Your May Guide to NYC ✨
31 Days, 31+ Things to Do
Good morning, New Yorkers - and welcome to May! 🌸
NYC is fully in its spring era right now - the days are longer, everything is blooming, and there are way more reasons to stay outside. I’m excited to share this month’s guide with at least one thing to do for every day in May! This month, most are specific scheduled events worth planning ahead for, with a few go-whenever ideas. I came across so many good things happening in May, so this calendar is a packed one - most days have multiple options!
Below, you’ll find all the details from the Instagram post - links, context, and a little more information to help you decide what you want to add to your calendar.
May Calendar
May 1
📍 Go to Frick First Friday
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Enjoy free evening admission at The Frick Collection and after-hours access (link)
📍 Visit the Museum of Natural History for the Margaret Mead Film Festival
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (festival runs May 1-3)
✨ A curated film series celebrating cultures and storytelling from around the world (link)
📍 Go on a Woodland Walk in Central Park to Explore the Ramble
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (also on May 23 & 30)
✨ Explore one of Central Park’s most peaceful corners on a guided woodland walk - perfect to disconnect and unwind (link)
May 2
📍 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Stone Street Block Party
🎟️ Scheduled event
✨ One of NYC’s liveliest street parties is back with music, food, drinks and fun activities like tequila tastings, street performers, and mariachi bands (link)
📍 Shop the FAD Market at Brooklyn Brewery
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 3)
✨ Browse and shop handcrafted art, jewelry, clothing, wellness items, and home decor from independent designers, makers, and small brands (link)
📍 Wander Through the Antiquarian Book Fair
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (fair runs May 1-3)
✨ Browse rare books, maps, and literary treasures from around the world at the Park Avenue Armory (link)
📍 Listen to Live Music from the Isidore String Quartet at 92NY
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ An evening of chamber music from an award winning quartet (link)
📍 Shop Alfargo’s Marketplace at The Seaport
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 3)
✨ Shop men’s vintage finds, handmade goods, and local vendors along the waterfront (link)
May 3
📍 Watch the 5 Boro Bike Tour
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ Ride through all five boroughs or cheer on thousands of cyclists as they make their way through the city (link)
📍 Attend the Dog Days Art + Adoption Pop-Up
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Meet adoptable dogs from Social Tees NYC and shop limited edition pet inspired art - 50% of artwork proceeds will be donated to Social Tees Animal Rescue (link)
📍 Print Your Own Mother’s Day Card at Bowne & Co.
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Create a custom, vintage style card using historic printing presses (link)
May 4
📍 Go on a Tulip Crawl
🎟️ Free / general idea for anytime
✨ Spend the day visiting NYC parks and gardens filled with spring tulips in bloom - check out this route I curated just for you! (link)
May 5
📍 Watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days on a NYC Rooftop
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ A rom-com rooftop movie night with skyline views (link)
May 6
📍 Visit the “Before New York” Pop-Up at New York Botanical Garden
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (pop-up runs through November 15)
✨ Explore this limited time exhibition to see what NYC looked like 400 years ago (link)
📍 Visit Cat Chow’s “Therapod” Pop-Up in Washington Square Park
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 7)
✨ Decompress and spend some time with certified therapy cats at Cat Chow’s mobile “Therapod” near NYU (link)
May 7
📍 Explore the Ford Foundation Public Atrium Garden
🎟️ Free / general idea for anytime
✨ A hidden indoor jungle in the middle of Midtown - make sure to get a reservation ahead of time (link)
📍 Create a Keepsake with Live Engraving at NYPL Shop
🎟️ Scheduled event - pricing for charms start at $58
✨ Customize a charm at this engraving event at the New York Public Library Shop with Jet Set Candy (link)
May 8
📍 Date Night at The Met
🎟️ Pay-what-you-wish for NY residents / every Friday & Saturday
✨ Spend an evening wandering one of the best museums in the world (link)
📍 Go to a Summer Friday Happy Hour in The Seaport
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (every summer Friday)
✨ Sit outside at Sadie’s for happy hour and live music (link)
May 9
📍 Watch the Japan Parade & Street Fair
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Celebrate Japanese culture with performances, food, and festivities on the Upper West Side (link)
📍 Attend the Krewe Krawfish Boil in Meatpacking
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ A Louisiana style seafood boil with music and drinks - a portion of all proceeds will go to City Harvest supporting their mission to help feed New York City families (link)
📍 Shop the Maum Market at Pier 17
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Celebrate Asian owned small businesses and shop curated Korean lifestyle goods, beauty, and food vendors (link)
May 10
📍 Shop Small in Greenpoint
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (crawl runs from May 2-10)
✨ Spend the day bopping between Greenpoint’s best boutiques, cafés, and neighborhood favorites as part of their “shop small” crawl - grab a crawl passport for your chance to win prizes (link)
May 11
📍 Play Pickleball in Central Park
🎟️ Ticketed / general idea for anytime
✨ Grab a court at Wollman Rink and enjoy one of NYC’s most popular outdoor activities (link)
May 12
📍 Take a Sunset Yoga Class at Brooklyn Bridge Park
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 5, 19 & 26)
✨ Unwind with a waterfront yoga session at golden hour (link)
📍 Brooklyn Bridge Park Guided Waterfront Walk Tour
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 17 & 26)
✨ Learn about the park’s history while taking in incredible skyline views (link)
May 13
📍 See Aly & AJ Live at Hudson Yards
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Hudson Yards is kicking off their free summer concert series with Aly & AJ (link)
May 14
📍 Eat Your Way Through Smorgasburg Central Park Opening Day
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Celebrate the new location of NYC’s favorite outdoor food market (link)
May 15
📍 Help Clean Up Riverside Park With Some Sunset Gardening
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Get your hands dirty and help keep our parks clean while enjoying a peaceful sunset along the Hudson (link)
📍 Wander Through Tribeca Gallery Night
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ A neighborhood wide evening where 70+ Tribeca galleries stay open late for a collective night of art, exhibitions, and gallery hopping (link)
May 16
📍 Eat Your Way Through the 9th Avenue International Food Festival
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 17)
✨ Try a variety of cuisines at one of NYC’s best street food festivals in Hell’s Kitchen (link)
📍 Walk Around Park Avenue Day
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Shop 200+ vendors and enjoy live music, food and art stretching from 34th to 40th Street (link)
📍 Watch the Dance Parade
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Watch 10,000+ dancers perform vibrant performances celebrating cultures from all over the world (link)
📍 Try Some of Tribeca’s Best Restaurants at Taste of Tribeca
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ Tribeca’s annual food festival is back where you can try tons of food items from local chefs and restaurants while fundraising for art and enrichment programs at PS 234 & PS 150 (link)
📍 Go to Photoville Opening Night
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (runs May 16-30)
✨ Explore outdoor photography exhibits at Brooklyn Bridge Park (link)
May 17
📍 Visit the Iris van Herpen Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (exhibit runs from May 16-December 6)
✨ Sculpting Senses is a stunning fashion-meets-art exhibition the transcends conventional clothing norms while embracing both traditional couture artisanship and innovative techniques (link)
📍 Visit the Afternoon Light Design Fair
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (runs May 17-19)
✨ This annual home and design show is back where you can browse contemporary furniture, objects, and materials (link)
📍 Attend the Brooklyn Bridge Sketchbooking Meetup
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Bring a sketchbook and draw one of NYC’s most iconic views (link)
May 18
📍 Watch Yankees vs. Toronto on the Big Screen at Hudson Yards
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ If you can’t make it to Yankees Stadium, head to Hudson Yards where they’ll be showing the most watched international sporting events all season on a 30-foot Big Screen (link)
May 19
📍 Listen to the Music of Louis Armstrong in Bryant Park
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ An outdoor jazz performance celebrating a legend - such a fun way to start the week (link)
May 20
📍 Take a Garden Tour at the United Nations
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event (also on May 6, 13 & 26)
✨ Explore the beautiful gardens behind the UN and uncover a few hidden gems (link)
May 21
📍 Volunteer at the Prospect Park Spring Spruce Up
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Volunteer to help care for one of Brooklyn’s most beloved parks (link)
May 22
📍 Spend a Night at the Natural History Museum
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ Sleepovers at the museum are back! Have an overnight experience with tours and activities at one of NYC’s most iconic museums (link)
📍 Take a Limoncello Making Class at Palma
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ In honor of Palma’s 25th anniversary, they are hosting a limited series of Limoncello Making Classes - a fun way to celebrate a local favorite and bring a taste of the Amalfi Coast to the West Village (link)
May 23
📍 Shop The Vintage Market NY
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Shop curated vintage clothing and accessories in Chelsea (link)
📍 Take a Dance Fitness Class at Prospect Park Boathouse
🎟️ Free / scheduled event (also on May 9, 16 & 30)
✨ A fun, high energy outdoor workout class - all levels welcome (link)
May 24
📍 Shop the BQ Flea
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ A flea market tucked under the BQE where you can browse vintage, antiques, and unique finds (link)
📍 Join the Brooklyn Bridge Anniversary Walk
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Celebrate the 143rd birthday of one of NYC’s most iconic landmarks - start with a short educational session and then walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (link)
May 25
📍 Rent a Rowboat at the Central Park Boathouse
🎟️ Ticketed / general idea for anytime
✨ A classic NYC spring activity on The Lake (link)
May 26
📍 Watch Romeo & Juliet in Central Park
🎟️ Free / scheduled event - tickets are required! (runs through June 28)
✨ Kick off Shakespeare in the Park season with this iconic production (link)
May 27
📍 Free Entry at the Museum of the City of New York
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Explore a museum dedicated to NYC history and pay-what-you-wish admission for everyone (link)
May 28
📍 Listen to a Bryant Park Jazzmobile Concert
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Enjoy live jazz in the heart of Midtown (link)
📍 Go to Astronomy Live at the Natural History Museum
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ Learn about star formation and go on an immersive journey through the molecular clouds of our galaxy (link)
May 29
📍 Go to the DUMBO Drop Block Party
🎟️ Ticketed / scheduled event
✨ Watch thousands of toy elephants drop from the sky in this iconic event - All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to Dumbo’s Title 1 public schools (link)
📍 See Manhattanhenge
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Catch the sun perfectly aligned with NYC streets (link)
May 30
📍 Stargaze at Summer on the Hudson
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Look up at the night sky with guided telescope viewing (link)
📍 Shop the FAD Market at The Seaport
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Browse and shop handcrafted art, jewelry, clothing, wellness items, and home decor from independent designers, makers, and small brands (link)
May 31
📍 Listen to Jazz in the Park at Ralph Ellison Plaza
🎟️ Free / scheduled event
✨ Close out the month with live music in Riverside Park (link)
If you found this helpful, feel free to save it, forward it to a friend, or reply with anything you’d love to see featured in a future month. I spend a lot of time curating these NYC monthly guides, so your feedback truly means a lot.
A little heads up: starting next month, this monthly guide is going to be for paid subscribers only. Each issue takes hours to research and curate, and I've loved doing it - but the time has come to make it a sustainable newsletter I can continue to share on a regular basis. I'm so grateful for every one of you who has read, shared, and replied over the months. Hope to see you on the other side. 🩷
Cheers,
TT
Thank you for the 20th Annual Dance Parade New York & DanceFest shout out!