Our team of event planners – with a cumulative experience of 250 years over tens of thousands of events with millions of guests – recently sat down and shared some of their top tips for planning and hosting a great event. From weddings and mitzvahs to conferences and galas, they’ve handled almost every kind of event, successfully navigating any obstacle and challenge from furniture not showing up to furniture collapsing minutes before guest arrivals; from torrential downpours on a day with a zero percent chance of rain to soaring temperatures resulting in blackouts and no air-conditioning; and from guest counts increasing last minute requiring food to seemingly multiply to a featured dish disappearing hours before service. They’ve seen it all and successfully managed the challenges with such poise and grace that the guests – and often the hosts – didn’t even know that there was a problem.
Read on to discover our top tips or check out some winter event ideas to get your party planning juices flowing!
Food & Beverage Tips
Include fun beverage choices for non-drinkers.
We’re coming across more “sober-curious” guests who want to enjoy fun, beautiful, instagramable drinks without the hangover. Provide a variety of juices and soft beverages and make sure you have at least one specialty zero-proof cocktail for guests to enjoy.
Plan to accommodate multiple dietary preferences and restrictions.
Allergy-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan–know who’s eating what. Knowing what dietary preferences and restrictions your guests have and communicating that with your planners ensures that everyone feels included and can enjoy all aspects of the event. We’re encouraging hosts to go a step further and build a menu that already accounts for various diets.
Event Timing Tips
Event Planning Tips
Spend enough time planning.
Engage your planner and review your event details to confirm your event needs. Any changes should be made well in advance of the event. What may seem like a small change may have a domino effect and impact many other factors of your event. Proper planning and consulting with your event planner can save everyone headache and money in the long run.
Be comfortable with your backup plan.
This is probably the most emphatically agreed upon tip from all of our planners. It’s important to not just have a backup plan, but be comfortable with it! In fact, the more comfortable you are with your backup plan, the better everything else will be. You’ll be confident going into your originally planned event because you know you have a contingency plan that will work and be wonderful; and if plans go awry, you’ll be ready to act upon your contingency plan quickly and seamlessly.
Updated Winter 2024 – 2025
CELEBRATING FATHER'S DAY: TIMING IS EVERYTHING
At Great Performances, we not only celebrate life’s moments for our clients, but for our own families and colleagues as well. This year, we’re especially fortunate in celebrating Father’s Day across several generations, including two very new dads – Chef Stratos Georgedakis who just welcomed a baby in early May and our booking directory Tim Berryman who welcomed a baby just a short week ago. Congratulations to the two of them!
Over the years, we’ve shared some wonderful stories from our colleagues about their fathers day traditions and memories. This year, we’re delighted to share a story from the perspective of one of our dear colleague’s sons.
You’ll remember Mike Warren, Director of Catering at CPS Events at The Plaza, and the photo he shared a couple years ago of he and his sons at his wedding. This year, Mike’s son, Elliott, contributed an article about what Father’s Day means for him and how food
Me and my boys at my wedding. Love wins. They love me for who I am, and I love them unconditionally.
Father's Day Reunion: Celebrating by Cooking Together
by Elliot Warren
Growing up with a dad in the catering industry meant being raised, in part, by food. Father’s Day was not the only excuse for mouth watering steaks (a regular occurrence in my household, and my dad’s favorite meal) or a fine selection of cheese, charcuterie, and all the accoutrements—that was just a regular Sunday evening for me. If it’s not already obvious, my dad made sure that I grew up with an appreciation and respect for food and all the wonderful experiences and memories it brings.
When I moved away to college in DC, I brought my love of food with me. I was the chef-du-jour for my fraternity’s Thanksgiving, winter holiday, and Superbowl parties. As I grew older, the love for food my father instilled in me only grew. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered my ability to share with him my ever-improving culinary skills.
After not being able to see each other for two years, my dad visited me in my new home in Richmond, Virginia. At the top of his to-do list for our visit was to cook a meal together, something we had not been able to do together since before I went to college—and certainly not since I had improved as a home cook. He left the menu selection to me, and being excited by my new home in the South (and to provide something new for my Brooklyn-bred dad), I chose a recipe by my favorite southern chef, Vivian Howard. As my father taught me, seasonality is key and so I opted for a recipe to highlight delicious summer produce and provide a refreshing but hearty dinner—Vivian’s roasted pork chops with watermelon.
