By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
LOWER MANHATTAN — Governors Island is reopening for the season on Saturday with more rental bikes, more concerts and more detailed plans for the future.
Island officials hope to attract a record-breaking 400,000 visitors this summer to the 172-acre island just off lower Manhattan’s shore.
A jam-packed summer calendar features some returning events, like Prince Harry’s appearance in the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, and some new ones, like open artists’ studios and the Vendy Awards, an annual competition to choose New York's best street-food vendor.
Opening weekend will kick off with the annual Family Festival at noon on Saturday, which offers free arts and harbor education activities, along with music and theater performances.
In anticipation of more visitors this summer, Bike and Roll doubled its rental stock this season to 500 bikes, which riders can take on the island’s five miles of car-free paths.
Leslie Koch, president of the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corp., said the buzz about the island is building this year in a way she hasn’t heard before.
“I’m excited about how excited people are,” Koch said.
Visitors to Governors Island will also get a chance to learn about the future park and development plans, and Koch hopes many will give their feedback.
Exhibits on the island and in the ferry waiting room in the Battery Maritime Building will showcase future designs for the island’s 87 acres of open space. Visitors can also take tours led by the West 8 design team.
Ferries to Governors Island from lower Manhattan leave from the Battery Maritime Building, 10 South St., starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Beginning next week, the island will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through mid-October.
