What to Do in New York City this Summer
- Martin Low
- May 26
- 15 min read
New York City comes alive in summer with a wealth of cultural activities for all ages, from free outdoor festivals to ticketed performances. In June, July and August 2025, the five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island) host music concerts, theater in the parks, art exhibitions, parades and multicultural street fairs. Each neighborhood has its own flavor: from Shakespeare plays in Central Park to hip-hop festivals in Queens, classical chamber music on a barge in Brooklyn to Caribbean food markets in Queens. Summer also kicks off with Memorial Day events (Monday, May 26, 2025) – parades, ceremonies and free museum days that honor American history. Whether you prefer free public events or famous shows with tickets, New York’s summer 2025 calendar is packed. This guide surveys highlights across New York City and even nearby attractions within a 50-mile radius, with descriptions and links to plan your visit.
New York’s summer offers something for everyone. Outdoor concerts and movies under the stars animate park lawns in warm evenings; elaborate parades celebrate local cultures; world-class museums and galleries open new exhibitions; and historic events like Shakespeare in the Park and Pride Month return in force. Visitors and locals alike flock to landmark attractions – from the Statue of Liberty ferry to the high-energy theater scene on Broadway. Much of New York’s culture is free: for example the free SummerStage concert series in Central Park offers music ranging from salsa to jazz to opera by emerging and famous artists, and Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater brings a fully staged classical play outdoors at no charge. At the same time, ticketed festivals and Broadway shows ensure plenty of marquee attractions. In short, summer in New York is packed with cultural events celebrating the city’s diversity and creativity.
Memorial Day 2025 in New York City
Memorial Day (Monday, May 26, 2025) traditionally marks the start of summer and honors fallen military service members with ceremonies and parades across the city. New York City’s major Memorial Day activities include multi-borough parades and solemn observances at historic monuments. In Manhattan, the Fifth Avenue Memorial Day Parade (staged along Fifth Avenue from 23rd St to 79th St) kicks off at 10:00 AM on Memorial Day. Nearby, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park (West 89th St and Riverside Drive) hosts a ceremony around 11:00 AM, featuring Civil War remembrance services and salute. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Pier 86) on the Hudson River holds its annual Memorial Day Flag Raising Ceremony at 10:00 AM, with wreath-laying, taps and a 21-gun salute to honor those who gave their lives.
Across the city, other boroughs observe Memorial Day. In Brooklyn, the Kings County Memorial Day Parade steps off at 11:00 AM at the Veterans’ Triangle (Fourth Avenue at 86th St) in Bay Ridge, with marching bands, veterans’ groups and first responders. Queens has its own Memorial Day parades in Ridgewood/Glendale and Forest Hills (both on Sunday, May 25) that draw large crowds. Staten Island’s Memorial Day Parade begins around 1:00 PM at the Marine Park in New Dorp, followed by a ceremony at the Italian American Veterans Memorial. Many sites such as the Intrepid or the 9/11 Memorial make Memorial Day a day for free or extended hours; for instance, both the Intrepid and the 9/11 Memorial offer free admission to the public on Memorial Day as a tribute. Overall, Memorial Day in New York City combines festive parades with patriotic remembrances, and is an accessible way for families to participate in community and historical tributes.
New York City Manhattan Borough Summer Events
New York Manhattan Performing Arts and Festivals
Manhattan is the cultural core of New York City and offers an outstanding variety of events. Free classical theater in Central Park is a must-see: the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park returns to the (new) Delacorte Theater in summer 2025. This year’s production is Twelfth Night, scheduled for August 8, 2025. (Admission is free via advance lottery or first-come seating, and applications typically open in June on the Public Theater website.) Central Park also hosts the City Parks Foundation’s Central Park SummerStage series – dozens of free outdoor concerts and dance performances featuring salsa bands, jazz ensembles, hip-hop artists, indie rock, and more. For example, the opening night on June 4, 2025 will feature jazz bassist Marcus Miller and New Orleans funk group The Soul Rebels in a free show. Other venues like the Naumburg Bandshell hold weekly classical Naumburg Orchestral Concerts on Sunday afternoons (free), while neighborhood institutions like SummerStage Queens bring music closer to local parks citywide. On the ticketed side, Manhattan’s Broadway and Lincoln Center stay busy: 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical (first opened summer 2015), which will be celebrated throughout August. Other Broadway productions such as world premieres and revivals (for example, Denzel Washington in Othello at City Center in early 2025) continue their runs through summer.
