USA Guided Tours: Summertime Stages and Sports in New York City

Summer may technically begin with the June solstice — 6:07AM on Thursday the 21st, if you’re wondering — but summer in the Big Apple starts at the beginning of the month, when the city calendar practically explodes with a number of outdoor stage and sporting events. Here at USA Guided Tours NYC bus tours, we’ve got the skinny on the best ones to see on your New York City vacation!

To make sure that you have time to take advantage of these opportunities, start off your Big Apple vacation right by joining us on our award-winning daytime and evening tours. You’ll see the most iconic sites in New York City in a packed yet relaxed itinerary that spans Manhattan — from Federal Hall and South Street Seaport to Times Square and Central Park — and Brooklyn, with nighttime views of the New York skyline from the bottom of the Brooklyn Bridge. Enjoy our complimentary bottled water on our climate-controlled buses and feel the sun and spray on your shoulders as you take our daytime boat cruise past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

In past blogs, we’ve covered free outdoor music and theater events like the SummerStage concerts, Shakespeare in the Park, and outdoor film showings. If you like your art a little more homespun, consider Coney Island’s 36th annual Mermaid Parade on June 16th. Gather by the beach at 1PM to see over 3000 people marching in handmade costumes and riding bombastic floats in “the World’s Largest Art Parade!” This year, a real-life husband-and-wife duo, writer Neil Gaiman and musician Amanda Palmer, are King Neptune and Queen Mermaid.

Once you’ve had your fill of the City’s “must-see” sights on our NYC bus tours and maybe gotten in a little free art, be sure to budget time for two cracking outdoor sports events happening just outside the five boroughs this June.

On Saturday the 9th, Justify will attempt to “justify” the hype (har har) and become the 13th thoroughbred in history to capture the Triple Crown when he races in the 150th Belmont Stakes. This 1.5-mile race takes place just outside Queens at Elmont (that’s not a typo — it’s Elmont, not Belmont!). Just take the E train to Jamaica Center and then transfer to the Q110 bus — it drops you off right at the entrance to the park. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to celebrate with 90,000 of your closest friends — and be sure to belt out your best Sinatra impression when “New York, New York” is played during the post parade!

If you prefer a more sedate spectator sport experience, then you’re in luck: the following weekend, Long Island’s Shinnecock Hills Golf Club hosts the 118th U. S. Open Championship. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) will provide direct service from Penn Station, so you’re only 2 hours away from the best golfers in the world battling for its most coveted major trophy. Don’t forget to slather on more of that sunscreen you used on our boat cruise! You’ll need it for those peaceful hours in the sun listening to the birds fly and watching the birdies land.

As you can see, summer starts with a bang this year in the Big Apple — or, should I say, with a clean drive down the fairway and a shot at racing history? Make sure you have room in your vacation for these great outdoor summer sports and stage outings by seeing the best of New York City’s landmarks with USA Guided Tours NYC bus tours!

Story originally posted on USA Guided Tours.

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