It was a simple meal but delectable and fun to make. The watermelons start cubed on top of the meat and through the process shrivel into a stewed-tomato like texture but with the wonderful summer flavor of watermelon. Paired with the perfect wine (my dad’s domain and my next culinary challenge) we had an unforgettable meal, and I was reminded of the power of food as I was immediately transported back to those days more than ten years ago when we would sit on our patio eating cheese and charcuterie, with steaks on the grill.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND THE BRONX: JUNE 2022
By Great Performances
Explore exciting community events around the Bronx during June of 2022.
MUSIC MATTERS
Featuring ¡Retumba!
Saturday, June 4th and Saturday, June 25th at 1:00pm
Location: Mill Pond Park (Exterior St between E 150th & E 153rd St., Bronx, NY 10451)
Admission: FREE!
An exciting music and dance ensemble show-casing folkloric and contemporary dances with rhythms from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, Brazil, Mexico and Africa. Performances in English and Spanish.
BUTTERFLY RELEASE AT CONCRETE PLANT PARK
Saturday, June 4th from 12:00pm-4:00pm
Location: Concrete Plant Park (1370 Westchester Ave, Bronx NY)
Join us for this special culminating event a part of Flutter By, a series on supporting pollinators. Come out to support the release of butterflies and stay to celebrate community, friends and family with music, activities, and more!
COMMUNITY PADDLE
Friday, June 10th from 10:00am-2:00pm
Location: 1490 Sheridan Blvd., Bronx, NY 10459, USA
Friday, June 17th from 1:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Concrete Plant Park, 1357 Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY 10459
This is a great activity for beginners and families to join. Waves of paddlers will spend about 30-45min on the river, in order to maximize the number of community members able to participate in this event. Canoes will be available for partners and families, and kayaks will be available for solo paddlers.
WORLD OF BIRDS ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND
Saturday, June 11th & Sunday, June 12th from 10:00am-4:00pm
Tickets: included with Admission Ticket to the Zoo
Join us to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic Bronx Zoo World of Birds.
- Learn all about the different species of birds
- Get hands on with fun birding crafts
- Meet some very large bird puppets
- Check out the bird meet and greet
BREW AT THE ZOO
Friday, June 17th from 6:00pm-11:00pm
Tickets: Start at $39.99
Kick off the summer at the Bronx Zoo! Brew at the Zoo, your favorite after-hours party for adults ages 21+, is back on Friday, June 17.
You’ll get up-close with 52 life-sized dinosaurs and pterosaurs on our BRONX ZOO DINOSAUR SAFARI walking trail! Get “lit” in our new ILLUMINATED PLAYGROUND, with lighted swings, seesaws, and more. Play NEW GAMES including 60 second challenges at the Tournament Zone, EXPANDED TRIVIA, and Name That Tune, and take photos with illuminated characters!
Plus, enjoy MORE VIP EXCLUSIVES than ever before, including exclusive beer and wine sampling areas, new locations and photo ops throughout the park, and exclusive VIP swag.
And of course, your favorite Brew at the Zoo classics return, with sample bites from food trucks and zoo cafes, and tastings of more than 100 varieties of beer, wine and cider.
ART FEST
Wednesday, June 29th from 4:00-6:00pm
Come share your art with folks from the Mott Haven community! We’ll be serving up $6 cocktails and $6 tacos for the event.
Please RSVP by messaging @MaeMaePlantCafe on Instagram or buy emailing maemaecafe@greatperformances.com.
AROUND THE TABLE: STORIES OF THE FOODS WE LOVE
Saturday, June 4th through Sunday, September 11th from 10:00am-6:00pm
A Celebration of the Art and Science of Edible Plants
Food is at the center of many of life’s most important events. When we gather together for a meal, the dishes we share often tell a story—and we share a bit of ourselves. Explore the rich cultural history of what we eat throughout this multifaceted, engaging exhibition that examines the art and science of foodways and food traditions, many dating back thousands of years. From global dietary staples such as rice, beans, squash, and corn to the regional spice and flavor provided by peppers, greens, and tomatoes, plants are at the base of all culinary customs. Discover the diversity and beauty of plants that are grown for cuisine around the world. Across NYBG’s 250-acre landscape, uncover the botanical origins of the foods you think you know; gain a deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of food choices throughout history; and gather at artist-designed tables that explore the significance of the featured plants, bringing to life inspiring stories of community and survival.
EDIBLE ACADEMY FRESH FROM THE GARDEN TASTINGS
Every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00pm and 4:00pm
Get hands-on with healthy cooking using new recipes featuring plants grown in the Edible Academy. NYBG staff create these family-friendly recipes using seasonal vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and kids and adults alike can learn how garden-to-table cooking is not only nutritious, but fun, too. While you’re exploring the Edible Academy, get hands-on with the crops in the vegetable garden during Dig! Plant! Grow! each month.
