What To Do on Memorial Day Weekend in NYC

Memorial Day weekend truly feels like the real start of summer in the city. The beaches reopen, parks are filled to the brim, and all of New York starts to kick into gear. It’s also an important day, as it’s a time to appreciate the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for this country. 

If you’re in town for the long weekend, be sure to check out one of our top 10 Memorial Day weekend activities.

1. See a Memorial Day parade

Spend some time honoring those who have fought for this country during one of New York’s Memorial Day parades. There are multiple parades throughout the city, including in every borough except Manhattan, but the two most popular are the Little-Neck Douglaston and the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade. 

The Little-Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade follows Northern Boulevard throughout the borough of Queens. The Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade runs through the neighborhood of Bay Ridge in Brooklyn. 

The Brooklyn parade is one of the oldest traditions in the borough, currently running for over 150 years. It kicks off promptly at 11 a.m. from Third Ave. and 78th Street and ends in John Paul Jones Park for a memorial service that includes bagpipes, a wreath-laying service, and a 21-gun salute honoring the troops.

The Little-Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade steps off at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day rain or shine every year from Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard. The parade marches south down Northern Boulevard and ends at St. Anastasia’s Roman Catholic Church.

Beyond Manhattan to the heart of New York

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These parades in Queens and Brooklyn are also a great way to check out the outer boroughs and explore more local neighborhoods in the city.

2. Visit Coney Island

Nothing says Memorial Day like the beach and the boardwalk. Take a trip to one of NYC’s most iconic destinations for Memorial Day weekend. Relax in the sand, check out Luna Park, and ride the famous Cyclone over and over again. 

Visitors to Luna Park can get wristbands to ride the rides starting at $48.60 if you buy ahead of time ($54 if you buy on-site), valid all day for the year while they’re open. But you can probably get your money’s worth on your wristbands on Memorial Day alone —  Luna Park is open on the holiday till midnight!

Don’t forget to take a break between rides to enjoy a Nathan’s hot dog and a funnel cake. 

Local tip: You can just hop on the subway — no driving or taxi needed. The D, F, N, or Q trains all make stops right next to the beach. Just be sure to check for construction or changes in the train routes. The subway also runs differently on weekends and holidays, so check the MTA website before you head out.

3. Catch a Mets game

This year, the Mets face the Chicago White Sox on Monday, May 26 at 4:05 p.m. Grab a baseball cap and a hot dog, and your afternoon with the Orange and Blue will be complete. 

Checking out Citi Field is a great addition to any New York vacation, and what better time to do so than a holiday? No need to travel far, just hop on the 7 train out to Queens. You’ll also be right by LaGuardia Airport, so you’ll also get to watch plenty of airplanes come and go during the game. 

If you’re partial to the New York Yankees, they also have a game on Memorial Day, but they won’t be at home, so unfortunately a visit to Yankee Stadium isn’t in the cards. The boys in blue will be playing the Anaheim Angels in California at 9:35 p.m., and you can catch the game at any of the bars in the city. All of the bars that have a TV will have the game playing, so pull up a stool and order a drink to see how the game plays out.

Alternatively, you can see Citi Field and Yankee Stadium as part of our bus tour to Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens. We might be biased, but spending part of your Memorial Day weekend with a New Yorker is guaranteed to make it extra memorable.

4. Tour the 9/11 Memorial

The 9/11 Memorial is a beautiful tribute, worth seeing no matter what time of year. But Memorial Day brings even more significance and meaning as we remember those who lost their lives more than two decades ago. 

In past years, the memorial has hosted numerous events and tributes on behalf of both veterans and the victims of the September 11th tragedy. Family members will bring flowers, American flags, photographs, and sentimental items to honor their loved ones.

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You can learn about the stories and symbolism of the memorial as part of our 9/11 Memorial and Ground Zero Tour. The tour is led by a New Yorker with a personal connection to 9/11, making this experience a poignant once but also uplifting as you hear firsthand how the city came together during that difficult time.

This is one of the first tours we created after opening in New York over 15 years ago, and it remains one of our most popular experiences. Tours run daily including multiple times on Memorial Day.

5. Attend a free concert

This Memorial Day, you can head to Brooklyn, for a free concert to experience beautiful music. The annual Memorial Day concert at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn is back on this year after last year’s concert was canceled due to weather (assuming this year’s weather doesn’t end up calling for cancellation again). 

