Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik's early career editing teen magazines somehow morphed into a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a very long sojourn at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick online and then Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com local. She was a founding member of the WebbyAward winning GoCityKids, has written for Family Fun Magazine, Vanity Fair, and New York, and her novel for middle schoolers, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. She strives to keep the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar packed and accurate, and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.

Latest posts by Drew

4th of July Weekend in NYC: Macy's Fireworks, Festivals, and More Things To Do with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 06/28/2023 - 9:24am

Snag a perfect view of the Macy's fireworks at Skyline Cinema. Photo courtesy of Skyline Cinema

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this 4th of July weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long holiday weekend.

We've got the 411 for the big Macy's 4th of July fireworks show, plus plenty of other fireworks displays from Staten Island to Coney Island.

When we're not oohing and ahhing at night sky spectacles, we're planning to dance under Lincoln Center's Big Umbrella, wiggle our way through Pop in the City, and explore CAMP's take on Encanto.

Did we mention we’re running weekly giveaways all summer long? This week we’re giving away a Mommy Poppins beach towel. Plus, each entry also counts as an extra entry into our Ultimate Summer Giveaway, an all-included trip to Nick Resort Punta Cana! Find out how to enter on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

Free in July: 54 Best Things To Do in NYC with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Tue, 06/27/2023 - 6:25pm

Slip and slide your way to smiles during Asphalt Green's Sprinkler Day. Photo courtesy of Asphalt Green

July is hot, but it's packed with cool FREE things to do in NYC for families. From Lincoln Center's magical Big Umbrella Fest to our own Summer Bash with The Seaport, plus the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Fest, the NYC Math Festival, and the Macy's 4th of July fireworks, we've found more than 50 family-friendly FREE things to do in NYC this July with kids.

Free water play fun in July includes City of Water Day and Asphalt Green's Sprinkler Day. There's also Shakespeare in the parks, including Hamlet and Malvolio. And, of course, you can see tons of FREE outdoor movies all July long.

Need more? We've found 100 FREE things to do in NYC this summer. Find more fun this month in our Summer Fun Guide for NYC Kids.

Best Family-Friendly Street Fairs and Summer Festivals in NYC this July

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Mon, 06/26/2023 - 6:25pm

Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Nueva York transforms Socrates Sculpture Park into a celebration of Mexican culture at month's end. Photo by Bob Krasner

We're entering peak season for the family-friendly festivals that pop up all over NYC all summer long. Our list of fun summer festivals for kids this July includes annual favorites like City of Water Day and the blocks-long Bastille Day, plus little-kid picks like Sprinkler Day at Asphalt Green and the Big Umbrella Festival at Lincoln Center. We're even teaming up with The Seaport to throw our own Summer Bash!

Beyond these picks for family-friendly festivals and street fairs in NYC this July, you'll find more local happenings on our action-packed Family Activity Calendar. Be sure to bookmark our Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide for more top picks.

Best Family-Friendly Beaches Near DC

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 06/16/2023 - 10:00am

Sun's out, guns out in Ocean City. Photo courtesy of Ocean City MD Tourism

While Washington, DC is certainly not a beach town, there are plenty of family-friendly beaches near DC to spend the day or a weekend if you're willing to make the drive. These range from smaller beaches on the Potomac River or the Chesapeake Bay that are not too far away, all the way to farther locales like the Delaware beaches, Virginia Beach, and even North Carolina's Outer Banks.

So pack the car (and the kids) for a day trip, a weekend, or a longer vacation at one of these 10 family-friendly beaches near DC that are most certainly worth the drive. If you're looking for water fun within the DMV, see our lists of the best swimming lakes, parks with beaches, outdoor water parks, sprinkler parks and splash pads, and free public swimming pools in and near DC. Go on in—the water's fine!

Father's Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC: Plus, Honoring Juneteenth and More

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Wed, 06/14/2023 - 12:11pm

Coney Island's marquee summer event, the Mermaid Parade, takes to the streets Saturday, June 17. Photo courtesy of the event

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Father's Day weekend.

