10 Things to Do in New York in March

March in New York is a month full of events not to be missed: from celebrating St. Patrick's Day, to running a half marathon, to arts and culture activities, discover all there is to do!

Luisa María Lugo

Luisa María Lugo

8 min read

10 Things to Do in New York in March

March in Central Park | © Sergio Souza

If you visit New York in March, you'll see the city begin to shyly welcome the spring season. So it's no surprise that there are so many flora-related events, but also typical winter activities such as ice skating. In short, there's something for everyone in New York in March.

1. Don't miss the beautiful orchid exhibition

Some Orchids from the Festival at the Botanical Gardens| ©Otto Yamamoto
Some Orchids from the Festival at the Botanical Gardens| ©Otto Yamamoto

The Orchid Show is an orchid exhibition organised by the New York Botanical Garden every year at the end of March, when orchids are at their peak, presenting their exquisite and beautiful flowers.

If you are in love with orchids, you should definitely not miss this exhibition, where the flowers are seen at their best.

When you buy your ticket to the Botanical Garden you will have full access to the exhibition. Once there, don't hesitate to take some photographs so that you can keep this beautiful memory for many years to come.

Book your ticket to the Botanical Garden

2. Have fun skating on an ice rink full of ice

Skating at Rockefeller Center| ©Peter Cruise
Skating at Rockefeller Center| ©Peter Cruise

Skating in New York during the winter is a movie scene you'll want to recreate when you go there. Luckily, ice skating is one of the top things to do in New York in March, as many rinks are still open and running until the end of the month.

If you love skating, you'll enjoy practising or performing stunts even more with the New York atmosphere surrounding you. On the other hand, if you don't know how to skate, but want to learn, this is a great opportunity.

Some of the rinks you can visit at this time of year include:

  • Bryan Park: one of the most beautiful, which also allows you to admire the Empire State Building.
  • Rockefeller Center: it is among the most popular rinks, so you will have to wait in line and pay a little extra for this unforgettable experience.
  • Woolman Central Park: its fame is worldwide, it is full of locals and tourists, but its prices are affordable.

An ideal option for a March afternoon in New York is to book a tour of Central Park and then have a great time ice skating. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Book a tour of Central Park

3. Take shelter from the cold at an interesting museum

Guggenheim Museum in New York| ©Tomas Eidsvold
Guggenheim Museum in New York| ©Tomas Eidsvold

March is still cold in New York, so a great activity is to take shelter in one of the many museums in New York City for an interesting and enriching experience. Fortunately, March is not part of the high season, so admission prices are lower.

There are art museums, ancient history museums, nature museums and museums with works from modern times. So you have several options to choose from. If you don't know which of the many museums to start with, here are three that I recommend:

  • Book tickets for the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Its iconic internal structure connects several galleries via a circular ramp that looks like another work of art. Although the white cylindrical building is small, you'll really enjoy your visit if you check beforehand what exhibitions are available.
  • Book tickets for the Natural History Museum. It contains amazing displays of creatures of all kinds, including large dinosaur skeletons, in gloomy and intriguing rooms. There's also a life-size replica of a huge blue whale and a modern section with a planetarium.
  • Book skip-the-line tickets for the MoMA, which has major paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh and works by Andy Warhol. But, since its ambitious renovation and expansion, it also has more unpredictable modern art collections.

Book tickets for New York museums

4. Feel the adrenaline rush of an NBA game

NBA Game| ©Andre Tan
NBA Game| ©Andre Tan

Watching NBA basketball games is one more thing you can do in New York in March. These games are in full swing in that month and the teams battle hard. Usually the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets are playing.

In order for you to feel the warmth of the cold season, I suggest you go inside to watch the games. In those enclosed spaces you will feel at ease and comfortable, while enjoying great plays made by professionals. You will be able to feel the adrenaline and excitement of everyone in the crowd supporting their teams.

I promise you will have a great time if you like basketball, but don't forget to book your NBA tickets as early as possible because they literally fly.

Get NBA tickets

5. Celebrate Special Meatball Day with Little Italy

New York's Little Italy| ©Steve Lange
New York's Little Italy| ©Steve Lange

Did you know that there is an international meatball day? It's celebrated on March 9th and on this day, you're likely to find more people in the small but famous Little Italy, which you'll get to know in depth if you book the New York contrasts tour.

As the name suggests, it's an area that pretends to be a little piece of Italy in New York. Because of that, there are many Italian restaurants that are ideal for celebrating the special meatball day. So what better way to celebrate this date than by eating the best meatballs in the metropolis?