Manhattan is also the center for major festivals. In June, New York City Pride month culminates in the NYC Pride March on June 29, 2025, an iconic parade along Fifth Avenue celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and community. PrideFest (a street fair) will follow in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village (4th Ave between 14th & 8th St) on June 29. These include dozens of vendor booths, live entertainment stages, a beer garden, and family activities. The Stonewall Inn area (Christopher St) is the historic birthplace of Pride (1969), and a Stonewall monument near the park serves as a gathering place before the march. Also in June, SummerSolsticeLA (June 21) and the Japan Day in Central Park (late May) celebrate cultural diversity. The Museum Mile Festival (June 10, 5–9pm) is a Manhattan highlight: all participating museums along Fifth Avenue (from 82nd to 105th St) open free and the street is closed to traffic, creating a huge open-air art street party. This includes the Metropolitan Museum, Guggenheim, Jewish Museum and others, with live music and dance performances on the sidewalks.
Among Manhattan’s free events is the Bryant Park Movie Nights series. From June through August, weekly outdoor film screenings are offered for free in Bryant Park. (In 2025 the series is sponsored by Paramount+, with blockbusters and crowd-pleasers each Tuesday evening.) Similarly, NYC Parks’ “Movies Under the Stars” program shows family films in parks citywide (check the NYC Parks website for schedules in June–August). For chamber music lovers, Bargemusic offers weekly classical concerts aboard a floating barge moored in Brooklyn Bridge Park (but listed under Manhattan events due to its location off Manhattan’s dockyards). And for opera buffs, Lincoln Center’s Metropolitan Opera opens its SummerStage on the roof in July 2025 (an annual series of outdoor opera recitals, some free or low-cost).
Memorial Day Events in Manhattan
On Memorial Day itself, Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue Parade at 10:00 AM is a highlight. After the parade, many locals picnic on the Fifth Avenue lawn. Nearby, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument ceremony at Riverside Park is a solemn tribute (park entrance West 89th St, 11:00 AM). Many Manhattan museums observe Memorial Day with special offers: for example the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is open all day, and the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson has a free flag ceremony at 10:00 AM.
New York Manhattan Visual Arts and Culture
Manhattan’s world-class museums and galleries ramp up summer activities. The Frick Collection on the Upper East Side (closed 2018–2022 for renovation) has reopened with new exhibitions; check its calendar for summer exhibits. At Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle, museums like the Neue Galerie and Cooper Hewitt host rotating art and design shows. The New York Public Library (NYPL) offers special summer exhibitions (often free). Lower Manhattan’s Tenement Museum on Orchard St holds walking tours and talks about immigrant heritage. Midtown and the Financial District feature cultural highlights: Radio City Music Hall continues its famous summer show (the Radio City Stage Door Tour) daily, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral has free organ concerts on summer afternoons.
One notable visual-arts event is the Venice Biennale collateral show in Manhattan (to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Frick; in 2024 Frick hosted works from Venice Biennale). For families, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum have summer programs and free admission days (Intrepid is free Memorial Day). Lastly, Manhattan’s iconic outdoor art and architecture can be enjoyed for free: stroll through Times Square’s public art displays or the High Line park, where summer art installations and performance art often appear (e.g. free concert series on the High Line).
New York City Brooklyn Borough Summer Events
New York Brooklyn Festivals and Performances
Brooklyn is known for street festivals, music events, and cultural parades. One of the biggest summer attractions is the Coney Island Mermaid Parade (June 21, 2025). This annual art parade transforms Surf Avenue with hundreds of creatively costumed “mer-people” celebrating the start of summer. (The parade route runs down Surf Ave to the boardwalk; it is free to watch along the sidewalks.) The Mermaid Parade is billed as “the nation’s largest art parade” and truly captures Coney Island’s quirky, carnival spirit. After the parade, Coney’s rides, games and Nathan’s Famous hot dogs are a fun conclusion to the day. Coney Island also holds a patriotic July 4th Fireworks display over the Atlantic that can be viewed for free from the boardwalk or residential streets (shows at 9:30 PM, weather permitting).
Across Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge Park on the waterfront hosts free summer events. The Sounds at Sunset concert series presents free Friday night concerts (country, bluegrass, world, Americana) with a view of Manhattan. For example, “Freelance” (acoustic guitar group) plays on June 13, 2025; Revive Big Band performs on July 11, 2025. These concerts start at 6:00 PM on Pier 6 and are family-friendly. Also at Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Bargemusic chamber music series offers year-round concerts on the barge (summer schedule includes classics and contemporary works, tickets required but often affordable). Nearby, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade sometimes hosts lunchtime jazz ensembles in summer (free).
Brooklyn’s indie music scene has its own festivals. The new Panorama Festival (July 2025 on Randall’s Island) is technically Manhattan, but many Brooklyn music fans attend. Locally, venues like Brooklyn Steel and Kings Theatre (Flatbush) host big concert tours (country, rock, pop) all summer, though those are ticketed indoor events. The Borough President’s office often organizes a Brooklyn Latin American Parade in June, celebrating Latino heritage with live music and dance (check borough announcements for date and route).
Art and culture in Brooklyn also include gallery events and film. Bushwick Open Studios (typically July) is a weekend when artists open their studios to the public; it’s like an open-air art crawl (participation by local artists across North Brooklyn). The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden (both near Prospect Park) have summer concerts and art exhibitions. The Museum’s Music Under the Canopy jazz series (Mondays) and First Saturdays late-night events remain popular (though tickets can sell out). The Botanic Garden hosts Summer Evening Concerts – big-name bands and orchestras on Friday nights under the stars (ticketed).
New York Brooklyn Outdoor and Community Events
Brooklyn’s community neighborhoods have plentiful street fairs and cultural gatherings. Nostrand Avenue in Flatbush celebrates Caribbean culture with a West Indian Day Carnival parade (though the big parade is in September, many pre-events occur in summer). Sunset Park hosts an annual Dragon Boat Festival (June) with boat races and Chinese cultural performances on the waterfront. In Park Slope, Fairs on Fifth (trading locally made crafts) and First Fridays (exhibition openings at art venues) occur monthly.
Brooklyn’s film events include Movies with a View free outdoor screenings in parks like Dumbo Archway or Brooklyn Bridge Park (usually shown Wednesday nights in July/August). Check local park calendars for the Parks Dept’s “Summer Movies” series in Prospect Park and other local parks.
New York City Queens Borough Summer Events
New York Queens Cultural and Music Festivals
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Queens Night Market is a beloved weekly summer festival (free admission) at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. Running April 12–Aug 16, Saturdays 4pm–midnight, the Night Market gathers over 100 vendors selling ethnic street food, crafts and art. It highlights Queens’ cultural diversity, with cuisines from Indonesia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and more. There are also live performances on small stages (traditional dancers, DJs, bands) throughout the evening. The 2025 dates include weekly markets on Saturdays until mid-August (restarting September 13). It’s family-friendly and often covered by local media as “New York’s first and most affordable night market”.
For music, Queens has its own stage: SummerStage Queens (Citi SummerStage) hosts free concerts at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and other local parks. Notably, the Queens-based Flushing Meadows Corona Park Bandshell has free outdoor concerts (e.g., local orchestras, reggae bands) on summer weekends. Queens’ MoMA PS1 in Long Island City runs its signature Warm Up summer dance party series (free or low-cost, typically Saturday nights, though it starts June); it spotlights DJs and electronic music in the courtyard.