Juneteenth and Father's Day provide plenty of celebratory opportunities this weekend, with Juneteenth fun at Central Park's Seneca Village and the New-York Historical Society. Father's Day festivities are at the fore at Wave Hill and in Wolfe's Pond Park. We've also rounded up 25 other ways to celebrate Father's Day in NYC.

A trio of annual favorites are on tap this weekend, too, with the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, the Egg Rolls, Egg Creams, and Empanadas Fest downtown, and Adventures NYC in Central Park. Looking for something new? Chelsea Piers opens its Brooklyn location's grand opening. And this just in: Hans Christian Andersen storytelling returns to Central Park on Saturday!

Did we mention we’re running weekly giveaways all summer long? This week we’re giving away a Mommy Poppins beach tote, plus each entry counts as an entry in our Ultimate Summer Giveaway—an all-inclusive trip to Nick Resort Punta Cana! Find out how to enter on our Facebook or Instagram pages!

Free NYC Summer Concerts and Outdoor Music Festivals for Families

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Mon, 06/12/2023 - 5:20pm

Lincoln Center’s Family Programming takes center stage at Summer for the City. Photo by Mari Uchida

Free concerts and music festivals are a summer staple in NYC, and there are always loads of great performances to enjoy. We've rounded up all the best free concerts in New York City this June, July, and August, which are sure to keep the kids grooving all summer long.

There are summer concerts in the parks, playgrounds, piers, and plazas from Manhattan to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens, so scroll, click, and set reminders so you don't miss your favorites. Beloved annual summer concert series, like Summer on the Hudson Play Dates, Lincoln Center's Musical Storytimes, Summerstage, BRIC: Celebrate Brooklyn, and the Hudson River Park's Blues Barbecue are all on the schedule, and we have a little something for the whole gamut of musical tastes, from jazz to rock, opera, folk, hip-hop, and classical.

Of course, you should bookmark our Family Activity Calendar and Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide for more family-friendly entertainment all summer long, and you'll find loads of no-cost fun on our list of 100 FREE things to do in NYC this summer with kids.

33 Best Things To Do in New York City June 2023 with Kids

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Sun, 05/28/2023 - 7:02am

The family-friendly Figment Festival on Staten Island helps everyone get creative. Photo by Michael Hnatov

Get ready for summer! June in NYC brings festivals for Juneteenth, Father's Day, Pride, and maybe even some early fireworks.

School kids get out for summer vacation at the end of June, but the activity-packed month feels like one weeks-long party! We're kicking off June with the Dumbo Drop Block Party and continuing the celebrations all month long with Queens Rising, plus weekend fetes like the Bus Festival, Red Hook Fest, Figment Fest, and Drums Along the Hudson.

Music is wafting through the summer air just about everywhere, from BRIC in Brooklyn to Sea Chantey Singalongs, Washington Market Park's Music in the Playground series, the Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks (with fireworks!), and Make Music New York, which marks the summer solstice.

All that, plus beloved annual favorites like Museum Mile, the Mermaid Parade, and Pride make June one action-packed month for NYC families.

Find more great happenings this June in our Family Activity Calendar and Summer Fun Guide for NYC families. And, keep an eye on our ever-expanding list of FREE outdoor movies in NYC.

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Best June Festivals and Street Fairs in NYC for Families

Submitted by Drew Kristofik on Fri, 05/26/2023 - 12:21pm

The Mermaid Parade on Coney Island is a joyful summer rite of passage. Photo by Raven Snook

Summer festival season kicks into high gear in June when the debut of warmer weather prompts a head-spinning number of fantastic fairs, parades, carnivals, and other fetes.

Annual over-the-top celebrations include Museum Mile, Egg Rolls, Egg Creams & Empanadas, Make Music NYC, the Figment Festival, and Coney Island's iconic Mermaid Parade.

Most of June's fairs and festivals are FREE, so get your calendar; you're going to want to write these dates down. Be sure to bookmark our Family Activity Calendar and Guide to Summer Fun in NYC for more great things to do all season long.