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What to do in New York in May and June 2023?

What to do in New York in May and June 2013?

If you decide to visit New York City in May or June, be aware that you made a good choice! These are just the best months to enjoy New York City, its streets, and its parks. The New Yorkers come back to life thanks to the sun and the first warm temperatures of the season.
In this post, you will find all you can do during this period of the year in NYC.

The weather forecast for May and June

Temperatures highs: May: 22°C or 71°F //// June: 26°C or 78°F
Temperatures lows: May: 13°C or 55°F//// June: 18°C or 64°F
The month of May offers one of the best times to visit New York. Let’s say that it’s warm enough to walk around New York streets and cool enough to be comfortable. An ideal time to visit NY before the busy summer season kicks in.

June, it’s the first month when you can freely walk around New York without catching a cold and enjoy the beginning of the summer festivities in New York. So it’s warm but not scorching hot like what you can experience in July or August in New York.

What to do in New York in May and June 2013?

Public holidays in May

Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May (this year, it falls on May 29, 2023).
It’s a holiday to remember those who fell to defend the United States of America. It’s also the kick-off of the summertime season for many Americans. Many New Yorkers enjoy their day off since Memorial Day is a national holiday (banks, schools, and government offices are closed). The ritual includes barbecuing and a day at the local park or beach. Do not worry, most tourist attractions remain open on that day.
There will be several parades :
– In Manhattan: the parade will take place in Inwood, at the crossroads of Broadway and Dyckman Streets.
– In Queens: don’t miss the Little Neck-Douglaston, the biggest parade in New York. It starts at 2.00 pm on Northern Blvd (more info here).
– In Brooklyn: in 2023, it will be the 156th Memorial Day parade. It starts at 11.00 am at the crossroads of 87th St and 3rd Ave.

Memorial Day

Cultural events in New York City in May and June

There are a lot of free cultural events in New York in May and June!

Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace at Rockefeller Center
The legendary Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace is back! Since 1940, there has not been a rollerskating rink in this mythical New York City square.
Hours vary depending on the day of the week.
When: From April to October 2023.

Flipper’s Roller official site

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival is a fest inviting you to watch free movies on a giant screen in Bryant Park every Monday at dusk from June to August. You can access the park easily with your blanket, picnic, and take a seat in front of the giant screen starting at 5 pm. Then, the movie will start at sunset between 8 and 9 pm. If the weather doesn’t permit the screening, the shows are canceled; there are no “rain dates.”

More information: Movie Nights at Bryant Park

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival

The Rooftop at Pier 17

More than 60 concerts are waiting for you at Pier 17!! Simple Plan, Sum 41, Blondie, and Jason Mraz, to name a few…

Get your tickets now!

Dates: From May 3 to July 14, 2023.

Purchase tickets

TriBeCa Film Festival

The film festival was created in 2002 to renew the South of Manhattan after 9/11. The best actors in the industry reunite to attend the festival!

Dates: June 7-18, 2023.
More info: TriBeCa Film Festival

Shakespeare in the Park

Shakespeare in the Park is a 50+ years old tradition; a number of free shows brought together 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Great artists like to participate in this tradition with people coming from around the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classics. The tickets are free and are available at the ticket booth or online.

Dates: June 8 – August 6, 2023.
More information: Shakespeare in the Park

Shakespeare in the Park

Museum Mile Festival

The Museum Mile Festival takes place every year, and it will be on June 13 this year on the 5th Avenue (closed to traffic on that particular day) and a block away from the MET. You can enjoy musical and artistic entertainment for adults and kids. On top of that, entrance is free for 9 museums with activities such as music shows, and performing artists on 5th avenue. There are also some stands with face painting and sidewalk art greatly appreciated by kids. This event takes place between 82nd and 104th street on 5th avenue.

Date: June 13, 2023.

