Things To Do This Weekend in New York City & Roosevelt Island - Wine & Food Festival, Boo at the Zoo & Kidfest - Have Fun!

Image of New York City Wine & Food Festival Logo

Looking for fun things to do on Roosevelt Island or in New York City this weekend? Here are some suggestions.

Are you food lovers and like to watch the TV Food Network? If so, this is your lucky weekend. From October 9 - 12 the Food Network is presenting The New York City Food & Wine Festival paying:

... homage to one of the greatest restaurant cities in the world and bring this weekend-long extravaganza to New York City.

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is the only festival in New York to bring together both legendary culinary icons from around the globe and America’s most beloved television chefs. Mirroring the charitable component of South Beach, the New York City festival will benefit the hunger relief programs Food Bank for New York City and Share Our Strength. 100 percent of the net proceeds from the festival will go directly to these community based initiatives.

Taking place primarily in the fashionable Meatpacking District and select landmark settings such as the DUMBO section of Brooklyn, the festival will seamlessly integrate into the pace and lifestyle of the city. This year’s talents include Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis, Tyler Florence, Alton Brown, Masaharu Morimoto, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Ferran Adria, Patrick & Gina Neely, Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsey and Nigella Lawson to name a few.

If being frightened rather than fattened is your goal this weekend, take a trip up to the Bronx Zoo for Boo at the Zoo and:

Celebrate a New York Halloween tradition! October weekends are packed with activities, including magic shows, spooky stories, costume parades, and musical hayrides. Best of all, come visit with our bats, cats, and creepiest critters. Also enjoy this special offer: One child in Halloween costume will receive a free child’s limited admission ticket with the purchase of one full price adult limited admission ticket.

Or you can visit the Brooklyn Bridge Park on Saturday morning to:

Find out what lives in the waters under the Manhattan Bridge! Join experts from the Coastal Marine Resource Center as we use a 30-foot seining net to catch fish and other remarkable East River creatures. Families and kids can take a good look at the fish before we release them back to their homes and keep a tally of our catch. We provide field guides, identification keys, and plenty of fun to go around.

There are things to do on Roosevelt Island this weekend as well such as the second weekend of Roosevelt Island Kidfest on Saturday afternoon with the Broadway Babies performing on the Riverwalk Lawn. According to the MTA, Roosevelt Island F Train will be normal this weekend and RIOC reports no service interruptions for the Roosevelt Island Tram.

Here are some other ideas on what to do in New York City this weekend from the NY Times Urban Eye, NY Post Weekend Calendar and Newyorkology.

UPDATE: 10/11- A reader sends in a reminder that October is Roosevelt Island Fall For Arts Month.