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Memorial Day Weekend 2023 in NYC: Fleet Week, Day Trips, and More To Do in NYC with Kids

Watch the Parade of Ships, enjoy boat tours, see special exhibits, take in military band concerts, and more during Fleet Week 2023. Photo courtesy of Fleet Week
Watch the Parade of Ships, enjoy boat tours, see special exhibits, take in military band concerts, and more during Fleet Week 2023. Photo courtesy of Fleet Week
5/24/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this Memorial Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long holiday weekend.

Memorial Day weekend heralds the return of Fleet Week, and NYC is looking positively ship-shape. In addition to visiting some super cool vessels, families can trek to Jones Beach for the Bethpage Air Show, hop in a rowboat for FREE in Hunts Point, and reserve a spot on the W.O. Decker tugboat. Memorial Day parades are back in Brooklyn and Queens, and 14 miles of NYC beaches open to welcome sandcastle builders, waders, and body surfers.

The Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is creative nirvana with a pile of FREE performances, FREE movies under the stars are lighting up screens in parks all over town, and you can get into a family groove at a DanceAfrica Community Workshop in Brooklyn Bridge Park or even sing along with the Encanto crew at Camp on Fifth Avenue.

Of course, it's not too late to plan a seasonal day trip or even a quick weekend getaway. If that's not enough to keep your brood entertained, bookmark our Family Activity Calendar to see what else NYC has up its sleeve. It's going to be an epic summer.

More Things To Do in New York City This Week With Kids

Be sure to click through to each listing for all the details, including recommended ages and time.

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Join the BAM DanceAfrica Community Workshop in Brooklyn Bridge Park for a fun-filled, hands-on workshop. Photo courtesy of BAM
Join the BAM DanceAfrica Community Workshop in Brooklyn Bridge Park for a fun-filled, hands-on workshop. Photo courtesy of BAM

Best Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Fleet Week NYC

Citywide–Mostly FREE
Wednesday, May 24-Tuesday, May 30
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

Sunset Circus

Long Island City–FREE
Daily through Saturday, May 27
Sunset Circus features circus artists from Cirque du Soleil, Big Apple Circus, and beyond, bringing laughter, awe, and perhaps a tear. This unique theatrical circus experience presents innovative acts interwoven by characters who would be home in your own backyard. READ MORE

Intrepid Summer Movie Series–CANCELED

Midtown West
Friday, May 26
Watch a movie on the ship’s flight deck under the stars! Enjoy views of the Hudson River and city skyline while you watch some old and new favorites on the big screen. READ MORE

Lower East Side Festival of the Arts Street Fair

Lower East Side–FREE
Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28
NYC's Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is a cabaret-style festival featuring more than 100 performing groups from the Lower East Side. READ MORE

Tugboat Rides on W.O. Decker

South Street Seaport
Season opens Saturday, May 27
Take a cruise aboard the 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker. Cruises explore the New York Harbor, and views may include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Battery, and Governors Island. READ MORE

Rocking the Boat: Community Rowing

Hunts Point, the Bronx–FREE
Season opens Saturday, May 27
Explore the Bronx River aboard student-built wooden rowboats, accompanied by Rocking the Boat staff, who teach visitors about the local waterways. READ MORE

BAM DanceAfrica Community Workshop

Dumbo, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, May 27
Join the BAM DanceAfrica Community Workshop in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and celebrate with a fun-filled, hands-on workshop led by a BAM teaching artist Dánice Jones. READ MORE

Memorial Day Fair

Sunnyside, Queens
Saturday, May 27
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

La MaMa Kids: Hula Ki'i Puppet Workshop with Uncle Calvin Hoe

Lower East Side
Saturday, May 27
Families learn a Hula and Mele (song) together and perform the Hula with the finger puppets made of small coconuts. The class focuses on preserving the endangered Hawaiian art of Hula Ki'i, sharing the value of aloha from Hawaiian islands, and the gathering for intergenerational storytelling. READ MORE

Insect Investigation

Oakland Gardens, Queens
Saturday, May 27
Curious toddlers are invited to investigate insects at APEC. Up-close observation of roaches, beetles, and crickets spark an interest in finding these lil’ critters in nature.  READ MORE

The Little Mermaid - Music with Patrick Live Show

New Dorp, Staten Island
Saturday, May 27
Join host Mr. Patrick for a super-exciting family music extravaganza. Dress up as your favorite character from The Little Mermaid, and be part of a musical parade, as participants sing along with songs from the movie, plus other ocean-themed songs. READ MORE

2024 Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach

Oyster Bay
Saturday, May 27-Sunday, May 28
The Bethpage Air Show returns to Jones Beach this May, featuring performances by its showstopping headliners, the United States Navy Blue Angels. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Shake a Flower, Wear a Garden

Riverdale, Bronx
Saturday, May 27-Sunday, May 28
Make a hat fashioned with imaginative flowers, bees, and butterflies and learn all about the wonders of pollination. READ MORE

Memorial Day Weekend Brunch Cruise

Seaport
Saturday, May 27-Monday, May 29
Start off summer 2023 aboard a Memorial Day brunch cruise. This experience features a fine three-course brunch menu with bottomless mimosas for an amazing time on the water. Cruise New York City’s historic harbor with amazing views from the water. READ MORE

Rock and Roll Playhouse: The Music of Harry Styles for Kids

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sunday, May 28
The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a weekly family concert series hosted at Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday mornings, allows kids to get-down to the sounds of music not intentionally made for kids. This week it features the music of Harry Styles. READ MORE

Memorial Day in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Monday, May 29
The Prospect Park Alliance hosts family-friendly nature education programs at Prospect Park Audubon Center and the Prospect Park Carousel in honor of Memorial Day, including an animal meet-and-greet and a family bird walk. READ MORE

96th Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade

Little Neck, Queens–FREE
Monday, May 29
Service members participate in NYC's largest Memorial Day parade. This year's theme is "protecting the home front, honoring those who have lost their lives to the war on terror." READ MORE

Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn–FREE
Monday, May 29
Brooklyn’s 156th Memorial Day Parade steps off on 3rd Avenue and 78th Street, proceeds down 3rd Avenue to Marine Avenue, up to 4th Avenue, and over to John Paul Jones Park. READ MORE

Memorial Day Concert in Green-Wood Cemetery

South Slope/Sunset Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Monday, May 29
Green-Wood’s much-loved Memorial Day concert returns for its 24th year! Bring a blanket, picnic, and welcome back the talented high-school musicians of the ISO at Third Street Symphonic Band, led by music director Paul Corn and hosted by guest conductor Brian P. Worsdale. READ MORE

Where to See Free Summer Movies in NYC for an Outdoor Movie Night

Citywide–FREE
Multiple dates all summer long
Seeing a free movie under the stars is our idea of a perfect summer night. READ MORE

Disney Encanto x CAMP

Flatiron
Daily through Sunday, July 2
CAMP and Disney are at it again, opening the Magic Door to the world of Encanto. Visit the Madrigal's casita, shop in La Placita, and step into the rooms of Isabella, Luisa, and that guy we don't talk about. All the while, be serenaded by a roving troupe of performers singing hits from the soundtrack. READ MORE

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