The best Memorial Day weekend events in NYC for 2024

To honor and remeber those who lost their lives in defense of the nation, Brookyn's annual Memorial Day Parade will be held on Monday, May 27. This year is the 157th parade, making it one of the oldest parades in Brooklyn.

The Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade kicks off in Bay Ridge at 11am on Monday, May 27 from 78th Street and Third Avenue. The route contiunes along Third Avenue to Marine Avenue up Fourth Avenue and over to John Paul Jones Park where a memorial service will be held. 

The Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade steps off at 2pm on Monday, May 27 from Jayson Avenue and Northern Boulevard rain or shine. Here's a map of the route. 

The parade has been a tradition since 1927 when American Legion Post #103 marched to remember their fallen comrades 10 years after they went off to World War I. Event organizers say it's the largest continuously-held Memorial Day parade in the nation. 

Tour Naval ships all week long at the following locations:

Manhattan, Pier 88 South
— Amphibious assault ship, USS Bataan (LHD 5) from Norfolk, Virginia
Public tours only on Saturday, May 25, from 9am-4pm

Manhattan, Pier 90 North
— Baden-Württemberg-class frigate FGS Baden-Württemberg (F-222) from Germany
— Berlin-class replenishment ship FGS Frankfurt am Main (A-1412) from Germany
Public tours only on Saturday, May 25, from 9am-4pm

Manhattan, Intrepid Museum, Pier 86
— Four U.S. Naval Academy YPs, Annapolis, Maryland 
Public tours are available May 23-24, from 10am-5pm

— Bay-class cutter USCGC Sturgeon Bay (WTGB-109) from Bayonne, New Jersey
Public tours are available May 23-27, from 10am-5pm

Homeport Pier, Staten Island
— Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS MARINETTE (LCS 25) from Mayport, Florida
— Legend-class cutter USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759) from Charleston, South Carolina
— Keeper-class coastal buoy tender USCGC Katherine Walker (WLM-552) from Bayonne, New Jersey
Public tours are available May 23-27, from 8am-5pm

A good number of free outdoor movie screenings are taking place all over town this summer, but none boast an ambiance quite like the one that attendees of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum's Summer Movie Series get to revel in. After all, you get to watch some awesome movies while hanging out on Intrepid’s flight deck at sunset. 

The series runs all summer long. For Memorial Day weekend, Top Gun: Maverick is playing on Friday, May 24. 

Fair warning: the spots fill up fast, so make sure to get there pretty early!

For World War II buffs and folks who like checking out fighter ships and planes, this museum on a real aircraft carrier The Intrepid docked at Pier 86 is a chance for an upclose look at the nuts and bolts of our not-so-distant history.

The Intrepid Museum serves as a primary destination during Fleet Week with activities all weekend long. Here's what's on the schedule: 

— Friday, May 24

Free movie night on the flight deck featuring Top Gun: Maverick.

— Saturday, May 25-Sunday, May 26

Throughout the weekend, enjoy musical performances and explore a variety of displays, activities, and demos from the military, including the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Naval Research and many more.

— Monday, May 27

The Museum’s annual Memorial Day ceremony.

Looking for a lover in uniform? Well, thousands of them will descend upon New York City during Fleet Week. And the ones who are single and ready to mingle will be at this Fleet Week singles mixer on Friday, May 24 hosted by Single and the City at The Dean in Midtown (214 W 39th Street Unit #5).   

Here's what to expect: A chance to meet servicemembers in uniform, music from a DJ, a professional photographer, music, dancing, and an ice breaker with a chance to win prizes.

More than 150 people usually attend the 21+ Fleet Week mixer. While the majority of attendees are women looking for men, even planners say the dating scene is becoming more diverse.

Get a front-row seat to witness ships from the US Navy, Coast Guard, and more on Memorial Day. As an expert guide narrates, the 2.5-hour tour will visit landmarks of the harbor, including the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn Army Terminal, The Staten Island Navy Pier at Staten Island, and the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum.

On this tour from Classic Harbor Line and Turnstile Tours, you'll hear stories from the Revolutionary War to today, with special emphasis on the role of the port in World War II. While cruising on a classic yacht, you'll visit historic military sites, monuments, and fortifications.

The Classic Harbor Line Military History Tour of New York Harbor will be held on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. Tickets cost $116/person.

Bask in the beauty of Green-Wood Cemetery while listening to a concert by high-school musicians of the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street. The musical selections commemmorate those who served in the armed forces, as well as feature music by some of Green-Wood's permanent residents, including James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein.

Bring a blanket, a picnic, and friends for this afternoon concert on Monday, May 27, which is celebrating 23 years in Brooklyn. It's free to attend with a suggested $10 donation. 

Every year, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in Riverside Park becomes the site for a Memorial Day Observance. Representatives from the New York Council and other military and veterans support organizations participate in this annual ceremony to honor all who have served and sacrificed. The monument is located at Riverside Drive and 89th Street and the event is free and open to the public.

