Details free events for all ages across Battery Park City from May-August
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) today released its Summer 2024 Program & Event Guide, detailing a broad range of free programming – including film, music, art and culture, nature, dance, a community field day, and more – across Battery Park City from May through August. The Guide features illustrated program offerings organized by monthly event highlights and by those of interest to adults and seniors, school-aged children, and preschoolers. It also includes information about community spaces at 200 Rector Place, 6 River Terrace, the BPC Ball Fields, and discounted membership rates at Battery Park City’s Community Center at Stuyvesant High School.
Available on BPCA’s website, the Guide will be arriving to all mailing list subscribers in hard copy next week, and also will be available in New York State’s 12 most common non-English languages. Interested individuals can subscribe to the mailing list online at bpca.ny.gov/events, by phone at (212) 267-9700, or at any BPCA program or event.
“Battery Park City’s summer programming showcases our gorgeous parks and public spaces through a remarkable range of talented performers, popular cultural events, and fun, free activities for the whole family,” said BPCA President & CEO Raju Mann. “So let’s head outdoors and enjoy all that’s on offer this season. We’ll see you in Battery Park City!”
“Summer is one of the best times to experience the amazing natural beauty of our parks and public spaces in Battery Park City. The natural beauty is enhanced even further while enjoying the diversity of event programming in the Battery Park City Authority’s Summer 2024 Program & Events!”, said Tammy Meltzer, Chair of Manhattan Community Board 1. “These activities offer something truly special for everyone, with film, music, dance, and family events, to keep our vibrant neighborhood entertained all summer long. Thanks to the BPCA for putting together another great summer of fun and I encourage all to experience the unique spirit and parks of Battery Park City.”
Highlights of BPCA’s Summer 2024 Program & Event Guide include—
MAY
Thursday, May 2-Saturday, May 4, 7:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Illumination Light Art Festival.Immerse yourself in a one-of-a-kind outdoor light festival with Illumination.nyc. See Battery Park City in a whole new light, interact with light-based creations, dance to DJs under the stars, and catch a surprise performance or two. The show closes on May the 4th with a Star Wars-themed silent disco with QuietEvents. Headphones are free; ID is required.
“We are thrilled to bring the Illumination Light Art Festival to Manhattan with an expanded presence,” said Ron Fisher, Executive Director & Founder of IlluminationNYC. “Light art has the power to move people in ways that other art forms cannot, and having Battery Park City as a canvas for artists to create upon will be fantastic for the whole community.”
Thursday, May 9, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Strings-on-Hudson: Nebulous Quartet. Nebulous is a traditional string quartet in its instrumentation, but with a sound far from ordinary. They embody the music they play, often creating arrangements and compositions from an improvisational and nebulous perspective.
Saturday, May 11, 10:30AM-1PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Go Fish! Join experienced anglers for catch-and-release fishing and learn about life in the Hudson River. Help observe and identify the fish we catch, enabling us to share valuable data with research groups who monitor the health of our local waters. The day also includes an art project and a nature walk. Plus: don’t miss a live performance from Birds of a Feather.
– 10:30AM-1PM: Catch-and-Release Fishing
– 10:30AM: Art Project
– 11AM: Family Show
– 12:15PM: Nature Walk
Thursday, May 23, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Strings-on-Hudson: Latin Sounds. Join us for a special evening featuring Latin Grammy Award-winning cuatro player Jorge Glem. Accompanied by Grammy nominated Sofia Rei and César Orozco the trio will blend Latin American traditions and futurism into a graceful, elegant, and ever-evolving sound.
Thursday, May 30, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Interludes: Studio 245. In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage Month, join a celebration of Asian culture with Studio 245 who will teach the latest pop dance moves taking the world by storm!
Friday, May 31, 7-10PM @ Teardrop Park
o Silent Disco Pride Party. On the eve of Pride Month, kick things off with a family-friendly silent disco dance party featuring Gotham Cheer and DJ’s from QuietEvents as we dance to the hottest beats pumped through light-up headphones. Headphones are free; ID is required.
JUNE
Thursday, June 6, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Interludes: Ishmael Levi & the Chzn Phew. In celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, Ishmael Levi & The Chzn Phew are powerful performers specializing in reggae and roots music. They play for the love of music in a booming, and devastatingly beautiful voice.
