Weekend Fun: Cinco de Mayo, Governors Island, Swale, and Festivals

Swale, the floating food forest, arrives in Sunset Park this weekend. Photo courtesy of Swale
Swale, the floating food forest, arrives in Sunset Park this weekend. Photo courtesy of Swale
5/2/18 - By Drew Kristofik

So much to celebrate and things to do, now that spring finally seems to be sticking the landing in NYC.  

If it's May 5, it's Cinco, and you can celebrate at Flushing Town Hall's Cambalache dance workshop and concert. The Brooklyn Children's Museum hosts a celebration that includes Papel Picado (paper cutting), stories, and Talvera Tile design—and you can catch a screening of Coco in Maria Hernandez Park. On Staten Island, Cinco de Mayo signals the opening of the Willowbrook Park carousel, and a screening of Coco at Clove Lakes Park.

May 5 is also FREE Comic Book day, so be sure to check with your local comic haunt for goodies—or get one at the Children's Museum of Mahanttan this weekend (while supplies last) where kids can also make comics of their own.

It's opening weekend—at last—on Governors Island, which means The Yard is ready for kids to jump back in and start constructing (or deconstructing), and the Adventures on Governors Island mini adventure park is back online with its zip line, maze, and climbing walls. Bonus: The ferries are FREE for opening week!

Highbridge Park and The Cloisters are both hosting Urban Wildlife Fests on Saturday, where kids can meet real critters. A bumper crop of school fairs are happening this weekend, including Calhoun (West 81st), PS 84 (on West 92nd), and Columbia Greenhouse (West 116th). There's also a kite fest in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the annual Hippo Playground Fair romps onto the calendar with pony rides and bouncy castles. 

Sunday's Spring Family Scavenger Hunt at Green-Wood Cemetery introduces the “Agents of Discovery” app, which the historic site developed in partnership with the US Forest Service. And Swale, NYC's forage-able floating garden, sails back into Brooklyn for the summer.

Be sure to check the newly released May GoList, our comprehensive guide to May Fairs and Festivals around NYC, and maybe get a leg up on Mother's Day (next weekend!) by perusing our updated Mother's Day Brunch picks or top 25 activities. This weekend is especially packed with possibilities, so don't forget to review our calendar for more ideas.

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