Spring continues from March to May, and the weather is mild in New York in May. The flower blooms are at their peak, and lovely green trees look stunning, standing beside the sidewalks and in the parks; however, the temperature rises to 71F (22C) on average. New Yorkers love to spend most of their time walking on the sidewalks, in public parks, at rooftop bars and restaurants, at patio parties, and on beaches. Spring is the best season to visit NYC, and there's more fun and several things to do in New York in May. If you're looking for the best season to plan a trip to NYC, Spring is the best time for the city tour. Although it's expensive comparatively, from the winter and fall seasons, it's a fascinating and glorious time to explore the grand metropolis of the United States.
It is a bit expensive season for tourists to visit NYC. Still, the city has many fantastic events and festivals, and visitors can get the most splendid activities in New York City. When Spring begins, there are many lovely events and things to do in New York in April and May, and the visitors can enjoy a lot more with the fun and entertainment.
List of Best Activities to Do in New York in May
1. People's Ball in Brooklyn, in May
The People's Ball is a celebration of the anniversary of the Brooklyn Public Library in May. It's a free event for the public to enjoy the music, dance, and celebrate the anniversary. People can dress formally to look stunning and glamorous, dance, and walk on the runway. All the public is invited with their friends, but registration is required for entry. The Ball has fantastic music, live performances like opera, Hip-Hop, Fashion designers, and models on the runway. It's one of the Fantastic tourist attractions in New York.
2. Free Events at Lincoln Center in May
Another free event at Lincoln Center in May for everyone. A great outdoor dance floor with a giant disco ball, a fast rhythm of music, live performances, Dance parties, Salsa, Swing, and disco. Enter the dance floor to swing your dance moves with glamorous costumes in the daytime at Lincoln Center.
A small film festival in May is held at Lincoln Center. It's an open-air cinema for free entry to the public. Grab your popcorn and drinks and enjoy the movies in the outdoor cinema using headphones for audio and sounds in the movie. It's the most splendid thing to do in New York for first-timers.
3. Chinatown Nights in May
Chinatown Nights in Chinatown is the night market offering a variety of things to do in NYC at night. The Chinese American vendors sell traditional crafts items, delicious Chinese cuisine, and food menus at the market. Various artists sell paintings, paper cuttings, straw figures, statues, and decor items. The night market also features live music performances, drumming, and shows, providing a rich cultural experience for visitors exploring the vibrant nightlife of New York City.
4. ArtecHouse Exhibition in May
The ArtecHouse exhibition is being held at the Chelsea Market. It's one of the marvelous places to visit in New York for tourists and visitors in the Spring Season of May. It's a Neuroscience exhibition displaying the neurons of the Human brain. You can walk inside a human brain and experience the Neuron membranes in the human mind and the average brain development from birth to death of a human.
5. Japan Parade in May
Japan Day in New York City is a celebration of Japanese Culture. The Japan Parade starts from West Central Park, and the cultural Parade displays traditional costumes, music bands, drums, and colorful floats. Enjoy the Japanese festival in NYC in Spring in the month of May.
6. Mother's Day Celebrations in May
Mother's Day in New York City is celebrated with several events; Family Art Night for Mothers at Williamsburg Recreation Center, Mother's Day good music festival in Brooklyn, Mother's Day dinner Cruises, and Broadway Musicals on Mother's Day in NYC.
7. Whitney Biennial Gallery Visit in May
Whitney Biennial Gallery exhibits human emotions and deep feelings like fear, pain, cheers, joy, regret, and hope. The art collections keep changing after a specific time. The gallery is on the Fifth and Sixth floor of the Meatpacking District building in NYC.
8. Comedy Show at Boris & Horton
The Comedy Shows at the Boris & Horton in the East Village are among the most cherished and joyful activities in the Spring season, making it one of the fun places to go in NYC with friends. This dog-friendly cafe allows dog owners to enjoy comedy along with food and drinks in the company of their fluffy friends. The show features a variety of stand-up comedy, character comedy, storytelling, and musical comedy performances, providing a delightful and entertaining experience for a group of friends.
9. Fleet Week in May
The Fleet Week celebrations in May honor the U.S. Navy members, Coast Guards, and Marine Corps. Fleet Week represents the fleet of ships and submarines aligned with the U.S. Navy and military members.
10. Celebrations of Cinco De Mayo in May
Cinco De Mayo is the Mexican American Celebration of the victory of the Mexican Army against the French Forces. The Cinco De Mayo Parade begins from West 96 Street to 106 Street near Central Park. The Parade presents Mexican culture, traditional costumes, colorful floats, and music. The Mexican restaurants in NYC also celebrate the Day with Margaritas and Tortillas.
11. Cruise Parties in Spring
Spring has several charms to bloom in NYC. The New York City Cruises are famous for the fascinating sight scenes of NYC's skyline, dinner parties, dance, and music with luxury and exquisite dine-in experiences and lovely views of the water waves along the city's skyline at the sunsets in Spring. We recommend visiting the dinner cruises in Spring, and it's the best thing to do in NYC.
12. Ozy Fest in Central Park in Spring
Ozy Fest is a music and cultural event held in Central Park in Spring and May. The festival is organized to introduce new talents and trends via music performances, TV Shows, podcasts, and storytelling.
