Come Out & Play, a festival of innovative outdoor games, is heading into its final week in New York. If you haven’t yet  had a chance to partake in the fun and games, not to worry: there are plenty left to be played.

From books to the big screen, J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' franchise has permeated popular culture and transcended the boundaries of traditional entertainment. As American audiences prepare for the final Harry Potter film to open, we’ve compiled a short list of events around New York that celebrate the world of Harry Potter.

Diamonds may be forever, but this past weekend, the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum ended its 20-week run of “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels.” Over 172,000 visitors passed through the exhibition, breaking the museum's record for previous attendance.

For the past two weeks, 60 licensed pyrotechnicians have been wiring and packaging over 40,000 firework shells in preparation for the 35th annual Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks show. Check out a slideshow of the team preparing at an undisclosed pier in Staten Island.

Pig roasts, improv marathons, Revolutionary War tours and urban foraging. There's no shortage of things to do in the city this Independence Day weekend. Here's our shortlist of happenings around NYC.

Tuesday afternoon, the online auction site artnet Auctions wrapped up its week-long sale “Urban Scrawl: Graffiti and Street Art.” Among the sale’s high ticket items were works by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and other influential New York street artists of the 20th century. Click here to see a slideshow of some of the works that sold.

On Wednesday, 54 outdoor pools will open their doors for summer swimming and sunbathing. There will be four fewer pools open this year and all pools will close two weeks early. Plus: See a list of our favorite city pools.

Many New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender couples are reveling in the fact that soon they won't have to drive to Connecticut, Massachusetts or Vermont to get hitched. Friday night's news is perfect timing for the weekend's Pride celebrations, which mark the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

The controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was released on bail on Wednesday after he confessed to tax evasion. The news has come as a relief to many artists, public officials, museums and fans.

The controversial Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was released on bail on Wednesday after he confessed to tax evasion. The Chinese State Media news agency reported that the artist's good attitude, willingness to pay his allegedly evaded taxes and poor health were factors in his release. On Thursday at noon, Ai supporters had planned to hold a vigil for the Chinese artist and activist who was detained on April 3 at the Plaza Hotel fountain.

It's time to disregard your mother's advice about waiting 30 minutes between eating and swimming. Because at that rate, you may never take a dip in the ocean at Rockaway Beach in Queens. This summer, the boardwalk offers a new all-star lineup of gourmet eats for beach-going epicures. Check out a slideshow of new eats here.

The Happy Ending Music & Reading Series June 8 performance at Joe’s Pub marked the launch of Happy Ending’s partnership with Yaddo, an artists’ working community based in Saratoga Springs, New York.

On Thursday, Joyce enthusiasts around the world will convene for Bloomsday, an annual celebration of the novelist and "Ulysses." Take a peek at a marathon at Symphony Space’s reading featuring more than 100 actors and all 18 episodes of Joyce's classic novel.

The Museum for African Art announced on Tuesday it would delay the opening of its new building at Fifth Ave. and 110th St. to late 2012. The museum was scheduled to open this September.

Tents have ben pitched at Lincoln Center Plaza for the American Crafts Festival, celebrating its 35 anniversary this weekend and next. Over 200,000 guests are expected to attend the event, sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, which features the original, hand-crafted creations of 400 master artisans.

This weekend, pitmasters from across the country will take on New York one grill at a time for the ninth-annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. The event is intended to bring New Yorkers the best barbecue bites from across the country.

It used to be that you'd buy a used car to save money. But now, prices for used cars are soaring to unprecedented heights, causing some buyers to wonder if it isn't savvier to just buy new.  

What's driving up the price of used cars? Paul Eisenstein, publisher of The Detroit Bureau, has the answers. 

Churrigueresque, Kierkegaardian and götterdämmerung. Those are some of the words David Henry Haan had to spell correctly to earn a spot in the adult Williamsburg Spelling Bee final, which takes place Monday night at Pete’s Candy Store.

Although some city slickers head for the hills during the summer — to the Hamptons, to Fire Island, to the Shore or to the Catskills — most music fans agree that New York City's outdoor summer concert fare can not be beat. Here are some of the myriad musical happenings we'll be at this summer.

McQueen fans will now have till Aug. 7 to check out the show. Visitors can also buy $50 tickets to see the exhibition on Mondays, when the museum is usually closed.