New York is an exciting place to be in the spring. Check out our picks of the best spring festivals:

The Tribeca Film Festival

Attending the Tribeca Film Festival is not just for celebrities. Although you might not be able to sneak onto the red carpet, tickets for Robert De Niro’s famous New York film festival actually start at just $12 for a Monday-Friday matinee. For evening and weekend screenings, prices begin at $24.

The festival is famous for shining a spotlight on local indie documentaries, features and foreign films, including both big-name filmmakers and emerging talent. This year’s festival runs from April 25-May 5, taking place across Lower Manhattan and Chelsea, at the Regal Battery Park, Cinépolis Chelsea, Beacon Theatre, SVA Theatre and the festival’s own Tribeca Festival Hub. Get your tickets here.

 

 

Sakura Matsuri

The annual cherry blossom festival is coming again to Brooklyn Botanic Garden on April 27-28 for its 38th installment. With beautiful blossoms and a program full of events that showcase the rich history of Japanese culture, it’s the perfect time to check out the garden’s famous Cherry Esplanade.

The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit

The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit is an annual art exhibit held in Greenwich Village every spring. Inspired by Jackson Pollock’s 1931 decision to bring his paintings to the Village sidewalk to sell for a few dollars, the event has grown into a staple of the Lower Manhattan calendar, with artists competing to showcase their work to the public.

This year, the free exhibit will take place on Memorial Day Weekend and June 1 and 2. More information can be found here.

Macy’s Flower Show

Every spring, the Macy’s Herald Square store showcases some of the most beautiful flowers in New York City. This free flower show started over 70 years ago and now takes over the entire store every spring, with hundreds of thousands of live flowers, plants and trees from around the world blooming in unexpected places like store countertops, windows and specially designed bridges and columns.

The show also includes flower demonstrations and free tours and runs from March 24 to April 7. Find out more here.

 

 

The Bloody Mary Festival

Drink yourself warm this spring with the Bloody Mary Liberation Party’s Bloody Mary Festival. Revel in 2.5 hours dedicated to trying the best versions of this famous drink from a range of New York bars. Combine this with live music, temporary tattoos, a bagel bar and cheese station and you’ve got your Sunday sorted. This festival is for one day only, on April 7, at Grand Prospect Hall on Prospect Avenue. Find your tickets here and the Facebook event here.

Frieze Art Fair

No list would be complete without this famous outdoor art fair, held at Randall’s Island Park. Showcasing the best in contemporary art, the eighth installment of this art extravaganza features the world’s most exciting emerging artists as well as iconic names, plus a range of talks, live performances, new artist commissions and the city’s most chic restaurants. The fair runs from May 2-5 and tickets start at just $27 for students and youth; be sure to buy in advance here.