Summer Returns with a Wave of Free Programming across Battery Park City All Season Long
Access the Summer 2022 Program & Event Guide in New York State’s ten most common non-English languages as follows: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (traditional), Haitian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Yiddish
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) today released its Summer 2022 Program & Event Guide, detailing hundreds of free public programs and events – including outdoor concerts, opera, ballet, walking tours, film screenings, art and nature, virtual screenings, and more – taking place across Battery Park City’s 36 acres of parks from May through August. The Guide is available on BPCA’s website, with hard copies to all mailing list subscribers arriving in mailboxes this week. 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.
“There’s no time like summertime in Battery Park City, with a wide range of diverse and dynamic free events for all ages throughout our world-class public spaces,” said BPCA President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones. “We are looking forward to once again present live, outdoor community programming that has been a community highlight for decades as New York City re-opens with a sense of renewal and hope – and fun!”
“I am delighted to see such a rich variety of free public events being produced in Battery Park City this summer, and I thank the Battery Park City Authority for presenting programming to engage and inspire the Lower Manhattan community,” said State Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick, who represents Battery Park City. “Their events reflect the breadth and diversity of New York City and will provide a great opportunity to enjoy arts and culture in a wonderful outdoor setting.”
“Is it warm yet? The Lower Manhattan Community is champing at the bit to enjoy their open spaces to the fullest and the Battery Park City Authority’s summer programing is second to none,” said Manhattan Community Board 1 Chair Tammy Meltzer. “We look forward to enjoying BPC Parks and open spaces as they are an irreplaceable jewel that make this community so unique. Soon these spaces will be filled with workers, tourists, students, and New Yorkers from across the city and it will be a welcome step forward to New York at its best.”
Highlights of the BPCA’s Summer 2022 event schedule include—
MAY
– Sustainability Walking Tour.In celebration of NYC’s Circular City Week, join BPCA in partnership with the TRUE zero waste certification team for a walking sustainability tour offering an in-depth look at zero waste efforts in Battery Park City. Stick around after the tour to get hands-on experience performing a waste audit. Click here to register.
Tuesday, May 3, 10AM @ 75 Battery Place
– Strings-on-Hudson: Villalobos Brothers. In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, BPCA presents The Villalobos Brothers. One of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles, their original compositions and arrangements masterfully fuse and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music.
Thursday, May 5, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
– Go Fish! Battery Park City’s Celebration of Life in the Hudson River Estuary.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 of the hit internet show Sing with Suzi featuring Suzi Shelton and special guest The Culture Queen.
Saturday, May 21, 10AM-1PM @ Wagner Park
- 10AM-1PM: Catch-And-Release Fishing
- 10:45AM: Art Project
- 11AM: Family Show
- 12:15PM: Nature Walk
Said Suzi Shelton: “I’m thrilled to perform my first full band performance in over two years right here in Battery Park City, and to collaborate with my friend and special guest Culture Queen for a family performance that will be sure to boost confidence and celebrate your children’s inner royal powers such as kindness, compassion, curiosity, and courage!”
– Interludes: Ballet Hispánico. Time to dance! Join us for a Latin social dance workshop with Ballet Hispánico, one of the nation’s largest Latinx dance organizations. This all ages dance session features salsa, merengue, Afro-Cuban, and other Latinx dance forms that will get you up and moving!
Thursday, May 26, 6:30PM @ Belvedere Plaza
JUNE
– Teatro Grattacielo: Giulietta & Romeo. In partnership with Teatro Grattacielo, a rare jewel of opera history comes to Battery Park City. Giulietta e Romeo, composed by Riccardo Zandonai, will be presented in three acts of love, passion, and tragedy. The company is known for its forward thinking, progressive, and multimedia based exploration of opera – a treat for the senses! Part of the Festival of New York series.
Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, 9-11PM, Wagner Park
– River To River Festival. Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) co-presents performances with Battery Park City Authority in celebration of the River To River Festival’s 21st season. Annually, the festival brings free outdoor, site-specific arts events in areas around Battery Park City, engaging acclaimed New York artists and the local community through dynamic activations, performances, and participatory opportunities across disciplines and practices. For more information visit: LMCC.net/R2R
– Juneteenth Celebration. Celebrate Juneteenth with music and art! Also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth originated in 1865 in Galveston, Texas, and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Take a horse ride and learn about horsemanship and history with the Federation of Black Cowboys. Make a Juneteenth flag you can take home. Music by Chaney Sims Band.
Saturday, June 18, 2-5PM @ Belvedere Plaza
– Swedish Midsummer Festival. Enjoy this unique celebration of the summer solstice. Join in lively dance around the Midsummer pole with Barnklubben Elsa Rix. Make wreaths from beautiful flowers representing those in bloom on the solstice in Sweden. 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.
Friday, June 24, 5-8PM @ Wagner Park
JULY
– River & Blues Concert Series. For more than a generation, River & Blues has presented incredible musical talent framed by summer sunsets on the Hudson. Join us on four Thursdays this July @ 6PM in Wagner Park:
- July 7 – Nicole Atkins
- July 14 – Eljuri Cha Wa
- July 21 – Lady Wray
- July 28 – Cedric Burnside & Maggie Rose
– Community Dance: Cumbia. Experience the energy and vivacity of Afro-Colombian musical ensemble Rebolu! Learn the traditional steps of cumbia, puya, mapale and bellerengue with an instructor-led movement workshop and then hit the dance floor during a live performance.
Saturday, July 23, 6:30PM @ Esplanade Plaza
“We are so delighted to bring some of the finest Colombian musicians in the United States to BPC’s Community Dance this July!” said Johanna Castaneda of Rebolu. “After the past two years we’ve had, we cannot wait to share our strong, mesmerizing beats of urban modern Caribbean sounds that will rush into your system like a dose of pure contagious energy!”
AUGUST
– Community Dance: Citywide Dance Party. On a single day, at partner sites across all five boroughs, thousands of New Yorkers will be dancing in a moment of mass joy and celebration. Dancer Dash Perry and troupe will teach us some of their signature moves, accompanied by DJ Susan Z Anthony. Come out to BPC’s ultimate outdoor dance party – and let’s all dance together!
Saturday, August 6, 6:30PM @ Esplanade Plaza
– Interludes: LADAMA. LADAMA has a sound hatched across continents and languages combining traditional and non-traditional instrumentation. This group of four dynamic women delivers a fresh take on Pan-American rhythms creating a unique blend of enthralling sounds, making them rising stars on the Latin Alternative music scene.
Thursday, August 11, 6:30-8PM @ Belvedere Plaza
– 41st Battery Dance Festival. New York City’s longest-running free public dance festival, returns this summer with live performances at Rockefeller Park. The Festival will feature international companies from Singapore, Canada, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, India, and Tahiti, as well as some of the best New York City has to offer. If you can’t attend the Festival in person, tune into the free livestream for our audiences around the world. Celebrate the joy of dance this summer in Battery Park City!
August 13-19, 7PM @ Rockefeller Park
For more information visit: batterydance.org
These special events are in addition to BPCA’s weekly recurring programs for all ages, including art, fitness, sports, gardening, and more.
We look forward to seeing you this summer in Battery Park City!
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