It’s the mother of all holidays.
And after more than a year of social distancing, what better way to spend this Mother’s Day than by enjoying the city’s top to-dos together?
As New York continues easing its COVID-19 restrictions — increasing indoor and outdoor capacity at restaurants and entertainment venues — this Sunday’s celebration of Mom comes with a bounty of safe, in-person options.
Read on for some of the best, Zoom-free ways to make Mom’s day, whether she’s into clinking wine glasses at trendy bistros or taking nature hikes in the great outdoors.
Wow her with brunch on Fifth Avenue
Salute mom in style at Bergdorf Goodman’s new al fresco café, BG on Fifth. While taking in the scene from the department store’s iconic Fifth Avenue setting, mamas can tuck into classics like the $ 29 Gotham salad — the restaurant’s signature spin on the chopped salad — as well as afternoon tea, complete with crustless sandwiches and freshly baked scones ($ 49 per person). Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday — including at the open-air eatery’s coveted throne-like Bergère chairs. For last-minute shoppers, the store offers luxurious Mother’s Day gifts.
Get outside and enjoy nature
Tell Mom she can take a hike — with her loved ones through The Bronx’s Pelham Bay Park for a Mother’s Day nature walk and craft-making class. Urban Park Rangers Woo and Stacy are leading a free hike through the woodlands to explore the city’s rich flora and fauna, starting at 11 a.m. Sunday. Watchful eyes might spy a doe nurturing her fawn in the meadow or an osprey hawk cradling its hatchlings in a nest.
After the half-hour walk through the park trail, the rangers will invite trekkers of all ages inside the Pelham Bay Park Nature Center for an afternoon of Mother Nature-themed arts and crafts. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, responsibilities and demands on mothers have exponentially increased,” ranger Woo told The Post. “So this is just a nice way to celebrate moms by giving them and their families an opportunity to learn, create and explore together in the fresh air.”
Guests to Pelham Bay Park can also visit the historic Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, the only 19th-century country house still in existence on Pelham Bay. Open from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, explore the mansion and carriage house for a $ 10 admission per adult, or roam the lush grounds till dusk. Guided tours of the estate, including the Greek Revival interior and the manicured gardens, begin at the 15-minute mark of each hour.
Go to NYCGovParks.org for Mother’s Day Hike and Craft information and to BartowPellMansionMuseum.org for tour info
Take her to the drive-in
Treat Mom to a heap of Meryl Streep and a Manhattan skyline view. Brooklyn’s outdoor Skyline Drive-In is showing “It’s Complicated” and “Mama Mia!” on dueling sky-high screens at 8:30 p.m. on Mother’s Day. No car? Bicyclers and pedestrians can grab seats and watch their rom-com of choice. Tickets to the retro-style viewing are $ 55 per car (up to seven passengers), $ 35 for a motorcycle and $ 22 for a single outdoor seat. Parking spots and seating aren’t assigned, so come when the gates open at 7 to snag Mom’s preferred post. Skyline offers popcorn, pretzels, candy and drinks for purchase at its concessions stand. Guests can also order in food from local restaurants through Grubhub.
Buy tickets at SkylineDriveInNYC.com
Head for the waters
Go rolling on the East River with your mother. Event Cruises NYC is offering a 2 ½-hour brunch cruise alongside iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. The ship sets sail from Pier 36 at 3 p.m. Sunday, with prices ranging from $ 119 to $ 189 per adult, and $ 89 to $ 159 per child. Brunch and bottomless mimosas are included. There is also a dinner cruise at 7 p.m. featuring a four-course meal; tickets range from $ 159 to $ 199 per adult and $ 109 to $ 149 per child.
Buy tickets at EventCruisesNYC.com or call 917-671-9710
Go on a wild garden tour
Give her flowers of a different sort, with a tour of the grand, sustainably grown vegetation at Randall’s Island Park. “[It’s] a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle of the city,” Randall’s Island Park Alliance communications manager Jennifer Wainwright told The Post. The free tour will start at 1 p.m. at the base of the 103rd Street footbridge. While on the island, families should also consider checking out the park’s recurring Urban Farm Exploration Days event. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors of all ages can explore crops, rice paddies and fragrant herbs, and meet the Urban Farm chickens — a flock that just celebrated their first birthdays.
Go to NYCGovParks.org for Water’s Edge Garden Tour info
Get inked with Mom
Whether it reads “I heart Mom” or it’s an inked replica of her smiling face, a tattoo honoring Mama is a truly unforgettable gift. Walker Hotels is hosting a Tats for Tots pop-up tattoo shop from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at both its Greenwich Village and Tribeca locations. Guests can get inked in designs by celebrity tattoo artist Michael Suarez. Permanent tattoos ($ 150) will be available only at the Tribeca location, while both hotels will offer semi-permanent tats for $ 25. Proceeds will benefit the New Yorkers for Children nonprofit that supports the city’s youth. Mother’s Day brunch fare and other light refreshments will be available for purchase during the event.
Paint the town
Celebrate with an artsy picnic in Central Park. From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., a StelnikArt Soirée instructor will lead a class for artists of all skill levels at the park’s East Pinetum area, off the 86th Street Transverse just west of Fifth Avenue.
Participants will be painting a bouquet of white daisies, lightly pre-sketched on canvas. The $ 40 fee includes the canvas and all paint materials. Guests — 21 and over — should BYO tasty picnic and a comfortable chair or blanket. “It’s a very wholesome experience that the whole family can enjoy,” a StelnikArt spokesperson told The Post. “Mom will leave with a great feeling and a beautiful memento to commemorate her day.”
Buy tickets for Picnic’n Paint in Central Park at CourseHorse.com or call 262-458-4779
Raise a glass
Toast and get toasty at Laurita Winery in New Egypt, NJ. Just a little over an hour outside of the city, the 44-acre vineyard is known for its merlot and chardonnay, but also offers fruit-blended sangrias, chilled wines and chocolate-infused spirits.
Available both Saturday and Sunday, you can book a table for up to eight people for $ 30 plus the purchase of one bottle of wine. There will also be cheese plates, salads, wood-fired pizzas and sandwiches for sale to enjoy in the picturesque setting. Children are welcome.
Reserve a table at LauritaWinery.com