Best Things To Do in NYC This Weekend — March 21–22, 2026
It's officially the first weekend of spring, and the city has the kind of lineup that makes the drive worth it. Whether you're heading into Manhattan for a concert, a museum opening, or a Sunday game, March 21–22 is packed with things worth the trip from Long Island.
Here's what's actually worth going to this weekend — and what to know about getting there.
FKA Twigs: The Body High Tour at Madison Square Garden
Saturday, March 21 — 8:00 PM
FKA Twigs brings her Body High Tour to MSG on Saturday night, and this is one of those shows where the production is as much the point as the music. She performs, dances, and moves in ways that don't translate to a screen. If you've been waiting for a reason to see her live, this is it.
Why Long Island residents care
MSG draws from all over the tri-state area, and getting to 34th Street from Nassau or Suffolk on a Saturday night is a real exercise in patience. Penn Station parking near the Garden runs $40–60 on event nights, and the blocks around 7th Avenue back up early. If you're coming from the East, the LIE to the Midtown Tunnel is predictable enough — but finding somewhere to put the car once you're there is a different problem.
A car service solves it cleanly. You get dropped right at the arena entrance on 7th Avenue, and your driver picks you up after the show ends — no circling the block, no garage hunt, no Uber surge after 20,000 people hit the street at the same time. If you're making a night of it with dinner before the show, it's the right way to do it.
New Museum Grand Opening — Free Admission All Weekend
Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22
The New Museum's long-awaited expansion opens on March 21 — a 60,000-square-foot addition designed by OMA's Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu that doubles the museum's gallery space. The opening exhibition, New Humans: Memories of the Future, features work from over 200 artists, writers, scientists, and filmmakers. Admission is free all opening weekend.
The museum is on the Bowery on the Lower East Side, which has become one of the better neighborhoods to spend a few hours in Manhattan. Good food, walkable, genuinely interesting block.
Why Long Island residents care
Free admission at a major cultural institution opening doesn't happen often. This is the kind of thing you'll want to have seen in its opening week — before it's just another thing on the list you keep meaning to do. The Bowery puts you within easy walking distance of Nolita and the East Village if you want to make a day of it.
Driving and parking in Lower Manhattan on a weekend is doable, but the Bowery has limited street parking and the surrounding garages book up when there's any kind of event foot traffic. If you're combining this with lunch in Nolita or dinner in the East Village, let someone else handle the driving.
New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden
Sunday, March 22 — 7:30 PM
The Knicks are in playoff positioning, and a Sunday night home game at the Garden against the Wizards is the kind of game where the crowd brings energy regardless of the opponent. If you haven't been to a game this season, late March is the right time to go — the stakes are real.
Why Long Island residents care
The Garden is walking distance from Penn Station, which makes it one of the more LIRR-friendly venues in the city. But Sunday nights are a different calculation. The last LIRR out of Penn Station after a 7:30 PM game ends after 10:00 PM means you're rushing, and if the game runs long or you want to get food after, you're in surge pricing territory on every rideshare app.
For families coming from Nassau or Suffolk, or anyone who doesn't want to worry about the last train, a car service to and from the Garden on Sunday night makes the evening simple. You show up, you watch the game, someone is there when it's over. That's what we do.
NY Islanders vs. Columbus Blue Jackets at UBS Arena
Sunday, March 22 — 7:00 PM
The Islanders are playing at UBS Arena in Elmont on Sunday night, which is as close to a home game as it gets for most Long Island residents. UBS Arena sits right off the Elmont exit on the Belt Parkway — technically Nassau County, technically not the city, but the parking situation on game nights earns it a spot on this list.
Why Long Island residents care
UBS Arena is designed for it, but 19,000 people leaving at the same time onto a stretch of road that connects to the Belt Parkway is slow no matter what. The team has done well making the arena accessible — the LIRR has a stop at the arena — but if you're coming from deeper in Suffolk, or if you want a drink without watching the clock, a car service is genuinely the easier call.
We've done hundreds of pickups at UBS Arena. The key is having a driver who knows the post-game traffic pattern and where to wait so you're not standing in the lot for 40 minutes while the road clears. That's exactly what we handle. For more on car service from Long Island to area venues and airports, we cover the details there.
NYCFC vs. Inter Miami CF (Messi) at Yankee Stadium
Sunday, March 22 — 1:00 PM
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are in New York on Sunday afternoon, and any game that Messi appears in draws a crowd that has nothing to do with casual MLS fandom. Yankee Stadium in the South Bronx holds around 47,000, and this one is going to be close to full.
Why Long Island residents care
Yankee Stadium in the South Bronx on a Sunday afternoon is one of the more logistically awkward trips from Long Island. The quickest route from Nassau goes through Queens and up the Triborough, which is manageable. From Suffolk, you're looking at an hour-plus each way before you factor in parking. Stadium parking at Yankee Stadium is $35–45 minimum on match days, and the lots fill up early.
The better play is to have someone drop you off at the stadium and pick you up when the final whistle blows. Sunday afternoon timing also means you can get into the city for brunch or lunch beforehand without rushing back to a parking meter. If you've never seen Messi play in person, the logistics of getting there should not be the thing that stops you.
Getting There from Long Island
All five of these events are happening within about 24 hours of each other across the city, which means traffic, parking, and post-event crowds are going to be the story for a lot of people this weekend.
A few things worth knowing:
The LIE into Manhattan will be moving on Saturday afternoon — it's the first weekend of spring, which means recreational traffic joins the commuter pattern. Budget an extra 30–40 minutes for any Saturday evening trip compared to a February baseline.
For MSG shows, the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels will be slower than usual on Saturday night. The Queens-Midtown Tunnel tends to run cleaner late at night if you're heading back east after the show.
Sunday afternoon soccer at Yankee Stadium and Sunday evening at the Garden means the city is busy at both ends of the day. Plan accordingly — or let us handle it.
Book Your Ride This Weekend
We've been running airport transfers and event transportation on Long Island for over 20 years. We know the routes, the timing windows, and how to make a night in the city actually feel easy instead of stressful.
If you're heading into the city this weekend for any of these events, Request a quote and we'll handle the rest.
Ready to book your ride?
Request a Quote