Mostly Mozart and Lincoln Center Out of Doors @ Avery Fisher Hall

Columbus Avenue at 65th Street, 212 721 6500; Damrosch Park, 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues

There’s a lot of activity at Lincoln Center this weekend both indoors and out. Inside Avery Fisher Hall, the month long Mostly Mozart Festival features Haydn and Brahms both nights as performed by the Festival Orchestra plus guest soloist Viennese pianist Stefan Vladar. Outside, the first weekend of Lincoln Center Out of Doors kicks off on Friday night with a free concert by jazz-inflected singer songwriter Raul Midon in the Damrosch Park Bandshell. more

Freda Sings Ella @ Iridium

1650 Broadway at 51st Street, +1 212 582 2121

Although she’s best known for the 70’s hit ”Band of Gold,” Freda Payne started out as a singer with music maestro Quincy Jones’ big band and has spent the last few years headlining in cabarets and on Broadway. This weekend, she performs in this popular jazz club singing the songs of one of the greatest, Ella Fitzgerald. more

James Ensor Retrospective @ Museum of Modern Art

11 East 53rd Street, +1 212 708 9400

This Belgian avant garde painter of the late 19th and early 20th century, known for angry, surreal, swirling color paintings has been acknowledged as an influence on a range of artists from Twombley to Miro. This show traces his development from an early restrained style to the later, much more outrageous one. You’ll probably spend more time in the outrageous half. more

Buriki: Japanese Tin Toys from the Golden Age of the American Automobile @ Japan Society

333 East 47th Street, +1 212 832 1155

The setting itself is serene, complete with a waterfall and bamboo garden and this whimsical collection, perfect for a summer weekend. On display is a private collection from a Tokyo collector of intricate, handpainted tin toys, a specialty of Japan starting in the 20’s and 30’s. But these toys are later, detailed miniatures of the great American cars of the 50’s and 60’s, when cars were really cars and copied down to the door handles in Japan. more

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival @ Flushing Meadows Park, Queens

+ 1 718 767 1776

New York’s sizeable Asian community is on display Saturday and Sunday in Queens when the annual festival pits 145 teams of elaborately crafted boats, complete with rowers and drummers, against each other in dramatic races. But that’s only part of it — there are concerts, dancers, warrior monks performing martial arts and, naturally, stand after stand of culinary specialties. more

Aureole @ One Bryant Park

+ 1 212 319 1660

Its former townhouse in the East 60’s was charming but Aureole was looking to re-energize when it moved locations to a large airy space designed by Adam Tihany in midtown’s Bryant Park, and drafted critically praised chef Christopher Lee, formerly of Gilt. It’s doing a long, slow rollout before the official opening in September but dishes such as artichoke ravioli with Louisiana crayfish and black olive oil and olive oil poached Alaskan king salmon with pomegranate vinaigrette are already selling the room out. more

The Mott @ 173 Mott Street

+1 212 966 9293

This downtown spot operated by veterans of Bouley, Picholine and Town was the subject of revolving door gossip before it opened in July but it doesn’t seem to have suffered from the drama. The pared down menu—sea scallops with cherry tomatoes and basil, feathery gnocchi with artichokes and pine nuts, berry shortcake—is the way people want to eat now and the place is always packed.

Avedon Fashion: 1944-2000 @ International Center of Photography

1133 Sixth Avenue, +1 212 857 9700

In the classic Audrey Hepburn/Fred Astaire film “Funny Face,” the fashion photographer played by Astaire was based on Richard Avedon, who revolutionized fashion photography by making it both artistic and modern, and thereafter dominated the pages of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. This exhibition featuring 200 of his photos from magazine layouts to contact sheets is the most comprehensive retrospective of Avedon’s work to date and was so popular that the ICP extended it. more

New York Yankees/Boston Red Sox @ Yankee Stadium

1161st and River Avenue, Bronx, 718 293 6000 or if sold out, stubhub

Ali/Frazier, Borg/McEnroe…among the great rivalries in sports, few can match the intensity of these American League East baseball opponents or of their raucous fans. Even if you’re not a zealous fan of either team, it’s worth coming out to the Yankees’ new stadium to watch the battle because of the electricity in the air as they fight each other for the top spot in the division. more

The New York destination page @ Globalista

The comprehensive resource for the discerning visitor to New York… more