Memorial Day Weekend Fun for NYC Kids: Fleet Week, DanceAfrica, Festivals, Parades

A New York City Fire Department vessel honors the Statue of Liberty with a water salute for Fleet Week. Photo courtesy of Fleet Week New York
A New York City Fire Department vessel honors the Statue of Liberty with a water salute for Fleet Week. Photo courtesy of Fleet Week New York
5/22/19 - By Drew Kristofik

Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, is here at last! New York City's big seasonal attractions open on Saturday, like local beaches, Prospect Park's Splash Pad, and the Victorian Gardens in Central Park. If it reaches 80 degrees, the city's playground sprinklers might be on, too.

On tap this weekend only: Fleet Week, Marine Day in Prospect Park, DanceAfrica, and a passel of parades, including the always entertaining Loisaida on Sunday, and Memorial Day marches on Monday in Brooklyn and QueensMamapalooza rocks Riverside Park's Pier 1 on Sunday, and Much Ado about Nothing sets the stage for this summer's Shakespeare in the Park productions.

This holiday weekend is also the perfect time to visit the FREE Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens or The Yard, an adventure playground open for the season on Governors Island. By the way, Governors Island also hosts weekend programs where kids can make slime and superhero art. If you're hopping ferries anyway, why not check out the new Statue of Liberty museum?

Our NYC Parks and Playgrounds Guide is always a safe bet for staycations, as is our Indoor Play Spaces Guide for the possible rain headed our way. Unless... thinking about a last-minute getaway? We've pulled together great family day trips in the Hudson Valley, as well as our favorite nearby beaches and those down the Jersey Shore. You might also try a day at a nearby amusement park or water park for early summer fun!

Read on for our top picks for Memorial Day weekend events for kids in NYC. Even more family fun can be found via our Event Calendar, Spring Fun Guide, and our fresh-out-of-the-oven Summer Fun To-Do List.

However you spend the three-day holiday weekend, we hope you have a blast!

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Places featured in this article:


Various locations

New York Historical Society DiMenna Children's History Museum

6th Street and Avenue C

Aviator Sports and Events Center Floyd Bennett Field

LeFrak Center at Lakeside Splash Pad

Northern Blvd between Jayson Ave & 245th Street