Things to do in NYC in September 2021 depend on the progress of the COVID-19 Pandemic. New York’s cultural institutions are planning to reopen in September 2021, but we won’t know the situation on the ground until close to the date.
The U.S. Open tennis grand slam bridges the end of summer and the start of fall. New York’s cultural season starts in September, but it’s a transitional month. Many wealthy New Yorkers don’t return to the City until late September.
One big change for 2021 is that the Armory Show and Armory Week art fairs moved from spring to September this year.
The Month of September
In September, New York City transitions from summer to fall rhythms and the city’s cultural cultural season begins.
September weather in New York City is early fall. Average temperatures range from 61° to 75°F, so it is warm.
Hispanic Heritage Month 🇺🇸 runs from September 15 to October 15. It’s the peak of the year’s Hispanic and Indigenous celebrations. September is also Classical Music Month.
These events happen all month long.
- New York Mets ⚾️ baseball
- New York Yankees ⚾️ baseball
- NYCFC ⚽️ soccer
- NY Red Bulls ⚽️ soccer
Things to do in NYC in September 2021 Week 35
August 30 – September 5, 2021
Wednesday, September 1
Celebrate Classical Music Month 🎼🎵!
Thursday, September 2
OPENING
The New York International Salsa Congress 💃🏽🕺🏽🎪 is at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square through Monday. From $20
The West Indian Day Parade Labor Day Carnival 🇹🇹🥁is in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. There is usually a Reggae Afrobeats Soca concert. FREE
Friday, September 3
It’s Labor Day Weekend ⛱
The New York International Salsa Congress 💃🏽🕺🏽🎪 is at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. From $40
The West Indian Day Parade Labor Day Carnival 🇹🇹🥁is in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. There are usually Summer Jam Youth Fest and BrassFest concerts. FREE
Saturday, September 4
The New York International Salsa Congress 💃🏽🕺🏽🎪 is at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. From $60
The West Indian Day Parade Labor Day Carnival 🇹🇹🥁is in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. There is usually a Junior Carnival Parade and Steelband Panorama concert. FREE
Sunday, September 5
Celebrate Brazilian Day 🇧🇷🎪 in Manhattan’s Little Brazil. TBC
LAST CHANCE
Guadalupe Maravilla’s “Planeta Abuelx” closes outdoors at Socrates Sculpture Park. 🇸🇻
The New York International Salsa Congress 💃🏽🕺🏽🎪 is at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. From $60
The West Indian Day Parade Labor Day Carnival 🇹🇹🥁is in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. There is usually a Dimanche Gras Carnival. FREE
Things to do in NYC in September 2021 Week 36
September 6-12, 2021
It’s Armory Week, a cluster of contemporary art fairs around the Armory Show.
Monday, September 6
Celebrate Labor Day ⛱
Celebrate J’ouvert in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. If you’re not from the neighborhood, you shouldn’t go there before dawn. Be safe.
The West Indian Day Parade 🇹🇹🥁starts with a VIP breakfast at 8:30am and then the parade marches on Eastern Parkway through Crown Heights, Brooklyn at 11am. FREE
Celebrate the High Holidays ✡️ at sunset through Thursday, September 16.
Celebrate Rosh Hashanah ✡️ at sunset September 6-8, 2021
Tuesday, September 7
Celebrate Brazilian Independence Day 🇧🇷 from Portugal on September 7, 1822.
Honor Yemayá 🇨🇺😇, the orisha of the sea (the mature woman)
Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Regla 🇨🇺😇
Celebrate Rosh Hashanah ✡️
Wednesday, September 8
Honor Oshun 🇨🇺😇, the orisha of fresh waters (the young woman).
Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Charity (Caridad del Cobre) 🇨🇺😇, patron saint of Cuba.
Celebrate Rosh Hashanah ✡️
Thursday, September 9
OPENING
The Armory Show 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair opens at Javits Center in Hudson Yards, Manhattan through Sunday.
OPENING
The Independent New York 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair opens at Cipriani South Street in Manhattan’s Financial District through Sunday.
The Clio Art Fair of independent artists opens today and runs through Sunday.
Friday, September 10
The Armory Show 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair is at Javits Center in Hudson Yards, Manhattan.
The Independent New York 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair is at Cipriani South Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The Clio Art Fair of independent artists is today.
SUBWAY SERIES 🗽🗽
The New York Mets ⚾️ game 1 of 3 against the New York Yankees is at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens at 7:10pm.
