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5/2/24 - By Drew Kristofik

From Mother's Day to Memorial Day—and everything in between—we've got the lowdown on the best free things to do in NYC this May.

Summer's unofficial start might not happen until month's end, but we're shutting down spring with plenty of free fun, including Free Comic Book Day and the Big Swim at the beginning of the month, mid-May fun like the Submerge Marine Science Fest and the massive Spring Fest in Brooklyn Bridge Park. At month's end, Fleet Week takes center stage.

Read on for more than 50 free things to do this May in New York City, including fun events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Find more top May activities on our list of the best things to do this May.

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As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including address and time. And keep in mind, in NYC, really cool things to do with kids often book quickly. In the case of these FREE events, arrive as early as possible.