Super Bowl XLVIII will take place this Sunday in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While the big game is taking place in Jersey, New York City has plenty of events lined up to celebrate the NFL. Throughout the five boroughs, the city is booming with special events and once in a lifetime opportunities. Here is a rundown of ten cool events happening in NYC during Super Bowl week.
1. Super Bowl Boulevard
By far the biggest event is the Super Bowl Boulevard. From Wednesday January 29th to Saturday February 1st, Broadway between 34th and 47th Streets will become the focal point of everything NFL in NYC until the big game. The event is free and open to the public from noon to 10pm each day. This is an opportunity for diehard NFL fans to take a picture of the Lombardi Trophy, football’s biggest honor up close; for kids who want to try kicking a field goal through the arches or get an autograph from current and retired NFL players. There will also be a toboggan run ($5 charge, with the proceeds going to the charity MillionTreesNYC).
As this will be a big public event, you can expect lines everywhere. To make it easier for you all, make sure you register for a badge so you will not have to deal with lines in the cold. Click HERE to register.
2. Madden NFL: 25 Years of Running
Adding to their already stellar video game exhibit, The Museum of The Moving Image is hosting a celebration for one of the most popular and controversial video game franchises in history. The Madden NFL game franchise is in its 25th year, and fans of the yearly series can head to Queens and play some of the more remarkable entries. These entries include the very first Madden Game, released on the Apple II in 1988 and the Commodore 64 in 1989; Madden 95′, the first football game to have the names of the teams and players added and the latest Madden: Madden 25. The exhibit has been running since January 9th and will continue to run until February 23th.
3. NFL Referee Workshops for Kids
You all know someone who is going to be complaining throughout the game about the referees blowing calls or being blind to violations on the field. There will be swearing, arms flailing and the classic line will be spit out by someone “even my kid would know to call that!” Well, then parents, you are in luck, for at The Childrens Museum of Manhattan on 83rd Street, you can take your kids to learn how to be an official NFL referee. Representatives of the NFL, including referees, coaches and players are expected to participate. The exhibit is running until February 28th.
4. Gridiron Greats: Vintage Football Cards
Super Bowl Sunday is where we celebrate Football’s present. At the Met Museum, you have the opportunity to celebrate football’s past. From the collection of famed trading card collector Jefferson R. Burdick, the museum presents Gridiron Greats, a selection of over 303,000 trading cards donated to the museum. Standouts include: the first football trading cards ever produced; New York football legends like Tom Landry and Frank Gifford can be found in this collection. The exhibit also is showcasing the latest vintage football cards displayed at the museum, including those featuring NFL legends like Johnny Unitas. The exhibit opened this past Friday, the 24th, and will be on display till February 10th.
5. VH1 NFL Blitz Concert Series
Six concerts in six nights. VH1 is going all out to celebrate New York’s first Super Bowl by having concerts all over the city. Queens will have a chance to see J.Cole tonight; Tuesday, Janelle Monae brings her energetic futuristic-but-classical style to the Boogie-Down Bronx; Fall Out Boy will take over Brooklyn on Wednesday, the legendary R&B group TLC will be performing in Manhattan on Thursday. The Goo Goo Dolls will be in Staten Island for their show on Friday, and the day before Super Bowl Sunday, Gavin Degraw will be performing in New Jersey.
Tickets may still be available, if you want to attend any of these performances, you can just head over to the official VH1 website for tickets and locations.
6. Super Comedy Jam
After Super Bowl Sunday some of us will be jubilant, and others will be depressed. Before the cheers and tears, WFAN is hosting an event that is intended to make us all laugh. The Super Comedy Jam  will be hosted by NYC sports radio personalities Boomer Esiason (former New York Jets Quarterback) and Craig Carton, on January 29th. The event will feature the stand up of Jay Mohr, Dave Attell, Jeff Norris and others. The comedy event is taking place at The Hammerstein Ballroom, where tickets may still be available.
7. Taste of The NFL
At the Brooklyn Terminal on Saturday, chefs from each NFL city will be serving their signature dish along with much more at this food and wine strolling party. Famous Chefs and NFL players will be in attendance as well as dining. There will also be an auction of rare sports memorabilia that will go to food banks in every NFL city. Tickets can be purchased here for this unique opportunity to try food from the best chefs from around the country.
8. Forty-Ate
The NFL will have its first ever pop-up restaurant, in collaboration with the Union Square Hospitality Group, at the top floor of The Renaissance in Times Square. The restaurant is taking reservations and will also accept walk-ins. It will not only feature unique city-themed dishes, but also memorabilia from the NFL Hall of Fame, including all 47 Super Bowl rings. It will be open from Monday, January 27th until Saturday, February 1st.
9. Fashion Touchdown
The Bloomingdale’s collection of “fashionable” helmets still can be viewed at the 59th street location window display. Super Bowl week is your last chance to catch the unique combination of fashion and football, as the display will end on February 4th, two days after the Super Bowl. For more information, check out our previous write-up here.
10. The Big Game 2014
Super Bowl Sunday is an event best enjoyed in a group of people. For those who don’t want to stay at home, Williamsburg’s Nitehawk Cinema is hosting a Super Bowl party where you can watch the game on the biggest screen possible. The movie theater/restaurant will also have drink specials with beers from each team’s home region. And, for those who do not want to see Bruno Mars during the Halftime Show, the lobby of The Nitehawk will be showing The Puppy Bowl.
Get in touch with the author @TatteredFedora and give him your Super Bowl predictions.
