Happy Memorial Day weekend! Savor the unofficial start of summer with some of the great happenings that are going on across the city, from the Family Festival at Governors Island to Fleet Week festivities to Central Park’s hot new art installation (which includes free “sunset”-colored ice cream.) Enjoy!
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Fleet Week at the Intrepid Museum
Celebrate Fleet Week at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum! Enjoy hands-on activities led by NASA, the Office of Naval Research, and other military partners; hear from astronaut and naval pilot Scott Altman, who served as Tom Cruise’s flight double in “Top Gun,” as well as other former astronauts and military aviators at a special Meet the Pilots event. Don't miss the screening of "Top Gun" as the first outdoor movie of the season on Friday, or the interactive displays on Pier 86. (Through Tuesday) -
Seaport Smorgasburg Opening Day
Smorgasburg, a giant all-food market, will return to the historic Seaport District from Memorial Day Weekend through October. The market, which showcases "the best of Brooklyn's artisanal food scenes," will feature vendors like Cemitas El Tigre, Lonestar Empire, Lumpia Shack, Milk Truck, Pizza Moto, Ramen Burger, Red Hook Lobster Pound and Schnitz (plus a bar for mom and dad.) (Opens Thursday) -
Spotlight Asia: Big Cats at the American Museum of Natural History
Take a walk on the wild side this Saturday at the American Museum of Natural History during Spotlight Asia: Big Cats. Learn all about lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, and snow leopards through theater and musical performances, as well as hands-on activities that highlight the fearsome wild cats of Asia. Plus, get a sneak preview of Saung Budaya’s Topeng Blantek (mask) dance, a traditional Indonesian dance ceremony. (Saturday) -
Lower East Side Festival of the Arts
This weekend join the Theater for the New City for the 20th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. All ages can enjoy film screenings, food, children’s programming, poetry readings, theatrical performances, street vendors, and more. (Friday-Sunday) -
"Drifting in the Daylight" in Central Park
If you haven't yet visited the "Drifting in the Daylight" art installation in Central Park, you'll want to check out the eight site-specific artworks that engage all senses. As you wander through the north end of the park, you'll find works like the S.S. Hangover, a replica of a 1930s Icelandic fishing boat, floating on the Harlem Meer and carrying a performing sextet; Black Joy in the Hour of Chaos, a group of hip hop dancers, musicians, spoken-word poetry; and be sure to see visit artist Spencer Finch, who will use a solar-powered ice cream truck to serve sunset-colored ice cream. (Saturdays and Sundays through June 20) -
11th Annual Family Festival on Governor's Island
Hop on a ferry to Governors Island this Sunday for its annual Family Festival! This year’s festivities include puppet-making, flower planting, live music, face painting, ice cream, and performances by The Story Pirates, the Central Park Zoo’s Wildlife Theater, Arm of the Sea, and others. (Sunday) -
World's Fair Train Show at the Queens Botanical Garden
See G Scale model trains make their way through an outdoor display, featuring a miniature of the World’s Fair Unisphere, presented by the Long Island Garden Railway Society Inc. The family can enjoy a motorized train ride through select parts of the Garden ($5 per person, per ride). (Saturday-Monday) -
Dance Africa Bazaar 2015 at BAM
Celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Africa and its diaspora at the DanceAfrica Bazaar. More than 180 vendors from around the world will transform the streets around BAM into a global marketplace offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion. (Saturday) -
"Living History Day" at the New-York Historical Society
Watch history come alive at the New York Historical Society Museum & Library, as The Third New Jersey Regiment, a living history troop, will share their experiences as soldiers in the American Revolution. Families will be invited to join the fully-uniformed soldiers in their drills and exercises. (Monday) -
More Memorial Day Fun
Click the link above for 9 fun ways to celebrate Memorial Day as a family, from parades to outdoor art installations to NYC beaches' opening day, and more! -
More Fleet Week Events
Fleet Week, New York’s annual celebration of sea services, brings Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen into the city for a week of fun events and more traditional pomp and circumstance. This year, service men and women will be honored with events across the city on Wednesday, May 20-Tuesday, May 26. With impressive ships, snazzy uniforms, and powerful planes, Fleet Week events can make for a fun family outing, and below, we’ve rounded up a few great options--click the link above! (Through Tuesday)
