A vist to the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show makes for magical holiday memories. Photo by Jody Mercier
Holiday Train Shows, Sesame Street, and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids
The Tianyu Lights Festival transforms the Citi Field parking lot into a magical holiday destination with larger-than-life lanterns and kid-friendly activities. Photo courtesy of the festival
Must-Do Christmas Events and Holiday Activities in New York City for Kids
All aboard a festively decorated Polar Express train ride for some holiday magic and memories. Photo by Gwendolyn Tundermann
Polar Express Train Rides and Christmas Trains near NYC
GUIDE
NYC Fall Day Trips Guide: Orchards, Farms, Festivals, and Kid-Friendly Getaways 2024
Experience the magic of the Tianyu Lights Festival at Citi Field this holiday season. Photo courtesy of the festival
21 Best Things To Do in NYC November 2024 with Kids
Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has become an enchanting holiday tradition for many families. Photo courtesy of the garden
Holiday and Christmas Events in NYC to Book Now!
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation is an event unto itself. See the larger-than-life balloons come to life the night before the parade. Photo by Anthony Quintano/CC BY 2.0
See the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation with Kids
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Leuca. Photo courtesy of the Noho Hospitality Group
26 Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving in NYC
Canstruction is free and open to the public at Brookfield Place through Monday, November 11. Photo by Heidi Lee
39 Free and Fun Things To Do in NYC this November with Kids
Join Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero on a walk of wonders at NYBG's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail. Photo by Ally Noel
Fall Bucket List for Kids: 35 Top Things To Do in NYC this Fall
Classics, like Tom Turkey, and newbies alike take flight in the 98th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024: Where to Watch, What's New
The 2024-2025 NYC public school calendar is out, and students return to school on Thursday, September 5.
Here's the NYC Public School Calendar for 2024-2025
Visit the 180 Pool at the Crystal Springs Resort. Photo courtesy of the resort
14 Family-Friendly Weekend Getaways near NYC
Climb on platforms dangling from ropes at Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier
NYC's Best Playgrounds: 21 Parks Worthy of a Subway Schlep
Diving into the sprinkle pool at the Museum of Ice Cream is a great way to cure rainy day blues. Photo by Jody Mercier
47 Fun Indoor Activities in NYC for a Rainy Day
Kids' classes like art lessons can help your NYC child grow and develop
GUIDE
Guide to NYC Classes for Kids
Explore modern humanity through all-new world-wandering exhibitions at Mmuseumm.
Weird, Wacky, and Wonderful Under-the-Radar Museums in NYC that Kids Love
Hell's Kitchen is a cool coming-of-age piece loosely based on Alicia Keys' life story. Photo by Marc J. Franklin
Best New Broadway Shows This Season Plus Can't-Miss Classics for Families
The Peninsula New York rolls out the red carpet for kids—and their grown ups!
Family-Friendly Hotels in New York City with Perks for Kids
For an only-in-NYC experience, head to the Top of the Rock to enjoy the view. Photo by Jody Mercier
Best Attractions and Things To Do near NYC that are Kid-Friendly
Summer camps help kids develop social skills and have fun
GUIDE
NYC Summer Camp Guide
Tea Around Town combines a sumptuous meal with a unique view NYC landmarks! Photo by Jody Mercier
25 Best NYC Tours for Families: From Boat Rides to Free Walking Tours and More
Twinkle Playspace in Williamsburg offers action-packed fun for kids of all ages.
21 Top Indoor Play Spaces in New York City
The American Museum of Natural History's blue whale is an NYC icon, and the entire museum is one of the best children's museums in NYC. Photo by R. Mickens/courtesy of AMNH
Best Museums for Kids in NYC: Children's Museums and Family-Friendly Museums in NYC
Free activities for Kids in NYC include the Children's Museum of the Arts, which has pay-what-you-wish Thursdays from 4-6pm. Photo courtesy of the museum
GUIDE
Free Things To Do in NYC with Kids
GUIDE
Guide to Kids' Birthday Parties in NYC
Registration is now open for the reasonably priced summer camps at YMCA locations in NYC.
Free and Cheap Summer Camps in NYC for Kids
There's always a cool new piece of public art to see and interact with in NYC. Photo by Jody Mercier
101 Free Things To Do in NYC with Kids
The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk has 75 animal exhibits and is home to more than 7,000 animals. Photo courtesy of the aquarium
Best Aquariums to Visit from the NYC Metro Area with Kids
Get a Broadway-caliber serenade during a birthday dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner.
Best Fun Restaurants for Kids' Birthdays in NYC
Photo courtesy of PLAY Greenpoint.
GUIDE
Indoor Playgrounds, Play Spaces, and Fun Zones in NYC
See the skyline from a whole new vantage point on the Roosevelt Island Tram. Photo courtesy of NYCGo
100 Things To Do in NYC With Kids Before They Grow Up
Get a birds eye view of the skyline from the Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards. Plan a visit near sundown to watch the city lights come to life. Photo by Jody Mercier
3 Days in NYC with Kids: Ultimate Itinerary by a Local Mom
Feed a crowd with extra large, classic, New York-style pizza slices without breaking the bank. Photo by Jody Mercier
NYC on a Budget: Cheap Things To Do and Money Saving Tips for Families
These boredom-busting activities turn a stuck-at-home day into a lasting memory.
75 Indoor Activities for Kids on a Rainy Day
The Met offers pay-what-you wish admission at all times to New Yorkers and kids always attend for free. Photo by Jody Mercier
Free Museums and Free Museum Days in NYC for Kids
No visit to NYC is complete without an up-close encounter with the Statue of Liberty. Photo by Jess Laird
40 Best NYC Attractions to Do with Kids Right Now
Teach 'em to tie during downtime.
65 Life Skills to Teach Kids at Every Age
Take a hike with your little one on a family day trip from NYC.
GUIDE
Family Day Trips and Weekend Getaways for NYC Kids
Creating a baking soda volcano is a classic science experiment for kids. Photo by Sara Marentette Nighswander
67 Easy Science Experiments for Kids To Do at Home
The Ausable Chasm has been described as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks and it's one of our top 100 things to do in New York State with kids. Photo by Anna Fader
100 Things To Do in New York State with Kids Before They Grow Up
Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier
GUIDE
Playgrounds & Parks NYC Guide
Kids can while away hours of a day with a set of watercolors and a stack of new paper for painting. Photo by Sara Marentette
Crafts for Kids: 100 Awesome Art Projects
Suncatcher_Liz Baill @creativishmom
GUIDE
Boredom Busters for Kids

