NYC events in June 2019
Gear up for summer with our calendar for NYC events in June! Get ready for summer festivals, Pride in NYC and more.
Wear your sunblock: The best NYC events in June 2019 are things to do outside. When you’re not spending all your free time soaking up the sun at the best beaches or drinking atop the city’s finest rooftop bars, you'll be rocking your rainbow during the Pride March and donning your fish fins at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. There are more opportunities to play dress up too like at the annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island. Don’t forget about all the major summer music festivals, either! Get your tickets now for the best happenings of the month and keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for good weather.
RECOMMENDED: Full NYC events calendar for 2019
Featured events in June 2019
Gay Pride NYC
Whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, it’s time to celebrate Gay Pride in NYC. Party at the Pride March, stand up at the Pride Rally, and get down at Pride Week at great events, including dances and parties.
Governors Ball 2019
Governors Ball occupies a unique place among summer concerts in NYC. Consider the competition: Central Park SummerStage blankets all five boroughs with a mix of well-curated niche acts and BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! carries out a similarly eclectic mission from its Prospect Park home base. Gov Ball, on the other hand, is a bona fide big-tent music festival. The event brings big-name rappers, beloved veteran acts, rising pop stars and more to Randalls Island. Here’s our complete guide to the Gov Ball experience.
SummerStage 2019
For New York music fans, SummerStage is always one of the highlights of the summer-concerts calendar. The City Parks Foundation series, which celebrates its 34th anniversary this year, is a juggernaut among warm-weather concert presenters, booking everything from classic New York hip-hop artists in outerborough NYC parks to big-name indie-rock bands on the Central Park mainstage. The scope of SummerStage 2019 is so vast we wouldn't blame you for being a bit bewildered by the whole thing. Here's a quick FAQ to get you started with SummerStage 2019.
Coney Island Mermaid Parade
Stock up on glitter and nautical attire: The Coney Island Mermaid Parade returns to one of the best Brooklyn attractions for its 37th year. Thousands of spectators flock to Surf Avenue—Coney Island’s main drag—to watch King Neptune and Queen Mermaid lead a procession of beglittered semi-nude marchers in costumes during one of the best NYC events in June.
Father’s Day in NYC
Give pop a hug and laugh at his corny jokes: It’s Father’s Day! Find parent-friendly attractions, from baseball to barbershops, and ideas for things to do. Plus, forget the old boxers-and-socks routine and discover where to get great gifts for Dad.
Shakespeare in the Park
Every summer, the Public Theater produces a beloved NYC democratic tradition and one of the best free things to do in NYC: Shakespeare in the Park, presented at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park. There’s nothing quite like hearing the Bard’s immortal words performed outside in New York, with a backdrop of natural splendor and the Belvedere Castle looming in the background like the world’s most impressive set decoration.
Jazz Age Lawn Party
Jazz Age Lawn Party is an essential annual summer stop for revelers looking to dance in the open air and find great things to do outside. Governors Island is the perfect venue to leave the 21st century behind for the delights of the Prohibition-era (including “speakeasy” summer drinks). Dress the part with festive, period-appropriate attire, and come ready to dance at the Jazz Age Lawn Party.
PrideFest
RECOMMENDED: Full coverage of Gay Pride You know those street fairs that pop up around the city whenever the weather is nice? The ones everyone pretends to hate, but secretly can't resist walking into? Pridefest is one of those—but with way more sequins. In addition to enjoying the usual street-fair fare—tube socks, hilarious T-shirts, greasy treats—you can pick up information about public health, collect swag from corporate sponsors, and mingle with a crowd full of Pride revelers and shell-shocked Village residents.
BookCon
It’s time to get lit(erary)! Whether you love nonfiction, sci-fi or romance novels, there’s an event for everyone at this massive book festival. Attend talks, panels and readings with leading authors, or just hobnob with fellow book nerds while perusing tomes from publishers far and wide. On this year's special guest lineup: Alyssa Milano, Maggie Stiefvater, Tegan & Sara, Tomi Adeyemi, Nicola Yoon, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Eoin Colfer and many more.
Citi Summer in the Square
Every Thursday during the summer, Union Square Park hosts a full day of free activities, including yoga, cardio and bootcamp classes, lunchtime jazz, screenings of classic flicks and a series of dueling performances, wherein pianists, beatboxers, dancers and guitarists square off to see who can put on the best show. Visit summerinthesquare.nyc to see the full lineup of events and drop in for some gratis outdoor fun.
That Cheese Plate x Lois: That Cheese Class
Calling all dairy lovers. Join Instagrammer Marissa Mullen for a two-hour session of tasting, learning and sipping at this charming Lower East Side wine bar and restaurant. What's more, you'll go home with some tasty accoutrements to assist you in your future cheese-plate-making endeavors.
Pride Island
Why is NYC Pride better than any other festival in the land? Ours has its own music festival. Head to Pier 97 for a breezy day in the sun with your favorite acts and their fans. This year's lineup is quite a banger, with Grace Jones, Kim Petras and Teyana Taylor shutting it down by the water.
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