PELHAM BAY PARK FOREST RESTORATION
Friday, June 10th from 9:00am-12:00pm
Location: Meet at the north side of Orchard Beach Parking Lot
Free to Join
Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect the forested areas in Pelham Bay Park! Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health.
PELHAM BAY PARK MILE-A-MINUTE CHALLENGE
Saturday, June 18th from 9:00am-12:00pm
Location: Meet at the north side of Orchard Beach Parking Lot
Free to Join
NYC Parks needs your help to defend Pelham Bay Park against the mile-a-minute vine! The annual Persicaria perfoliata vine is capable of growing up to six inches a day, often destroying young trees in the process.
THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC CONCERTS IN THE PARKS: VAN CORTLANDT PARK
Tuesday, June 14th from 8:00pm-10:00pm
Location: Enter the park from Broadway, near West 251st Street. The concert site is north of the baseball fields.
Free to Join
The New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, have become an iconic New York summer experience since they began in 1965, transforming parks throughout the city into a patchwork of picnickers and providing music lovers with an opportunity to hear classical music under the stars. This beloved series returns in June 2022 after two years of cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LEARN TO RIDE A BIKE: BRONX EVENT
Saturday, June 18th from 11:0am-2:00pm
Location: Southwest Playground
This service will offer a variety of techniques geared towards developing the participants knowledge in learning how to ride a bike.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK: JUNE 2022
By Great Performances
Explore Great Music, Art and More at Our Partner Venues This Month!
THE RENAISSANCE IS NOW!
Thursday, June 9th at 8:30am
Location: Soundstage at the Apollo
CHANCELLOR’S DAY WITH APOLLO EDUCATION
Spend Chancellor’s Day with Apollo Education for a full-day workshop with Apollo New Works artists, Black Gotham Experience and Soul Science Lab. This workshop created for educators of grades K through 12, will expand your perception of the Harlem Renaissance with a modern 21st century lens, refreshing how the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance is taught.
We will start the day with a keynote from Black Gotham Experience’s Founder and Lead Creative Kamau Ware. Study Black Gotham Experience’s perspectives about the study of community history and participate in a walking tour through the Apollo’s Harlem neighborhood. This interactive tour will explore the ways that Harlem is a center of expression, inventiveness, and activism for thinkers and artists from across the African Diaspora.
In the afternoon, Soul Science Lab will share excerpts from their new show The Renaissance Mixtape that highlight the importance of history and actively imagine what healthy and joyful Black futures can look and feel like. Alongside this innovative team of artists and educators, you will explore new ways to introduce students to study the past, examine the present, and consider their role in the future of their community. This workshop includes a songwriting workshop based on the core concepts of The Renaissance Mixtape. Ending the day, we will share our creations with each other, reveling in the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance.
All educators are welcome! The full day program is appropriate for all K-12 educators who teach the Harlem Renaissance.
Please dress comfortably, walking tours of Harlem will be included.
Six hours of New York State CTLE (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education) credit will be available for attendance.
SPRING BENEFIT 2022
Friday, June 13th at 7:00pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
The Spring Benefit, the Apollo’s signature fundraiser, is a spectacular celebration of the Theater’s rich legacy and its commitment to its future as a mission-led arts and cultural organization, a community anchor and an economic driver for Harlem and New York City. Known as one of the hottest events of the year, the Benefit brings together New York City’s elite business, entertainment and philanthropic communities in support of the Apollo.
Proceeds from the Spring Benefit support the Apollo’s important performing arts, education and community initiatives. The Apollo Theater is a not-for-profit organization.
POP-UP MAGAZINE: SPRING 2022 ISSUE
Thursday, June 2nd at 7:30pm
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Ticket Information: Start at $39
Imagine a comedy show, play, concert, podcast, and film—all wrapped into one night. That’s Pop-Up Magazine, the acclaimed live magazine show. In this unforgettable live multimedia experience, renowned and emerging storytellers and journalists share original and unforgettable true stories accompanied by illustration, animation, film, photography, and an original live score by our musical collaborators, Magik*Magik Orchestra.