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 Queens. Mamapalooza 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!

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Celebrate Memorial Day at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Photo courtesy of the museum
Celebrate Memorial Day at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Photo courtesy of the museum

All Weekend

Fleet Week NYC

Citywide — most events are FREE
The US Navy, US Marine Corps, and US Coast Guard's celebration of sea services invites families to tour ships, watch the Parade of Ships, and enjoy exhibits, military band concerts, and aviation events throughout the week.   READ MORE

The 24th Annual Lower East Side Festival of The Arts Street Fair & Youth Program

Lower East Side — FREE
The Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is an annual celebration of the rich artistic culture and ethnic diversity of this area. For three days over Memorial Day Weekend, TNC produces a cabaret-style festival featuring over 100 performing groups from the Lower East Side. READ MORE

Living History: Civil War Weekend

Upper West Side
Learn about life on and off the battlefield during the Civil War. Living Historians portraying various soldiers in the Union Army are stationed at the Museum on Saturday and Sunday. READ MORE

Memorial Day Weekend at CMOM

Upper West Side
The museum is open all weekend, and Monday, for Memorial Day fun. READ MORE

Family Art Project: In the Flow

Wave Hill, The Bronx
Wave Hill overlooks the Hudson River, a tidal estuary where salty sea water meets fresh water running off the land. Use wax resist and inks to find your flow as you make artwork inspired by this bountiful ecosystem. READ MORE
The U.S. Marine Corps will host Marine Day at Prospect Park. Photo courtesy of the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
The U.S. Marine Corps will host Marine Day at Prospect Park. Photo courtesy of the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service

Saturday, May 25

Marine Day in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn — FREE
The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) will host Marine Day in Prospect Park featuring interactive and aviation static displays, demonstrations, and a performance by the USMC Battle Color Detachment.  READ MORE

Movies Under the Stars: Christopher Robin (PG)

Soho — FREE
NYC Parks and the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment host a free outdoor screening of Christopher Robin, in which Winne the Pooh ventures into London to turn a middle-aged Christopher Robin's life around with the help of Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. READ MORE