Featuring the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street, led by music director Paul Corn and guest conductor Brian P. Worsdale, the day will offer food and refreshments and a special program celebrating James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein. Visitors are also welcome to bring their own picnics (though no alcohol is allowed).

It runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and visitors are highly encouraged to come early and bring their own blankets. There will be some chairs provided but they’re first come, first served. It’s free to attend, but tickets can be picked up on Green-Wood’s website ahead of time. The concert will take place at the Gothic Arch at the Main Entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street. Should the concert be canceled for weather, you’ll get an email notification through Eventbrite (the ticketing platform).

6. Party all night in NYC

If you’re looking for an adults-only night of fun, head to SOB’s for a party. Memorial Day Weekend FlagFest promises to be an all-night rager, and everyone can get in free before 11:30 p.m., as long as they RSVP.

Local tip: If your birthday is within a week of the event, you get in free, period.

Doors open at 11 p.m. on May 25 and the party goes until 4 a.m. 

Tickets are highly recommended ahead of time, and if you snag one for an arrival before 11:30 p.m., it’s free entry. Music will include dancehall, soca, Afrobeats, reggae, and more. There is a dress code for the upscale party, and bottle service is available to turn up the volume for the night. 

7. Watch a rooftop movie

If the weather is nice, the place to be is on a rooftop. New Yorkers all know that a rooftop is the ideal hangout spot during the summer months, and you can get a headstart on your rooftop game, by catching a film with the Rooftop Cinema Club over Memorial Day weekend.

There are several movies playing over the holiday weekend, including some favorites on Monday (“Twilight”!) itself. Grab your friends or your family and buy your tickets early so you can be sure to get a seat. Tickets start at $21 for adults ($12 for kids). The theater is located at 60 W. 37th St. 

Local tip: Depending on what time you go to the movies, you can either stop by the Bryant Park Makers Market before or after, too. It’s not too far away on 40th Street and Sixth Avenue. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

8. Taste your way through Smorgasburg

Smorgasburg may not be open on Memorial Day itself, but you can enjoy it over the weekend leading up to Monday. This popular food festival seems to only get bigger and better every year, so you better show up hungry.

• On Fridays, Smorgasburg is hosted at Oculus Plaza on Fulton Street and Church Street.
• On Saturdays, it’s hosted in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at Marsha P. Johnson State Park at 90 Kent Ave.
• On Sundays, it’s hosted in Brooklyn, in Breeze Hill at Prospect Park. 

The hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Foods that you probably once saw go viral on social media were Smorgasburg finds (ramen burgers, spaghetti doughnuts, etc.). The food is endlessly Instagrammable, but it’s also really tasty. Plus, the Williamsburg spot is by the Brooklyn Flea, so your Saturday can be spent eating and shopping.

9. Join Fleet Week

Every year, NYC spends seven days honoring the members of the United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. This year, it runs from May 21-27. 

The big event is the Parade of Ships, a gaggle of vessels cruising through New York Harbor. Following that, Fleet Week will host a series of military demonstrations, ceremonies, and activities around the city. 

Be sure to check out the Intrepid Museum for the full schedule of events. It kicks off on May 23 with a free movie night on the flight deck, showing “Top Gun.” 

Service members in uniform will receive discounts on all events. The Intrepid Museum is located at Pier 86 on 46th Street and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

10. Explore Central Park

Central Park is a great place to spend Memorial Day weekend if you’re interested in having a picnic or just relaxing in the sun. But there’s so much more to Central Park than that. You could also check out the Central Park Zoo. In this oasis in the middle of Manhattan, you’ll find everything from grizzly bears to snow leopards, red pandas to lemurs.

The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and the entrance can be found at 64th Street and 5th Avenue. Children’s tickets start at $9.95, and adult tickets start at $15.95. 

There is so much more to discover within Central Park, including art, history, and a castle. Here are a few of our favorite secret spots in Central Park that I think you should check out over Memorial Day weekend.

Enjoy your visit to New York!

Whether you’re here for Memorial Day weekend or not, there’s plenty to do in New York City. You can take part in some of these recommendations any old time — Central Park will be there all the time! 

But if you do feel like you need a few extra things to fill out your calendar on your next trip, we’d love to show you around on one of our top-rated New York tours.