Summer is in full-swing, and that means festival season has arrived. New York City is a mecca of diverse people with interests and ideas from all across the spectrum. Be sure to carve out some time this season for these five festivals celebrating food, music, theatre, dance, and film.
Best of NYC Summer Festivals: BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! (Brooklyn)
Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park brings together the sounds and sights of New York’s favorite performers for both free shows and benefit concerts. Indie rockers, French songwriters, hip hop DJs, and GRAMMY-winning artists are just a sampling of what you can find this summer at Celebrate Brooklyn! You can head over from now through mid-August to see this eclectic group of musicians that includes Conor Oberst, Andrew Bird, Chronixx, and Robert Randolph & the Family Band. 9th St. & Prospect Park W., 718-683-5600, bricartsmedia.org
Best of NYC Summer Festivals: City Parks Foundation SummerStage (Central Park)
SummerStage 2017 is here, and it’s brought with it entertainment to last you through summer’s official end in September. You can catch live jazz bands, rockers, and singer-songwriters amongst other talented musicians. There are also dance companies performing hip-hop, ballet, and modern showcases. Excerpts from the Broadway musical A Bronx Tale and comedy troops from UCB improv will be in the mix as well. If you’re interested in some big-name bands like Muse and All Time Low, you can get tickets to see them too. 69th St. at 5th Ave., 212-360-2756, cityparksfoundation.org
Best of NYC Summer Festivals: MoMA PS1 Warm Up (Queens)
Warm Up is hosted by the Museum of Modern Art, and it prides itself on presenting the public with a lineup of emerging and established artists that represent music styles from a broad range, both locally and globally. Some of the artists who will be performing are Jackmaster, ASAP Ferg, ACTRESS, Moor Mother, Laurel Halo, Mike Q, John Maus, Cardi B, Sophie, Jacques Greene, and RP Boo. You can buy tickets in advance for $18 or you can be spontaneous and grab them day-of for $22. 22-25 Jackson Ave., 718-784-2084, moma.org
Best of NYC Summer Festivals: NYC Parks Movies Under the Stars (Multiple Locations)
Movies Under the Stars has locations all over New York, so no movie-lover will be without this summer. Relive those fabulous summer nights of your youth, and catch a flick under the New York City sky. Upcoming titles to be played in Manhattan include Curly Sue (1991), The Little Mermaid (1989), Zootopia (2016), Face Off (1997), and Fanstastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island are also playing films throughout the summer, so no matter where you find yourself, you’ll be in luck thanks to this ongoing screening festival. nycgovparks.org
Best of NYC Summer Festivals: Urbanspace Broadway Bites (Midtown West)
If nothing gets you quite as excited as food does, Broadway Bites is the place for you. The outdoor summer market is open everyday until July 14th, when it takes a break before the fall market. Vendors include Might Quinn’s BBQ, DAA! Dumplings, Squish Marshmallows, Top Hops Beer Shop, Domo Taco, Kimchi Bowl, Chick’ n Cone, East Coast Poke, and the Doughnut Project, just to name a few. Get hungry and get down here, it’s a tasty sampling that you won’t want to miss! 33rd & Broadway, urbanspacenyc.com
