Sports

Spring and summer offer endless opportunities to attend memorable sporting events in New York State. Hit the links for big-time golf tournaments, take yourself out to a ballgame, or if racing is more your speed, head to the track for fast-paced action. New York features some of the world’s best-known teams, venues, and events, so get ready to plan your trip for the experience of a lifetime!

Baseball fever affects every corner of the state, from the famed Yankee Stadium and Citi Field to minor league stadiums in Syracuse, Buffalo, Binghamton, and beyond. And of course, no baseball trip to New York would be complete without a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. (Check out our guide to baseball in New York here.) Thoroughbred racing fans head to Saratoga Race Course at a track that’s hosted horse races since 1863, while auto racing fans gear up for a trip to “The Glen,” or Watkins Glen International, host to annual NASCAR and other well-known racing events.

That’s not all! The world’s best-attended sporting event returns to Queens every August, when the top-ranked tennis players compete at the U.S. Open August 26–September 8. The Aurora Games will celebrate women in sports at the Times-Union Center in Albany August 20–25. And there’s so much more. Find a sporting event that appeals to you in our searchable database below.

Essential NYC sports experiences

Think New York isn’t a sports town? Our roundup of the awesome sports experiences every New Yorker needs to get hip to is here to change your oh-so-wrong mind. From rowdy tailgates and pop-culture get-downs to definitely New York sports like handball and gotta-see streetball battles, we’ve got fun activities for fans and non-fans alike. And if you’re jonesing for more ways to become a super fan—or just fill up on fan-beloved food—check out our lists of the best sports bars, stadium-worthy hot dogs and ways to get the heart rate up and other cool things to do outside.

he most electric action on the diamond is not in the Bronx or Flushing but at Heckscher Ballfields (Central Park West and 63rd Street). Here, the insanely competitive industry and bar softball leagues slug it out for evenings of glory and yearlong bragging rights. The most entertaining games involve the Broadway Show League, which pits the cast and crew from productions such as Hamilton, Kinky Boots and Aladdin against each other. (Of course, they play day games, as the show must go on at night.) But the most ruthless group is the New York Media Softball League, wherein teams from, for example, The Wall Street Journal and BuzzFeed forget about clicks for a minute and concentrate on hustling around the bases. Guess who won last year? High Times’ Bonghitters. The stoners are legendary and taunt opponents through their  @HTBonghitters tweets: “@BrianLehrer whiffs with the bases loaded to end it; a 6–5 #Bonghitters victory over @WNYC.” If your line of work doesn’t have a league, we highly suggest taking in a game. There isn’t a finer backdrop than the New York skyline—as seen from the lawn—to watch Laura Dreyfuss (currently Zoe Murphy in Dear Evan Hansen) swing toward the Dakota.

The NYC Marathon 2019 guide.
Get ready to run (or watch) the NYC Marathon 2019 using our guide including road closures and route information.

In November, thousands of runners hit New York pavement during the NYC Marathon 2019 that spans all five boroughs. Yeah, it’s pretty impressive. Dedicated athletes run starting on Staten Island, through Brooklyn and Queens, then travel to the Bronx before reaching the finish line at Central Park in Manhattan. And they’ll likely finish before we figure out where to get brunch in NYC that Sunday morning. Even if you’re not running in this year’s race, you can still be involved and join the action. Those runners need support, after all! Check out our guide to the TCS Marathon below which includes where to watch the race, things to do in nearby, road closures and everything else you need to know.

Witness NBA legends getting schooled.

Even Vince Carter didn’t dominate when he first stepped onto the court at Rucker Park. Streetball G.O.A.T.s, NBA stars and celebs like Jay Z and Bill Clinton have descended on 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard for some magnificent hoops. While a competitive game is always going on, the Entertainer’s Basketball Classic summer tournament brings out the conquerers of the court—and it’s free.