Saturday, September 11
The Armory Show 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair is at Javits Center in Hudson Yards, Manhattan.
The Independent New York 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair is at Cipriani South Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The Clio Art Fair of independent artists is today.
SUBWAY SERIES 🗽🗽
The New York Mets ⚾️ game 2 of 3 against the New York Yankees is at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens at 7:40pm.
Sunday, September 12
The Armory Show 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair is at Javits Center in Hudson Yards, Manhattan.
The Independent New York 🎨🎪 contemporary art fair is at Cipriani South Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The Clio Art Fair of independent artists is today.
SUBWAY SERIES 🗽🗽
The New York Mets ⚾️ game 3 of 3 against the New York Yankees is at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens at 8:08pm.
Things to do in NYC in September 2021 Week 37
September 13-19, 2021
Wednesday, September 15
Celebrate Yom Kippur ✡️ at sundown.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 🇺🇸 through October 15.
Celebrate the independence of Costa Rica 🇨🇷, El Salvador 🇸🇻, Guatemala 🇬🇹, Honduras 🇭🇳, and Nicaragua 🇳🇮 from Spain on September 15, 1821.
Thursday, September 16
OPENING DAY
Celebrate the Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 in Manhattan’s Little Italy through Sunday, September 26. Free. TBC
Celebrate Mexican Independence Day 🇲🇽 September 16, 1810.
Celebrate Yom Kippur ✡️ .
Friday, September 17
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
The New York Mets ⚾️ game 1 of 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies is at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens at 7:10pm.
Saturday, September 18
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
The New York Mets ⚾️ game 2 of 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies is at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens at 7:10pm.
Celebrate Chilean Independence Day 🇨🇱 from Spain on September 18, 1810.
Sunday, September 19
The 52nd African American Day Parade 🇺🇸🥁 is in Harlem.
The 95th Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 mass and procession is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free
The New York Mets ⚾️ game 3 of 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies is at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens at 1:10pm. It’s the last Mets home game of the season.
The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards 📺🏆 are on CBS.
Celebrate National Dance Day 💃🏽🕺🏽🇺🇸
Things to do in NYC in September 2021 Week 38
September 20-26, 2021
Monday, September 20
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
Tuesday, September 21
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
OPENING NIGHT
New York City Ballet’s fall season opens tonight at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, and runs Tuesday-Sunday through October 17.
Wednesday, September 22
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
Thursday, September 23
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
Friday, September 24
OPENING DAY
The Affordable Art Fair is at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea through Sunday.
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
Honor Obatalá 🇨🇺😇, the Yoruba son of God, and creator of the world and human bodies. This is the day of his/her Caribbean festival, not his/her West African festival.
Celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy 🇨🇺😇, the Christian art tradition of showing the Virgin Mary covering a group of children with her cloak (like the mother in “The Nutcracker” ballet).
Saturday, September 25
The Affordable Art Fair is at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
Sunday, September 26
CLOSING
The Affordable Art Fair is at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea.
CLOSING
The Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 street fair is in Manhattan’s Little Italy. Free. TBC
Things to do in NYC in September 2021 Week 39
September 27 – October 3, 2021
Monday, September 27
OPENING NIGHT MET PREMIERE
The Metropolitan Opera opens the 2021-22 Season with a new production of Terence Blanchard’s “Fire Shut Up in My Bones“, the first opera by a Black composer at the Met, at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center at 6:30pm.
Wednesday, September 29
Celebrate National Coffee Day ☕️
OPENING NIGHT
The Metropolitan Opera presents the season premiere of French opera “Iphigénie en Tauride” at Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center at 7:30pm.
Celebrate the Archangel Michael 👼🏽.
Categories of Things to Do in NYC in September 2021
These are New York City’s big Latin culture events in a normal September. The 75th UN General Assembly will be held virtually for the first time.
