Whether the summertime laziness kicked in a little early this year or you’ve been too busy to fathom the idea of a long weekend, we’ve got a last-minute list for you with eight great Memorial Day activities, from Brooklyn to Mystic Seaport. Of course, you could just plop your patootie down on a beach all day, butt then you’d be missing out on a lobster bash, food truck festival, and BAM’s DanceAfrica event. (Besides, there’ll be plenty of time for beach bumming.)
1. The annual DanceAfrica festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music kicks off Memorial Day weekend with an opening night party (RSVP required!) featuring artists, “DanceAfrica Elders,” and local African cuisine, followed by a vibrant outdoor bazaar, art exhibit, and film screenings. Runs Friday, May 27-June19
How to get there: BAM; Take the G train to Fulton Street
2. With days in the 90s, summer is unofficially here, which means it is seriously time to ditch your winter duds in exchange for some fun, warm weather apparel. If you’d like to see your things go to a youth activism cause like Global Inheritance, bring any clothes that you no longer want to SCORE! Pop-Up Swap at Brooklyn Yard, and afterwards browse around for something to add to your wardrobe while listening to the beats of four different DJs. Pop over on Saturday, May 29.
How to get there: BKLYN Yard; Take the F/G train to Carroll Street, or the R train to Union Street;
3. And if the Pop-Up Swap fails to satisfy your sartorial cravings, there’s always the Memorial Day Weekend Sale at Woodbury Common. Check it out this weekend, Saturday May 29-31.
How to get there: Woodbury Common; Take the Gray Line bus out of New York Port Authority
4. The park that needs no introduction. Coney Island’s Luna Park reopens for the summer season. Roll on over Saturday, May 29th.
How to get there: Luna Park; Take the B/D/F/N train to Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue
5. Crack into your first lobster claw of the season at Mystic Seaport’s New England Lobster Days festival, ongoing through Monday. The weekend offers a bucket-full of family-friendly activities, and of course, lots of lobster. Scuttle up here May 29-31.
How to get there: Mystic Seaport; Amtrak trains running Washington-Boston serve Mystic and New London; Peter Pan Bus Lines offers daily round-trip service from New York Port Authority
6. Enjoy the beautiful art and gardens at The Cloisters at the museum’s annual Family Festival. Activities include a self-guided art hunt through the galleries—can you find all eleven details? (Ok, it’s not technically off Manhattan, but it totally feels that way.) Begin the pursuit, Saturday, May 29-31.
How to get there: Cloisters; Take the A train to 190th Street
7. Music lovers will enjoy this performance at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center featuring Bela Fleck, virtuoso banjo player, and star of the documentary “Throw Down Your Heart” in a harmonic convergence of the banjo, tabla, and bass. Indulge your ears Saturday, May 29.
How to get there: Visit WHBPac for directions
8. Treat yourself to some traditional and tasty Memorial Day fare—including the artisan Van Leeuwen ice cream—at the Parked: Gowanus Food Truck Festival, featuring the best in NYC food trucks. Eat your heart out Monday, May 31.
How to get there: BKLYN Yard; Take the F/G train to Carroll Street, or the R train to Union Street
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram