A portion of Dale Chihuly’s art installation, CHIHULY at The New York Botanical Gardens.
This year’s Labor Day holiday falls on September 4, and families throughout New York City are looking for ways to celebrate the long weekend. Barbecues and parades are typical ways to celebrate, but the city has its options for other unique ways to enjoy the day off. Here are ten of Untapped Cities’ off the beaten path ways to celebrate Labor Day in New York City.
1. NYC Unicycle Festival
One unique event taking place over the weekend is New York City’s eighth annual Unicycle Festival. The festival is a great way for recreational riders and professionals to gather and enjoy what they all have in common: riding unicycles. Even if you don’t know how to ride one, which quite frankly is most of us, it is still a fun and unique way to spend the weekend.
The event begins on Thursday, August 31, but the main events take place on Saturday September 2nd and Sunday the 3rd on Governor’s Island from 12 – 5 pm. The events over the weekend will include unicycle basketball, hockey, sumo, and races, while world famous riders will be present at the activities to demonstrate their talents. Members of the public will also be given the chance to attempt to ride a unicycle with the help of team members.
2. Untapped Cities’ Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam
Image by Augustin Pasquet/Untapped Cities.
On Saturday, September 2nd, Untapped Cities will be conducting a tour of the remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam at 2 pm.
Members of the tour will walk along the city’s original coast line and will have the opportunity to see remnants of Manhattan’s first city hall. The tour will cover the extensive history of Dutch New Amsterdam and the original Dutch fort, windmill, and the original battery.
The importance of Bowling Green in New York City’s history will be explained, as well as the origin of its name.
The tour will take approximately two hours to complete, so comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended.
Tour of The Remnants of Dutch New Amsterdam
3. Brooklyn Bugs Festival
While most New Yorkers are often grossed out by the idea of eating the bugs, many cultures around the world consider them a delicacy.
From September 1st to 3rd, venues in Williamsburg and Greenpoint will host New York City’s first ever festival dedicated to entomophagy, or the practice of eating bugs.
The festival will include tastings and events that will, hopefully, answer any questions that the public might have. Chef Joseph Yoon, the man behind the Brooklyn festival, hopes that the public can see the benefits of eating insects and end the stigma that comes with it this Labor Day weekend.
4. Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition
Historic tugboat W.O. Decker at South Street Seaport
For the 25th consecutive year, New York City will host the Great North River Tugboat Race & Competitions on September 3rd.
Passengers will board the boats at Circle Line Sightseeing Pier 83 at 9 am, leaving around 9:30, traveling north in the Parade of Tugboats to the starting line at W. 70th Street before turning around and racing one another back to the pier at W. 44th Street.
After the boats return to the docks, spectators will be invited to participate in numerous competitions at the pier, including an amateur line tossing competition as well as a spinach eating competition.
The days events will conclude at approximately 3 pm with competition awards given out at 1 pm.
5. Untapped Cities’ Tour and Wine Tasting at Rooftop Reds
Photo by Augustin Pasquet
Join Untapped Cities this Sunday, September 3 at 12:30 pm for a tour at Rooftop Reds, the world’s first rooftop vineyard, located right here in New York hidden within the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Afterwards, enjoy a wine tasting, while lounging in a hammock and taking in rooftop views. For an additional perk, all guests will get 20% off purchases of Rooftop Reds take-home bottles or merchandise.
Get in on this experience early, as the first harvest will be taking place in October 2017!
Wine Tasting & Tour of Rooftop Reds, the World’s First Rooftop Vineyard!
6. New York Salsa Congress
The New York International Salsa Congress‘ week-long 2017 festival will be coming to a head on Labor Day, which means the days leading up to the holiday will be packed with events throughout the city full of dancing and music.
This year’s festival will include many live concerts, dance performance showcases, and plenty of workshops to be introduced to the art of salsa, and it will feature some of the most talented musicians and dancers in the genre.
