Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Your Guide To Governors Island This Summer
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published May 24, 2011
Modified May 24, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
photo from Flickr user Phil Davis NY
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published May 24, 2011
Modified May 24, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Summer is almost upon us, and with it comes the hordes of of ferry-goers who descend upon Governors Island every year. But don't let that scare you! Even with the packed ferries, it rarely feels too crowded on the Island, and there are enough events to satisfy nearly everyone. We've rounded up a few of our favorites below, plus some tips on how to make the most of the season. As always, be sure to check the Island's official website for updates and changes before you sail off.
ARTS
Mark di Suvero Sculpture on Governors Island
Presented by the Storm King Art Center, this Island-wide exhibition is the largest outdoor presentation of acclaimed artist Mark di Suvero's sculptures to be shown in New York City since the 1970s, and is a major part of the Island's attractions this season.
May 27th through September 5th, ongoing throughout the Island daily, free
FIGMENT Terrace 2011: Minigolf & Sculpture Garden
FIGMENT, a free, family-friendly participatory arts event, is hosting two summer-long installations on Governors Island: first, a 14 artist-designed minigolf course, themed this year around "Bugs and Features" in the Liggett Hall courtyard, where "man and bug can putt away in harmony." Next, they're inviting people to mingle in the City of Dreams Burble Bup Pavillion, where you can lounge in a "soft and magical interior, upon plush soil tubes."
May 27th through September 5th, ongoing daily in the Liggett Hall courtyard, free
A Kayak Grows on Governor's Island
Over the course of the summer, a team made up of entirely volunteer services will create and exhibit a "Transformative Kayak," fashioned from bamboo and other raw materials. The sculpture should appeal to anyone with an interest in boatbuilding, engineering and architecture, and post-exhibit, the kayak will be dismantled and donated to local schools.
June through October (dates and location not exact yet), free
CRAFTS
Better Than Jam: Summer Pop Up Shop
All summer long, the Better Than Jam Co-Op is setting up shop in one of the Island's historic houses to sell hand-crafted wares from local artists and designers. Expect jewelery, apparel, and sculptures for sale.
May 27th through September 5th, 11a.m.- 4 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m - 5 p.m Saturdays and Sundays; Historic Home 6B, Nolan Park
EVENTS
NYC Volkswagen Traffic Jam
In which a horde of vintage VWs, including classic beetles, buses, Karmann Ghias and dune buggies circa 1954-1979 descend upon the normally car-free Island for an afternoon of auto-centric oohing and aahing. There's a prize for "People's Choice" and VW enthusiasts are typically a friendly bunch.
Saturday, August 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Picnic Point, free
Polo Classic
Get classy with this Veuve Clicquot-sponsored afternoon bash, in which well-heeled men will prance about on horses and beat each other with sticks (kind of). Hugh Jackman is hosting, face of Ralph Lauren’s Polo fragrances and actual polo player Nacho Figueras is competing, and Danny Meyer is doing the snacks, all to benefit Hope Help and Rebuild Haiti.
Sunday, June 5, noon, free, for more information visit here.
Katie Sokoler/ Gothamist
Michael Arenella and the Dreamland Orchestra's Jazz Age Dance Party
The atmosphere will be made era-appropriate with phonographs, Charleston lessons, and 1920s motorcars while Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra cast a spell of hot jazz and open-air merriment across the Island for this costume-friendly lawn party.
Saturday and Sunday August 20-21, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., tickets $7 in advance or $10 on the Island.
MUSIC
Governors Ball Music Festival
An indie-leaning music festival featuring Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Empire of the Sun, Outkast’s Big Boi, People Under the Stairs and more.
June 18th, $95, ticket information here.
Punk Island
Make Music New York, a live, free musical celebration that transforms public spaces into impromptu stages, is taking over the Island and turning it into a so-called Punk Island, with dozens of performances throughout the day.
Sunday, June 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., ongoing throughout the Island, free
Bass Island
For serious "freaks and bass heads," Bassnectar team has put together a wallop of a lineup, featuring Lupe Fiasco, Prefuse 73 and DJ Z-Trip, for what they're calling an adventure in music, art and culture combined.
Saturday, August 13, 4:00, South Island Field $42 (tickets available here)
Dave Matthews Band Caravan
Yes, it's happening, for three days in August. Click here for more information, if you must.
August 26 - August 28, $195
FOOD
There are a whole bunch of vendors scattered around the island, including Blue Marble Ice Cream, Fauzia’s Multi‐Ethnic Heavenly Delight, Pyramid Cafe, and Water Taxi Beach Bar & Grill. Get a whole list here, or bring your own snacks for a picnic.
Or, come for the Brewers' PicNyc, a season kick-off party featuring food from tacos to lobster rolls, plus beer and live entertainment. Tickets and other info available here.
May 29th-30th, Colonel's Row, $15-45
There's also the annual Vendy Awards , an annual competition for the title of New York City's Best Street Food Vendor, and a fundraiser for Urban Justice Center's Street Vendor Project. Tickets and other info available here.
September 24th, location TBD, $95
TRANSPORTATION
Ferry
Governors Island is open every Friday-Sunday and all Holiday Mondays from May 27 - September 25, on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Hop the free ferry from Manhattan at the Battery Maritime Building located at 10 South St, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry; and from Brooklyn at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park at the corner of Atlantic Ave and Columbia St.
A full ferry schedule can be found here.
Bike
Bring your own bike on the ferry and cruise through five car-free miles, or borrow a bike for free for up to one hour on Fridays from Bike and Roll's Free Bike Fridays, ongoing throughout the summer. Non-free bike rentals are also available on other days, for more information check here.
And that's not all! For a full calendar of other events throughout the season, including the Big Apple Circus Family Fun Fest, the World Science Festival and Go Fly a Kite!, look here.
Tagged
art
events
governors island
guide
Music
summer
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .