Top 10 Best Memorial Day Weekend Events in NYC
One of the best times to travel to New York City is unquestionably around Memorial Day. There are many reasons to visit NYC for Memorial Day, including moving ... read more...parades honoring one of the nation's most significant holidays, wonderful springtime weather that makes sightseeing a breeze, and a city that doesn't feel quite as crowded. Here are the best Memorial Day weekend events in NYC that you shouldn't miss.
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One of the biggest parades and the best Memorial Day weekend events in NYC is the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade. The community comes together each year to commemorate the sacrifice made by the men and women who serve in the military thanks to this custom. Since 1927, when American Legion Post #103 marched to remember their fallen comrades 10 years after they left for World War I, the Little Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade has taken place every Memorial Day at 2 p.m. from Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard in both rain and shine.
As part of the parade experience, free refreshments will be provided, starting when the first marchers arrive at the schoolyard of Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy. These will include hot dogs, White Castle sliders, and additional treats from local merchants (limited availability). Following the march, there is a brief closing and awards ceremony.
- Timings: 2 p.m. on May 30
- Location: from Jayson Avenue to Northern Boulevard, NYC
- Website: https://www.lndmemorialday.org
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The museum on a real aircraft carrier is a great place for World War II enthusiasts and people who enjoy looking at fighter ships and aircraft. When the Intrepid is at Pier 86, you can get a close-up view of the details of recent history. Visitors will find a wealth of information about how naval officers lived on the enormous ship, including hands-on displays of items used in daily life and views of the lower living quarters, as well as an outdoor flight deck with an impressive assortment of fighter jets and helicopters, aboard this ship, which fought in the Pacific during the 1940s and withstood head-on attacks by Kamikaze planes and a torpedo strike.
On May 27, Fleet Week will begin with its yearly movie night on the flight deck. Explore a variety of exhibits, events, and demonstrations over the course of the weekend, including those by the US Marine Corps, US Coast Guard, USO, and even some vintage military vehicles. The Museum's yearly Memorial Day ceremony will bring the weekend to a close on May 30.- Timings: from May 27 to May 30
- Location: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
- Website: https://www.intrepidmuseum.org/fleetweek
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Through 2022, the South Street Seaport Museum will allow visitors to board the 1885 tall ship Wavertree at Pier 16 on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm with timed entry. The main deck and raised rear deck of the ship are among the outdoor areas that are accessible for free with entry. Visits will be self-guided along a predetermined path and limited to 35 (masked) people at once.
Additionally, the museum will have a brand-new, free outdoor exhibit on Pier 16 that honors the diversity of residents and workers in the South Street Seaport Historic District as well as the numerous businesses that laid the groundwork for New York to flourish and develop into the business and cultural epicenter it is today. The exhibition showcases some of the more than 28,000 artifacts and works of art in the Seaport Museum's collection as well as more than 55,000 historical records using old photographs, prints, lithographs, and paintings.
- Timings: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm
- Location: The South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St, New York, NY 10038
- Website: https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/wavertree/
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This event, one of the best Memorial Day weekend events in NYC, shifts its relentless pursuit of culinary transcendence to the hot dog with this eagerly anticipated sequel to 2019's legendary Burgers, Bourbon, & Beethoven. The hot dog's humble beginnings began with Charles Feltman, a Green-Wood permanent resident who invented the fabled frankfurter sandwich back in 1867 in Coney Island. The events honor Feltman's legacy with a smorgasbord of various dog styles from some of NYC's best purveyors, a wide swath of spirits to taste, snacks aplenty, sunset swing jazz, and more Handel than you can shake a footlong at—played by an excellent team of local baroque specialists.
On May 27 at 7 pm, The Angel's Share by Death of Classical will begin at Green-Wood Cemetery with Hot Dogs, Hooch, & Handel. An after-hours celebration honoring Charles Feltman, a longtime resident of Green-Wood and the man who created the hot dog, will feature music by The Grand Street Stompers and "more Handel than you can shake a footlong at" by a baroque ensemble. Tickets are $65 each.
- Timings: May 27 at 7 pm
- Location: Near the Cemetery's Entrance at Fifth Avenue and 25th Street
- Website: https://www.green-wood.com/event/hot-dogs-hooch-handel/
- Timings: May 27 at 7 pm
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If the name doesn't make it clear, Rosé All Day Fest is a festival honoring everyone's preferred pink beverage. The celebration, which takes place at Watermark Beach, the ultimate Woo Girl haven, is all about savoring the blush stuff in all its fine guises, including still, sparkling, sweet, and dry, in Spritzes and slushies, and even in beer.
From May 30, starting at noon, the entire space will be taken over by the pink party, which will feature live music, buckets of prawns, and picnic crates filled with cheese and charcuterie on the menu. Roaming rosé stylists will be adding to the fun with flower crowns and glittery finishing touches, and you better believe there will be alcoholic rosé soft serve for the diehard fiends who want to see the festivities all the way through to dessert.
Tickets are $25 and come with three drinks from renowned producers like Days & Daze, Bandini, AIX, Nick Spenser, and many others.