Thursday, June 13, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
o Interludes: Victor V. Gurbo. Roots revivalist Victor V. Gurbo and his four-piece backing band create original folk ballads infused with an Americana spirit. This award-winning band pays homage to the canon of American song and poetry with a raw, bluesy, foot-stomping sound that’s both classic and contemporary.
Saturday, June 15, 2-5PM @ Rockefeller Park
o Juneteenth Celebration. Battery Park City’s annual Emancipation Day celebration offers fun, art, and a performance by Juneteenth Legacy Project, whose members share music of the African Diaspora through the lens of Black classically-trained musicians. The Federation of Black Cowboys share history and horseback rides (ages 3+). Enjoy a reading by Sana Butler from Sugar of the Crop, her award-winning book based on interviews with African-Americans whose parents were born before 1865. Celebrate writers and artists in the book tent and art exhibit, and make your own Juneteenth flag and bookmark.
Friday, June 21, 5PM @ Rockefeller Park
o Swedish Midsummer Festival. Enjoy this annual celebration of the summer solstice. Join in lively dance around the Midsummer pole. Make floral wreaths, enjoy a parade, children’s games, and Swedish delicacies. Traditional music by Paul Dahlin and fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Dances led by Ross Sutter, a Scandinavian folklorist.
JULY
Four Thursdays this summer, 6:30PM @ Rockefeller Park:
o River & Blues Concert Series. Now celebrating a quarter-century of grooves! Join us on four Thursdays this July and August for the 25th season of Battery Park City’s celebrated outdoor summer concert series, and enjoy free, world-class, blues-inspired music at its magnificent Rockefeller Park home.
– July 11 – Los Lobos
– July 18 – Hurray for the Riff Raff
– July 25 – Leela James
– August 1 – Abraham Alexander
Saturday, July 13, 11:00AM @ Rockefeller Park
o Saturday Family Workshop: City of Water Day. City of Water Day is a free harbor-wide celebration organized by the Waterfront Alliance and its partners to get people to, on, and in the water. Join us at this ideal Hudson-side setting to celebrate and learn about environmental stewardship and take part in an art project.
Saturday, July 13, 6:30PM @ Esplanade Plaza
o Community Dance: Contra. Brooklyn Contra teaches a type of community folk dance featuring great live music, dancing, and joy. Each dance starts with a lesson from the caller and a breakdown of the simple moves. While Contra is danced with a partner, bringing a partner is not necessary. It’s a great way to meet new people!
AUGUST
Friday, August 2, 5:30PM @ Irish Hunger Memorial Plaza
o Battle of the Bands. Co-presented with the Church Street School for Music and Art, youth bands will showcase their set to be judged by industry professionals for a chance to win prizes. Interested bands should email tereza@churchstreetschool.org for full details.
“Curating a workshop and performance of teen bands at Battery Park City led by acclaimed faculty members of Church Street School for Music and Art provides a unique opportunity for artistic expression, promoting growth, creativity, and collaboration among striving young musicians,” said Tereza Lee, D.M.A. Director of Programs, Church Street School for Music and Art. “The final contest and performance at the Irish Hunger Memorial Plaza being free and open to the public would encourage community engagement and support for youth arts, and potentially inspire other young individuals to pursue their passions.”
Wednesday, August 7, 12:00-6:00PM @ 6 River Terrace
o BPC Summer Blood Drive. Help replenish dwindling supplies in the tri-state area. The whole process takes less than an hour and one donation can save multiple lives! Sign up today at: nybloodcenter.org
August 11-17, 7PM @ Rockefeller Park
o 43rd Annual Battery Dance Festival. The Battery Dance Festival is New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival. Now in its 43rd year, the Festival once again will bring together dance artists from all over the world in lower Manhattan, showcasing a variety of styles, from classical to modern, in celebration of the universal. Presented by Battery Dance in partnership with Battery Park City Authority. For more information visit: https://batterydance.org/battery-dance-festival/
“Last summer at Rockefeller Park was magical, with families and dance aficionados alike experiencing what The New York Times has called, ‘the olympics of dance’, and we look forward to our return in August for the 43rd year of the Battery Dance Festival in a model civic partnership with BPCA,” said Jonathan Hollander, Founder & Artistic Director, Battery Dance.
These special events are in addition to BPCA’s year-round, weekly recurring programs for all ages, including art, fitness, sports, gardening, and more.
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