• Artexpo New York, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street (at 11th Avenue), Thursday, March 3rd –  Sunday, March 6th.  Celebrating its 27th year, Artexpo New York showcases fine and popular art for all tastes, styles, and budgets.
• Postage Stamp Mega-Event, Madison Square Garden at the Expo Center, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, Thursday, March 3rd – Sunday, March 6th. Largest Stamp Show in America.
• Gramercy Garden & Antiques Show, at the 69th Street Armory on Lexington Avenue, Friday, March 4th – Sunday, March 6th.
• The New York Times Travel Show 2005, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street, Friday, March 4th – Sunday, March 6th. Choose from among the world's premier travel destinations, products, services and vacation packages. Check out what’s in store at the show, including: 500 top exhibitors located in two halls devoted to active travel (including kayaking, golf, cycling, scuba diving, among others) and destination travel (featuring travel destinations and spas).
• Big Band Fridays at Club 412, 412 Eighth Ave. at 31st Street, 4th Floor, Friday, March 4th. Swing dance to George Gee and his 15 piece Orchestra including a dance lesson at 8:30pm with dancing continuing from 9pm to midnight.
• The Orchid Show, The New York Botanical Garden, 200th Street & Kazimiroff Boulevard, Bronx, NY.  Saturday, February 26th – Sunday, March 27th. This year's show will transport you to exotic, orchid-packed places on two continents. You'll wander through the jungles and cloud forests of Asia and the Americas, passing thousands of orchids—delicate, elegant, fascinating, and bizarre—set among the palms and ferns. Includes tours, home gardening demonstrations, and a vast array of orchids for sale.
• Rock & Roll Rarities Featured at Music Memorabilia Show, Tip Top Shoe Building, 55 West 72nd Street, Saturday, March 5th.  There will be records (LPs, 45rpm, 78rpm), posters, photographs, books, etc. of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bee Gees, Beach Boys, Ricky Nelson, Kinks, DooWop Stars, and much more with over 10,000 items. From 1800s to 1980s.
• New York Armory Antiques Show, 7th Regiment Armory, on Park Avenue and 67th Street, Wednesday, March 9th – Sunday, March 13th.
• Riverdance, Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Avenue, Thursday, March 10th – Thursday, March 17th back to where it all began! It's been 10 years since Riverdance first stomped its way into the hearts of millions around the world. To celebrate this major milestone, Riverdance will return to where it was first introduced to American audiences - New York's famed Radio City Music Hall, for a very special limited engagement.
• Annex Antiques Fair & Flea Market, Avenue of the Americas between West 25th Street and West 26th Street on Saturday and Sundays.
• The Armory Show 2005: The International Fair of New Art, The Armory Show, Inc., Piers 90 & 92, 50th and 52nd Streets at 12th Avenue, Friday, March 11th – Monday, March 14th.  In its seventh annual fair, The Armory Show presents 161 galleries from 39 cities around the world exhibiting the very best new art by living artists. The Armory Show attracted 40,000 visitors and generated $43 million in sales in 2004.
• 8th Annual USA Memory Championship, Con Edison Auditorium, 4 Irving Place at 14th Street, Saturday, March 12th.  Though some of us need notes to remember our own birthdays, others can memorize the order of an entire deck of shuffled cards. With 5 events spread over the entire day, competitors from all over the country will vie for the title of 'National Memory Champion.'
• First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image, New York Historical Society,  2 West 77th Street, Tuesday, March 15th – Sunday, June 5th.  The exhibition presents a new understanding of the demanding responsibilities of presidential wives and hostesses and looks at the relationship between the media and the woman in the White House. The exhibition is divided into three main sections and encompasses some 200 campaign and personal items and more than 500 illustrations and photographs.
• St. Patrick's Day Parade, Fifth Ave. from 44th to 86th Sts., then east to Third Ave. Thursday, March 17th.  Bagpipers, high school bands, and politicians honor the patron saint of Ireland in this parade, which dates back to 1766. Begins at 11am.
• The Whole Bead Show, 401 Seventh Avenue @ 33rd Street, Friday, March 18th – Sunday, March 20th. The Whole Bead Show brings all the beads you have been looking for. Shop vintage through contemporary pieces made from glass, stone, metal, pearl, amber & porcelain. Find merchants, bead makers & importers who are already suppliers to many professional & novice jewelry makers.
• Decorator’s Showhouse: Interiors in Miniature: South Street Seaport Museum, Schermerhorn Row, 12 Fulton St., Saturday, March 19th.  Join South Street Seaport Museum and the Doll and Toy Museum of New York City at 2pm for a special viewing of spectacular historic dollhouses featured in our exhibit, Child's Play at the Seaport. Guest speakers will offer expert perspectives on architecture and design.
• The March Pier Antiques Show, Passenger Ship Terminal Piers, 12th Avenue at 55th Street, Saturday, March 19th – Sunday, March 20th.  New York City’s largest and most exciting antiques event is also one of the most popular in the country. There is a broad theme to each of the piers including: 20th century design, and art deco, Americana and folk art, formal, fine period furniture, and jewelry. Show hours are Saturday 9am–6pm; Sunday 11am–6pm.
• Macy’s 31st Annual Flower Show, at Macy’s Department Store at 34th Street and Broadway, Sunday, March 20th – Sunday, April 3rd.
• Easter Baskets, Children's Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd Street, Saturday, March 26th – Sunday, March 27th.  Design a decorative Easter basket with textiles, shapes and colors that remind you of springtime! Workshops start at 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm.
• Eggstreme Weekend, Bronx Zoo, Boston Rd and Bronx River Parkway, Saturday, March 26th – Sunday, March 27th.  The Bronx Zoo celebrates Easter weekend with visits from our costume bunny mascot Bella. Crafts, egg races and an egg hunt are all part of the festivities.
• Easter Parade, Sunday March 27th from 49th to 57th Street along Fifth Avenue.