Museum Mile Festival

Washington Square Music Festival

The Washington Square Music Festival takes place every Tuesday in June with free concerts of diverse kinds of music: jazz, fado, classical music, salsa…

Dates: Every Tuesday in June, 2023.
More information:Washington Square Music Festival

Parades in New York City in May and June

The sun and warm temperatures are back in New York City along with diverse parades!

AIDS Walk NY

The AIDS Walk is an annual March in the streets of New York to fight AIDS that takes place on May 15, 2023. The walk was created in 1986 and brings around 50,000 people every year and raises close to 4.5 million dollars before the march starts.

Date: May 15, 2023.
More information: AIDS Walk NY

Dance Parade

On May 20, 2023, another event that takes place every year, the Dance Parade. With the same spirit as dance and Fashion Shows around the world, the Dance Parade brings together different cultures and ethnicities in New York. The Dance Parade celebrates the history of dance and brings forward the creativity, vivacity, and beauty of diverse dance styles.

Date: May 20, 2023.
More information: NYC Dance Parade

New York Dance Parade

Fleet Week

Since 1984, the city of New York has honored the US Navy and Marine Corps with the “Fleet Week.” This event returned to NYC in March 2022 with military demonstrations and the chance for the public to attend and visit the ships. The day of remembrance usually takes place on Memorial Day and is the highlight of the week of the festivities, including Chorus and Air Force shows to honor those who fell for the US. 

Dates: May 25-30, 2023.
More information: NYC Fleet Week

Fleet Week

Mermaid Parade

Every year at the end of June, the Mermaid Parade takes place. It’s a well-known parade where women disguise themselves as mermaids. The event happens on Coney Island and has been a tradition since 1983. The parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt in the air, and especially the beginning of summer. The participants wear handmade mermaid costumes or other sea creatures. The parade is then followed by the Mermaid Parade Ball, a really great family-friendly event. If you want to see unusual costumes, give it a try since there’s a good vibe, but wear your own costume!!! 🙂

Date: June, 17, 2023.
More information: Mermaid Parade

The Mermaid Parade

New York City Pride

The New York City Gay Pride is organized around several events from June 17-25, 2023.

Dates: June 17-25, 2023.
More information: NYC Pride

New York City Gay Pride

Food events in May and June

New York offers a great option to celebrate food!

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival has become one of New Yorkers’ favorite events since its creation in 1973. 9th avenue closes to cars during the festival. For two days, the streets offer the scents of delicious dishes. Around 1 million visitors flock to the area located between 37th and 57th street and try a number of the different specialties offered. Moreover, the attractions go well beyond food and include music and dance shows. This is a great event for the whole family to attend.

Dates: May 20-21, 2023.
More information: Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

Ninth Avenue International Food Festival

Sport events in May and June

You can participate in sports events or reserve your seats to watch a game! Either way, there’s a lot of fun for sports lovers!!!

Five Borough Bike Tour

The Five Borough Bike Tour takes place every year and is on May 7, 2023. If you want to discover New York on a bike and ride a distance of 42 Miles (=67, 5 km), this is the event for you!!!! You’ll be allowed to bike around NYC car-free and participate in one of the biggest biking events in the US, along with 30,000 bikers. Now, you need to know that registration is limited, so register ahead if you’re interested.

The trip will start in Lower Manhattan. You’ll head North toward the heart of Manhattan with Central Park, then Harlem and the Bronx before returning South along the East River on the FDR Drive. From there, you will ride toward Queens and Brooklyn, where you’ll head towards the highway before getting on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island. The whole trip is about 42 miles and mostly flat except for the bridges 🙂

More information: Five Borough Bike Tour

Five Borough Bike Tour

Baseball games

In May and June, even if there aren’t any NBA events, you can still watch Major League Baseball games in New York with their 2 teams: the Mets and the Yankees. Especially with the new Yankees stadium located in the Bronx!!!! Pure Bliss!!!

METS ticketsYANKEES tickets

New York Yankees

Soccer games

The second important professional sport available in May and June in New York is Soccer.
The team representing NY is called the New York City FC and they play at the Yankees Stadium. The other team is the New York Red Bulls and they do not play in NYC or New York State but very close by in New Jersey, a 20 min train ride away from Manhattan.