Contributors to Pop-Up Magazine’s Spring 2022 Issue include:
• Podcast host Tracy Clayton (Another Round, Netflix’s Strong Black Legends)
• Author and illustrator Kristen Radtke (The Verge; Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, and Imagine Wanting Only This)
• 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist Chloé Cooper Jones (author of Easy Beauty)
• Writer Brooke Jarvis (The New York Times Magazine, Wired, The New Yorker)
• Author Elena Passarello (Let Me Clear My Throat and Animals Strike Curious Poses)
• Photographer Oscar Castillo (Magnum Foundation grantee)
• Filmmaker Adrian L. Burrell (The Game God(S))
GISELLE
Wednesday, June 8th through Sunday, June 11th
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Ticket Information: Start at $35
THE ICONIC BALLET, REIMAGINED.
One of today’s most celebrated dance artists, Akram Khan, brings breathtaking vision to the greatest Romantic ballet and its story of love, betrayal, and redemption. Featuring a cast of almost 50 dancers, this acclaimed production by English National Ballet comes to BAM for its New York premiere.
As the curtain rises, shadowy figures struggle against a forbidding wall. From that moment on, Akram Khan’s Giselle stuns with powerful images and mesmerizing choreography. With a new score by Vincenzo Lamagna adapted from Adolphe Adam’s original composition, the production features spectacular sets and costumes by Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and atmospheric lighting design by Mark Henderson. Enter the rich world of Khan’s timely reimagining: a condemned factory haunted by vengeful ghosts and collective female rage.
NIGHTWALKS WITH TEENAGERS
Wednesday, June 15th through Saturday, June 18th at 7:30pm
Location: Brooklyn
Ticket Information: Start at $35
Teenagers run the show in this social-specific performance, conceived by internationally recognized theater company Mammalian Diving Reflex. Local youth design, plan, and lead an exploration of Brooklyn at night, welcoming audiences into their lives and neighborhood. Over the course of one rambunctious evening, a community forms through the power of walking together. With a mix of stories, games, performances, and conversation, Nightwalks with Teenagers invites teens and adults to share a unique social experience where everyone can let loose, and silences lead to moments of revelation.
DRAG AND DRAW WITH YAS MAMA
Thursday, June 9th from 7:00pm-9:30pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Ticket Information: $35 and include after-hours admission to Andy Warhol: Revelation, your own Brooklyn Museum tote, and a complimentary drink. Member tickets are $25.
Sip and sketch in our backyard Sculpture Garden this summer with a monthly series of life drawing classes. Drink and Draw—this month, Drag and Draw—is open to all levels and accompanied by a refreshing beverage and musical vibes by local DJs. Celebrating the arts of drawing and drag in honor of Brooklyn Pride, the June installment features live models from Yas Mama, Brooklyn’s favorite night of Latinx drag starring local talent. Experiment with watercolor and crayon in this casual class led by teaching artist Mellasenah Nicole Edwards. While you draw, enjoy music and performances by some of NYC’s best drag queens, hosted by Horrorchata, mother of the House of Bushwig.
LGBTQ+ TEEN NIGHT: (DIS)RESPECTFULLY US
Friday, June 10th from 5:00pm-7:30pm
Location: Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor
Ticket Information: This program is free, but space is limited, and registration is required. Open to all youth ages 14–22. All participants must abide by our community agreements.
Brought to you by BkM Teens, LGBTQ+ Teen Nights are free inclusive events planned by and for LGBTQ+ teens and allies. Join us for our ninth annual LGBTQ+ Teen Night, featuring a range of art-making, performances, and other activities inspired by current exhibits.
(Dis)Respectfully Us is organized by InterseXtions, our paid LGBTQ+ teen internship in queer art history and community programming.
HONORING JUNETEENTH
Sunday, June 19th from 12:00pm-5:00pm
Location: Throughout the Museum
Ticket Information: This program is free, but registration is required.
Honor Juneteenth—the annual holiday commemorating the end of legal slavery in the United States—with a full day of activities celebrating self-expression, community, and Black liberation and creativity. Taking place on Father’s Day, this year’s event will feature activities for the whole family.
OPENING NIGHT GALA BENEFIT
Saturday, June 18th at 5:30pm
Ticket Information: Starting at $750
Usher in Caramoor’s 2022 Summer Season with The Knights and Yo-Yo Ma! Join us to kick off our 77th season with our annual Opening Night Gala and celebrate the transformative philanthropy of Leslie Williams and Jim Attwood. As Caramoor’s current Chairman, Jim has served on our Board of Trustees for over 15 years, and through his leadership, Caramoor’s historic Inspire campaign was a tremendous success.
Benefit tickets, which include cocktails, concert, and gala dinner, start at $750. Individual and table options are available. A portion of each ticket is tax deductible.
CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH
Presented in collaboration with the Town of Bedford
Sunday, June 19th at 4:00pm
Ticket Information: FREE!
A Day to Energize and Recognize!
Join Caramoor as we celebrate African American freedom and achievement! Known as our country’s second Independence Day, Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and honors their families, heritage, and resilience. Millions celebrate this nationally and globally significant American holiday. Jeremiah Abiah — international acclaimed recording artist, vocal coach, and songwriter — performs a soulful set. Family-friendly activities complete this annual June jubilee steeped in tradition and joy. All are welcome!
3:00pm / Activities begin.
4:00pm / The performance begins.
AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Presented in collaboration with City Winery
Saturday, June 25th at 1:00pm
Daytime & Evening Headliner in Venetian Theater
Adult: Starting at $50 / Child: Starting at $25
Daytime Only / General Admission / Does Not Include Evening Headliner
Adult: $45 / Child: $20
The annual American Roots Music Festival is back with a day overflowing with Americana, blues, folk, and bluegrass! Molly Tuttle, a multi-award-winning guitarist/banjoist with a bluegrass vibe and gift for insightful songwriting, closes out the evening with her band, Golden Highway, in a barn-burning set.
Grounds open at 12:00pm, music starts at 1:00pm, headliner starts at 7:30pm. A detailed schedule of the day to come. We suggest bringing your own seating for the daytime performances.
JAZZTOPAD FESTIVAL
JAMES BRANDON LEWIS WITH LUTOSŁAWSKI QUARTET AND KAMIL PIOTROWICZ SEXTET
Tuesday, June 21st through Wednesday, June 22nd
Ticket Information: Start at $35
ABOUT THE SHOW
6/21
- 7:30pm: James Brandon Lewis with Lutosławski Quartet
- 9:30pm Kamil Piotrowicz Sextet
6/22
- 7:30pm Kamil Piotrowicz Sextet
- 9:30pm: James Brandon Lewis with Lutosławski Quartet
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
James Brandon Lewis – saxophone
Lutosławski Quartet:
Szymon Krzeszowiec – 1st violin
Marcin Markowicz – 2nd violin
Artur Rozmysłowicz – viola
Maciej Młodawski – cello
Kamil Piotrowicz Sextet:
Kamil Piotrowicz- piano
Krzysztof Szmańda – drums, vibraphone
Tomasz Dąbrowski – trumpet
Andrzej Święs – double bass
Kuba Więcek – alto saxophone
Piotr Chęcki – tenor and baritone saxophone
BRYAN CARTER PRESENTS JAZZ AT PRIDE: NYC
JAZZ AT PRIDE ORCHESTRA FEATURING ELLA BRIC, RICHARD CORTEZ, NATHAN FARRELL, J HOARD, VUYO SOTASHE, CHARLES TURNER, AND CHARENEE WADE
Monday, June 27th at 7:30pm and 9:30pm
Ticket Information: $40
ABOUT THE SHOW
Bryan Carter presented the inaugural Jazz at Pride event in 2019 featuring guest vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers and comedians in front of a 23-piece jazz orchestra. The concert event makes a triumphant return, this time at Dizzy’s Club, after a brief hiatus due to COVID and celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community within the jazz community.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Jazz at Pride Orchestra, featuring:
- Ella Bric
- Richard Cortez
- Nathan Farrell
- J Hoard
- Vuyo Sotashe
- Charles Turner
- Charenee Wade
CAMILLE THURMAN AND THE DARRELL GREEN QUARTET
BURT BACHARACH REIMAGINED
Friday, June 3rd and Saturday, June 4th at 7:00pm and 9:30pm
Location: The Appel Room
Ticket Information: Start at $45
WHAT TO EXPECT
An evening of beloved Burt Bacharach songs performed by multi-talented rising star Camille Thurman.
Reimagined versions of “The Look of Love,” “Going Out of My Head,” “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” and many more genre-spanning Bacharach hits.
ABOUT THE CONCERT
The sky’s the limit for the dynamic Camille Thurman. An award-winning composer and arranger, formidable saxophonist, jaw-dropping vocalist, and trusted bandleader, Thurman would still be making the “rising star” lists even if she focused on just one of her musical gifts. Thankfully, she’s instead rapidly developing every aspect of her artistry. For the past several years, Thurman has been a popular headliner at Dizzy’s Club and a regular presence with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and this performance will be her anticipated debut as an Appel Room headliner.