Queens’ cultural calendar also includes neighborhood street fairs nearly every weekend in summer (Astoria festivals, Jackson Heights street fairs, Sunnyside Day festival in August). The US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (August 26–Sept 8, 2025) is technically outside summer dates, but prepare now. For family fun, consider a summer visit to Queens Botanical Garden (free Wednesday evenings concert series) or the iconic Flushing Meadows carousel and lake, a scenic spot for picnics.
New York City Bronx Borough Summer Events
New York Bronx Arts and Festivals
The Bronx, New York’s northernmost borough, has its own rich cultural scene. The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in the Bronx hosts special exhibits and concerts in summer. For example, in 2025 NYBG’s big summer exhibit is “Wonderland: Curious Nature” (through Oct), and the Garden’s Orchid Show runs in spring. NYBG’s Garden After Hours summer concert series (Thursdays) features well-known bands on the lawn (paying admission required). Nearby, the Bronx Zoo holds events like “Dinosaur Safari” (an animated dinosaur exhibit, running April–Nov 2025) and “Brew at the Zoo” (June 13, ticketed adult beer festival).
The Bronx Museum of the Arts at University Ave hosts free cultural nights. Its monthly First Fridays series includes music and dance. For example, on June 6, 2025 the Bronx Museum hosts “Salsa Dance + Live Music” from 6–9pm (free for all ages). The museum often partners with Bronx community groups for art fairs and film screenings in the plaza outside.
Bronx communities hold ethnic festivals. The South Bronx Culture Festival (May 31, 2025) is a day-long celebration produced by Bronx Borough President’s office and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. It features Latin music, dance, food and art in the Bronx River Houses area, highlighting the Bronx’s Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage. Locally famous is the Arthur Avenue Street Festival (Italian food festival) which takes place in early June; it showcases Italian cuisine and live music in the Little Italy of the Bronx. Riverdale and Kingsbridge hold street fairs, and the Bronx County W&F Railroad Park (near 167th St) occasionally hosts jazz concerts.
Additionally, the Bronx has some performing arts. The New York City Ballet offers free summer performances in Van Cortlandt Park (outdoors), and local theater groups (e.g., City Island Theater Group) put on summer plays. Concerts in the Parks (NY Philharmonic) includes Bronx Park (June 8, 2025) with a free symphony night under the stars (part of a citywide series). Also, Yankee Stadium (Stadium St, Bronx) hosts NBA basketball (playoffs in spring) and soccer (NYC FC, May-July). While sports are outside “cultural” per se, attending a game is a classic summer Bronx activity for families.
New York City Staten Island Borough Summer Events
New York Staten Island Cultural Gatherings
Staten Island’s cultural scene is centered on community festivals and parks. A major annual event is the Staten Island Indian Cultural Festival – Soorya NYC: Sri Lankan Festival. In 2025 it is held at the Staten Island Museum (1000 Richmond Terrace) on June 28 from 1pm–8pm. This festival offers traditional Sri Lankan music, dance, crafts and cuisine, reflecting the borough’s sizable Sri Lankan community. (Soorya festival draws over 6,000 attendees and is considered NYC’s largest Sri Lankan cultural event.)
Outdoor enthusiasts can take the free Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan for spectacular summer views of the Statue of Liberty and harbor, making a cultural pilgrimage in its own right. The Staten Island Zoo offers summer nature programs and is free on Wednesdays (admission only $4). Local parks host concerts: for example, Clove Lakes Park usually has summer picnics with bands on Sundays. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center runs free or low-cost summer programs as well, such as “Art + Spice” chef and art series, and an annual Harbor Lights Concert Series on July 4th.
