10 Things to Do in New York in April

April is one of the most awaited months in the Big Apple: the long-awaited spring and the good weather arrive. Here are the plans you can organize to make the most of your trip.

Nuria Rozas

Nuria Rozas

8 min read

10 Things to Do in New York in April

Enjoying New York's parks in springtime | ©Jean Carlo Emer

April in New York is one of the most special months of the year. Parks such as the Botanical Garden and Central Park are filled with flowers, the sun is here to stay and the city gets ready to celebrate Easter, whose protagonists are its famous colored eggs.

Spring in New York is an ideal time to travel because the days are longer and the temperatures are milder, which invites you to make more outdoor plans. In addition, it is still low season and you can find cheap flights. In this article I tell you the 10 best activities you can do in April in the Big Apple. Take note!

1. Experience the craziness of a live baseball game

Baseball Stadium| ©Pixabay
Baseball Stadium| ©Pixabay

If you visit New York in April you can't miss one of the quintessential American sports: baseball. One of the most fascinating experiences I had during my trip to the Big Apple was attending a live baseball game. What a great atmosphere!

April is the best month to book tickets for baseball, because that's when the league starts and the atmosphere in the stadium is really crazy. In this article I explain in detail how the baseball season works and how to get tickets to see it at a good price.

If I may give you a tip, the best thing to do is to attend a game of the New York Yankees, the most legendary and oldest team in New York. In addition, visiting Yankee Stadium is one of the main attractions of the city. Of course, tickets sell out fast, so don't overthink it!

Book your baseball tickets

2. Explore the streets of the Big Apple car-free

The Lion King on Broadway| ©Marcos Rivera
The Lion King on Broadway| ©Marcos Rivera

Can you imagine touring New York, one of the largest cities in the world, without cars? If you travel in April, it's possible. Every year to commemorate Earth Day, Broadway Avenue cuts off traffic for a morning (from 9 am to 3 pm) along 30 streets, from Union Square to Times Square.

It's a unique opportunity to discover downtown on foot! In addition, on this Car Free Day non-profit organizations offer information booths along the route to promote activism and education around climate change, sustainability and other environmental issues.

Experience the magic of Broadway

Afterwards, in the evening, you can take advantage of being on Broadway to book tickets for Broadway and enjoy musicals like The Lion King, which was an unforgettable experience for me! Here's a list of the top 10 Broadway shows, I'm sure you'll love one of them!

And while you're in the area, one of the nicest and most recommended restaurants on Broadway is Bubba Gump, inspired by the movie Forrest Gump, the dishes are named after the main characters of the film!

Book tickets for Broadway

3. See the cherry blossoms in New York City

Cherry Trees in Central Park| ©tanakawho
Cherry Trees in Central Park| ©tanakawho

You don't have to travel to Japan to see the cherry blossoms. New York is one of the best destinations in the world to enjoy these trees, which bloom at the end of April.

My favorite place to see the beauty of this species is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and its Japanese pond, which is one of the oldest Japanese gardens outside the country. It's breathtaking! It looks like you are in the land of the rising sun.

Also, in addition to booking tickets for the Botanical Garden, you can also see the "cherry blossom" on Roosevelt Island and in Central Park. Here is the list of the best parks in the Big Apple for you to enjoy the spring season.

Reserve tickets for the Botanical Garden

4. Discover Japanese culture at the Sakura Matsuri Festival

Sakura Matsuri Festival| ©Samitster
Sakura Matsuri Festival| ©Samitster

The Sakura Matsuri Festival is also held at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden at the end of April and features activities related to Japanese culture such as musical performances, plays, martial arts and Japanese costume exhibitions, tea ceremonies and many more events. Imagine enjoying this festival and the cherry blossoms.

Imagine enjoying this festival and the cherry blossoms, it was an unrepeatable experience! In addition, April is a perfect month for its temperatures to enjoy a good picnic outdoors in one of its parks or squares. Don't forget your towel!

Finally, and so that "nobody steals the month of April" like Joaquín Sabina, take paper and pen and take note of these tips of New York in spring. I assure you that you will not find a better time to visit the city!

Reserve tickets for the Botanical Garden

5. Have fun at the Easter Hat Parade

Part of the Bonnet Festival| ©Michael Tapp
Part of the Bonnet Festival| ©Michael Tapp

The Easter hat parade, the Bonnet Festival, is a tradition that was born more than a century ago, when believers dressed up in their finery to attend Easter Mass.

Over time, this curious event has evolved and has become one of the most original, colorful and creative festivals in New York, celebrated on Easter Sunday.

In this procession, New Yorkers give free rein to their imagination and build their own hats designed with flowers or original materials and create crazy shapes taken from movies, inspired by animals, American culture... There is everything. Even those made with carrots!

Decorate your own hat, the more original the better!

Don't forget to pack your hat! However, it is not necessary to wear a hat to join the parade on Fifth Avenue.

