New York City Festivals and Events

Brooklyn and Manhattan -- Both Boroughs Come Together to Celebrate 125 Years

May 22nd through May 26th -- BROOKLYN BRIDGE 125th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Five-Day Celebration to Feature Special Bridge Lighting, Film Series, Concerts, Lectures, Bike Tour, Children’s Readings and other Family-Friendly Cultural Events. For more information visit NYCVisit.com/BB125

Manhattan

May 17th -- Dance Parade

New York is an international cultural capital, and dance is no exception. Some of the globe’s greatest dancers call New York City home. By uniting 3,100 dancers performing 29 dance styles, this terrific event will help heighten public awareness and appreciation of this singularly moving art form. Following the Parade down Broadway from 28th Street to University, we dance our way East along Saint Marks to Tompkins Square Park for DanceFest--A four hour free festival with breathtaking staged performances, social dancing, dance lessons and a DJ party. Grand Marshal Luigi (the Father of Jazz Dance) will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Join, Volunteer or Donate to make this Second Annual Parade a success!
WHEN: Saturday, May 17th, 2008 Rain or Shine Parade 1pm - 4pm Festival 4pm - 8pm
Please arrive by 12 Noon for the best view and wear comfortable shoes to dance!
For more information visit DanceParade.org

Now through July 13th -- Amazon Come to NYC at the South Street Seaport

This spring and summer New York City will be transformed into the rich sights, sounds and culture of the Brazilian Amazon. Visitors can tour a 13,000 square foot live exhibit of the rainforest. Other events include a fashion exhibit at the World Financial Center and photos & videos at the Smithsonian. South Street Seaport; Pier 17 North Side | 212-SEA-PORT

May 17th, June 21st; July 19; August 16th Hudson River Park Walking Tours

Friends of Hudson River Park are offering free tours. Come walk the Village segment of Hudson River Park, and get a unique lesson about the rich history of the neighborhood and its waterfront. We will also talk about current & future plans. Highlights include the history of the Lenape, Gansevoort Peninsula, Herman Melville, the Titanic and more. Weather permitting. Meet at Pier 45 at Christopher St. & W. Side Hwy. Tours take place at 3 PM
For more information call 212-757-0981

May 14, 21 -- Spring Migration Bird Walks in Central Park

Observe the waves of migrants through Central Park during spring bird migration. Bring binoculars. For more information about class and trip fees or registration visit NYCAudubon.org or call 212-691-7483.

May 7th through May 18th -- The Bard Comes to Julliard with Free Performances

The wooden stage of the Globe fills Juilliard's Stephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater for their annual Shakespeare repertory season. The current third-year class takes the stage with productions of two of the Bard's most popular plays, Julius Caesar and As You Like It. There are five performances of each play, from Wednesday, May 7, through Sunday, May 18. Get your FREE tickets early to avoid missing out. For more information visit Julliard.edu - calendar

May 16th through May 18th -- Meat Packing District Design Week

So far, that's all we know. Hopefully more information will follow!

May 23rd through May 25th -- 13th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts

The 13th Annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts, is a FREE event showcasing the Best performers, authors, musicians, dancers, comedians, filmmakers and more the city has to offer! This event runs in the evening, at 6pm, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 23, 24 and 25! On Sat, a Street Festival with vendors on East 10th St from 10am to 6pm. For more information call 212-254-1109 or visit TheaterForTheNewCity.net

May 24th -- Memorial Day Living History Celebration at New-York Historical Society

Shake hands with General George Washington and visit with Revolutionary era reenactment troops from the 4th New York Regiment; 85ème Régiment de Saintonge; and the 35th Regiment of Foot, Royal Sussex Society. 10AM -5PM. All Children under 12 FREE
It happens at: 170 Central Park West at 77th Street. For more information call 212-873-3400

May 28th - Manhattan Solstice

For Manhattan, a place where the evening matters more than the morning, that special day comes on May 28; one of only two days in the year when the Sun sets in exact alignment with the Manhattan grid, fully illuminating every single cross-street for the last fifteen minutes of daylight. Read more about Manhattan Solstice at OffbeatNewYork's Manhattan Solstice

June 3rd -- Museum Mile Festival

Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th Street from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Walk the Mile from 82nd to 105th Street and visit nine of New York City's finest cultural institutions for FREE. Plus music, street performers and art activities for kids. Opening ceremony 5:45 pm at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum For more information call 212-606-2296

June 12th through 14th -- New York City's Consumer Technology Showcase

Find Out Free -- What's new in consumer electronics this summer -- and what do you need to know to make the right buy? Find out directly from the manufacturers and the experts at Digital Downtown, New York City's Consumer Technology Showcase, which is being organized in association with the Consumer Electronics Association ®, the producer of International CES®. It takes place at World Financial Center • Winter Garden
For more information visit DigitalDowntown-nyc.com

June 21st -- Make Music New York

Make Music New York, a free musical celebration across the city, will return for another year of live musical performances on June 21 - the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. On that day, public spaces, sidewalks, parks, community gardens, and more throughout the five boroughs and, of course, Lincoln Square, will become impromptu musical stages, dance floors, and social meeting points. Thousands of amateur musicians in every genre perform on sidewalks for the biggest crowds of their lives while professional musicians perform for new audiences. For more information visit TimeOut.com- MMNY

The Bronx

Now through June 15th -- Darwin's Garden at the New York Botanical Garden

Charles Darwin is best known for his theory of evolution and other natural history achievements, but little is known about his enduring and insightful work with plants and the important role they played in formulating his ideas.

