Governors Island opens May 26 and will be open every weekend through September 30.

In just 24 short hours, thousands of visitors can come out to Governors Island to enjoy food festivals, incredible public art, the Family Festival, bike riding and so much more.

The Island is open this season on Saturdays, Sundays and Holiday Mondays through September 30. Below is a small sampling of some of this weekend’s activities:

• Enjoy craft beer, wine and tons of food (including a grilled cheese cook off!) at 5 Boro PicNYC. Tickets are required but get them here.
• Stop by the Governors Island Alliance’s Family Festival in Nolan Park, featuring story telling, arts, crafts, harbor education activities and musical and theatrical performances.
• Head over to Building 110 to see Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum’s incredible exhibition of “Graphic Design: Now in Production” and then stop by the LMCC Art Center at Governors Island right upstairs to see artists at work in their studios.
• Enjoy a dozen of Mark di Suvero’s amazing sculptures all across the Island as a part of “Mark di Suvero at Governors Island presented by Storm King Art Center.
• Stop by the Governors Galleries to enjoy a wide range of indoor cultural exhibits and programs.
• On  Monday, borrow a bike for free for up to one hour from Bike and Roll to enjoy Free Bike Holiday Mondays.

And there is so much more! Check out the full list of events and programs and we look forward to seeing you on the Island.

Mayor Bloomberg and other elected officials representing Governors Island celebrated the groundbreaking of 30 new acres of park and public space on the Island.

Mayor Bloomberg and elected officials yesterday celebrated great milestones on Governors Island: the groundbreaking of 30 new acres of park and public space and the re-opening of Castle Williams.

The announcement kicked off the 2012 season on the Island, which opens tomorrow!

The Governors Island Park and Public Space Plan was designed by the acclaimed landscape design firm West 8, with extensive input from the public. The 30 new acres of park now under construction include Liggett Terrace, a sunny, six acre plaza with seasonal plantings, seating, water features and public art; Hammock Grove, a sunny ten acre space that is home to 2,000 new trees, play areas and hammocks; and the Play Lawn, 14 acres for play and relaxation that includes two turf ball fields sized for adult softball and Little League baseball. In addition to the 30 new acres, Phase 1 adds new welcome areas, a re-graded Parade Ground and key visitor amenities, including lighting, seating and signage throughout the Historic District.

The new spaces open in 2013.

Two new goats are coming to Governors Island this season and they need names! Tell us what you think!

Governors Island is no stranger to animals – we have had hawks, owls, a deer that swam all the way from New Jersey, and of course Molly Brown. And this year, two new female goats will join the chickens, worms and bees at the Earth Matter Compost Learning Center.

These kids need names and so we are turning to you for your suggestions. What do you think?

One goat is a cross between a Saanen and Nubian and the other is a La Mancha.

The goats are graciously being loaned to Earth Matter from Goodale Farms in Riverhead, Long Island. They are 6 weeks old and are almost weaned but Earth Matter  still bottle feeds them milk.

The goats will be kept at the Compost Learning Center and join their flock of 38 chickens as the newest compost workers. The goats browse on young tree and shrub branches and leaves  that are brought to them  from all over Governors Island landscapers. They also enjoy nibbling on weeds  in their paddock which helps keep the lawn looking good.

The  goats also eat some vegetable scraps such as carrots and other food scraps provided by Island visitors that Earth Matter collects at their source separation stations which visitors see as they go around the Island.

Come down and meet them when the Island opens on Saturday!

Food festivals, unicycles, vintage baseball, glass blowing and more coming this season on Governors Island. There is something for everyone!

What better way to kick off the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend than riding the free ferry to Governors Island?

We just announced the Island’s exciting calendar of programs, events and exhibitions for the 2012 season. The Island will be open every Saturday, Sunday and holiday Monday from 10 AM to 7 PM through September 30.

There is so much to see and do! Below are just a few highlights:

• Check out the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum’s Graphic Design – Now in Production exhibition in Building 110, featuring incredible examples of graphic design or attend one of their educational programs or events;
• Bring a bike (or rent one while here – bikes are free on Holiday Mondays!) and ride around the Island, taking in Mark di Suvero at Governors Island: presented by Storm King Art Center, which includes a soaring new piece that has never before been on public view;
• Play a round of free mini golf on FIGMENT’s artist designed miniature golf course;
• Take in a game of vintage baseball and see how it was played 100 years ago
• Dress like a flapper and join the Jazz Age Lawn party on Colonels Row
• Come hungry for one of several food festivals, including the 5 Boro PicNYC on Memorial Day weekend
• See Corning GlassLab’s glass blowing demonstrations in the Pershing Hall parking lot!

And there is so much more! Check out the full calendar of events, mark your calendar and we can’t wait to see you here to enjoy new programs and some old favorites.

The shuttle flies by the Statue of Liberty, as seen from Governors Island.

This morning, the Space Shuttle Enterprise took off from DC en route to New York City. The Space Shuttle will eventually make a new home on the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. Before it does though, New Yorkers, and those of us on Governors Island, got a great view!

Here are some of our pictures.

The shuttle flying over Upper New York Bay

A close up view as it heads by Governors Island

5 Boro PicNYC kicks off Governors Island's 2012 season! Get ready for hamburgers, hot dogs, shaved ice and even a grilled cheese competition!

5 Boro PicNYC comes to Governors Island on May 26 and 27th. Kick off Memorial Day weekend and the beginning of the Island’s 2012 season with food, drink and music on Colonels Row.

The event features chefs from all five boroughs, including Jimmy’s 43, Corey Cova of ABV and Earl’s Beer & Cheese, East Village Meat Market, Brooklyn Grange, and Growing Chefs.  Ticket holders can grab some food, try a wide selection of craft beers and enjoy an afternoon on the Island.

The day’s events include a grilled cheese competition, a taco challenge and so much more.

Buy your tickets, come out to the Island and kick off the beginning of summer!

One of Claudia Pearson's designs features aspects of Governors Island's history and buildings (from claudiapearson.com)

Claudia Pearson, one of the fabulous designers whose work was featured on Governors Island in last year’s Better than Jam Pop Up Shop. We are delighted that now even more people will get to see her wonderful designs (and even get a Governors Island tea towel!).

What would you name Building 315 this summer?

This season, there will be lots of great art exhibitions on Governors Island. Many visitors are used to experiencing a diverse array of art programs in many of the historic houses in Nolan Park and Colonels Row.

This year, due to our work stabilizing the historic houses, the majority of art exhibits and programs will be held in Building 315, which is an apartment style building near on the Island’s eastern shore. We need a name for this space so we can direct our visitors to all the fantastic programs and projects that will be here, including the return of Better than Jam’s pop up shop, the Sculptors Guild and Painting on the Island.

What should we name this building? Culture Condos? Art Apartments? Governor’s Galleries?

Send us your thoughts and let us know what you think!

Rebecca Honts, 2006.

We came across this image a few years ago on Flickr, and it’s been hanging over this blogger’s desk ever since. It was taken back in 2006, when the photographer was one of only 26,000 people to visit that year. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have brought their “peeps” to Governors Island.  We hope you will too when we reopen next month! In the meantime, if YOU have silly photos from your past visits to Governors Island,  you can share them on our facebook page. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Trust for Governors Island president Leslie Koch was Doug Muzzio’s guest on this week’s “City Talk” on CUNY TV. Leslie discussed the Island’s history as well as its bright future. Hear more about how the Island has become a new destination for the arts, culture and recreation in NYC and how the Trust’s ambitious capital program is transforming the Island.