For the occasion, Thurman has developed a new program of reimagined Burt Bacharach hits. A genre-spanning artist himself, Bacharach was influenced at a young age by jazz icons Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie before becoming one of the most successful songwriters of all time. Over the course of his 60-plus year career, Bacharach has released nine number one hit songs and nearly 50 top ten hits, blending jazz, bossa nova, soul, and pop styles into a distinctive and enduring new sound.
With hundreds of songs to choose from, Thurman has teased just a few of the classics that she’ll reimagine with the help of her regular band the Darrell Green Trio, including “The Look of Love,” “Going Out of My Head,” and “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” Instantly catchy and yet subtly complex, Bacharach’s music is famously adaptable and popular among jazz musicians, and we can’t wait to see Thurman’s new interpretation in this special showcase.
THE BEST OF DUKE ELLINGTON
WITH THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
PRESENTED AS PART OF THE ERTEGUN JAZZ CONCERT SERIES
Friday, June 10th and Saturday, June 11th at 8:00pm
Location: Rose Theater
Ticket Information: Start at $60, Virtual Tickets $25
WHAT TO EXPECT
A sampling of Duke Ellington’s extensive songbook
Music that uplifts, enlightens, and rewards everyone from first-time listeners to lifelong fans
ABOUT THE CONCERT
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis closes the 2021-22 concert season with an audience favorite: an all-Ellington evening of musical masterpieces.
The possibilities are endless in an Ellington extravaganza like this. Over the course of six decades, Duke Ellington wrote well over 1,000 compositions, some of the richest and most enduring music of the past century. From his early days at the Cotton Club when Duke first took the world by storm with hits like “Creole Love Call” and “Black and Tan Fantasy” to his next wave of classics like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing),” “Mood Indigo,” “Sophisticated Lady,” and “In a Sentimental Mood,” Duke set the standard for concise songs in which every moment makes an impact.
Duke’s conceptual works—including his “Sacred Concerts” series and extended suites like Black, Brown & Beige, The Far East Suite, New Orleans Suite, and Latin American Suite—go even deeper. The music provides the ultimate canvas for a big band—and nobody plays it quite like the JLCO.
GENIUS ON DISPLAY: JOHANNA TORUÑO OF THE UNAPOLOGETIC STREET SERIES
Wednesday, June 8th from 6:00pm-7:00pm
Ticket Information: FREE!
Genius on Display continues at Poster House, featuring Johanna Toruño of The Unapologetic Street Series. Genius on Display is a platform for spotlighting the expertise of racialized artists and designers within the context of Poster House’s exhibitions and permanent collection. Join us as Johana shares their beautiful and impactful posters and compares their use of floral imagery to that of Ethel Reed: I am My Own Property.
Johanna Toruno is a Salvadoran-born migrant artist and creator of The Unapologetic Street Series focusing on the importance of storytelling through accessible art in a public spaces and the importance of queer folks in the arts.
This program series is presented by CMYK Council, Poster House’s working advisory board of BIPOC creatives, designers, educators, and museum staff.
JUNETEENTH – FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION!
Sunday, June 19th from 10:00am-6:00pm
In celebration of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, Poster House is pleased to offer free admission to the museum on Sunday, June 19 (discount applied at check-out).
FATHER’S DAY 2022
Sunday, June 19th, all day
Location: see below
Ticket Information: This is a premium-admission weekend, with a $2 surcharge per visitor
Father’s Day comes just as summer is filling our hearts. We invite you to plan for a day in the gardens. Find links below for more about a special Family Art Project, a morning session of yoga we hope will draw some of the dads we know enjoy Wave Hill, and a guided walk in the gardens in the afternoon.
Enjoy the very rare opportunity to picnic on the Wave Hill House Lawn, or, if you purchase a picnic from Great Performances, in Armor Hall. (Limited space is available in Armor Hall, on a first-come, first-served basis.) Bring your own feast or purchase a delicious picnic curated by our exclusive partner Great Performances, featuring cedar plank salmon, fresh spring salads and delectable desserts. There’s also a special meal for your junior gardeners (ages seven and under) available! Reservations are required by end-of-day Tuesday, June 14.
If you would like to picnic on the Wave Hill House Lawn, you may bring your own blanket and outdoor folding chairs. Enjoy this special day!
AILEY II – FREEDOM SERIES
Tuesday, June 21st at 5:00pm and 7:30pm
Location: Great Lawn
Ticket Information: $40. Wave Hill Members save 10%.
