Memorial Day weekend events: Things to do in New York State (2024)

Memorial Day tends to sneak up on us — and if you're looking to escape town and avoid the crowds, take a road trip upstate this holiday weekend to mark the unofficial start of summer.From campingunder the starsto scenic boat tours, several destinations offer plenty of family-friendly things to do in the great outdoors.

Holiday History

A weekend in the Finger Lakes region will take you to the very heart of Memorial Day. The holiday dates to thespring of 1865 when upstate Waterloo business owner Henry Welles watched a widow put flowers on the grave of her husband, a Civil War soldier. Struck by the image, Welles resolved to find a way to honor those lost in war. The first Memorial Day took place the next year, and in 1966 President Lyndon B. Johnson recognized Waterloo asthe official birthplace of Memorial Day.

Holiday celebrations run all weekend in Waterloo, highlighted by a parade and fireworks on May 25. “It’s awesome to see the community come together,” says event chair Sarah Smolinski. “It’s a great way to kick off the summer.” Other events over the three-day celebration, marking its 25th year, include a performance by an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, Civil War re-enactments, and importantly, notes Smolinski, “several ceremonies honoring the people we have lost.” Even if you go later in the summer, you can still tour the National Memorial Day Museum, open Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., Memorial Day to Labor Day, with no admission fee (35 E. Main St., Waterloo; wlhs-ny.com).

From a base on the northern shore ofLake Seneca, you’ll be about half an hour from Waterloo, but still able to explore the bounty the area has to offer, from fishing (Lake Geneva is known for its annual trout derby) to wine tasting on the Seneca or Cayuga Wine Trails. If the weather cooperates you can take to the water — canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are available to rent, or head about an hour south to Watkins Glen where Captain Bill’s Lake Cruises offersightseeing tours and dinner cruises; a 50-minute cruise starts at $28.50 for adults (senecaharborstation.com).

Book a stay at Belhurst Castle (4069 West Lake Rd., Geneva, 315-781-0201, belhurst.com) which offers three different lodgings including a lakeside inn, rooms start at $358 and dining options include a steakhouse and a tavern. Another option is the 41 Lakefront Hotel (41 Lakefront Dr., Geneva, 800-843-2400, wyndhamkhotels.com). Rooms start at $279.

The great outdoors

Going to bed when it gets dark and waking up with the sun is among the major joys of camping, says Kim Lerner. “I’ve been camping since I was a child,” says the East Meadow resident, who now heads to a campsite with her family at least once a year. “The peace, the beautiful crisp air, the stars in the sky … it all restores your body,” says Lerner. And once you buy the equipment, it’s a pretty inexpensive vacation, she says, noting she’s paid as little as $40 a night for a campsite.

Upstate New York is rich with campgrounds, many in the Catskills or Adirondacks. Lerner likes the Niagara area, where last year the HTR Niagara Campground & Resort was named one of the 10 best in the Northeast. Private campgrounds can be booked through CampNewYork.com, for public campsites, check out newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com.

If you’d like things a little less rustic, choices are endless, from campgrounds that offer tents already set up for you to slightly fancier cabins or Airstreams. For something truly different, you can camp at an abandoned zoo. The Old Game Farm in Catskill (400 Game Farm Rd., theoldgamefarm.com) offers tents set up in the woods surrounding what used to be enclosures for hundreds of animals (starting at $160 a night). Or you can stay inside, in a building that was once the giraffe house (starting at $175 a night).

And let’s not forgetglamping, where niceties like running water and electricity are generally available. Locations like Treetopia in Catskill (starting at $178, treetopicacampground.com) and Ithaca by Firelight Camps (starting at $328, firelightcamps.com) offer safari-like tents and cabins with amenities including high-end bedding and comfortable bath houses. Wherever you go, you’ll find all kinds of hiking and biking trails. In the Catskills, consider a tour on Rail Explorers — you’ll ride pedal-powered vehicles as you take a scenic journey along the Esopus Creek (two-and-a-half-hour toursstart at $99; railexplorers.net).

The French company Huttopia has a glamping resort in the Adirondacks. A tent with a queen bed and bathroom starts at $700 for two nights (Canada-usa.huttopia.com). At AutoCamp Catskills (autocamp.com), you can book a luxury tent, a vintage Airstream, or a family cabin;nightly rates start at $419 on Memorial Day weekend. Rates generally go down significantly for midweek stays.

Go for a ride

Every summer brings with it new rides at the big amusem*nt parks. Six Flags Great Escape in Lake George is introducing The Bobcat this year, a wooden coaster that is billed as family-friendly (though you still have to be at least 42 inches tallto ride). For sheer terror, the park’s Kingda Ka is 456 feet high and considered one of the fastest in North America. Daily tickets start at $39 Memorial Day weekend (1172 State Route 9, Queensbury; sixflags.com).

Smaller children will get a kick out of the Minifigure Skyflyer, new at LEGOLAND New York in Goshen this summer. The ride sends guests soaring over the park in themed party pods. One-day tickets purchased online start at $54 (1 Legoland Way, Goshen; legoland.com).

The Great Escape Lodge and Indoor Waterpark offers family accommodations and great options for rainy days. A room for two adults and two children starts at $280 for Memorial Day weekend (89 Six Flags Dr., Queensbury,sixflagsgreatescapelodge.com). The Legoland Hotel has themed play areas and nightly entertainment. A room for a family of four, including breakfast and park tickets, starts at $1,147 over Memorial Day weekend (legoland.com).