The vigil for Nylah Lewis was held at Kaiser Park Children's Playground in Coney Island.
Police say the 16-month-old girl was beaten by her father, 19-year-old Shaquan Taylor, during a visit on Father's Day.
He claims Nylah fell off the bed while he was in the shower.
A wake for Nylah will be held Friday night in Sunset Park, and her funeral is scheduled for Saturday morning.
Police say the baby's mother, 17-year-old Tammy Lewis, picked her up from a visit with Taylor but then raced her out of his Coney Island apartment building because she was unresponsive.
Doctors said Nylah suffered a linear fracture to the skull and bruising to the face, nose, arms and legs, which they said could not have come from a fall, as her father initially claimed, but were intentionally inflicted.