Ailey II, the second company of the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, presents its program, Freedom Series, outdoors on Wave Hill’s Great Lawn on the first day of summer. Ailey II is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s finest dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers.
Choreographed by Francesca Harper, Freedom Series travels through a landscape of memories creating a series of vignettes that embody and imagine a hybrid world where memory strives to influence the future. Depicted through this futuristic lens, and developed in collaboration with the Ailey II dancers, Harper’s work examines identity and community. With costumes by designer Elias Gurrola and a score featuring a blend of acoustic and electronic sounds, Freedom Series takes unexpected twists and turns that bridge tender moments to its intrinsic ferocity.
PAINT AND SIP
Sunday, June 12th at 12:00pm
Ticket Information: $50 includes all supplies and one glass of wine.
No painting experience necessary, to join us with the Paint Place, NYC’s #1 Paint and Sip studio for an afternoon of painting from Wollman Rink. Professional instructors will guide you step-by-step through this fun process where you leave with your own piece of art. The class includes instruction, paint, brushes, 16” x 20” blank canvas, apron, and one glass of wine. Enjoy painting outdoors at the iconic Wollman Rink with professional instructors. Paint the scenic Central Park surrounding Wollman Rink. The class will start promptly at 12:00 PM. Please arrive early to get your spot! Event is weather permitting. There will be additional wine available for purchase and the Wollman Café will be open to purchase snacks.
THE DISCOASIS
Beginning June 16th through July 31st
Ticket Information: Adults $23, Kids $17, Skate Rental $10
The DiscOasis is a timed-entry immersive theatrical experience that unites art, light, music, dance, live performances, roller skating, good times, and good vibes within the iconic Wollman Rink in Central Park. At The DiscOasis you will find yourself dancing and skating your way through a glittering sonic fantasia for the soul with a soundscape curated by our Groovemaster, disco and funk legend Nile Rodgers. Whenever you visit, you will be immersed in the groovy paradise that is The DiscOasis. The environmental design features art installations, photo ops, and soundscapes curated by Groovemaster Nile Rodgers.
The DiscOasis is rolling through New York for a limited engagement starting June 16. The experience will be open Wednesday-Sunday, with daytime skate sessions from 10:00am-4:30pm, and the nighttime experience from 5:30-10:00pm.
ENTICING TEAMS BACK TO THE OFFICE
By Great Performances
Thinking about returning to the office doesn’t spark a lot of joy in people. For many people, it’s about TPS reports, grabbing a few bites of a soggy salad or sandwich, possibly meandering over to the coffee station or water cooler to recaffeinate or rehydrate. Maybe exchanging desultory greetings with a passing colleague.
But what if we could transform this, and create more meaningful, engaging encounters around food! We know that people tend to congregate around food. The most popular room in a house is the kitchen! Often during friend and family get togethers, you’ll find people clustered around the kitchen counter, the grill, the beverage table — you get the picture.
We’ve worked with our corporate clients to create these pop up moments around food to help bring more excitement and engagement to the office. Held at different parts of the day, these food activations are specifically designed to bring deliciousness and fun to the work day. Our culinary teams conspire and collaborate with our venue teams and restaurant partners to design carts, stations, and stands that appeal to a wide variety of tastes.
The response we’ve gotten has been fantastic and people look forward to coming in to the office to see what treats we’ve got in store for them the next day.
Check out some of our favorite food popups below and let us know what you’d like to see in your office!
Attended Stations
From attended stations like the Omelet Bar, Thanksgiving Pies Stand, and the Fluff n Fluff Cotton Candy Station we take extra care to ensure our guests enjoy a variety of flavors and experiences. We’ve even got a roving Pretzel Express Cart that can move through the office delivering pretzels with a variety of dipping sauces to each work station.
Buffet Stations
For those looking for grab-and-go food options, we have dozens of experiences for your teams to enjoy! From partnerships with restaurants like Beard Papa’s with their wide variety of cream puffs to our own stations celebrating Peanut Lovers Day and Lobster Roll Day and an Avocado Toast station that’s anything but basic, we’ve got something for everyone!
Want to find out how to bring some of these experiences to your work places? Complete the form below and we’d be delighted to help you out.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK: MAY 2022
By Great Performances
Explore Great Music, Art and More at Our Partner Venues This Month!
SAMARA JOY
Saturday, May 14th at 10:00pm
Location: Soundstage at the Apollo
Ticket Information: $25 (plus $10 food or drink minimum)
Having won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition at the age of 19, Samara Joy is a self-possessed, deeply emotive vocalist with dynamic power. This rising star has been praised for masterfully referencing Apollo legends like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan in her captivating performances with nods to contemporary artists including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jazzmeia Horn, and H.E.R.
