Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
down to St. Marks Place, where a wrap-up DanceFest goes off in Tompkins Square Park. Free lessons are thrown in as well.
267/
350-9213.
www.danceparade.org
. Saturday, mid-May, rain or shine.
Fleet Week
One week a year, New Yorkers get nostalgic over the sight of thousands of sailors on the make in the port of
Manhattan. Squint and pretend it's V-J Day. Along the West Side piers you can get an even closer look: Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine
reps will let you tour some of the floating behemoths you spent all those tax dollars on. Demonstrations, tug of war competitions, and a
ship parade are also on offer.
212/245-0072.
www.intrepidmuseum.org
.
Last week in May.
June
Howl! Festival
Though the East Village's legendary artistic past is increasingly obscured by layers of gentrifying paint, the
first weekend in June sees a return of the old contrarian spirit. A group reading of Allen Ginsberg's “Howl” kicks things of, followed
by drag shows and rock music and theater, all of it free. It's in Tompkins Square Park, Ave. A, between 7th and 10th streets.
212/
466-6666.
www.howlfestival.com
. Subway: L to First Ave.; 6 to Astor Place; N/R to 8th St. Early June.
Museum Mile Festival
The classiest fair in New York sees Fifth Avenue closed to car traffic so 50,000 culture vultures
can take in Manhattan's Gold Coast to the sounds of string quartets. Kids get live performances and special arts and crafts opportunit-
ies. Ten of the museums that give the mile its moniker offer free admissions. It's on Fifth Avenue, from 82nd to 110th streets.
212/
606-2296.
www.museummilefestival.org
. Subway: 4/5/6 to 86th St.; 6 to 77th, 96th, 103rd, or 110th St. From 6pm to 9pm, usually the
second Tuesday in June.
LGBT Pride Week and March
The city bursts with Pride every June in a week that begins with rallies and protests and
ends in a dance, fireworks, and a parade. Pride commemorates the June 27, 1969, Stonewall Rebellion, where gays and lesbians first
stood against police harassment outside the Stonewall Inn in the West Village. Just standing on a street corner downtown can be al-
most as entertaining as the parade, especially the spectacle of drag queens teetering on high heels as they rush across multiple lanes
of traffic.
212/807-7433.
www.nycpride.org
. Mid- to late June.
Puerto Rico Day Parade
Fifth Avenue's staid character goes into remission for the Puerto Rico Day parade. There's
salsa music and festive floats and millions of spectators lining the way. The parade has been running annually since 1958, and
despite some ugly incidents, it remains a quality spectacle. It's on Fifth Avenue, from 44th to 79th streets.
718/401-0404.
www.nationalpuertoricandayparade.org
.
From 11am to 5pm, the second Sunday in June.
Make Music New York!
The longest day of the year begets this citywide musical celebration. Inspired by the French
Fête
delaMusique,
thousands of musicians take to the sidewalks of New York (as well as the parks, gardens, and clubs) to play for the sake
of playing. Although only a few years old, this summer solstice event is quickly gathering momentum—enough to support a second
fest on the winter solstice (Dec 21). Mohawk-sporters will not want to miss the offshoot Punk Island, a 50-band gig held on Governors
Island.
917/779-9709.
www.makemusicny.org
.
June 21.
Mermaid Parade
This mobile freak show recalls the glory days of Coney Island. See p. 303 for more details.
718/372-5159.
www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtm
l
.
Subway: D/F/N/Q to Coney Island/Stillwell Ave.; then walk toward the Atlantic.
Saturday, near the summer solstice, 2 to 6pm.
July
Fourth of July Fireworks
In New York's previous incarnation, you knew July 4th was coming because starting mid-
June your sleep was interrupted by nightly amateur firework shows. With quality-of-life crackdowns, however, the Man has taken up a
monopoly on the summer eye-candy. Fortunately, the Man does a nice job of blowing up stuff for our entertainment. Macy's explodes
120,000 shells into the air from barges that have lately been docked on the Hudson, much to coastal New Jersey's delight. The West
Side Highway closes for the sake of spectators, but get there early—closures start 5 hours before showtime, with access blocks closed
off as the highway fills.
212/494-2922.
www.macys.com
.
July 4.
August
Harlem Week
Harlem Day was first celebrated in 1975, and over the subsequent 3 decades it has grown from a day to a
week to over a month of cultural celebration. Auto shows, film festivals, Uptown Saturday Nite, and Harlem Day are among the 150-plus
events.
212/862-8477.
www.harlemweek.com
. Subway: B/C to 135th St.; 1 to 137th St. Late July to late August.
The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York
Dragon boats date back thousands of years, to races con-
ducted during celebrations of the fifth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. The boats' appearance on Meadow Lake in Queens is a