NEW YORK CITY FC ticketsRED BULLS tickets

New York Red Bulls

Concerts and shows in New York in May and June 2023

New York is well-known for its shows on Broadway and concert in one of its typical venues, like Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and the Barclays Center to only name a few.
The best thing you can do is revise the calendar of events I keep up to date in NYCTT. You can find it here.
If you want to search for a special artist or venue in New York, you can also visit the TicketNetwork webpage and find out if your favorite singer will be in NYC during your stay there!

TKTS NY Times Square desde ariiba

Memo

My fist trip to New York was in 2007 when I was working for an airline company. I was born in the US, I lived in Mexico, in Europe in between Belgium, Spain and France… Well, let’s say I know about travelling! I bring my experience of NYC to the blog, to provide the best travel tips you could imagine!

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What to do in New York in May and June 2023?

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  1. Anna says:
    My Mother-in-Law, wife and I will be going o NYC for a few days in June. 23-27. MIL would like to see a play because she is not keen on seeing a musical. What are some good recommendations?
    • TeamMemo says:
      Hi Anna,
      I know that Hamilton is a must-see, but I didn’t get the chance go yet… You also have “The Icemen Cometh” with Denzel Washington, “The Boys in the Band” with Jim Parsons from the Big Bang Theory.
  2. Krista says:
    I will be in NYC with my husband May 19th – 23rd. He has meetings all day. I will be by myself during the day and with him at night. We are 40 years old. Any suggestions?
  3. Ricardo brito says:
    Hello , we are stayng in NY at 20 may to 30 may
    I have 2 childrens , first time in NY, and i Will stay very closet to time Square.
    We Love sports , good food ,museum ,
    What do you recommend?

    Thanks
  4. Jack Plummer says:
    Hello,

    My wife and I will be in the NYC area from 28 May to 6 June. We will be staying at an RV Park in Jersey City and plan on taking the train into the city. What would you recommend? We are in our in early 70s, so night clubs and dancing are not our interest.
  5. Jack says:
    Hi. We are going to be in New York for 5 nights from May 24th. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for lively bars with music? We are staying close to Penn Station. We are in our 40s and 50s but relatively young at heart- haha!! We are booking decade of Soul at B&B Kings one night. Thanks x
    • TeamMemo says:
      Hi Jack,

      Here’s what I can find for your dates: https://ticketnetwork.com.
      But it doesn’t show events in bars. I’ve never been to a Decade of Soul night, it has to be fun!

      There’s also places like Fat Cat where you don’t have to pay and there’s always bands playing during the night. I love this place, here it is: Fat Cat.

      Then, I’m always updating the calendar of events in my blog. For the moment, there’s nothing special on your dates, but I’ll be working on it on the upcoming days.
  6. Mels says:
    Hi, I am travelling from England on the 16th June and staying with Family in NY for a few days but then have a few days to explore by myself . .. any hidden treasures I should be aware of for a single female that would be good to exprience

    thanks
  7. Tamora says:
    Traveling to NYC 6/17. What do you recommend for teen visitors during that time for music, movie set visits, etc?
  8. Al Gray says:
    Hi Can you still see Ice Hockey games in June 2915? Regards Al
  9. DrVCH says:
    Hubs and I will be in NYC June 4th – 7th. We love live music: jazz, r&b, blues. Where do you recommend. We have found the hole in the wall type places are THE best! Also, we are foodies…again, hole in the wall rules!!!

    Thanks
  10. Jo Hicks says:
    hi we are staying in NY city from 3rd to 6th may. Love to see a sports game can you suggest anything really close for us to get to? Also which shows are a must attend either musical and comedy? Other ideas for nightlife??? Thanx so much!!
    Kiwis
  11. Candi Ferguson says:
    I’m thinking of visiting in June this year. What’s the weather going to be like? I’m from Florida so I’m used it being hit staying in March. Just want to be prepared for anything. Thx!