Though event details haven't been announced for 2024, the event typically runs from 10am to noon.

Watermark Bar has transformed into the tropically-themed Watermark Beach. Expect a full season of fun at Watermark Beach, which will be gussied up for the warm weather with Instagram-ready tiki decor, seasonal drinks and twinkling lights for when the party stretches into the nighttime hours.

And this summer, the al fresco experience will introduce new cabanas and a curated new cocktail program, in addition to large-format Cooler Packages, which will allow guests to have their canned and bottled drinks ready on ice as they visit. 

Plus, don't miss the venue's Rosè All Day Fest on May 27, which includes a rotating lineup of DJs and endless rosé.

Take your movie-going experience to the next level this summer at Rooftop Cinema Club. The experience offers a chance to watch a movie on a Midtown rooftop with vegan popcorn, classic theater candy, and craft cocktails.

This season's rooftop movie schedule includes classics like When Harry Met Sally, Dirty Dancing, Grease, Mean Girls, Clueless, and so much more. Also expect special programming for Star Wars day, AAPI Heritage Month, Black Music Month, and Pride Month. Plus, it’s adding a Saturday Cereal Club and Mimosas & Muffins Sundays. Get tickets here.

The Hester Street Fair is back for its 15th season bringing together extraordinary local vendors for a bustling outdoor marketplace. The market features handmade jewelry, ceramics and candles, pet accessories, vintage clothing, seasonal pies, soju-spiced cocktails and lots more.

On Memorial Day weekend, May 25-26, kick off the warmer weather with this market that welcomes summertime. For a full rundown of vendors, check out Hester Street Fair's website.

Ride the wave of creativity at Convergent Waves: NYC, an immersive multimedia dance event aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree in the Seaport. Past and present will collide at this powerful event.

Dancers will perform contemporary works against the backdrop of this historic vessel. Meanwhile, audiences will be brought back in time as they journey through the rooms and decks of the three-story vessel experiencing intimate and engaging moments with performers in immersive environments transformed by video projection, recorded original music, and text.

The performance was conceived by Lenora Lee, of Lenora Lee Dance, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary in this collaboration with South Street Seaport Museum. See the world premiere of Convergent Waves: NYC on Saturday, May 25, with additional performances on Sunday, May 26, and Monday, May 27. It's free to attend, but guests should reserve tickets online in advance.  

In honor of Memorial Day, the New York Philharmonic is giving a free concert on Monday, May 27 inside the beautiful Catherdral of Saint John the Divine. Conducted by Jaap van Zweden, the program will include Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Copland’s Quiet City and Brahms’ Symphony No. 4. Although it's free to get in, make sure to snag one of the limited tickets, which are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. 

New York City's beaches will be open for Memorial Day weekend, starting on Saturday, May 25, 2024. NYC Parks maintains 14 miles of beaches, inlcuding Rockaway Beach, Coney Island and Brighton Beach. Check out our list of the city's best beaches here.

Smorgasburg, the food bazaar spectacular, is back for 2024 with dozens of great local vendors across three locations.

In fact, with more than 70 vendors, it's the largest Smorgasburg lineup since 2018! Vendors this year will serve up fragrant Ethiopian stews, Hawaii-style street comforts, explosive pani puri, potato puff poutine, and lots more.

Smorgasburg WTC runs on Fridays; Williamsburg is on Saturdays; and Prospect Park is on Sundays. Each location is open from 11am-6pm and operates weekly through October. 

When it gets hot, cool off in style. Several of New York’s finest hotels offer day passes for their rooftop pools, most of which include chaises and cabanas for lounging in addition to a full-service bar. The combination of two of New York's favorite things—swimming pools and rooftop bars—creates an elevated summer oasis worth throwing down some cash for. Make sure to cross one, if not all, of these pools off your things to do in the summer bucket list.

The 1960s-themed TWA Hotel rooftop pool is super fun way to spend a summer afternoon. You can add it onto your trip to JFK Airport or just go for the day. While you're swimming and lounging, watch as flights take off above.

Accessible by public transit, the pool sells passes, so you can take a pool-centric trip to the airport that is very low-stress (no TSA check or boarding pass required). Reservations are suggested for non-hotel guests.

The ultimate outdoor experience to have this weekend is taking in the waterfront views at one of the best boat bars in NYC as you imbibe a cocktail (or three) with menus that feature everything from freshly-shucked oysters to lobster rolls. So hop aboard one of these boat bars!

New Yorkers can’t wait to unfurl their blankets and (discreetly) drink outdoors with Memorial Day around the corner and picnic season about to kick into high gear. Sure, you know about the big parks like Central Park and McCarren Park. But the city is also dotted lesser-known parks and hidden gems to picnic all summer long. 

Take a scenic bicycle ride to see some of the most beautiful vistas around, from the best beaches, parks, gardens and good food. It’s the next best thing to getting the heck out of town.

We recommend Bronxville to Rockaway Beach and more.