NYC announces Queens parade street closures

New York City is heading into Memorial Day with two competing signals for residents and visitors: parade-related street closures in Queens on Monday, May 25, 2026, and a wet weather pattern already affecting the holiday weekend. NBC New York reported that multiple neighborhood Memorial Day parades in Queens will shut down streets in Forest Hills, College Point, Little Neck-Douglaston, Ridgewood and Rockaway Beach. PIX11 said a prolonged stretch of rain was expected to move across New York and New Jersey on Sunday, with showers developing after 11 a.m. and rainfall totals reaching up to a quarter-inch. NYC beaches, meanwhile, opened for the season on Saturday with lifeguards on duty, according to NBC New York and the city Parks Department. ### Which Queens neighborhoods are facing Memorial Day street closures? Queens is the borough with the most detailed parade-related closures in the city’s Memorial Day schedule. NBC New York said the affected neighborhoods include Forest Hills, College Point, Little Neck-Douglaston, Ridgewood and Rockaway Beach, with local parade routes set for Monday. PIX11 separately published a citywide list of Memorial Day parade street closures. (nbcnewyork.com) Gothamist reported that the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday, May 25, 2026, with closures including parts of Northern Boulevard between Glenwood and 244th streets. The same report listed College Point closures around 26th Avenue, 120th Street, College Point Boulevard, Graham Court, Fifth Avenue, College Place and Poppenhusen Avenue. (nbcnewyork.com) ### What should people expect from the weather before the parades? PIX11 said Sunday’s weather would be dominated by prolonged rain across New York and New Jersey, with showers beginning after 11 a.m. and totals of up to a quarter-inch. A separate PIX11 weather update said rounds of rain would continue Sunday as a slow-moving system kept the region wet, with a Flood Watch in effect for some areas. (gothamist.com) CBS New York said the Memorial Day weekend began with soggy conditions in the region, and its parade coverage told spectators to bring umbrellas. That means Monday events may follow a weekend already shaped by rain, even as parade schedules remain in place. ### Are beaches open even with the rainy holiday weekend? New York City beaches opened for the 2026 season on Saturday, May 23, according to NBC New York. (pix11.com) The outlet said beaches in the city and across the tri-state area reopened for the summer season starting Saturday. NYC Parks said beaches are open from Memorial Day weekend through September 13, 2026, and that lifeguards are on duty daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (cbsnews.com) The agency said swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections marked by signs or red flags. NYC Health said beachgoers can track conditions through NotifyNYC and the city’s Beach Water Quality Map during the bathing season. The department said it collects water samples at all beaches weekly, and biweekly at Rockaway and Breezy Point beaches. (nbcnewyork.com) ### Where can drivers and riders check the latest closure details? NBC New York’s May 22 closure roundup and PIX11’s May 22 street list both published neighborhood-by-neighborhood parade information ahead of Monday’s events. (nycgovparks.org) The city Department of Transportation also posted a weekend traffic advisory page that includes Memorial Day-related closures. (nyc.gov) Monday, May 25, 2026, is the key date for the Queens parade closures, while NYC Parks said beach season will continue through September 13, 2026. For day-of updates, residents can monitor local TV coverage, city advisories and beach-condition notices from NYC Parks and NYC Health. (nycgovparks.org) (nbcnewyork.com)