Wondering what to do this summer? This year, stay close to home and explore the endless activities happening right in your backyard. Make this summer unforgettable with these fun things to do in the tri-state area.

Experience the 1920’s

June 15-16 and August 25th-26th from 11 am-5 pm
Where: Colonel’s Row on Governors Island

Fulfill your lifelong dream to dance the Charleston at a Gatsby-esque party. Dress up a la 1920’s and make your way across the water to Governors Island for the The Jazz Age Lawn Party 2018. Drink classic cocktails, play croquet, and cool off with cold lemonade and beer. Get dance lessons and smile for vintage portraits. Forgot your blanket? Grab a blanket, fan, or parasol at the Dreamland General Store. And stave off hunger with your own Dreamland Gourmet Picnic tote.

Jazz band
Photo credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com
Dine at a Rooftop Bar

Rooftop Bar on top of Dumbo’s 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge.
Get in on the tri-state area’s hottest summer experience by dining at a rooftop bar.
Rooftop Bar offers sprawling vistas overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge from 10 stories up. Enjoy the sunset, sip a cocktail, and dip your toes in the shallow pool.

Pod 39 Rooftop
Or try Pod 39 Rooftop for a unique piazza cocktail oasis. Gaze out at city views of the East River through ornate brick and ivy covered archways. There’s nothing quite like catching a summer breeze from 17 stories high.

Summer Movies with a Twist

SkyLawn at Embassy Suites by Hilton in Midtown (60 W 37th St) throughout June
Enjoy cocktails and cinema at sunset with your friends at the Rooftop Cinema Club.

Coney Island
Or watch a movie on the beach at Coney Island Flicks on the Beach. Spend romantic summer evenings watching your favorite films with your beloved while relaxing in the sand.

Fourth Fireworks

July 4th, starting at 9:25 pm
Celebrate the Fourth of July and the 100th anniversary of Ivring Berlin’s “God Bless America.” The traditional Macy’s fireworks show takes a full year to plan, and features fireworks beautifully synchronized to patriotic music.

via GIPHY

Shakespeare in the Park

From May 29 – August 18, 2018
Central Park’s Delacorte Theater
Nothing says NYC summer like Shakespeare in the Park. It’s free, it’s outdoors, and it’s at sunset in the open air. It’s the picture-perfect summer event. To get your free tickets, be ready to camp outside the park, or try a number of other options, like the mobile lottery or the vouchers distributed in the outer boroughs.

Go Blueberry Picking

Happy Day Farm in New Jersey
77 Iron Ore Road Manalapan, NJ 07726

Get back to those simple childhood delights. Grab a bucket and go blueberry and raspberry picking on a legit 8-acre farm. Get in on the fresh air, exercise, and feel-good kind of summer fun.

Peaches and blueberries
Photo by Jerry Kiesewetter on Unsplash
Cape May Craft Beer & Crab Festival

August 4 @ Emlen Physick Estate on Washington Street, NJ
This all-day festival is home to local craft beers, crab, shrimp, and pulled pork. There’s plenty to do, from an old-fashioned Victorian circus, to a crafts show and outdoor music. And don’t forget to get the t-shirt showing you were here.

Take a Tour of Nature

Now thru Sep 30, 2018 on Saturdays at Noon
New Jersey Korean War Memorial
Lace up your hiking boots and drive out into the New Jersey country for a 3-hour eco tour of the National Wildlife Refuge. Get outside the city, sample some saltwater taffy, and trek the 47K acres overlooking the Atlantic City skyline.

Find Your New Tri-state Sanctuary