SEPTEMBER HOLIDAYS
- Labor Day Weekend ⛱ September 3-6, 2021
- Labor Day ⛱ Monday, September 6, 2021
- High Holidays ✡️ September 6-16, 2021
- Rosh Hashanah ✡️ September 6-8, 2021
- Yom Kippur ✡️ September 15-16, 2021
SEPTEMBER INDEPENDENCE DAYS
- Brazilian Independence Day 🇧🇷 September 7
- Independence of Costa Rica 🇨🇷, El Salvador 🇸🇻, Guatemala 🇬🇹, Honduras 🇭🇳, Nicaragua 🇳🇮 September 15
- Mexican Independence Day 🇲🇽 September 16
- Chilean Independence Day 🇨🇱 September 18
SEPTEMBER NATIONAL DAYS
- Hispanic Heritage Month 🇺🇸 September 15 – October 15
- National Dance Day 💃🏽🕺🏽🇺🇸 September 19
- National Coffee Day ☕️ September 29
SEPTEMBER FESTIVALS
- Yemayá 🇨🇺😇 September 7
- Our Lady of Regla 🇨🇺😇 September 7
- Oshun 🇨🇺😇, September 8
- Our Lady of Charity (Caridad del Cobre) 🇨🇺😇 September 8
- Obatalá 🇨🇺😇, September 24
- Archangel Michael 👼🏽 September 29
SEPTEMBER PARADES
- West Indian Day Parade 🇹🇹🥁Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Labor Day Weekend
- J’ouvert Parade 🇹🇹🥁Labor Day TBD
- Labor Day Parade 🥁 TBD
- Central American Independence Parade 🥁 TBD
- African American Day Parade 🇺🇸🥁 Sunday, September 19, 2021
- Queens Hispanic Parade 🥁 TBD
SEPTEMBER STREET FAIRS
- Brazilian Day 🇧🇷🎪 (Sunday, Labor Day Weekend) Sunday, September 5, 2021 TBC
- Feast of San Gennaro 🇮🇹😇🎪 September 16-26, 2021 TBC
SEPTEMBER ART
- Armory Show 🎨🎪 September 9-12, 2021
- Clio Art Fair 🎨🎪 September 9-12, 2021
- Independent New York 🎨🎪 September 9-12, 2021
- Photoville 📸🎪 TBD
- Affordable Art Fair 🎨🎪 September 23-26, 2021
SEPTEMBER DANCE
- New York City Ballet fall season 🩰 September 21 – October 17, 2021
SEPTEMBER DANCING
- New York International Salsa Congress 💃🏽🕺🏽🎪 September 2-6, 2021
SEPTEMBER FOOD
- NYC Restaurant Week TBD
- Peru to the World Expo TBD
SEPTEMBER FASHION
- NYFW, New York Fashion Week 👗🎪 Women’s Spring Summer 2022 TBD
- FDLA Fashion Designers of Latin America 👗🎪 TBD
SEPTEMBER FILM
- 59th New York Film Festival 🎞🎪 TBD (2020: September 25-October 11)
- 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards 📺🏆 CBS, Sunday, September 19, 2021
SEPTEMBER LITERATURE
- NY Art Book Fair 📚🎪 (2019: September 20-22) MOVED to February 24-28, 2021
SEPTEMBER MUSIC
- Metropolitan Opera 🎼🎶 September 27, 2021 – June 11, 2022
- New York Philharmonic 🎼🎶 TBD (2019: September 11, 2019 – June 13, 2020)
- Latin Grammy Nominations 🎶🏆 TBD (2020: September 29)
SEPTEMBER SPORTS
- US Open Grand Slam 🎾 tennis championship, August 30 – September 12, 2021
- New York Mets ⚾️ baseball, April 1 – October 3, 2021
- New York Yankees ⚾️ baseball, April 1 – October 3, 2021
- NYCFC ⚽️ soccer, April 3 – November 7, 2021
- NY Red Bulls ⚽️ soccer, April 3 – November 7, 2021
SEPTEMBER THEATRE
- Broadway Week 🎭🎪 TBD (2019: September 3-6)
- Off-Broadway Week 🎭🎪 TBD (2019: September 23 – October 6)
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
- Gloria Estefan 🇨🇺 pop singer, September 1, 1957
- Maria Rita 🇧🇷 MPB singer, September 9, 1977
- Jose Feliciano 🇵🇷 folk singer, September 10, 1945
- Andrea Echeverri 🇨🇴 Aterciopelados rocker, September 13, 1965
- Marc Anthony 🇵🇷 salsa singer, September 16, 1968
- Julio Iglesias 🇪🇸 pop singer, September 23, 1943
- Victor Manuelle 🇵🇷 salsa singer, September 23, 1943
- Pedro Fernández 🇲🇽 ranchera singer, September 28, 1969
- Héctor Lavoe 🇵🇷 salsa legend, September 30, 1946