocates: registration is now open for the Bronx Zoo’s 18th annual WCS Run for the Wild, to be held on Saturday, April 25 at the Bronx Zoo.

Featuring Works by Rembrandt and His Contemporaries

On view May 1 – August 30, 2026; High-Resolution Images Can Be Found HERE

New York, NY (March 17, 2026) –This spring, The New York Historical provides visitors with a unique glimpse into life in New Amsterdam through portraits, genre scenes, and still life paintings created by renowned 17th-century Dutch masters. In this first-of-its-kind exhibition, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of the founding of New Amsterdam, paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn and his contemporaries help imagine the world of the Dutch settlement that would eventually become New York, depicting people at home, at the marketplace, at prayer, at play, and in taverns.

April 14–15, 2026 |Theater at the 14th Street Y, New York City

New York, NY (March 17, 2026) – Clark Center NYC and The American Dance Guild join forces for the first time to present The Politics of Movement: When Dance Speaks Out, a two-night performance exploring protest, resistance, identity, and social justice through the visceral language of dance.

New York, N.Y. - On March 21, 7 pm the first ever Coney Island Student Film Festival will take place, with students from the brand new Coney Island Film School exhibiting their work. The event will also include Q and As with the student directors. Lead teacher of the film school and cult filmmaker Dylan Mars Greenberg will be leading the event.

Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 12:00–4:00 PM

Join us in celebrating 25 years of our festival showcasing the cultures of the Lower East Side and Chinatown!

New York, NY (March 11, 2026) – On Sunday, June 21, from 12:00 - 4:00 PM, the Museum at Eldridge Street will present its 25th annual Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas Street Festival, a long-standing celebration of the Lower East Side. For nearly 25 years, the festival has celebrated the diverse traditions that give the Lower East Side and Chinatown its identity. Set against the backdrop of our Museum’s home, the landmark 1887 Eldridge Street Synagogue, the festival will take over Eldridge Street for a one-of-a-kind block party with Jewish, Chinese, and Puerto Rican tastes, sights, sounds, and crafts for folks of all ages to enjoy!…

JBFC represents the suburbs in a citywide celebration of independent cinemas March 20–26

Pleasantville, NY (March 13, 2026) — The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) is proud to participate in the inaugural Art House New York Cinema Week, a citywide initiative celebrating independent movie theaters across New York from March 20–26, 2026. Organized by Art House New York (AHNY) in partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Cinema Week brings together more than 30 cinemas across the region to highlight the enduring cultural role of art house theaters.

Emerging Artists Theatre’s Spark Theatre Festival NYC Celebrates 20th Anniversary 

Running April 6–26 at The 28th Street Theatre (TADA)

The biannual festival will feature more than 66 new works, including dance, plays, storytelling, solo performances, and musicals.

New York, N.Y. - Award-winning Emerging Artists Theatre (EAT) returns with their bi-annual Spark Theatre Festival NYC, running from April 6-26 at The 28th Street Theatre (TADA). The three-week festival will showcase over 60 new works, including musicals, plays, solo performances, storytelling, and dance. Theatre luminaries such as TV comedy legend Joyce Bulifant, Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber, and Emmy winner Dorothy Lyman will take part in the Spring Spark Theatre Festival NYC.