20 Exciting Things To Do In NYC This November

20 Exciting Things To Do In NYC This November

November is here and there are so many fun new things to do!

With the holidays just around the corner, the city is bustling with things to do from cool new escape games to enchanting light festivals and all the holiday markets that are about to open up shop. Friends and family will surely be coming to visit soon, and while they’re here take them to one of these 20 amazing experiences happening this November.

1. The Escape Game

The Escape Game is far from your average “escape room” experience. The new interactive activity in Midtown Manhattan offers five, immersive 60-minute games that put you in the middle of your very own adventure. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience where each room is uniquely designed to transport players to new and different environments, complete with intricate storylines and fun challenges. Players will have to work together to find clues, solve puzzles, and ultimately complete a mission in order to “escape”. Grab a group and make your reservation here (and don’t worry, there are several difficulty levels to choose from).  Sponsored

2. Bane Haunted House

You may have thought spooky season was over, but think again! Bane’s Haunted House is still terrifying the souls of New Yorkers until November 10th, and this weekend is expected to be the most horrifying. Named “The Scariest Haunted House” by The Star-Ledger 5 years in a row, Bane Haunted House recently opened in Hell’s Kitchen for the first time. The thrilling experience preys on fears like creepy clowns, claustrophobia, separation anxiety, and utter darkness to give New Yorkers the scare of their life! Don’t miss your last chance at a good fright; grab your tickets here.  Sponsored

3-4. Duane Park Burlesque Dinner Shows

Picture it: Buenos Aires. A hot breezy summer night in the 1960s. You pass by an unassuming door and hear drums pounding, ladies singing and maracas pulsing to the beat. Welcome to Tres Leches, the one and only Latin music and Burlesque night in New York City! You are sure to fawn and swoon after the incomparably statuesque vixen with Spanish roots and the most seductive show your eyes have ever seen. You’re in for a treat! If you can’t make it to Tres Leches, no worries—there are other amazing dinner shows taking place at Duane Park all the time, like one of our personal favorites: The Operatic Tease.

5-8. Spirited Festivals

Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with several tasty food and/or drink festivals. Warm the soul at the whiskey festival taking place on Nov. 16, the Henny fest on Thanksgiving Weekend (on Nov. 30), and the epic Jersey City Wine Fest on Nov. 23 (where you’ll get to eat delicious food, try international and local wines, and also go home with a souvenir tasting glass). And while we’re at it, it’s worth mentioning there will also be an Autumn Tippler this month where you’ll get to take a “cocktail passport tour” until November 15th. You’ll pick up your passport at Proper West and you then have until the 15th to bar hop and taste the handcrafted signature cocktails at 15 of NYC’s exciting venues including The Ainsworth East Village, Diwine, and Fresh Salt.

9. Winter Lantern Festival 

Beginning on November 20th, the Winter Lantern Festival will be lighting up eight acres of the city into the New Year. With over 1,000 lanterns on display sculpted into wondrous luminescent art figures, it’s a magical experience for all ages. In addition to the mesmerizing visuals, there will also be interactive exhibits and live cultural shows taking place throughout the season.

10. LuminoCity

LuminoCity is a massive wonderland of lights where the holiday spirit meets our wildest imagination to create an experience unlike any other in NYC. The enchanting festival will feature three distinct theme parks across the 12 acres of land: The Winter Fantasy, The Wild Adventure, and The Sweet Dream. Be awe-struck by the 13-foot-tall Skating Unicorn, slide down to Earth from The Castle In The Clouds, get lost in the trippy mushroom forest, go on a Prehistoric Safari, and make your way through the Donut Tunnel as you explore the most spectacular event of the season. (Tip: if you use the promo code 15SECRETNYC before November 11th you’ll get 15% off your tickets!)

11. Yayoi Kusama at David Zwirner Gallery

If there’s one exhibition that’s absolutely blown up over the past few years in the art scene, it’s definitely Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room. The last time Yayoi Kusama was in New York City she drew roughly 75,000 people to her exhibit! Almost three years since, Kusama is bringing a brand new exhibit to the David Zwirner Gallery (West 20th Street) from November 9 and December 14. According to the David Zwirner Gallery site, Yayoi Kusama’s solo exhibit will feature “entirely new work…including paintings, sculptures, and a new Infinity Mirror Room”.

12-13. Thanksgiving Day Parade

Speaking of Yayoi Kusama, be sure to catch a glimpse of her very first novelty balloon that’ll soar past Herald Square in the Thanksgiving Day Parade! It’s expected to have about 300 hand-painted dots, which you’ll be able to see from the street, at home on your tv, or from one of the various viewing parties that’ll be taking place that morning—like the Thanksgiving Day Parade viewing brunch buffet at Ole & Steen in Bryant Park.

14-17. Ice Skating

Winter is coming, and there are a handful of outdoor ice rinks that are either already open or gearing up to! The Wollman Ice Rink in Central Park is open daily from 10am, the Rink at Rockefeller Center is open daily from 8:30am, and the rink at Bryant Park is now open as well from 8am. However, as of November 22nd, you’ll be able to ice skate on the city’s only rooftop rink at Pier 17’s Winterland Rink.

18-20. Holiday Markets

What would the holidays be in NYC without our enchanting holiday markets? The Holiday Shops at Winter Village at Bryant Park are already open, but there will be several others opening up at the end of the month including:

• The Grand Central Holiday Fair: November 18-December 24
• Union Square Holiday Market: November 21-December 24

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