13. NYC Margarita Rumble in Spring
Margarita Rumble is a food festival where the best restaurants present their delicious Margaritas and tequila for the competition to win. The festival has live Music, Food and drinks, and much more fun at the Margarita festival in May at Dobbin Street.
14. Dance Parade in May
The Dance Parade is held at Sunset Park in the Spring season in May. The Parade rises with electric dance moves, vibrant costumes, High sound, and D.J. music. The colorful floats and glamorous dancers move around the park, presenting the various dance styles across the globe.
Food stalls from different vendors and various menus are available at the festival. The Dance Parade Festival is free for the public, and it's one of the best activities to do in New York during the Spring season.
15. Empire State Tattoo Expo in May
The New York Empire State Tattoo Expo is a New York Midtown Hilton tattoo exhibition. People who would love tattoos can celebrate the convention with expert tattoo artists performing the best of the art, and you can get one of your choices.
16. International Food Festival in May
The International Food Festival is celebrated at Ninth Avenue, NYC, in May. The festival presents the diverse cuisines of NYC with a wide variety of food and meals by the participating several vendors. You can taste the multicultural cuisines from several food menus at the festival in New York City.
17. Memorial Day Parade in May
Memorial Day Parade is held at Third Avenue in Brooklyn. It's the memorial of the fallen heroes of the nation. The U.S. military veterans hold the Parade, and the officials of the army, cops, and various bands from high school march at the Parade to honor the fallen heroes.
18. Queens Night Market in May
Queens Night Market is an open-air night food market in Queens, NYC. It has a range of food menus, music, live performances, and much more fun for kids and families at night. It's almost a food festival in the Spring season, and in May, public entry is free.
19. Governor's Island blooms in Spring
Take a spectacular tour of Governor's Island in the Spring season, in May. Get the lush greenery and vibrant blooms around with the iconic views of Lower Manhattan. Enjoy the spring blossoms on the beautiful Island of NYC for a picnic with your kids and family.
20. Volta Art Fair in May
The Volta Art Fair is the art and cultural fair at the Chelsea Gallery District in the prior Dia Building. The art fair displays 49 national and international art collections. It's near the High Line, so you can walk through and enjoy the lush green space at the High Line to the art fair.
21. National Burger Day in May
National Burger Day is celebrated on 28th May in NYC. Burgers are the most delicious and favorite food of New Yorkers, and You must eat a burger in NYC on National burger day. You can find a range of delicious beef, chicken, pork, and fish burgers with cheese, yummy sauces, fries, and drinks at every restaurant, cafe, or food cart around the corner of the street.
22. Carriage Rides at Central Park
Enjoy the Horse rides and Carriage rides at Central Park in the Spring season, May. It's the best time to enjoy the rides, but in winter, you need blankets to ride on the carriages at the park. This activity is available for all family members, making it one of the enjoyable things to do in NYC with kids. Kids can delight in the experience of riding in horse carriages, creating lasting memories in the scenic surroundings of Central Park.
23. Half Marathon in Brooklyn in May
The Half Marathon in Brooklyn is held in May, in the Spring Season. You can participate if you're a good runner or join the participants on the run by standing on the sidewalk and cheering them for the great run. You must register before the marathon begins in May and enjoy the live event with high energy and cherish moments in Spring Blossoms around the city.
24. Baseball Sports Leagues in May
The Baseball sports leagues begin in the Spring season in May. There's excitement and thrill in the Yankee Stadium for the Baseball game between the favorite teams, The Yankees and the Met. Explore the fun and entertainment of the sports with Hotdogs and a glass of beer at Yankees Stadium NYC.
25. Botanical Gardens in Spring
There are seven botanical gardens in NYC, and all have cherry blossoms and lavish green trees around with bright colors of natural beauty and cherished vibes for life. NYC's botanical gardens are Brooklyn Botanical Garden, New York Botanical Garden Bronx, Queens Botanical Garden, Snug Harbor Botanical Garden at Staten Island, 6BC Botanical Garden in Lower Manhattan, Narrows Botanical Garden Brooklyn, and Wave Hill Bronx.
26. Italian Film Festival in May
Italian Film Festival is held in May to celebrate Italian culture, cinema, and lifestyles and presents the Latest upcoming Italian Movies from the new filmmakers at the Lincoln Center.
27. Theater Shows in Spring
The theater shows on Broadway have the most fun for the live performances at the theater. In Spring, Broadway is bustling with crowds for comedy shows, musicals, dramas, and famous plays. The most famous theater shows in the spring season are Aladin, Hamilton, The Lion King, Hades Town, and Chicago.
Conclusion
New York City has several events, festivals, and marvelous things to do in all seasons. Still, if you're a new traveler in NYC, you must check for the great season, time, and duration to visit and the list of places, fun attractions, events and festivals, and fascinating things to do in your NYC tour. It depends on your requirements and time durations, so plan your tour accordingly.
If you're looking for a guide to check for the latest information for the NYC tour, you can explore the newyorkcityadvisor.com to get the best guide on how to plan a trip to New York, the best affordable hotels and restaurants, transit in the city and the cautions during the travel to the grand city.
