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Don't strike out this Father's Day.
(Photo: ClassicStock/Corbis) |
1. The annual Father’s Day Half-Marathon is sold out, but you can still go cheer for the runners. Bring some coffee and turn it into a spectator activity with dad.
2. Encourage him to sing his heart out at Coney Island's Father's Day Karaoke party, right in the prime spot in front of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. You never know: He could be a star.
3. Or maybe it's best just to listen to other people sing. D'Angelo will bring some R&B to Forest Hills Stadium, with Gary Clark Jr. and Meg Mac opening, or spend the weekend in the gorgeous setting of Croton-on-Hudson for Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, a festival featuring dad-friendly acts like David Crosby and the Blind Boys of Alabama.
4. Is he into baseball? If he’s a serious fan consider taking him on a weekend trip to Cooperstown, fabled birthplace of the game and home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (and Ommegang Brewery), or to the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum in the Bronx to see a game played with 1864 rules. And funny outfits!
5. Or stay modern with a Yankees game —they'll be playing the Tigers.
6. June 21 is also the longest day of the year, which means it's time for the citywide Make Music New York festival, featuring over 1,200 free concerts. For a scenic and entertaining day, visit Governors Island for the Porch Stomp, with over 30 performances and workshops with artists playing roots, bluegrass, and folk.
7. Also making free music for a long period of time on June 21: the Bang on a Can Marathon at Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. Part of the River to River Festival, it features ten hours of performances from innovative and up-and-coming artists. Maybe they'll let dad bang on something too! (Probably not. You should stop him if he tries.)
8. At Socrates Sculpture Park, they’re having a family-friendly Summer Solstice Celebration, beginning at 5 p.m. and including art-making workshops, face painting, a solstice ritual, and a symphony concert at 7:30 p.m.
9. And in Prospect Park, there's a full-day roster of outdoor activities, including an adventure hike and family bird-watching. You know what they say, the family that bird-watches together, um, learns about birds together.
10. Speaking of outdoorsy dads, the city's Urban Park Rangers have quite a few activities for the whole family to enjoy, from archery to adventure courses, to ethical saltwater fishing�all free.
11. Or let dad feel the wind in his hair, on a boat. Preferably one with booze, like the Craft Beer Tasting Sail, or the World Yacht brunch or dinner Father's Day cruise. It's an experience he won't soon forget (though maybe with enough brews, he might).