New York City in the summertime is a culinary wonderland. Popular restaurants, where reservations are usually impossible to come by, suddenly welcome new patrons into their sought-after sanctums. Sidewalk cafes, courtyards, and flower-filled gardens bloom for alfresco dining. Those city residents who have not fled for the East End or other summer communities can delight in hot dogs at Coney Island, fruit-flavored ices from carts set up on the outskirts of Central Park, or lemonade at any number of block parties. The warm-weather months are also prime time for food-centric festivals and walking tours, as well as tasting events — a selection of which is detailed below.

Taste of Times Square

Besides bright lights, Broadway theaters, and constant crowds, Times Square boasts an enormous number and variety of restaurants, justifying West 46th Street’s nickname, “Restaurant Row.” Classic eateries in the area, such as Gallagher’s Steak House and Joe Allen Restaurant, and newer establishments, including Toloache and Natsumi, will set up booths, where they will be selling tastes of their signature dishes for $3-$5. There also will be a swing band and complimentary dance lessons at the event, which is organized annually by the Times Square Alliance. (Monday, June 2, 5-8:30 p.m., West 46th Street, between Broadway and Ninth Avenue, free. For more information, go to timessquarenyc.org)

Big Apple Barbecue Block Party

Local pit masters Ken Callaghan of Blue Smoke, John Stage of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Marc Glosserman of Hill Country, and John Wheeler of Rack & Soul serve up spare ribs, pulled pork shoulder, and other smoked favorites at this sixth annual barbecue-fest. Fare made by legendary cooks from across the country will also be on offer. Desserts include double chocolate brownies and peanut-butter-and-jelly cupcakes. There will be live music from the Sadies, Whiskey Rebellion, and Wild Magnolias, among other groups, as well as talks and demonstrations courtesy of Peter Kaminsky, the author of “Pig Perfect” (Hyperion) and Ed Levine, who wrote “New York Eats” (St. Martin’s).

(Saturday, June 7-Sunday, June 8, noon-6 p.m., Madison Square Park, East 23rd Street, between Broadway and Madison Avenue, $8 a plate, $4 for dessert. For more information, go to bigapplebbq.org)

Institute of Culinary Education Tours

Photographer and food stylist Subrato Bhattacharya leads a tour of “Little India” in the bustling neighborhood of Jackson Heights, Queens. Participants will visit the local markets and restaurants. The tour ends with lunch at Delhi Palace, where specials include goat curry and kadai bhindi masala, which is okra pan fried in herbs and spices.

The Institute of Culinary Education understands that cupcakes are serious business in New York, and offers two cupcake walking tours this summer. Chef and instructor Melanie Underwood takes tour-goers to her favorite cupcake shops, including Cupcake Café, Sugar Sweet Sunshine, Babycakes, Crumbs, and Billy’s.

Also from the Institute is “Cooking in the Moment,” a shopping tour of seasonal ingredients at Union Square Greenmarket and class with cookbook author Richard Ruben, who wrote “The Farmer’s Market Cookbook” (Lyons Press).

(“Little India” tour, Saturday, June 14, and Saturday, July 12, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., meet at 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights, Queens, $75; cupcake tour, Saturdays, June 28 and July 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., meet at La Bergamote, 169 Ninth Ave. at 20th Street, 800-522-4610, iceculinary.com, $70; shopping tour, Saturdays, August 2, 16, and 23, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., meet at Coffee Shop, Union Square West at 16th Street, $100)

Honey: History and Gourmet Tasting

Cookbook author Francine Segan, who co-wrote “The Philosopher’s Kitchen” (Random House) and “The Opera Lover’s Cookbook” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang), will help participants fine-tune their palates and become honey connoisseurs. This class explains the history of the sticky, amber-colored elixir dating back to ancient Greece, how honeybees produce honey, and the key to differentiating flavors of a dozen types of honey. Fragrant French lavender, blueberry blossom, and butterscotch- and vanilla-toned Hawaiian honeys are among those that will be sampled during the seminar.

(Wednesday, June 18, 7 p.m., 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $35, ’92Y.org)