1. We hear dads love pampering. Why not take him to John Allan’s for a “Sports” pedicure, where he’ll be offered a coffee, iced tea, or beer before being treated to a soak, scrub, trim, and relaxing foot massage. An hour is only $49.
2. Or show him actual sports! Here are 22 places with appealing World Cup specials.
3. Seafood-loving dads will enjoy a trip to the new oyster-bar-on-a-boat, Grand Banks, which promises to be open to the public by June 15. It’s located on the Sherman Zwicker, a 142-foot historic wooden boat docked on Pier 25 on the West Side.
4. While dads that love the water but are not so much into mollusks might have fun kayaking on the Hudson River. Bonus: It’s free and for all ages.
5. Dad more into space than the sea? He’ll dig the Intrepid’s new Space Shuttle Pavilion, which showcases the space shuttle Enterprise along with original photographs, films, artifacts, and audio, like actual conversations between mission control and pilots during Enterprise’s test flights.
6. While the nature buff will find solace at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Explore 52 acres of preserved gardens, rare plant species, and the in-bloom rose garden for $10 general admission (if pops is 65 or over, he gets in for just $5). Arrive by 1 p.m. for a seasonal guided tour.
7. If dad wants more outdoor time, head to Prospect Park for family bird watching, where you can learn how to identify some of the park’s 200 species of birds. Impressive!
8. Then stay in Prospect Park for the Food Truck Rally that features over 15 vendors, including the Red Hook Lobster Pound and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream.
9. Feed his cultural hunger with one of Broadway’s best shows. Choose a newly minted Tony winner like Hedwig, or A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. (If you can still get tickets, that is.)
10. But Broadway isn’t the only place for dad to see a great show. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company returns to Lincoln Center for a two-week-only, 15-performance spring session. Father’s Day showings include Ailey’s interpretation of Duke Ellington tunes, like Night Creature and The River.
11. For a performance of a different sort, see Aretha Franklin at Radio City Music Hall. The Queen of Soul has concerts both Saturday and Sunday.
12. Or jazz things up at the 7th Annual Red Hook Jazz Festival, which will be held along the docks of the East River. The Father’s Day lineup includes five ensembles, like the Museum Band of Teeth and Respect.
13. Get really immersed in a the time of flappers at the Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governors Island. Tell dad to get gussied up in his best periodwear and get ready to go back in time with Charleston lessons, a pie recipe contest, a 1920s car show, and a kids’ carnival. Fun for the whole family! (Well, everything besides the St. Germain cocktails designed by Clover Club’s Julie Reiner.)
14. Is pops a Mets fan? His beloved team plays the Padres on Sunday, and fathers and kids under 12 receive Mets caps.
15. While over at Yankee Stadium, non-Mets fans can still get in on some Father’s Day baseball action with a Yankee Stadium Tour. Sure, the Yankees are on the road, but checking out where the team plays is the next best thing.
16. What better way to feel like a kid again then visiting the prehistoric area at the Bronx Zoo? The new Dinosaur Safari features two-dozen animatronic dinosaurs. Up to 40 feet tall, the dinosaurs move, snarl, roar, and spit. You can also dig for fossils.
17. Or get him back on two wheels with Bike and Roll NYC, who will offer free bike rentals to fathers (with their child or children) both Saturday and Sunday. The bikes will be available at Riverside Park, Tavern on the Green, and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Complimentary water bottles will also be provided. Happy Father’s Day! Don’t fall.