What you need to know about the free festival

The Paley Center for Media will throw its first-ever interactive festival in midtown this weekend, featuring a host of happenings designed to celebrate media, sports, gaming and entertainment.

Dubbed PaleyWKND, the inaugural street party will be held in collaboration with the City of New York. The event unfolds Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 1 and 2) on West 52nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, as well as inside the Paley Center, which is located on that block.

The lineup includes appearances from TV stars Jimmy Smits, star of the new CBS drama “East New York,” Drew Carey hosting a live version of “The Price Is Right” to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary (with announcer George Gray), a rare showcase of all four major professional sports league championship trophies, Xbox games and appearances from Marvel characters Captain America, Black Panther and Spider-Man.

And that’s just the tip of the cross-genre iceberg.

“PaleyWKND is one of those iconic ‘only in New York’ events that people will remember for years to come,” said Maureen Reidy, president and CEO of the Paley Center for Media, which was founded as the Museum of Television & Radio in 1976. “Designed in partnership with the best of the best — major sports leagues, iconic media brands, gaming giants and the hottest entertainment companies.”

The celebration, which kicks off Friday night with an exclusive members-only preview — tickets for which are available here and here — is expected to attract tens of thousands of tri-staters. It’s a collaboration between the Paley Center and more than two dozen media brands — including Nickelodeon, which will be on-hand with a vast supply of their trademark slime, as well as an interactive experience with several of its franchise shows such as “Blue’s Clues & You!” and “Santiago of the Seas.”

There will also be a virtual reality center, an exclusive screening of AMC’s upcoming series “Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire” — with cast members Jacob Anderson (Louis de Pointe du Lac), Sam Reid (Lestat), Eric Bogosian (Daniel Molloy) and Bailey Bass (Claudia) — and the chance to watch a recording of the HBO Max podcast “Truest Blood” with co-stars Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hamby) and Kristin Bauer (Pam De Beaufort). There will also be screenings of the children’s shows “Peppa Pig,” “My Little Pony: Make Your Mark” and “Power Rangers: Dino Fury.”

Founded by pioneering CBS president and CEO William S. Paley, who passed away in 1990 at the age of 89, the center features an extensive archival collection of audio and television broadcasts. It changed its name from the Museum of Television & Radio to the Paley Center for Media in 2007 so as to better reflect its archival and education focus on emerging interactive platforms including the internet, podcasts, mobile video, sports and gaming. (The Paley Museum is home to a gaming studio and a podcast studio.)

During the year, the center hosts annual PaleyFest events — both here in New York City and at its other home in Beverly Hills, California — that include screenings of shows and movies and roundtable discussions with the stars of popular television shows such as NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU” and “The Morning Show” on Apple TV+. On Oct. 8, the PaleyFest will feature a screening of Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power” with stars including Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Nazanin Boniadi, Charles Edwards and Benjamin Walker.

All PaleyWKND events are free and open to the public. There is an option to reserve tickets for timed entry.

Here are a few fun events to check out during PaleyWKND:

Football fans of all ages can show off their footwork and tackling skills on a mini turf field, or head inside to view the Vince Lombardi Trophy and the full collection of all 56 Super Bowl rings up close. The exhibit also features all four Major League Trophies (NBA, MLB, NHL and NFL).

Kate del Castillo will be in-person Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on the Plaza Mainstage, located mid-block, to introduce an exclusive preview screening of the Season 3 opener of her hit Telemundo series “La Reina del Sur.”

The Nintendo Outdoor Gaming Tent will feature Nintendo Switch game play around top-tier titles including Splatoon 3, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros.

There will be a photo opportunity with New York Mets mascots Mr. and Mrs. Met (and their smiles) in conjunction with Citi.

The NBA and WNBA will host junior basketball clinics on 52nd Street, providing kids and families with the opportunity to hone their dribbling, passing and shooting skills alongside members of the NBA family including former Knicks player John Starks and NBA champion Ron Harper.

Meta’s Metaverse explores New York City and the universe through augmented reality and virtual reality, taking viewers from the streets of Manhattan to the vast expanse of the universe.

NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition with YOU! will feature a video booth for kids (and adults) to practice giving their very own live report from the field, with a chance to record their own report for “NBC Nightly News Kids Edition” and an option to access and save the recording.