But if you want to enjoy the show like a true American, the best thing to do is to wear your most original pamela and personalize it. You will cause a sensation! Also, if you book a tour of New York on this day, the guide will surely take you to see the parade.

Book a tour of New York

6. Eat a hot dog and take a culinary tour

Hot Dogs in New York| ©Caleb Oquendo
Hot Dogs in New York| ©Caleb Oquendo

If you love to sample the cuisine of other countries when you travel, you're in luck! Smorgasburg, one of New York's most popular food markets, opens its doors in April and is the largest outdoor food market in the U.S.! Almost nothing.

In this hipster market, which has more than 100 stalls, you can find from the typical American food, such as burgers and hot dogs, to very modern and curious dishes.

I was blown away by the spaghetti donuts with tomato (yes, spaghetti!) and the ramen burger, burgers that were accompanied by.... noodle bread! And if you're left wanting to enjoy more flavors, I recommend booking a food tour of Manhattan.

Useful information about the Smorgasburg flea market

  • Where: at 90 Kent Avenue and N. 7th St.
  • When: Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays in Prospect Park, from the first Saturday in April to the end of October.
  • How to get there: The nearest subway station to Smorgasburg Market is Bedford (L). You can also get there by ferry, a highly recommended option since it leaves you just a few minutes from the fair.

Book a food tour in Manhattan

7. Find bargains at the vintage markets and take a shopping tour

LIC Flea & Food on Long Island| ©taigatrommelchen
LIC Flea & Food on Long Island| ©taigatrommelchen

When you see how many hidden treasures there are in New York's flea markets, you won't want to go back to the department stores. With the arrival of good weather in April, it's the best time to book a shopping tour in New York and also to visit the flea markets that inaugurate the season. Here are my favorites:

Broooklyn Flea Market

It is a flea market that opens on Saturdays and Sundays in Brooklyn. Here you will find vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques, as well as a selection of jewelry, art, crafts and delicious fresh food.

Personally, I fell in love with the collection of world balls - I would have taken them all! Too bad they didn't fit in my travel suitcase. By the way, I recommend you go hungry at this place so you can try the food from the different stalls.

LIC Flea & Food

Although it was born in 2019, it has become one of the trendiest flea markets in recent times. In it you will find very curious objects, international food and craft beer.

It is located in Long Island City, in Queens, and is a wonderful place to buy you some food and enjoy it next to the river with the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the background. It will be a perfect plan!

Queens International Night Market

If you want to escape the crowds of tourists, the best thing to do is to go to this market that opens on Saturdays (from late April) in the afternoon.

It is a large outdoor night market, which has up to 100 independent vendors selling crafts and food (especially Asian). Here you can also enjoy a good show and live concerts.

Book a shopping tour in New York

8. Feel like a Scotsman at the Tartan Day parade

Men at the National Tartan Day Parade| ©Jazz Guy
Men at the National Tartan Day Parade| ©Jazz Guy

If you want to see hundreds of men dressed in plaid skirts and enjoy a good concert with bagpipes, I recommend you to go to the National Tartan Day Parade, which celebrates the contributions made by the Scots to the USA and their Scottish heritage.

For one day you will feel like you have changed countries and are in Scotland! This event, which was born only 24 years ago, is usually held on the first Saturday of April.

What I liked most was the festive atmosphere all day long on Sixth Avenue with thousands of marchers, sausage stands, dancers and a large number of floats dedicated to Scotland. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

9. Welcome spring by visiting a flower show

Decorating inside the Mall| ©Lenny Spiro
Decorating inside the Mall| ©Lenny Spiro

One of my favorite (and most colorful!) activities on my trip to New York was visiting the annual floral show put on by Macy's Mall in Herald Square to welcome spring in style.

The two-week event includes a large flower show, plus live music, seminars and children's activities. Macy's Flower Show each year is dedicated to a theme. In 2019, for example, the exhibit recreated the cosmos with floral figures forming planets and stars.

Every year they change the dates, so I recommend you to visit the official website. The little ones will love this plan! Here is a guide with other activities you can do in New York with the family.

10. Decorate Easter eggs or catch them in the city

Kids Easter Egg Hunt| ©Paige Behringer
Kids Easter Egg Hunt| ©Paige Behringer

Another activity that will delight the little ones of the house during the trip to New York is painting Easter eggs and decorating them with original drawings. The most popular workshop is organized by the Ukrainian Museum of New York, where materials such as wax and special dyes are used.

Also typical in the U.S. during these dates is the "egg hunt", an activity that consists of children finding hidden Easter eggs around the city. This game of hide-and-seek is organized by different institutions, such as the Brooklyn Children's Museum and the Children's Museum of Manhattan, among others.

For those with a sweet tooth, you can also enjoy the chocolate eggs that are sold in all the bakeries - they are delicious!

Interesting facts

  • Where: Ukrainian Museum of New York, 222 East 6th Street.
  • How to get there: take the F line to the Lower East Side-Second Avenue stop.