In a city that's almost always celebrating, picking out a few events per season hardly does justice to the incredible diversity and constant activity of the city. There are about 50 different parades that are officially recognized and more than 400 street fairs each year. Below are just a few of the highlights, but if you're living and studying in the city, you'll definitely want to keep an eye on the types of events that appeal to you and take advantage of what the city has to offer.

January
New Year's Eve - People around the world watch the famous ball drop in Times Square, but those who have stood in the midst of that packed square will swear there's no substitute for actually being there.

Three Kings Parade - You won't want to miss this adorable parade, especially if you have children. (Registration is necessary to participate.) This annual celebration pays tribute to the three kings who came to visit the baby Jesus, which is a popular tradition throughout most of Latin America. You'll be hard-pressed to find so many children and barnyard animals in the streets at any other time of year. After the parade, which is typically led by three famous figures as the kings, you can participate in a celebration that includes dancing, music and storytelling.

February
Chinese New Year - The Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated throughout the city, although you really shouldn't miss the Chinatown parade and festival. This vibrant spectacle features bands, floats, lion and dragon dances, magicians, acrobats and more. The New Year occurs either in late January or early February as it falls on the first full moon after January 21 and before February 19.

March
St. Patrick's Day Parade - People have spent March 17 marching up Fifth Avenue to Old St. Patrick's Cathedral for almost 250 years. Irish soldiers serving in His Majesty's service held the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in NYC in 1766. Today, the parade starts at 42nd Street and marchers then head north to 86th Street. The parade is anti-vehicle and excludes cars, trucks, floats, etc.

April
Easter Parade - The Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival is a costumed extravaganza where people and their costumed pets wander Fifth Avenue between 49th and 57th Streets. Costumes range from opulent to reasonable and from elegant to extreme.

May
St. George Ukrainian Festival - This cultural festival is one example of the diverse cultures present and thriving in the city. It is also one of the larger festivals with thousands of people showing up each year to immerse themselves in everything Ukrainian including traditional, embroidered Ukrainian clothing, local food and drink and native crafts and jewelry. Various stages are set up allowing visitors to enjoy traditional Ukrainian dances and music.

Tribeca Film Festival - In 2002, Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro started this film festival to enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of film by redefining the film festival experience. The Tribeca Film Festival also seeks to contribute to the long-term recovery of downtown Manhattan and celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking center.

June
The Museum Mile Festival - As discussed in our [living section NEED LINK], NYC has some of the best museums in the world. Conveniently, many of them are located on Fifth Avenue, between 82nd and 104th Streets, and it has become a tradition during this annual festival to block off this area and allow entertainers and vendors to set up various events and activities to distract and delight museum-goers as they travel between the various museums. The nine museums on the mile open their doors for free: El Museo del Barrio, Museum of the City of New York, The Jewish Museum, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Neue Galerie New York, Goethe-Institut New York/German Cultural Center and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Harmony Street Fair - Travel to Staten Island for this annual street fair. Designed to highlight the heritage of the island's many ethnic groups, entertainments include international dance, music and cuisine. Native crafts, jewelry and other cultural pieces are sold allowing attendees to take home a piece of the cultural diversity represented at the fair.

July
Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza - As with NYC in general, they have to have the biggest fireworks display in the country. In 2004, some 36,000 shells (more than 1,000 shells per minute) were fired into the air with an accompanying score of original music produced just for the show.

Shakespeare in Central Park - Who wouldn't want to sit out in Central Park watching Shakespeare performed by a talented group? From June to August, these performances form part of The Public Theater's mission to achieve excellence while developing an American theater that is accessible and relevant to all people.

August
Lincoln Center Out of Doors - Another multicultural event, this two-week festival draws tens of thousands of visitors each year and celebrates cultures from around the world. Each year is themed to emphasize different aspects of world culture. The free activities include dance, music, literary events and other interactive exhibits and activities. Performers from a variety of genres help bring these cultures alive each year.

September
The Feast of San Gennaro - Ten days of good Italian food should be enough to tempt just about anyone. Come join the inhabitants of Little Italy as they celebrate Italian culture with everything from a cannoli-eating contest to carrying the statue of the patron saint of Naples through the streets in a series of three processions.

Metropolitan Opera - If you're looking for some amazing vocal performances, you'll want to attend a performance at the Metropolitan Opera. First opened in 1883, the season begins each year in September. Since opening, the Opera has put on an exhilarating range of performances, continuing to expand its repertoire over the years.

October
Greenwich Village Halloween Parade - This annual parade features hundreds of puppets, bands, artists and dancers, as well as thousands of New Yorkers in their costumes. It is the nation's largest public Halloween parade and runs through Greenwich Village along Sixth Avenue from Spring Street to 22nd Street.

'New York Is Book Country' Book Festival - Book lovers will be hard-pressed to stay away from this two-day festival that's been aptly branded as the "Festival for Book Lovers." It is sponsored by NYIBC, a non-profit organization, which seeks to promote the joy of reading and writing, and celebrates books by bringing together schools, authors, libraries, cultural organizations, publishers and bookstores in citywide events and programs. Exhibitors include publishers, libraries, newspapers and various literacy organizations, while attendees include just about anyone else who prints, publishes, reads or writes.

November
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Who can resist a classic? Probably one of the most famous parades in the country, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a familiar sight each year with floats, bands and huge cartoon balloon characters.

December
Tree Lighting at the Rockefeller Center - Another yearly tradition, the tree-lighting takes place following a two-hour presentation with all the glitz and glamour NYC is famous for producing. It's not uncommon to see a memorable gathering of the rich and famous in addition to the masses of people who have come from all around the world.

Sources:
( http://www.new-york-travel-services.com/ )

( http://www.lonelyplanet.com )