The best things to do in NYC this weekend line up nicely for anyone coming in from Long Island. Harry Styles is down to his last few nights at Madison Square Garden. The Jets host Miami on Sunday afternoon. Times Square turns into a Diwali festival on Saturday, the New York Botanical Garden has giant monarch butterflies parading through the grounds, and the Nets play an early-evening game at Barclays on Sunday. It's also the last quiet weekend before the NYC Marathon closes half the city next Sunday, so if you've been putting off a trip in, this is the one. Here's what's worth the drive, and how to handle getting there and back.

Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden (Saturday)

Saturday, October 24 at 8 p.m., with doors at 7 and Jamie xx opening. The "Together, Together" residency has been running every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday since late August, and it ends October 31. That makes this the second-to-last Saturday of the whole run. These are his only U.S. dates this year, so resale prices are still well over $200 for most of the building.

You probably already know the routine at the Garden. Twenty thousand people come out onto Seventh and Eighth Avenue at the same time, Penn Station fills up in about four minutes, and the last few trains back to Huntington or Ronkonkoma are standing room only. Our driver waits a few blocks off the crowd and watches for the actual encore, not the scheduled end time. You walk out, text, and you're on the Midtown Tunnel ramp while everyone else is still in line for the escalator. One note: MSG won't let in bags bigger than 22" x 14" x 9", so leave anything big in the car. We wrote a full Harry Styles at MSG guide earlier in the residency if you want the details on pickup spots.

Jets vs. Dolphins at MetLife Stadium (Sunday, 1 p.m.)

The Jets host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, October 25 at 1 p.m. on CBS. It's a division game, and Jets fans from Nassau and Suffolk turn out for Miami every year. The Giants are in Houston this week, so MetLife belongs to green.

The problem with MetLife from Long Island is that you have to cross two rivers, and you need to do it twice. Going in, it's the LIE or the Northern State to the Throgs Neck or the RFK, then the Cross Bronx to the George Washington Bridge, or straight across Manhattan to the Lincoln Tunnel. Coming home, 80,000 people try to squeeze onto Route 3 and the Turnpike at once, and the lots take an hour or more to clear. Add tailgating to the day and nobody in your group should be the one behind the wheel. We stage close to the lots and have you heading back to the bridge while the lots are still frozen. Our Jets home opener guide goes through MetLife timing from Long Island step by step.

Diwali at Times Square (Saturday)

Diwali at Times Square is set for Saturday, October 24 on the plazas along Broadway in the 40s, around Duffy Square. It's a free outdoor festival with Bollywood music, classical and folk dance performances, and a bazaar with food and vendors. Organizers haven't posted exact hours yet, so check their page Saturday morning before you head in.

A lot of Long Island families make this a tradition, from Hicksville, New Hyde Park, Syosset, and all over Nassau. It's also a festival where everyone dresses up, and nobody wants to walk from a parking garage on Ninth Avenue in a new outfit. Times Square traffic is bad on a normal Saturday. With Broadway blocked off for the festival and the evening theater crowd showing up around 7, it gets worse. Get dropped off on a side street, enjoy the afternoon, and walk to the car when you're done. If you want to add dinner or a show, our hourly service keeps the same driver with you all evening.

Monarch Puppets and Día de los Muertos at the New York Botanical Garden

Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., giant monarch butterfly puppets parade through the Everett Children's Adventure Garden at NYBG. It's part of the garden's month-long Día de los Muertos celebration, which also has marigold displays, an ofrenda, workshops, and music. The parade is included with an All-Garden Pass.

The Botanical Garden is one of the best fall days you can plan with kids, especially with the leaves turning in the Thain Family Forest. It's also in the Bronx, which a lot of Long Islanders think is farther than it is. From the North Shore it's about 40 minutes over the Throgs Neck and up the Bronx River Parkway. NYBG parking fills early on nice fall weekends, and once the lot is full you're circling Southern Boulevard with a car full of restless kids. Drop-off at the main gate gets around all of that.

Nets vs. Pacers at Barclays Center (Sunday, 6 p.m.)

The Nets host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, October 25 with a 6 p.m. tip. It's one of the first home games of the new season, and upper-level seats were still going for around $35 earlier this week. That makes it an easy, affordable Sunday evening out with the kids, and they'll still be in bed at a reasonable hour.

Getting to Barclays from Long Island is simple on paper: Atlantic Terminal is right there on the LIRR. The reality on a Sunday night is reduced train service, a transfer at Jamaica, and a long wait on the platform after the game. Driving means Atlantic and Flatbush, which is one of the busiest intersections in Brooklyn, and parking garages charging event rates. Our driver picks you up at the curb on Atlantic Avenue after the final buzzer, and from there it's the BQE to the LIE and home.

Gilded Age Afternoon Tea at The Plaza

For something quieter, the Palm Court at The Plaza is serving a "High Society Tea" tied to HBO's "The Gilded Age" through November 10. It's $150 per person, with period-inspired bites and a cocktail, under the stained glass ceiling.

This is a good pick for a birthday, a mother-daughter afternoon, or a couple that wants to walk Fifth Avenue and the edge of Central Park while the trees are turning. Parking around 59th and Fifth runs $60 or more for a few hours, and the curb in front of The Plaza is a constant mess of taxis and tour buses. Our driver drops you at the Fifth Avenue entrance and picks you up there when you're done.

Heads Up: Marathon Sunday Is Next Week

The TCS New York City Marathon is Sunday, November 1. The Verrazzano, big stretches of First Avenue, Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, and roads all over the course close for most of the day. If you have a flight out of JFK or LaGuardia that morning, or plans in Manhattan, plan around it now. Our NYC Marathon guide has the closures and timing.

Getting Into the City From Long Island

A weekend like this one is mostly about timing. When the Garden lets out, when MetLife lets out, when Times Square clears. That's the part we handle. Your chauffeur is assigned ahead of time and already knows the venue, where to wait, and which way to go home. No surge pricing when 20,000 people open the same app. No driver canceling five minutes before your pickup. We've been doing these runs for 20 years, and the car will be there.

For venue-by-venue details, see our NYC events transportation page. If you're flying out this weekend, the JFK car service page covers terminal timing from Nassau and Suffolk.

Whether it's Harry Styles at the Garden, Jets-Dolphins in the Meadowlands, or an afternoon at the Botanical Garden, request a quote and let us handle the driving this weekend.

Best Things To Do in NYC This Weekend — October 24–25, 2026