Staten Island gets a bad rap. Some may consider it the forgotten borough, the black sheep of New York City.
And while we can certainly understand where these assessments come from, Staten Island definitely deserves more love than it currently receives from New Yorkers.
There's tons of amazing events going down on the island this summer, ones that you and your friends should definitely make a point to check out.
So suck it up, hop on the ferry, and get ready to discover all the summer adventures that are waiting for you on Staten Island.
Here are our top recommendations for your SI bucket list.
1. The Staten Island Ireland Fair
Fantastic news: we no longer have to wait until March rolls around to pretend that we're Irish and use that as an excuse to consume our body weight in beer! #blessed
Each year, this festival brings in over 6,000 attendees passing through its gates. Fair goers can enjoy live local & international Irish music, a huge assortment of food, and a 40 vendor shopping village selling Irish imports and gifts.
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The event goes down June 11th and 12th at the Columcille Irish Cultural Center.
2. Sandy Ground Annual Festival
What better way to celebrate summer than with a giant barbecue? Seriously. Winter is essentially just a period of time in which we are twiddling our thumbs waiting until we can grill outside while we sip on a cocktail.
This annual food fest, held on June 18th at Sandy Ground Historical Inc., will be a culmination of delicious food, live music, and best of all, the famous 13-ingredient Secret Sandy Ground Sauce.
3. Staten Island Beach Fest
The Staten Island Beach Fest is a series of summer events that goes down every year across multiple Staten Island locales.
The fest will include a street fair, art show, dance party, carnival, and antique car show. It's also happening basically all summer long, from July 18th to September 6th, so you've got plenty of opportunities to catch it.
4. Boardwalk Days Fireworks
Fireworks aren't JUST for the Fourth of July, you guys. Sheesh.
For those of us who are not ashamed to admit that we have not yet lost our childlike wonder and therefore still delight a good old fashioned firework display, Staten Island's got our backs.
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Every Wednesday evening (beginning June 29th and going through August), you can catch fireworks at The Vanderbilt at South Beach from 9-10 p.m. YAS.
5. New York Road Runners Open Run
We wish we could have the dedication, tenacity, and let's admit it, willingness to get up early that marathon runners have. We admire them. We think they're a little insane, but we admire them all the same.
Well turns out, you can participate in open runs starting at Staten Island's Conference House Park, offered weekly by New York Road Runners. It's totally free, and no advance registration is required.
Check out 8 Incredible Things You Just Gotta Do in the Bronx This Summer.
[Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]