Book a tour of contrasts in New York

6. New York's Winter Wine Festival in Times Square

Tasting Wine| ©Helena Lopez
Tasting Wine| ©Helena Lopez

Another important event in New York City is the Winter Wine Festival during which you will have the opportunity to taste quality wines. The famous event, held in Times Square, also includes the tasting of appetizers that are sure to fascinate you.

To further enhance the excellence of the day, the festival features the participation of renowned musicians. The guests, who delight the audience with their music, are usually artists who have won several international awards.

So, if you attend, you are guaranteed good wine and delicious food with pleasant sounds in the background. Can you imagine a more elegant, sophisticated and enjoyable event than this? And, of course, if you are a foodie you should not miss a food tour of Manhattan- it will make your mouth water!

Book a food tour of Manhattan

7. Attend the Macy's Flower Show

One of Macy's Floral Arrangements| ©Brecht Bug
One of Macy's Floral Arrangements| ©Brecht Bug

Add attending the Macy's Flower Show to your list of things to do in New York in March. As the month draws to a close, the Macy's department store chain carries out a tradition that marks the beginning of spring. They fill their department stores with lots of eye-catching plants and pretty floral arrangements.

They even bring in trees to recreate beautiful natural environments in their malls that are worth seeing. Strolling through these, you will find multiple colours full of life and very pleasant aromas. This will be possible thanks to the variety of flowers and plants that they bring from different parts of the world.

Perhaps with this exhibition you will even end up finding gifts of nature that you didn't know before. I assure you that it will be very pleasant to take a stroll through these places where you can also do all the shopping you want.

Book your ticket to the Botanical Garden

8. Participate in or attend a half marathon

A marathon in New York| ©Steven Pisano
A marathon in New York| ©Steven Pisano

Among the most popular events in New York in March is the half marathon, a spectacular event that starts in Central Park and goes all the way to Wall Street.

For 22 km, runners from all over the world pass through the most emblematic points of the city that never sleeps in an event full of excitement and adrenaline.

And if you're a sporty but not so sporty type, I recommend booking a 2.5 hour bike tour of Central Park to warm up and watch spring break through the lungs of the Big Apple.

Book a Central Park bike tour

9. Experience International Women's Day in style!

International Women's Day Parade| ©Gitti Hentschel
International Women's Day Parade| ©Gitti Hentschel

March 8th is an important date, not only in New York but all over the world. In the Big Apple, however, International Women's Day is celebrated in a particularly big way. There are several unique events that take place with the aim of promoting gender equality.

For example, every year there is a huge demonstration or march that you can join. This is done to remember the movements that have succeeded in defending women's rights. Every year a slogan is chosen for that date and the activities to be carried out in the streets are varied. For more information, see the official website of International Women's Day.

10. Saint Patrick's Day Parade

Saint Patrick's Day Parade in New York City| ©Kevin Coles
Saint Patrick's Day Parade in New York City| ©Kevin Coles

The Saint Patrick's Day Parade takes place on 17 March, when New York City dresses in green to celebrate Ireland's National Day.

This is the oldest event in the United States and brings together 700,000 New Yorkers who look forward to it.

This event is free, so you can watch it for free on the day of the event. The route starts at 44th St. and Fifth Avenue, all the way to Saint Patrick's and ends at Third Avenue.

What are the temperatures in New York in March?

Nights with the Brooklyn Bride| ©Robert Nyman
Nights with the Brooklyn Bride| ©Robert Nyman

During March, the winter season slowly passes and spring begins. However, the cold remains and snow is likely to fall in the early days of the month. The average maximum temperature is 10°C while the minimum temperature averages 2°C.

Regarding the time or the clock, it changes in the middle of the month and moves forward by 1 hour. This gives you more daylight so that you can explore more of the city. It's estimated to start getting dark around 6: 30pm or 6:30pm.

So, a great plan is to book a night bus tour of New York City: you'll be able to see New York's main monuments and its illuminated skyline out of the cold and comfortably seated.

Book a night bus tour of New York City

What to pack when visiting NY in March?

New York March| ©Robert Nyman
New York March| ©Robert Nyman

New Yorkers don't stop going out and visiting places because of the cold weather. To make sure the weather doesn't hold you back either, make sure you pack your suitcase with the necessary items. Some of the must-have items of clothing are as follows:

  • A warmcoat with thermal insulation, whether it's a thick coat, a down jacket or an insulated anorak.
  • Footwear with grippy soles, as the surfaces are slippery and you could fall. Preferably opt for high waterproof boots of good material.
  • Hat, gloves, earmuffs, thick socks and thickscarves that can cover your neck and, if possible, part of your face.
  • Thick jumpers, and thermal T-shirts that you can wear underneath them, combined with a somewhat thick coat.
  • Trousers made of thick fabric, such as jeans, corduroy or other very cold-resistant material.

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