Don't Miss: April 2016 Events in NYC 2016

April brings returning NYC favorites like the Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, AIPAD Photography Show, Tribeca Film Festival and PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature. New exhibitions include Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk at the Queens Museum and New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast’s works on display at the Museum of the City of New York. Baseball's Yankees and Mets open their seasons at their respective stadiums, with the Mets fresh off last season's National League pennant win. Concerts bring big names like Billy Joel and Diana Ross to City stages, and self-proclaimed D-lister Kathy Griffin performs stand-up at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts.

Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing
April 1–30
Few events herald the birth of spring like a shower of luminous pink petals falling softly from hundreds of cherry trees. Cherry-blossom viewing, known as hanami, is a centuries-old Japanese custom, a springtime occasion for merriment and the contemplation of life's beauty and transience. You can partake in this tradition at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, home to scores of flowering varieties for public enjoyment. Guided tours focusing on the blooms are held on Wednesdays during the April viewing season though the more-frequent garden highlights tours will touch on them as well. The month culminates in the celebration of the brilliant blooms with Sakura Matsuri, a festival of Japanese performances and cultural happenings, on April 30 and May 1.

Yankees and Mets Home Openers
April 4 and 8
Perhaps the most successful franchise in sports, the Yankees have won a staggering 27 World Series championships. No other team comes close. Former players like Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle are as much a part of American folklore as they are athletes. The Yankees open their season at home on April 4 versus the Astros. The National League Mets are fresh off a hot season that took them to the World Series, where they lost to the Kansas City Royals. Could 2016 be their year? Watch them take on the Phillies in their April 8 home opener. The team's star players include pitchers Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey.

Dance Theatre of Harlem at New York City Center
April 6–9
Dance Theatre of Harlem takes up a four-day residency at Manhattan’s first performing arts center. This season the company celebrates great female choreographers, and the performances won’t disappoint. NYC premieres come courtesy of the legendary modernist Dianne McIntyre and dancer Elena Kunikova. Also, on the roster are Helen Pickett’s When Love and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s resident choreographer Robert Garland’s Return. April 9 features a family matinee, followed by a Q&A and “Meet the Ballerina” event.

Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs
April 6–September 5
Although best known for her contributions to the New Yorker, Roz Chast has produced a body of work that includes some 1,200 cartoons, 15 illustrated children's books and an award-winning 2014 visual memoir, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? This exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, which features more than 200 pieces of her art, celebrates the influence of the City on the artist.

Havana Film Festival
April 7–15
The Havana Film Festival New York, in cooperation with Havana's International Festival of New Latin American Cinema, delivers films from all over the Americas with an emphasis on work that addresses the Latin American diaspora and Latinos in the United States. With panels, receptions and a thoughtful mix of contemporary and classic films, HFFNY offers a window on the burgeoning Latino filmmaking industry. Opening night features a screening of El Acompañante by Cuban filmmaker Pavel Giroud, who will be in attendance for a Q&A along with actor Yotuel Romero.

Kathy Griffin
April 10
The self-proclaimed D-lister performs her newest set—entitled "Like a Boss"—at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts. Expect irreverent jokes about A-to-Z list celebrities along with her usually hilarious dose of self-deprecation

Hey! Ho! Let’s Go: Ramones and the Birth of Punk
April 10–July 31
"1-2-3-4!" In 1974, four youngsters from Forest Hills, Queens, made their way to legendary downtown club CBGB and began their blitzkrieg-style assault on rock 'n' roll. Two years later Johnny, Joey, Dee and Tommy released their first album (The Ramones), a barrage of shouty, speedball anthems like "Judy Is a Punk" and "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." For the 40th anniversary of the Ramones' 1976 recording debut, this Queens Museum special exhibition aims to capture the band's lasting impact on music, fine art, and popular culture through hundreds of pieces of Ramones-abilia. The show includes flyers, photos, concert footage, original lyrics manuscripts, T-shirts, the Ramones' signature leather jackets and contributions from such artists as Simpsons creator Matt Groening; Mark Kostabi, cover designer for the Ramones' final record, Adios Amigos; and Shepard Fairey, the man behind the Obama "Hope" poster and a champion of Dee Dee Ramone's paintings.

Tribeca Film Festival
April 13–24
The Tribeca Film Festival—launched after 9/11 to promote the cultural and economic revival of Lower Manhattan—provides a platform for innovative filmmakers to present their latest work. The 2016 program will feature films of all stripes: crowd-pleasing blockbusters-to-be, provocative documentaries, foreign films, shorts and free outdoor screenings, plus a cornucopia of panel discussions and lectures.

The Photography Show | Presented by AIPAD
April 14–17
The Association of International Photography Art Dealers' annual show, held at the Park Avenue Armory, is one of the biggest fine-art photography shows in the world, featuring museum-quality work—everything from 19th-century photos to contemporary images. Now in its 36th year, the show includes exhibitors from all over the world. All are welcome here: collectors, admirers, photographers, and artists.

Earth Day Events
April 17
With events on Earth Day and throughout the week, New York City celebrates sustainability and ways to live in harmony with the planet. The scheduled festivities, including concerts, exhibitions, and educational forums, are held each year at Grand Central Terminal and Union Square. Get outside at Union Square with performances and family-friendly fun; a 5K walk through Manhattan takes participants to sites like rooftop gardens and composting facilities. Exhibitors at Grand Central present a host of opportunities and information on building a sustainable lifestyle and a healthier planet.

New York City Ballet Spring 2016 Repertory Season
April 19–May 29
The New York City Ballet returns to Lincoln Center this spring with a slew of breathtaking performances. Ballet fans can expect plenty of Balanchine and Robbins along with a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Spring Gala on May 4, with a world premiere and other shows to be announced.

PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature
April 25–May 1
This annual celebration of international literature, now in its 12th year, will focus on recognized and emerging Mexican writers, thinkers, and other insightful voices. This year’s theme is Renegotiating the Narratives, which offers an opportunity to examine and deconstruct the defining social, political, cultural and artistic issues affecting the Mexican diaspora. Along with readings, dance performances, art exhibits, talkbacks and lectures exploring Mexican identity and relevant topics—from the country’s expat artist community to US-Mexico border migration—the seven-day festival will include events that engage participants in critical discussions and illuminating, innovative forms of activism. More than 150 writers from Mexico and the global writing community—including Jamaica Kincaid, Carmen Boullosa, Colum McCann, Luiselli Valeria and Lydia Cacho—will take part in this timely event.

Concerts
The Garden also continues its "franchise" of monthly performances by Billy Joel, who takes the stage on April 15. Diana Ross performs at Staten Island's historic St. George Theatre on April 12. And '80s favorite Duran Duran bring their wild boy antics to Barclays Center, also on April 12. For a comprehensive list of April performances, see our Concert Calendar.