Tweens and teens have a full calendar this September: the Cyclones’ final home stand in Coney Island, a free all-ages Americana festival under the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo, Charli xcx and Phoebe Bridgers at Barclays Center, a herd of life-size buffalo puppets roaming Downtown Brooklyn, the Liberty’s last regular-season home games, the Brooklyn Book Festival, Sneaker Con back in Coney Island and the Atlantic Antic to close out the month.
Brooklyn Cyclones’ final home stand | Coney Island
Thursday, September 3 – Sunday, September 6 | Thu 4pm, Fri 6:40pm, Sat 6pm, Sun 2pm | Maimonides Park, 1904 Surf Avenue | Ticketed | All ages
The Cyclones close out the 2026 season at home with four games against the Frederick Keys, and it’s the last chance to catch minor-league baseball by the boardwalk until next spring. Friday and Saturday are night games with the Parachute Jump lit up beyond the outfield; Sunday’s 2pm start is the season finale. Tickets and promotions are on the Cyclones’ schedule page.
Brooklyn Americana Music Festival | Dumbo
Saturday, September 12 | 2–10pm | Dumbo Archway, 155 Water Street | Free | All ages — there’s a bar on site and the later sets skew grown-up
The free, all-ages day of the 12th annual festival puts nine acts of Americana, country, folk, blues and bluegrass on the Archway stage under the Manhattan Bridge, hosted by Jan Bell. For teens who like live music without arena prices, the evening sets (Avery Friedman at 7pm, Rose Paradise at 8pm, Dida Pelled at 9pm) are the draw; seating is first come, first served. The festival runs September 10–13 across venues from Red Hook to Dumbo, and the full lineup is on the festival’s schedule page. Register on Eventbrite.
Charli xcx: Music, Fashion, Film Tour | Prospect Heights
Monday, September 14 and Tuesday, September 15 | 7:30pm, doors 60 minutes earlier | Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue | Ticketed | Best for older teens — school nights, and the show runs late
Two nights of Charli xcx with underscores opening. Both are school-night shows, so plan around the bell schedule. Tickets are through Barclays Center.
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 | All ages — the series’ first dedicated family film night
The season closer of the park’s outdoor movie series is the live-action How to Train Your Dragon (PG, 93 minutes), with the skyline behind the screen. It’s first come, first served with one-in-one-out once the lawn fills; blankets and small cushions are fine, lawn chairs and dogs are not. Bring a picnic and send the tweens to grab a spot early. Details on the park’s listing.
Return of the Buffalo: Tatanka Owe Akupi | Downtown Brooklyn
Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19 | schedule and route to be announced by St. Ann’s Warehouse | Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan | Free, non-ticketed | All ages
A herd of life-size buffalo puppets will roam, graze and run through Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan over two days, stopping at sites of historic significance for live music, poetry, ceremonies and performances. Created by Amir Nizar Zuabi (the artist behind Little Amal) with elders from the Lenape and Lakota nations, the piece marks the buffalo’s return from near-extinction. Featured artists include Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson, Pilobolus, the Native Pride Dancers, the Fogo Azul marching band and Brooklyn United Marching Band. The event is free and unticketed; check the St. Ann’s Warehouse page for the route and times as they are announced.
FAMChella on Fifth | Bay Ridge
Saturday, September 19 | 3–6pm | 5th Avenue, 68th to 81st Street | Free | All ages — a family block party with a dance party and live music
Thirteen car-free blocks of Fifth Avenue turned into a family festival: a dance party, live music, arts and crafts, a bouncy house and food from the avenue’s restaurants. Younger tweens will get the most out of it; teens can treat it as a free afternoon of live music with friends. Free RSVP on Eventbrite.
New York Liberty vs. Atlanta Dream | Prospect Heights
Monday, September 21 and Wednesday, September 23 | 8pm, doors 90 minutes earlier | Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue | Ticketed | All ages
The Liberty’s final regular-season home games before the WNBA playoffs open on September 27, both against Atlanta. Weeknight tip-offs at 8pm make these late for younger kids but easy for teens, and the arena is a short walk from the Atlantic Terminal subway lines. Tickets through Barclays Center.
Phoebe Bridgers: The Lost Tour | Prospect Heights
Thursday, September 24 – Saturday, September 26 | 7:30pm, doors 90 minutes earlier | Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Avenue | Ticketed | Teens — a device-free show, phones get locked away
Three nights of Phoebe Bridgers with Alex G opening. Note the venue’s rule for this run: it is a device-free experience, so phones, smart watches and cameras are not permitted during the show — worth knowing before a teen goes without you. Saturday is the easiest night for school-age fans. Tickets through Barclays Center.
Sneaker Con New York | Coney Island
Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 | 12–7pm both days | Maimonides Park, 1904 Surf Avenue | Tickets from about $33 including fees | All ages — the sneakerhead event of the year for tweens and teens
Sneaker Con is back at the Cyclones’ ballpark for its biggest New York weekend: hundreds of vendors selling, buying and trading sneakers and streetwear, the Trading Pit for swapping with other attendees, the Ca$$h Out Crew buying collections on the spot, a vintage hall, a watch alley and a food court, plus special guests including Max B and Nems and exclusive collab drops. Bring a budget and a plan — the crowds and the prices both run high. Tickets on Eventbrite; more on the Sneaker Con site.
Brooklyn Book Festival: Festival Day & Literary Marketplace | Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, September 27 | 10am–6pm | Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, and surrounding venues | Free | Best for teens — the Saturday Children’s Day is the one for younger kids
The flagship day of the country’s largest free literary festival: panels and readings across eight indoor and outdoor stages at Borough Hall, Brooklyn Law School, the Center for Brooklyn History, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church, Columbus Park and Korean War Veterans Park, plus a literary marketplace of publishers and booksellers filling the plaza. This year’s authors include Marlon James, Joyce Carol Oates, Colson Whitehead, Tracy K. Smith and Namwali Serpell, with writers across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics, graphic novels and young adult literature. Teens who read can lose a whole afternoon here; the full program is on the festival’s site.
The Atlantic Antic | Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill & Brooklyn Heights
Sunday, September 27 | 12–6pm, rain or shine | Atlantic Avenue from Fourth Avenue to Hicks Street | Free | All ages — teens can roam it on their own
Brooklyn’s oldest and largest street festival turns 51: a mile of Atlantic Avenue closed to cars for tastings from the avenue’s restaurants, live music on multiple stages, crafts and shopping, and a kids’ block with pony rides, bounce houses and face painting for the younger siblings. It lands on the same day as Festival Day at Borough Hall, three blocks away, so the two make a natural double bill. Details on the Atlantic Avenue LDC’s site.
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