Top 10 September family events in Brooklyn 2026

September is the month Brooklyn takes to the streets. It opens with our own car-free back-to-school party on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights and closes with the Atlantic Antic in Boerum Hill, the borough’s biggest street festival. In between, families can look forward to a $2-slice pizza party under the Dumbo Archway, the last Movies With A View of the summer at Pier 1, a herd of life-size buffalo puppets marching from Borough Hall to Brooklyn Bridge Park, a Bus Festival and a Touch A Truck, FAMChella on Fifth in Bay Ridge, Children’s Day at the Brooklyn Book Festival, the 60th Bay Ridge Ragamuffin Parade, and Sneaker Con in Coney Island. And the best part: almost all of it is free!

1. Back to School Party on Car-Free Montague Street | Brooklyn Heights

Sunday, September 13 | 1–4pm | Montague Street, Clinton to Hicks | FREE

Our own party, for ages 0–12: an obstacle course, arts and crafts, games and building activities on a closed street. It opens Montague’s seven-Sunday car-free run, which continues through October 25. RSVP is free. Rain or shine.

2. The Dumbo Pizza Party | Dumbo

Friday, September 18 | 5–8pm | Dumbo Archway Plaza, 155 Water Street | Free to attend, $2 slices | All ages — there are free kids activities and a bar on site

An old-school Friday night under the Manhattan Bridge: $2 slices from Ziggy’s, Juliana’s, Grimaldi’s and Ignazio’s, gelato from Baci, a free photobooth, crafting with Dumbo artist Sarah Feingold, and The Jelly playing covers. The free kids activities are powered by Brooklyn Bridge Parents. RSVP is welcome but not required. RSVP on Eventbrite.

3. Movies With A View: How to Train Your Dragon | Brooklyn Bridge Park

Friday, September 18 | lawn opens 6pm, film at sunset | Pier 1 Harbor View Lawn | FREE

The season closer, and the series’ first dedicated family film night — PG, 93 minutes, with the skyline behind the screen. First come, first served, with one-in-one-out once the lawn is full. Lawn chairs and dogs are not allowed; blankets and small cushions are. Bring a picnic. Park listing.

4. Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi | Downtown Brooklyn

Saturday, September 19 | 2–4:30pm | procession from Abolitionist Place to Brooklyn Bridge Park | FREE

A herd of life-size buffalo puppets marches from Abolitionist Place past Borough Hall and the Promenade down to Brooklyn Bridge Park, with live music, poetry and Lenape and Lakota ceremonies at every stop — created by Amir Nizar Zuabi, the artist behind Little Amal. A Lower Manhattan leg runs Friday, September 18, 5–7:30pm. Stop-by-stop route on the St. Ann’s Warehouse page.

5. Bus Festival | Brooklyn Bridge Park

Saturday, September 19 | 10am–3:30pm | Emily Warren Roebling Plaza | FREE

The New York Transit Museum parks a fleet of vintage buses on the waterfront and lets children climb aboard all of them, including a 1931 enclosed double-decker and the first air-conditioned bus in the United States. Note it is in the park, not at the museum. Rain or shine, no ticket needed, and there is a social narrative PDF on the museum’s site for sensory-sensitive kids. Register for the raffle.

6. Touch A Truck | Clinton Hill

Saturday, September 19 | 10am–2pm | Clinton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby | FREE

Fire trucks, ambulances, buses and city vehicles, with kids in the driver’s seat and permission to honk. Music, giveaways and activities alongside. The vehicle list goes up closer to the date. Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership.

7. FAMChella on Fifth | Bay Ridge

Saturday, September 19 | 3–6pm | 5th Avenue, 68th to 81st Street | FREE

Thirteen car-free blocks turned into a family block party — dance party, bouncy house, arts and crafts, water play, games and LEGO. Bring a bathing suit and a towel. It follows Touch A Truck neatly enough to make a single day of the two. Free RSVP.

8. Brooklyn Book Festival Children’s Day | Downtown Brooklyn

Saturday, September 26 | 10am–4pm | Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza, 209 Joralemon Street | FREE

Readings, workshops, performances and art projects, with R.J. Palacio of Wonder, Bess Kalb, Mahogany L. Browne, Jorge Aguirre and Adam Gidwitz confirmed, plus a visit from Mr. Fish of The Pout-Pout Fish. Festival Day for older readers is Sunday the 27th. Programme.

9. 60th Bay Ridge Ragamuffin Parade | Bay Ridge

Saturday, September 26 | registration 11am, steps off 1pm | 76th Street and 3rd Avenue | FREE

Sixty years of children marching in costume down Third Avenue to 92nd Street. Registration is at Our Lady of Angels on 74th Street; every registered child who walks the full route gets a gift, and children must be accompanied along the way. Parade details.

10. Sneaker Con | Coney Island

Saturday and Sunday, September 26–27 | 12–7pm both days | Maimonides Park, 1904 Surf Avenue | Ticketed

Two hundred vendors, a hundred thousand sneakers, free authentication and a stage with giveaways. The organisers call it family-friendly and welcome strollers, but everyone aged four and up needs a ticket and it is a resale marketplace, not a children’s event — a good one for sneakerhead tweens and teens, a long afternoon for anyone younger. Tickets.

11. Atlantic Antic | Boerum Hill

Sunday, September 27 | 12–6pm, rain or shine | Atlantic Avenue, Fourth Avenue to the waterfront | FREE

Brooklyn’s oldest and largest street festival, with our very own PLAYTOPIA kids zone with dozens of free kids activities on Boerum Place in Boerum Hill. Festival site.

Do you want all local parenting news in your inbox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter now!