7. Chihuly at The New York Botanical Gardens
For the first time in over ten years, an exhibit by artist Dale Chihuly will be on display at The New York Botanical Gardens at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY.
Over twenty installations are currently located indoors and out at the gardens, among them are several glass creations created specifically for the landscape and architecture of the gardens.
Also included in the installation are many early works by Chihuly’s to showcase his progress as an artist throughout his career.
The art exhibit will be on display until Sunday, October 29, 2017 but is a great way to spend the Labor Day weekend admiring the combined beauty of the gardens and the art. The New York Botanical Gardens are closed on Monday, but there’s plenty of time Saturday and Sunday to enjoy the gardens.
8. The New York Caribbean Carnival
The annual parade hosted by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association comes back to New York this Sunday for a day of colorful costumes and lively music for this celebration and expression of Caribbean cultural pride. This five day event starting on August 31 will culminate into a massive parade known also as the West Indian Day Parade at the Brooklyn Museum.
9. Summer Shorts
Each year, Summer Shorts premieres about six new short plays, between 20-30 minutes in length, separated into two different series. The plays can be written by a world renowned playwright, or a completely unknown talent that is waiting to be discovered.
The plays are put on at 59e59 Theaters at 59 East 59th Street in Manhattan throughout the course of the summer, and they will be ending this Labor Day weekend, which means it will be your last opportunity to see the premiering shows.
Series A will be ending on Friday, September 1, while Series B will be ending the following night.
10. Hester Street Fair: Lobster and Beer
On Saturday, September 2nd, the Hester Street Fair at Bryant Park will be hosting its Lobster and Beer day. The fair’s mission is to “empower pursuits of passion,” and they take great pride in the fact that many local businesses call the Hester Street Fair their starting point. At last year’s market, almost forty different businesses made their first sales at the fair and approximately 350,000 people attended the Saturday-only market.
For September 2nd’s Lobster and Beer, the idea is simple: plenty of local vendors providing the best beer and lobster they can.
While the Hester Street Fair isn’t a Labor Day only event, it will be a unique way to celebrate the holiday by enjoying the first weekend of the fair surrounded by great food and beer, and it will be a great way to help support locally grown businesses.
11. Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
Twice a year, New York City hosts the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit. This year, the outdoor art exhibit will be held on September 2, 3, and 4 from 12 – 6 pm.
The exhibit has been held for over 80 years and has featured some of the city’s most talented artists within that time. The works featured this Labor Day weekend will include pieces from artists working in painting, sculpting, photography, acrylics, and crafts, just to name a few.
The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit also awards donated cash prizes to select artists, chosen by judges, throughout the exhibition, which makes this a great opportunity to see some of the city’s finest art come this holiday weekend.
12. Governors Island Art Fair
Joining New York City’s Unicycle Festival on Governors Island, is the Governors Island Art Fair. Beginning on Saturday, September 2 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, Colonels Row and Liggett Hall will host the art fair every Saturday and Sunday until October 1.
Admission to the tenth annual fair is free and will feature work by 100 new and returning artists setting up their works in the homes of Colonel Row and the ground floor of Liggett Hall.
The Governors Island Art Fair is held by the artist-run non-profit organization 4heads, who was one of the first organizations to recognize the potential of Governors Island when they first began the art fair in 2008.
While admission itself is free, the ferry ride to the island is $2 and catalogues for the event are $20.
If “off-the-beaten-path” ideas aren’t your ideal way to celebrate Labor Day and the long weekend, New York City has plenty of other ways to celebrate, like the U.S. Open, although we at Untapped Cities always find it to be more fun to go with the former.
Next, check out 17 Off-the-Beaten Path Things to Do at Columbia University in NYC: An Untapped Cities Guide, or The Top 10 Secrets of New York’s New and Original Tappan Zee Bridge. Get in touch with the author on Instagram: @mjohnathonrich.