Darwin's Garden: An Evolutionary Adventure explores the untold story of Darwin's botanical influences, his research, and his contribution to our understanding of plants, and ultimately, of life in general. The exhibition is featured in three Botanical Garden venues and includes an "evolutionary tour" of living plants that demonstrate key points on the tree of life, which links all living beings through a common ancestry.

For more information on this thought-provoking exhibition with interactive tours, a children's adventure garden, a re-creation of the grounds at Darwin's House and more, visit NYBG.org/Darwin

Brooklyn

May 24th -- Brooklyn Bridge Birthday Bike Ride

Presented by The City Reliquary -- This year celebrating 125 years since opening day May 24th, 1883. Meet at the City Reliquary Museum (370 Metropolitan Ave. near Havemeyer St. in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn) on Saturday May 24th at 12:00 noon The bicycle ride will depart from the Museum and culminate on the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge. We will be met with Birthday cake, beverages, and a lively presentation of the bridge’s illustrious history. Souvenir t-shirts will be on sale at the CR giftshop. Suggested donation $5; or free with purchase of t-shirt.

The City Reliquary Museum also presents also The Brooklyn Bridge: 125 Years of Inspiration. An exhibit that will feature the artwork of Brooklyn-based students as inspired by the majestic towers of the Brooklyn Bridge and iconography that surrounds it. Students in public and private schools throughout Brooklyn have submitted artistic projects that show historic research and/or visual exploration of the bridge. Artists’ reception will be held; Friday May 23rd at 7:00 PM at the City Reliquary Museum 370 Metropolitan Ave. near Havemeyer St. in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn
The exhibition runs May 3rd through June 8th, 2008 Regular museum hours: Saturday & Sunday 12-6 pm or weekdays by appointment or chance. Admission: “Pay what you wish.”
For more information visit CityReliquary.org or call 718. R U CIVIC.

June 7th and 8th -- Atlantic Avenue Artwalk

Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk is a self-guided tour of open artist studios and area exhibitions, a range of public art projects, special events, and extensive local merchant participation. The tour provides a relaxed setting for dialogue, collecting, and for artists to discuss current bodies of work, while offering a glimpse into the creation process. For more information visit AtlanticAvenueArtWalk.com

Queens

May 11th through September 28th -- Sundays in the Park: Free Tai Chi

From 11:00 am – Noon at Socrates Sculpture Park Socrates hosts free Tai Chi classes in the Park led by Aaron Kirtz, a member of the Taoist Tai Chi Society. Participants will have the opportunity to relax and exercise among the changing exhibitions of contemporary outdoor sculpture. Classes are designed for all experience levels. Participants should wear comfortable clothing. It takes place at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard (@ Broadway), Long Island City, NY. For more information call 718-956-1819

July 6th through August 27th -- Movies in the Park on Wednesdays

Socrates Sculpture Park, in collaboration with Museum of the Moving Image and Partnerships for Parks, presents the 10th annual outdoor international film festival. Each evening focuses on a different country or culture and visitors are invited to sample regional cuisine from neighborhood restaurants, picnic on the grass, listen to performances by local musicians, enjoy the cool waterfront breeze as the sun sets over the Manhattan skyline and watch exceptional international films on an outdoor screen. Wednesday, July 6 - August 27 · 7PM (weather permitting). For more information visit SocratesSculpturePark.org

Events Across Time

Highlight Tours Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and magnificently restored East End, Crossing, Great Choir, and seven Chapels of Tongues. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present. No prior reservation necessary. Tues. – Sat. 11 am – 12 Noon & 1pm – 2pm**; Sun. 1 pm– 2 pm St. John the Divine is located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street. For more information call 212-932-7347

Lincoln Square: Gateway to the Upper West Side -- Free Walking Tours

On Sunday, May 4 at 2:00pm enjoy the new series of free walking tours: Lincoln Square: Gateway to the Upper West Side. Immerse yourself in Lincoln Square's rich architecture and social history while gaining a fresh perspective on its transformation into one of New York City's most sought-after areas. Stops could include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center, Fordham University, and sites associated with Florence Mills, Robert Moses, Mae West, and others.

The new 90 minute tours, in partnership with Big Onion Walking Tours, meet at 2:00pm at the south-west corner of Broadway & 60th Street (under the Jazz at Lincoln Center marquee at Time Warner Center) on the first and third Sundays of every month, May through October - rain or shine. LincolnBID.org

The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership is sponsoring free walking tours of the historic Flatiron district every Sunday

Join professional guides on a 90-minute journey through this vibrant neighborhood, viewing some of the City’s most notable landmarks, including the New York Life Insurance building, the MetLife tower, the Appellate Courthouse and the famous Flatiron Building. Time -- Every Sunday at 11:00 AM. Meeting Place -- The southwest corner of Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Broadway. For more information visit FlatironBID.org

Saturdays at 11 AM East Village Historical Walking Tour

Meet at the ASTOR PLACE "CUBE" -- weather permitting -- at least 15 minutes prior to start time to meet the guide. Tour starts promptly on time. The ASTOR PLACE "CUBE" is an unmistakable landmark, located on a traffic island in the middle of E. 8th Street between Lafayette and 4th Avenue. Learn about Native American trade routes, Dutch settlers, immigration, speakeasies, gangs, Yiddish Theater, social clubs, labor movements, protests, riots, the beat generation, yippies, punk rock, gentrification, Charas/El Bohio, St. Brigid's Church, and much more. Visit east-village.com for more information or call 646-283-7053.

Every Thursday and Saturday, 12pm - Free Wall Street Walking Tour

This free 90-minute guided walking tour weaves together the history, events, architecture and people of Downtown. Stops include the U.S. Custom House, Trinity Church, Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange and other architectural and cultural sites. No reservations necessary. No groups please. Meet at the steps of One Bowling Green. For more information call (212) 606-4064