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5/23/25 - 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. Life at the Limits returns to the American Museum of Natural History, and 14 miles of NYC beaches are ready to welcome sandcastle builders, waders, and body surfers as the weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. Come Monday, Memorial Day parades march through Brooklyn and Queens.

Looking to get out of town for the long weekend? Don't miss our stellar list of 36 summer day trips!

Speaking of travel, our next free, travel-themed event is going to be one of our most fun and unique ones ever. We are literally rolling out the red carpet, so bring your smiles for live entertainment, henna for kids, an incredible, larger-than-life Japanese calligraphy performance, and lots more fun! To top it all off, some lucky kids can compete in one of three live MasterChef Junior Mystery Box Challenges, while all registered families are entered for a chance to win a free family vacation to Dreams Resorts & Spas. Don't miss it! Register now for next Saturday's Family Travel Fest!

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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Best Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Fleet Week NYC

Citywide – FREE
Wednesday, May 21-Monday, May 26
Fleet Week NYC takes a starring role in the 250th anniversary celebrations of the United States in 2026, moving from its traditional Memorial Day weekend schedule to Independence Day. 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

STEM Career Expo at New York Hall of Science

Flushing, Queens – FREE
Friday, May 23
NYSCI's free STEM career expo invites high school, trade school, and college-aged students to learn and mingle in a friendly, inclusive environment. Food and fun are included. READ MORE

Free Movie Night on the Intrepid: Top Gun

Midtown West – FREE
Friday, May 23
Bring a blanket, deck chairs, and a picnic and watch a movie on the ship’s flight deck, under the stars! Enjoy views of the Hudson River and city skyline while you watch Top Gun on the big screen. READ MORE

Lower East Side Festival of the Arts Street Fair

Lower East Side – FREE
Friday, May 23-Sunday, May 25
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. This year's theme: We will not be silenced, speak up for democracy. READ MORE

Memorial Day Weekend at CMOM

Upper West Side
Friday, May 23-Monday, May 26
CMOM kicks off summer on Memorial Day with the opening of Dynamic H2O, a beloved outdoor water exhibit that transforms the science of NYC’s water system into hands-on fun for kids. On Saturday, guests can enjoy a special live comedy performance by Ray Muñoz. READ MORE

DanceAfrica 2025 at BAM

Downtown Brooklyn
Friday, May 23-Monday, May 26
The nation’s largest festival dedicated to African dance and music returns to the stages and streets of Brooklyn for its 48th year, celebrating the rich culure and artistry of Mozambique. READ MORE

Van Gogh's Flowers at NYBG

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Saturday, May 24
The Conservatory Lawn blooms with a massive field of monumental sunflower sculptures by artist Cyril Lancelin alongside living sunflowers and other plants, all inspired by the flowers in Van Gogh’s famed artwork.  READ MORE

Neighborhood Theatre Production Presents: Voices in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, May 24
The Prospect Park Alliance, Professor Eugene Pursoo and the Neighborhood Theatre Production present Voices, a series of monologues that tell the story of slavery drawn from oral histories collected in the 1930s. READ MORE

Next Stop, New York City at the Skyscraper Museum

Battery Park City – FREE
Saturday, May 24
Kids explore forms of transportation and New York City’s subway system through a read-aloud of Christoph Niemann’s picture book, Subway. READ MORE

Family Day at Hallets Cove

Astoria, Queens – FREE
Saturday, May 24
Council Member Tiffany Cabán and Queens Recreation host a fun day of family activities in the Hallets Cove Playground. Enjoy music, arts and crafts, games, fitness challenges, inflatables, popcorn, sports activities, and prizes. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Turtle Friends at Wave Hill

Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday, May 24-Sunday, May 25
Celebrate World Turtle Day by exploring the fascinating lives of turtles. Discover why their shells have such diverse shapes, sizes and patterns. Then, using fabric, craft your own turtle shell backpack.   READ MORE

The Music of Taylor Swift for Kids at the Brooklyn Bowl

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sunday, May 25
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 Taylor Swift. READ MORE

Memorial Day in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn – FREE
Monday, May 26
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 a family bird walk. READ MORE

98th Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade

Little Neck, Queens – FREE
Monday, May 26
Service members participate in NYC's largest Memorial Day parade.  READ MORE

158th Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn – FREE
Monday, May 26
Brooklyn’s 158th annual 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

Green-Wood’s Memorial Day Concert

Sunset Park, Brooklyn – FREE
Monday, May 26
Green-Wood’s cherished Memorial Day concert features the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street, led by music director Paul Corn and guest conductor Brian P. Worsdale performing stirring works that honor those who have served in the armed forces, while also spotlighting music by some of Green-Wood’s own permanent residents, including James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein. READ MORE

Opening Week of Life At The Limits: Nature's Superheroes at the AMNH

Upper West Side
Through January 4, 2026
Life at the Limits: Nature’s Superheroes highlights an array of organisms with surprising ways of thriving in harsh environments, finding a mate or their next meal, and leveraging strength, endurance, speed, and more, with life-sized and larger-than-life models—including a climbable model of a Hercules beetle—and interactive exhibits.   READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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