Free Bike Rentals
South Street Seaport

Reserve your free bike rentals online to be picked up at the Bike and Roll kiosk at the South Street Seaport and then bike around the greenway as far as you like. Find a picnic spot or play in a playground along the Hudson River Park. You can return your bike to the Battery Park or 43rd Street Bike and Roll locations depending on where you go. Adult and children's bikes are available as well as helmets and you can rent tag-a-longs, baby seats and wagons too, all free. It may look like New York, but with a program this nice it's hard to believe you could be here.

Local Food Market
Fulton Stall Market, South Street Seaport
10am-6pm, Fridays and Saturdays, starting May 22, 2009

Whenever I travel, my favorite thing to do is go food shopping in the outdoor markets where you can buy local produce directly from the producers. A new outdoor market is opening this weekend at the old Fulton Fish Market. You'll find farm fresh fruits and vegetables from the Hudson Valley, Long Island and New Jersey, just caught fish, artisan cheeses, organic breads, sweet treats, fair-trade coffees, locally-grown flowers, and more. Combine this with a visit to Historic Front Street where there are lots of cool cafes and children's stores, a visit to the Seaport, a free bike rental (below), or a water taxi ride over to Brooklyn for ice cream and pizza and you've got a great day.

DanceAfrica at BAM
Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25, 2009

Immerse yourself in a vibrant cultural journey through art, music, film, dance, and an outdoor African bazaar with food, crafts and fashion. Highlights include the Dance Africa dance performance, showcasing dance companies from around the country, the animated film Azur and Asmar, a free concert of Yoruba spirituals, and, of course, the outdoor bazaar. (Get 50% off tickets for children under 16 years when you ask for "youth discount" when ordering by phone or in person or select Kid's Price when ordering online).

Food Carts
Red Hook Ballfields and The Yard

Eating from street vendors is a tourist favorite, but a real New Yorker doesn't settle for dirty water hot dogs. Food cart dining is practically a combat sport in New York City and this weekend you can enjoy the spoils. Take a trip to the Red Hook Ball Fields where the famous Latino food vendors have recently been reinstalled for the season. You'll stuff yourself on delicious quesadillas, huaraches, tamales, pupusas, and more. To get there by public transportation, try taking the Ikea ferry.

For an even more family-friendly scene, head to The Yard in Brooklyn on Saturday, May 23 from noon to 7pm, where they are opening for the season with a celebration of the city's best food trucks. The Yard is a fun family-friendly spot right on the Gowanus Canal, where industrial meets bucolic. The event is free, pay for the food.

Cloisters Family Festival
Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th, 2009

The Cloisters feel like another world, a European Medieval museum and cloistered garden in Fort Tryon Park at the northern end of New York City. During its Memorial Day Weekend Family Festival, there will be gallery workshops, a self-guided art hunt, and birds of prey demonstrations. After enjoying the Cloisters, explore Fort Tryon Park itself. With 67-acres of beautiful parkland, beautiful views of the Hudson River and a three-acre Heather Garden, you'll feel far far away from Manhattan. Free with museum admission (suggested donation).