Events: Memorial Day Parades, Tours, Cookouts & More This Weekend
Staying in town this Memorial Day Weekend? We’ve got you covered with the best grill outs, parades, and marching bands to celebrate the three-day weekend while taking in the holiday sights. If you have an event to share, email us at editor@bklyner.com.
Also, city beaches open on Saturday, May 27! Not sure where to go? Check out our ultimate no-car-needed beach guide here.
Red Hook: Tour Navy ships in Brooklyn for Fleet Week
When: Thursday through Monday from 8 am to 5pm
Where: Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal in Red Hook
What: As part of Fleet Week, two U.S. Navy ships will be opening their doors to the public for tours at the Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal.
How much: Free
Prospect-Lefferts Gardens: ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Dreamland Roller Disco
When: Friday, May 27 from 7:30pm to 10pm
Where: LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park
What: Lola Star’s Dreamland is back every Friday night, showcases a new theme from 70s Glitter to 80s Glam, dazzling performers, kitschy contests, and more. This week, check out Saturday Night Fever! This event is 21+
How much: $18
Fort Greene: The Great Brooklyn Grill-Out
Where: Food Sciences Academy of Long Island University, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn
When: Saturday, May 27 from 2pm to 6pm
What: Check out what Time Out calls “the mother of all summer barbecues” at Brooklyn’s all-inclusive outdoor fest featuring loads of grilling stations for meat lovers and vegetarians, live entertainment, cooking demos, and spirits samples. The grill is +21, but check out the free activities for kids at the corner of DeKalb and Flatbush Avenues, like basketball, battle bots, ceramics, flag football, and more.
How much: $65 – $180, get yours here.
Park Slope: Prospect Park Historic Walking Tours
Where: Tours staring from Grand Army Plaza, Bartel-Pritchard Square, and Parkside Ave
When: Sunday, May 28 at 10am
What: Celebrate the park’s 150th anniversary with this 2-hour walking tour series featuring layers of natural and human history, from the flora and geology to the architectural eras visible in the built environment.
How much: $20 per ticket, discounts for kids, seniors, PPA members, and veterans
Bay Ridge: Brooklyn’s 150th Memorial Day Parade
When: Monday, May 29 at 11am
Where: Parade starts at 78th Street and Third Avenue in Bay Ridge
What: Join the nation’s oldest continuous Memorial Day Parade for its 150th year, with marching bands, bagpipe bands, 8 floats, military units, sailors and Marines from Fleet Week ships, and more. Post parade ceremonies in John Paul Jones Park with wreath layings, a 21-cannon salute by the Veteran Corps of Artillery in War of 1812-era dress uniforms, and echo taps by the Fort Hamilton Marching Regiment.
How much: Free!
Sunset Park: Green-Wood Cemetery’s 19th Annual Memorial Day Concert
Where: Green-Wood Cemetery main entrance, 5th Avenue & 25th Street.
When: Monday, May 29 from 2:30pm to 5pm
What: Check out the 19th year of the ISO Symphonic Band playing works of Green-Wood’s permanent residents Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Leonard Bernstein and others.
How much: Free, but reservations are suggested.
Prospect-Lefferts Gardens: Memorial Day in Prospect Park
Where: Prospect Park Lefferts Historic House, Audubon Center, and Carousel
When: Monday, May 29 from 12pm to 5pm
What: Nature exploration, the annual Memorial Day potato planting, eastside revival gardening projects, and more family-friendly activities all day in the park.
How much: Free