Memorial Day Fair in Sunnyside Gardens Park

Sunnyside, Queens
Sunnyside Gardens Park hosts its annual Memorial Day fair featuring world-class entertainment, including lively Americana music, a magician, and performers suitable for all ages. READ MORE

The Rock and Roll Playhouse Presents the Music of the Beach Boys For Kids

Sunset Park, Brooklyn — FREE
The Rock and Roll Playhouse (RRPHKIDS), a family concert series hosted at Industry City, allows kids to get down to songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history. This week, kids get their groove on to the music of The Beach Boys. READ MORE

Therapy Dog Children's Author Nancy Roe Pimm

Midtown East — FREE
Nancy Roe Pimm, author of Smoky, the Dog That Saved My Life: The Billy Wynne Story, and WWII veteran Bill Wynne stop by the AKC Museum of the Dog for story time. READ MORE

Family Fun Day

Jamaica, Queens — FREE
Join NYC Parks and Council Member Rory Lancman for a fun afternoon of crafts, games, inflatables, face painting, and more. READ MORE

Movies Under the Stars: Jaws (PG)

South Beach, Staten Island — FREE
An enormous great white shark terrorizes a summer resort town, where a police chief, a fisherman, and a marine biologist realize they're "gonna need a bigger boat" to battle the bloodthirsty beast. READ MORE
The Loisaida Festival celebrates Puerto Rican and Latinx culture with music, cuisine, and art. Photo courtesy of the Loisaida Fest
The Loisaida Festival celebrates Puerto Rican and Latinx culture with music, cuisine, and art. Photo courtesy of the Loisaida Fest

Sunday, May 26

32nd Annual Loisaida Street Festival

East Village — FREE
The Loisaida Festival starts at 11am with a Carnival Parade featuring the work of Garbagia , an eco-urban recycled arts initiative that spent the last month creating instruments, flower masks, ‘vejigantes,’ paper mache animal masks, and other props—with an emphasis on recycled and found materials. READ MORE

Mamapalooza Festival

Upper West Side — FREE
Fierce feminist families celebrate all mamas and the people who love them at the annual Mamapalooza festival, featuring music, family-focused vendors, wellness activities, face painting, art, and a pop-up playscape. READ MORE

FilmAfrica BAMkids Matinee

Boerum Hill, Brooklyn
Enjoy a feature selected from this year’s FilmAfrica festival.  READ MORE

Movies Under the Stars: Mary Poppins Returns (PG)

Forest Hills , Queens — FREE
Mary Poppins returns during Michael's most desperate hour to lend him a helping hand. With his house in danger of being repossessed, she whips up a little magic to remind him of the importance of family. READ MORE

East Coast Slimers Convention

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn
Slime fans of all ages will have an opportunity to meet takented slimers and vendors, attend slime Q & As, participate in slime workshops and contests, and more. READ MORE
Check out the Kings County Memorial Day Parade on Monday. Photo courtesy of the parade
Check out the Kings County Memorial Day Parade on Monday. Photo courtesy of the parade

Monday, May 27

152nd Kings County Memorial Day Parade

Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn — FREE
This Memorial Day Weekend, the United War Veterans Council encourages the public to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom, and to salute America’s veterans for their service and sacrifice. READ MORE

Memorial Day Concert at Green-Wood Cemetery

Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn — FREE
Bring a blanket and enjoy this free early summer performance (now in its 21st year!) featuring the ISO Symphonic Band and Orchestra. Each year's concert features the works of Green-Wood’s permanent residents like Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and Paul Jabara. READ MORE

Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Day Observance

Upper West Side — FREE
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Association hosts this year’s annual Memorial Day observance at the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. Built in 1902, the Monument paid homage to New Yorkers who served the Union in the Civil War. More than one hundred years later we now gather in memory of all those who have served our country, and in the spirit of Memorial Day as a ritual of reflection, celebration and remembrance. In conjunction with New York Fleet Week, active duty Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen will also participate. At 10:00 am, the United States Navy Band will... READ MORE

Opening Day of Splash Pad

Prospect Park, Brooklyn — FREE
The Splash Pad, with over 20 water jets, provides state-of-the-art water play and summertime cool, all for FREE. READ MORE

97th Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade

Fresh Meadows, Queens — FREE
Service members participate in NYC's largest Memorial Day parade.  READ MORE

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