Pokémon GO Fest Ultimate Tips to Slay the Day

Trainers, get ready! Make the most of your experience with these Pokémon GO Fest ultimate tips to slay the day!

The location for Pokémon GO Fest in New York City in 2024 is on Randall’s Island. Randall’s Island Park is a 480 acre park in New York City that is located along the East River, between Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx.

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Bring Sun Protection

You will be out in the sun and heat most of the day so wear appropriate clothing (lightweight, SPF) and bring sunscreen, and a bucket or baseball hat.

Beat the Heat

In addition to sunscreen and a hat, there are a number of options for personal cooling that may help keep you more comfortable.   Consider a personal, portable fan or cooling towels.

Getting There

Ride Share/Taxi

Taking a ride share, taxi or other form of public transportation is my number one Pokémon GO Fest ultimate tip to slay the day.

Taking a ride share or taxi will get you close without the hassle of parking.  Ride shares or taxis will not be able to bring you to the park entrance.   The following ride share meet points have been established by the event coordinators:

• East 125th and Lexington is closest X80 and MTA Bus Stop to Randall’s Island
• East 124th before the entrance to RFK Bridge pedestrian walkway
• East 105th ahead of entrance to Ward’s Island Pedestrian Bridge
• East 102nd ahead of entrance to Ward’s Island Pedestrian Bridge

Public Transit

You can take the M35 bus from 125th Street in Manhattan.

Walking/Biking

There are pedestrian and bike paths via the 103rd Street Footbridge or the RFK Bridge.

Ferry

Ferries will depart from and return to the East 35th Street Ferry Landing located at the intersection of East 35th Street and FDR Drive. They run all weekend long from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Tickets are first-come, first-served, and must be purchased prior to boarding.

Driving

Parking will not be available on Randall’s Island.   If you must drive, I would recommend also scouting out nearby parking lots on your route to, but not yet at, Randall’s Island.  Once parked, use one of the alternate methods above to go the last distance.

Comfort Items

Consider bringing a blanket, especially if you will want to establish a home base in the park for your group and a place to rest.   Portable chairs are discouraged by the event organizers.

Stay Hydrated

Carry a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. There will be water fountains and hydration stations setup for refills.

Food and Drinks

There is expected to be concessions or food vendors, but it’s a good idea to bring your own snacks and plenty of water, especially in the summer heat.  

You can bring prepackaged food and bottled water into Go Fest. There will also be a variety of food vendors on-site.   The official merchandise vendors are cashless so the food vendors may be as well.   If hoping to purchase food, I would be prepared to use both cash and card.   In an event like this, I would bring an energy bar with me in the event food is not readily available as expected.

Wear your Fav Pokémon and Watch for Photo Ops

Previous GO Fest lines for merch pickup were long and many felt it waisted precious game time so keep that in mind if you decide to purchase an official t-shirt. Regardless if you decide to purchase the official Pokémon Go Fest shirt, it’s a great day to wear your favorite Pokémon! Keep your eye out around Randall’s Park for awesome Pokémon photo ops!

If you need some gear, here are a few ideas:

Entrance locations for Go Fest

Trainers can enter Pokémon GO Fest at one of two entrances:

• North: Adjacent to the Bronx Shore Fields near the RFK Bridge Manhattan pedestrian access / 133rd Street drop-off point.
• South: Located between the Salt Marsh and the Harlem River Event Area.

First Aid & Small Essentials

Bring a small first aid kit for minor injuries or blisters!  Check out and replicate my go to list of MacGyver level essentials which I carry with me in a compact space.

Bring Patience & Prep for Cell Challenges

Cellular carriers can get overwhelmed at an event like this.   If you experience a connection problem, toggling airplane mode off and on or restarting your device can force it to re-establish your connection with the network.

If your device lags, you can also try turning 5G off temporarily.   Getting familiar with your phone settings for this before Go Fest day may prepare you better for this situation if your device experiences any connectivity challenges.  

Catch and Spin Regularly

Make the most of increased spawn rates and special PokéStops. Use lures and incense to attract more Pokémon to slay the day!

Complete Research Tasks

Focus on completing special research tasks to earn unique rewards and Pokémon encounters.

Prep Storage Before You Go

Go through your item bag and Pokémon storage to ensure you have as much room as possible before GO Fest day so you don’t have to spend event time dealing with storage issues.

You can get up to 50 coins per day by your Pokémon being knocked out of gyms so this is a good way to gather Pokécoins ahead of time which you may want to use on Pokémon storage if you will need room to add during the event.

Use a Pokémon GO Plus + Auto-Catcher

A Complete Checklist for What to Pack for Pokemon GO Fest

Check out this other companion post “A Complete Checklist for What to Pack for Pokémon GO Fest” for a full packing checklist.

I hope you found these Pokémon GO Fest ultimate tips a great catch (ha)! I wish you a community filled, productive and fun Pokémon GO Fest! 

Adventure on!