New York City – Cultural Events within 50 Miles
New York’s cultural influence spreads well beyond city limits. Within a 50-mile radius of Midtown Manhattan, there are summer festivals, historic sites and concert venues worth exploring:
Jones Beach Theater (Wantagh, Long Island) – This outdoor amphitheater on the Atlantic coast hosts major summer concerts. Big-name tours are booked for 2025: for example, Halsey on June 1, Luke Bryan on May 31, Dave Matthews Band on June 11, plus acts like Simple Minds, Keith Urban, The Beach Boys and more. Tickets are required, but even attending one night provides a quintessential Long Island beach concert experience.
Governor’s Island – A short ferry ride from Manhattan, Governors Island opens weekends in summer with public art and cultural events. The annual Govenors Ball or SailGP (sailboat racing, June 7–8, 2025) has music and food on the island. The Island’s 20th summer season (kickoff May 17, 2025) will include free family arts programs, exhibitions (such as “Grids and Islands” and nature exhibits), and film screenings on the grass.
Liberty State Park (New Jersey) – Just across the Hudson, Liberty State Park offers open-air movies and concerts with views of Manhattan. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra typically gives free summer concerts here, and the park itself contains the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (tours) and memorials including the Empty Sky 9/11 memorial.
Ellis Island & Statue of Liberty – Ferries from Battery Park allow visits to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (U.S. Immigration Museum). Summer lines are long, but the experience is rewarding. To avoid crowds, consider early morning departures. (If time permits, combine with a walking tour of nearby Battery Park and the Museum of Jewish Heritage.)
Rockland & Westchester – Within 50 miles north you have the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts (Katonah, NY) which hosts weekend classical and jazz concerts in its Italianate garden. The Palisades Center and Seeger Concert series in the Hudson Valley hold folk and Americana festivals, while numerous county parks in Rockland and Westchester host Outdoor Summer Concerts.
Liberty Science Center (Jersey City) – This interactive museum is under 30 miles from Midtown. It offers IMAX movies and science exhibitions (often with special summer themes like “Space Mysteries”). They run special events and member mornings in July and August, e.g. Family Science Weekends. Watchers of the Soprano's series will remember this as the Museum of Science and Trucking.
Storm King Art Center – An open-air sculpture park 50 miles north of NYC. It reopens for summer (May) with dozens of monumental art installations in a scenic Hudson Valley meadow. A day trip here is culturally rewarding (combine with wineries in the region if desired).
NY Philharmonic and Concerts – In early June, the NY Philharmonic’s free Concerts in the Parks tour ventures beyond city parks to suburban venues. In 2025, their concerts (June 4–8) include an appearance at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx as well as at sites like the Greeley Theater in Bierstadt. The Philharmonic website confirms these free outdoor concerts featuring jazz and classics.
Smithsonian Arts & Technology – The Brooklyn Nets Summer League and NY Islanders games at UBS Arena (Nassau County) are sports events within 50 miles; for cultural interest, check local community bulletins for town fairs and county expos in Westchester or NJ.
In all, the New York City metropolitan area offers a vast range of summer cultural experiences. From Manhattan’s free Shakespeare and museum festivals, to Brooklyn’s artistic parades and bridge concerts, to Queens’ night markets and Pride events, to the Bronx’s zoos and gardens, to Staten Island’s neighborhood festivals, summer 2025 in New York City is full of vibrant activities. Plan ahead using official event websites and park calendars, many of which provide schedules and registration links. Public transportation (subways, buses, ferries) covers most activities, and many are free or low-cost. Whether seeking high art or street fair fun, you’ll find New York City’s cultural life in full bloom this summer.
Sources: Event schedules and details were gathered from official New York City parks and tourism sites, borough tourism guides, cultural organization calendars, and news articles. Key references include NYC Pride (NYC Pride 2025 events), NYC Parks (Shakespeare in the Park), NYC Parks Foundation (Central Park SummerStage), Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy (Sounds at Sunset), the Queens Night Market website, tourist boards and news sites for Memorial Day parades, and cultural event calendars for the Bronx Zoo, Staten Island festivals, and Long Island concerts.
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