Friday, June 24th 5-8pm
The annual Swedish Midsummer Festival will take place in Battery Park City. At this unique celebration, adults and children come together to picnic in the grass, decorate the midsummer pole, make flower wreaths, play traditional games and dance to authentic fiddle music.
Robert Wagner Park And Pier A Plaza, Battery Park City http://swedenabroad.com
June 22nd and June 24th
The 2016 Metropolitan Summer Recital Series will once again bring free outdoor recitals featuring rising young stars of the opera world to New Yorkers in all five boroughs. The series, now in it’s eighth year, will feature six free concerts between June 22nd and July 13th. The first two recitals, on June 22nd at 8 pm at Central Park Summerstage and June 24th at 7 pm in Brooklyn Bridge Park, will feature soprano Angel Blue, (a rising star who will soon make her Met debut), tenor Ben Bliss and baritone Alexey Lavrov.
Tuesday June 14th, 6 – 9 pm
One day a year, for the past 38 years, seven of the country’s finest museums-all those that call Fifth Avenue home-collectively open their doors from 6pm-9pm for free to New Yorkers and visitors. It’s a festive mile-long block party and celebration. Museum Mile Festival began as an initiative to spur the development of new museum audiences and increase support for the arts during the fiscal crisis of the 1970’s. The Festival’s reach now goes far beyond New York City. Thousands of tourist from around the country and world make their trip to the Festival a yearly vacation tradition. Some of the museums participating are: The Met, Guggenheim, Cooper Hewitt, Jewish Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York.
More info at http://museummilefestival.org
Sunday, June 26th 12 noon
People come from all over the world every June to celebrate gay rights with tons of events throughout the city that culminate in the Gay Pride parade-NYC’s biggest gay celebration. The festivities commemorate the Stonewall riots, which launched the gay-rights movement in 1969.
The parade begins at 36th Street and Fifth Ave. and ends in the West Village
May 3 – June 11th
An exhibition of recent abstract paintings by 101-year-old artist Carmen Herrera will inaugurate Lisson Gallery’s first permanent exhibition space in New York during Frieze week. Despite only coming to the attention of a wider art world a decade or so ago, Herrera has been painting for almost 80 years and continues to do so from her studio in Manhattan. Herrera’s innovative and historic achievements as an artist are being honoured with a solo show at the Whitney in fall 2016. Lisson Gallery is unveiling 20 major works produced over the past two years.
Lisson Gallery, 241 Eldridge Street http://lissongallery.com
Calling all drama Queens (and Kings)! If theater is your game (and if you’re a true New Yorker, it’s part of your DNA), then Drama Book Shop has got your name. These hallowed walls – an integral hub for the performing arts community since 1917 – contain everything in print related to show business. The basement level houses a performance space for theatrical rehearsals, lectures and workshops. An important destination for the aspiring thespian and fans alike.
Drama Book Shop, 250 West 40th Street http://dramabookshop.com