When you visit New York City in May, you’re arriving during a time of transformation. Rooftop bars are trading in their igloos and heaters for beautiful blooms and springtime fun. Gone are the winter markets. In their place are a litany of night markets, food festivals, summer concert series, and more outdoor fun that lets you embrace the warming weather.
Planning on visiting NYC in May and wondering what’s in store? We’ve compiled a list of things to do in NYC in May, from celebrations in honor of AAPI Heritage Month to food markets with cuisine from around the world. Pick your favorite May events from this list, and you’re bound to have a fantastic spring vacation!
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The 15 Best Things to Do in New York City in May
1. Eat at the Ninth Avenue Int’l Food Festival
The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival is a must-do thing in NYC in May if you’re a foodie. This food festival, which is the oldest and largest of its kind in New York City, features more than 200 local vendors offering foods from all across the world.
In addition to dining through the booths for the two-day event, you can also enjoy live music, dancing, and a children’s pavilion for fun for your little one.
2. Go to the NYCxDESIGN Festival
Every May in New York City, NYCxDESIGN brings about a festival that focuses on all things design, from architecture to landscaping to graphic design. With more than 260 events throughout all five boroughs across eight days, you’ll join thousands of other design enthusiasts as you listen to experts, check out exhibits, and attend unique parties celebrating the many facets of design.
3. See Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Seeing the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is one of the best things to do in NYC in spring. Come May, the bloom will be coming to its end, but the botanic garden keeps the party going throughout the month.
Although the garden’s annual Sakura Matsuri spring festival appears to be no more, past years have brought about a new event: Weekends in Bloom. From late April to mid-May, guests could enjoy cherry blossom season every weekend with pop-up music and dance performances, cultural programs, garden tours, and fun activities for the whole family.
Keep an eye on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s website to see what’s in store for this year.
4. Take Part in the Japan Parade
From 2007 to 2019, May in NYC meant the return of Japan Day @ Central Park. Sadly, this celebration of Japanese culture was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it would thankfully return, albeit with a new look.
Japan Day @ Central Park is now the annual Japan Parade & Street Fair. Marvel at the beauty of the parade, which features celebrations of both traditional and modern Japanese culture, from taiko performers to bon-odori dancers.
After the parade, head to the street fair to enjoy eats and treats from local vendors and family-friendly activities that will immerse you in stories from the Japanese-American community in NYC.
5. Chow Down at Smorgasburg
If you’re looking to eat your way around the city, Smorgasburg is a must-do thing in spring in NYC. This outdoor food festival is the largest weekly open-air food market in the US, featuring foods from dozens of local vendors. Whether you want the fluffiest pancake you’ve ever seen, mouthwatering bao buns, or lemonade with a maple-filled twist, you’ll find all that and more at Smorgasburg.
Smorgasburg has three locations around New York City, with its World Trade Center location happening on Fridays, Williamsburg on Saturdays, and Prospect Park on Sundays.
6. Rock out at TSQ Live
Looking for one of the best free things to do in NYC in May? Starting in May, you can head to Times Square to enjoy TSQ Live, which features over 80 free events across two stages.
Enjoy rocking out to live concerts, getting your groove on with dance workshops, jamming with DJs, and much more, with performances being put on by some of the best institutions in NYC, like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
7. Enjoy the Return of the Uptown Night Market
Spring in NYC marks the return of Harlem’s Uptown Night Market. The market, which runs on the second Thursday of the month from April through October, features over 80 vendors. It’s a festival of food, culture, music, arts, and everything else you could think of, all highlighting the local people of Harlem who help make the community thrive.
8. Attend the Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival
In 2023, 88rising brought its Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival to New York City, creating one of the best new events in NYC in May. Taking place over the course of two days at the historic Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, this festival celebrated Asian culture through music, art, and food from AAPI vendors.
From art installations to incredible treats that look like a work of art all on their own, this festival is already a can’t-miss event, so keep your eyes peeled for its return.
9. Stop By the Spring Market at Bryant Park
The Bryant Park Winter Village has been a staple of NYC’s holiday scene for over two decades, but 2023 marked the first spring Makers Market. Hosted by Urbanspace, the Makers Market featured over 100 local artisans in pop-up booths over the course of three weekends in May.
This market is a great way to support local creators in the spring and is one of the best things to do in NYC in May. Keep an eye out for its return this year.
10. Go Roller Skating at Rockefeller Center
While Rockefeller Center’s famous ice skating rink has been around for generations, its annual roller skating rink that arrives in the spring is a much newer development. Starting around April, the rink transforms into one of the best places to be in spring in NYC.
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace, which got its start back in the ‘70s in West Hollywood, was revived in 2022 at Rockefeller Center, creating a space for guests to get their groove on at the famous rink during the springtime! The roller rink typically runs from spring until late October, but keep an ear out for updates on its return this year.
11. Kick Off Spring at the Queens Night Market
Starting in April, the Queens Night Market returns to New York City, offering another great activity for those traveling to NYC in May. Located behind the New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, this night market is hailed as being not only the first of its kind in NYC but also the most affordable.
Enjoy the springtime night air as you explore more than 100 booths from local vendors selling everything from sweet treats to unique works of art. Along the way, you’ll also marvel at fantastic displays from local performers, which celebrate the diverse cultures of Queens.
12. Ride the Rides at Luna Park
If you’re visiting NYC in May, you’re there at a perfect time to head to Coney Island’s Luna Park. Luna Park typically opens for the summer season in early spring, but by May, you can all but guarantee that it’ll be up and running. Not only that, but the weather will also be much nicer than if you’d gone in earlier in the spring.
Ride famous rides like the Coney Island Cyclone, play games along the boardwalk, grab yourself some beloved boardwalk treats, and enjoy spending your day as the NYC sun emerges from its winter slumber.
13. Check Out the Roof Garden at the Met
Returning annually in spring in NYC, the Roof Garden has become a staple of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Each year, the Met commissions a new installation for the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, which is on display from mid-April through the end of October.
The Cantor Roof Garden Bar also typically reopens for the summer around May, allowing you to enjoy sunsets, snacks, and sips on Friday and Saturday evenings through early fall while you marvel at the art display.
14. Celebrate AAPI Culture at the Asian Creative Festival
After their successful virtual event in 2022, the Asian Creative Festival debuted in 2023 at Industry City, creating a space to celebrate AAPI in all sorts of creative industries. During this festival, you can learn from AAPI individuals working in diverse fields today, from journalism to art direction.
Taking place during AAPI Heritage Month, this May event in NYC looks toward the future, focusing on building pathways where creativity can lead to prosperity.
15. Move to the Music at Pier 17
If you’re looking for things to do in NYC in May, the Rooftop at Pier 17 hosts a concert series starting in May that is unlike any other. Each summer, the rooftop features incredible artists, but the music isn’t the only exciting part of the show. While you enjoy the talented performers, you’ll also have a perfect view of the NYC skyline all around you!
There you have it! The 15 best things to do in NYC in May. What are your favorite events in NYC in May? Let us know in the comments!
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