12 Ways To Enjoy Labor Day Weekend 2021 In New York City

NEW YORK CITY — Say goodbye to summer in style with a number of fun, affordable activities taking place all over New York City this Labor Day weekend. And while the weather is still warm and most people nervous about being inside, outdoor fun —t from the beach to the ballpark to opera to movies to art — is blossoming.

Here are some of the top things to do in the Big Apple over the long weekend.

Go To The Beach

Labor Day marks the end of the city’s beach season, meaning that swimming or wading will not be allowed again until Memorial Day 2022. So grab the sunscreen, towels, and picnic baskets, and hop on the A Train.

Swimming is only available in areas with lifeguards, from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed sections of the beach are marked with signs or red flags.

Unvaccinated visitors are required to wear masks and socially distance, while vaccinated visitors are not. Face coverings are required to enter any municipal building regardless of vaccination status.

Alcohol, barbecues, and leasehold dogs not registered as service animals are only allowed at a few select beaches.

To check on the water quality and safety of each beach, visit this city website, which includes an interactive map, or text BEACH to 877-877.

Watch The U.S. Open

One of the biggest events in international tennis continues until Sep. 12 in Flushing Meadows. No fewer than 13 events are taking place from Saturday, Sep. 4 to Monday, Sep. 6, and tickets as low as $22 are still available.

Go To The Electric Zoo

New York City's actual zoos, like the Central Park and Bronx Zoos, will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, the same as their weekend hours. But on Labor Day weekend, an entirely different type of zoo will be open for just three days: the annual Electric Zoo electronic music festival on Randall’s Island, from Sep. 3-5. Enjoy beautiful city views while soaking in some of the world’s best dance music. To enter, visitors must show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test from the past 72 hours. Tickets are still available.

Listen To Opera

If electronica isn’t your thing, perhaps you prefer a more classic style. All month, the Metropolitan Opera has been screening HD performances of past events on big screens at Damrosch Park outside Lincoln Center. But for Labor Day weekend, it is including two live performances of Mahler’s Symphony No.2: one on Saturday at 8 p.m., and another on Sunday at 8 p.m. On Labor Day, a screening of Verdi’s Travatore will play at 7:30 p.m. Visit the Met’s website for more information.

Visit Free Museums

Speaking of the Met, most of the city’s major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, and the Museum of Natural History, are offering free admission to military families through Labor Day. Click here for a full list.

Enjoy Outdoor Art At Washington Square Park

If you’re not from a military family, or don’t feel like being indoors on a day that’s expected to be sunny and 82 degrees, the 90-year-old Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit is again turning the streets just north of the park into an outdoor art extravaganza. From noon to 6 p.m. on Sep. 4-6, stroll along University Place and enjoy everything from fine arts to jewelry to oil paintings. The market runs again the following weekend of Sep. 11-12.

Enjoy An Outdoor Movie At Bryant Park

Enjoy Adam Sandler and the Empire State Building: on Monday night, his 2019 film “Uncut Gems” will play on a big outdoor screen as part of the ongoing Bryant Park Movie Nights program. If you can provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative test, you can enjoy a section of the lawn where masks and social distancing are not required: if not, there’s another section where they are. The lawn opens at 5 p.m., and the movie starts at sunset. Movies ranging from “The Phantom of the Opera” to “Mrs. Doubtfire” will play each Monday and Tuesday evening until Sep. 28.

Attend A New York Film Festival Screening

If you’re still looking for more Lincoln Center, check out the New York Film Festival, which runs till October. From now until Sep. 9, the theater will host multiple showings each day of the four critically acclaimed films: “Annette,” “Days,” “Faya Dayi” and “Isabella.”

Laugh At A Comedy Show

The Film Festival movies are all pretty serious, so if you’re looking for some comic relief, some free comedy might hit the spot. Located in the heart of Greenwich Village near Astor Place and NYU, Comedy Evening will take place Friday, Sep. 3 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Solas, on the second floor of 232 East 9th Street. Proof of vaccination is required. Click here to register.

Take In A Parade

The J’Ouvert Parade was canceled, but the West Indian American Day Carnival has been transformed into three days of virtual and small-scale concerts, tours, and workshops at the Brooklyn Museum. See here for a list of events and links to buy tickets.

Go On A Brunch Cruise

Bottomless mimosas go well with the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Starting at $89 per person, Liberty Cruise’s Labor Day Brunch Cruise offers a four-course brunch meal, bottomless mimosas, a DJ, guaranteed private table, and incredible city views. On Sep. 3-6, cruises will leave at noon each day from Pier 39, right under the Manhattan Bridge, and make its way around the harbor and up the Hudson in a leisurely 2-hour cruise. Click here to see menus and book tickets.

Get Out Of Town!

Nothing here catch your fancy? There’s a world of beautiful destinations and activities just outside the city: from art shows in the Hamptons to wine tours in the Finger Lakes to hiking in the Catskills and Adirondacks, Labor Day Weekend is the perfect time to skip town – as long as you can stay ahead of the traffic.