Sitting on the harbor and downing a few rosés in the sunshine is about as live-your-best-life as it gets when it comes to ways to enjoy a few drinks in the waning days of summer, so get involved.
- Timings: May 30, starting at noon
- Location: Watermark Beach - Pier 15 NYC
- Website: N/A
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The Honorable William Wall, which is moored at Ellis Island, serves as the Manhattan Yacht Club's temporary floating clubhouse from May through October. Members can only access the downstairs champagne bar, but anyone can access the upper deck, which has a full cash bar, snacks, and unrestricted views of the city skyline. What makes it so special? It's undoubtedly a secret location that offers not only a stunning view of Ellis Island and, of course, the Statue of Liberty, but also the opportunity to take in the sunset.
As there are no food vendors on the barge, bringing your own food is advised. On the lower level, there is a champagne bar, but it is a members-only area. Each person must pay $20 to launch out to the Honorable William Wall. Members of the Manhattan Yacht Club get a 50% discount on drinks while sailing. This is definitely one of the best Memorial Day weekend events in NYC.
- Timings: from May to October
- Location: Harbor, New York, NY 10007
- Website: https://willywall.com/
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One of New York City's hippest outdoor food markets is the Smorgasburg Food Market. It is a wonderful place for people to get together, eat, and drink while taking in the views of the Manhattan skyline from the East River waterfront during the warmer months of the year.
The name Smorgasburg is a play on the Swedish word smörgsbord, which describes the customary wide selection of foods and prepared dishes. The best foods from the area are sold by a variety of vendors at the market.
There aren't many tourists at the market, and those that do are quickly absorbed by the large numbers of locals who frequent it. So, don't you think the Smorgasburg Food Market offers a great chance to interact with New Yorkers? Dive into the crowds, make your way from vendor to vendor, and chow down on the delicious food while sitting on the lawn and admiring the skyline of the city.
There is a huge variety, including inventive drink concoctions as well as meats, fish, bread, ice cream, and sweets. Everything is made from scratch and is as diverse as New York. On the food market, up to 100 different vendors offer their delicacies. Due to the rising demand for food options at the Brooklyn Flea Market, the Market was established. Thus, Smorgasburg is a joint venture between the New York Greenmarket and the Brooklyn Flea Market.
- Timings: 11:00am – 6:00pm
- Location: 185 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006
- Website: https://www.smorgasburg.com/
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In 2014, the public was allowed access to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. Only family members of the victims and survivors were given access to the first entry. The underground buildings, which span seven floors and more than 108,000 square feet, took longer than expected to complete. The construction ended up costing more than $1 billion US, exceeding its original budget. Many people complained that the $24 (now $26) entrance fee was excessive and that the owners had turned Ground Zero into a tourist destination for financial gain.
As expected, the first exhibition piece brought back memories of 9/11 for everyone. The emotions on that day and immediately following the terror attack were complete confusion! You are reminded of what once was by two enormous furrowed steel beams that were a part of the twin towers' outer structure. They have been put back together piece by piece after being completely destroyed when the Twin Towers fell. During your visit to the city, you should go to the 9/11 Museum in New York.
- Timings: Seven days a week, 10 a.m –5 p.m
- Location: 180 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007
- Website: https://www.911memorial.org/
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Cool off in style when it gets hot. The best hotels in New York offer day passes for their rooftop pools, the majority of which have chaises and cabanas for relaxing in addition to a full-service bar. Swimming pools and rooftop bars come together to form an elevated summer oasis that's worth paying for. These are two of New York's favorite things.
Summertime heat and visions of the poolside. A pool is one of their building's amenities, according to some fortunate apartment residents. If not, there are public pools in your area as well as pricey gyms and pool clubs. Obtaining a day pass to a pool atop one of the city's hip hotels is another way to get wet this summer. Some hotels, which are typically only available to hotel guests, permit day visitors to pay, frequently with access to nearby restaurants and bars. Events like pool parties with DJs, live music, and drink specials are held at some venues.
- Recommended Rooftop pools: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, ModernHaus SoHo, Gansevoort Meatpacking, The Williamsburg Hotel,...
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Prepare yourself for a second season of outdoor fun! Starting Memorial Day weekend, the beaches in New York City will be open for swimming and tanning.
When the weather gets warm and muggy, you should visit one, if not all, of the best beaches NYC has to offer. These beaches in New York are only a short subway, ferry, or bus ride away, so they're perfect for weekend getaways, camping trips, Airbnb stays on the oceanfront, or just looking for a place to cool off with friends.
Fortunately, you won't have to spend your summer pleading for a car loan or shelling out hefty rental costs. No matter which borough you're in, only a little public transportation stands between you and a summer vacation in New York, where miles of seashore are accessible by subway, bus, ferry, or bicycle. All you have to do is choose one of the beaches where you can chow down on famous hot dogs, drink questionable cocktails, or simply relax in the sun.
- Recommended Beaches: Fort Tilden Beach, Jones Beach, Cherry Grove Beach, Orchard Beach,...