Since Riverdance will be playing at Radio City Music Hall, here are some good choices within walking distance to the theater by cuisine:

• Steak: Del Frisco's, McGraw Hill Bldg., 1221 Sixth Avenue (49th St.) 212-575-5129. Expensive, but you are paying for the real estate here too.
• Mexican: Zona Rosa, 40 West 56th Street, (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 212-247-2800.  Not your typical taco place, really good food.
• Italian: Osteria Stella, 135 West 50th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues) 212-957-5050. Good food, but a bit loud.
• American: Michael’s, 24 W. 55th Street, (between 5th and 6th Avenues) 212-767-0555, known for the publishing crowd.
• Special occasion: 21 Club, 21 West 52nd Street, (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 212-582-7200, for something special.
• Greek: Molyvos, 871 7th Avenue, (between 5th Avenue and 56th Street) 212- 582-7500, the appetizer assortment is a must here.
• Seafood: Sea Grill, Rockefeller Center, 19 West 49th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 212-332-7610, gives a whole new meaning to fish on ice since you can watch the skaters from your table.

Previewing this month:

• Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed, March 8th.
• Julius Caesar, March 8th.
• Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, March 12th.
• Steel Magnolias, March 15th.
• The Light in the Piazza, March 17th.
• The Pillowman, March 21st
• On golden Pond, March 22nd.
• A Streetcar Named Desire, March 26th.
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, March 29th.

 Opening this month:

• Altar Boyz, March 1st.
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, March 3rd.
• Lazer Vaudeville, March 9th.
• Woman Before a Glass, March 10th.
• The Glass Menagerie, March 15th.
• Spamalot, March 17th.
• Dessa Rose, March 21st.
• Jackie Mason: Freshly Squeezed, March 23rd.
• All Shook Up, March 24th.
• Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, March 30th.