Tapped as one of America’s most promising young vocalists, Joy comes to the Apollo’s Music Café for an intimate performance that allows audiences to get to know this star on the rise. For 11 years, the Apollo Music Café, located on the Apollo’s Soundstage, has served as a launching pad for numerous artists, showcasing their unique artistry in an intimate nightclub setting that serves as a timely throwback to the Renaissance.
IMAGENATION’S COCKTAILS AND SOL CINEMA
Thursday, May 26th at 6:00pm
Ticket Information: $25 (includes one free cocktail)
IT’S DIFFERENT IN CHICAGO
Chicago is known by many as the birthplace of house music as well as an incubator for hip-hop hitmakers, yet the city remains divided over how it views its musical legacy. It’s Different In Chicago tells the story of how these music genres and the cultures around their communities have complemented and competed with each other, leading to deep revelations about the different segments within the Black community of Chicago.
This homegrown ode to the Chicago music scene will be preceded by a cocktail reception featuring DJ Stormin Norman, and followed by a discussion between curator Moikgantsi Kgama of ImageNation and filmmaker David Weathersby. This program will be taking place on the Apollo’s Soundstage.
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Tuesday, April 5th through Sunday, May 22nd
Location: BAM Strong, Harvey Theater
Ticket Information: Start at $45
US Theater Premiere
Direct from London’s West End, three-time Olivier-nominated stage and screen actor James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, X-Men) makes his BAM debut in a radical new adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s masterwork by Martin Crimp, with direction by Jamie Lloyd (Betrayal).
McAvoy leads a superb ensemble in this “breathtakingly exciting” (Evening Standard) theatrical tour-de-force that captures timeless passion through spoken word, contemporary poetry, and raw physicality. Cyrano seduces in raps and rhymes, using his linguistic brilliance to help another man win the heart of his one true love—above all—championing his own unbridled love for words.
Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Revival, the Jamie Lloyd Company’s latest production blazes into the Harvey Theater to celebrate Cyrano’s powerful resistance against overwhelming odds.
MAVIS STAPLES
Friday, May 20th at 8:00pm
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Ticket Information: Start at $35
BAM is thrilled to welcome national treasure Mavis Staples, a once-in-a-generation artist hailed by NPR as “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace.” In a career lasting more than 70 years, her impact on music and culture has been profound. The documentary Summer of Soul—Questlove’s directorial debut and winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival—features Staples as vital to the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, also known as “Black Woodstock.” She is a Blues and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, civil rights icon, Grammy winner, and winner of a Lifetime Achievement National Arts Award. She marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and sang in Barack Obama’s White House—and she has collaborated with everyone from Prince and Bob Dylan to Arcade Fire and Wilco, continuing to play festivals worldwide.
To record her third album, What the Flood Leaves Behind (2021), singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Amy Helm returned home to Woodstock’s Levon Helm Studios. The daughter of singer-songwriter Libby Titus and Levon Helm, a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and founding member of The Band, Amy began her musical career in the alt-country collective Ollabelle, later playing in her father’s Midnight Ramble Band. On Flood, Amy worked with songwriter, arranger and producer Josh Kaufman—known for collaborations with Taylor Swift, Bob Weir, The National, and The War on Drugs—in evolving her harmony-laden blend of Americana, country, blues, and gospel.
DANCEAFRICA 2022
Friday, May 27th through Monday, May 30th
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Ticket Information: Start at $35
FIRST SATURDAYS
Saturday, May 7th, all day
A whole variety of events will be hosted by the museum including:
- Signature Cocktail by Mood Ring, throughout the museum, 5:00-10:00pm
- Music: Shoko Nagai’s TOKALA, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion and Lobby, 1st Floor, 5:00-6:00pm
- Pop-up Poetry: Kundiman, Biergarten, Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 6:00-7:30pm
- Performance: Baseera Khan, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Forum, 4th Floor, 6:00-7:00pm
- Music: YiuYiu 瑶瑶, Beaux-Arts Court, 3rd Floor, 7:00-10:00pm
- Music: Nathan Bajar, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Pavilion and Lobby, 1st Floor, 7:00-8:00pm
- Film: New York, I Missed You, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor, 7:30-9:30pm
- Music: Disco Tehran, Biergarten and Martha A. and Rubin S. Pavilion and Lobby, 8:00-10:00pm
POP-UP MARKET
May 8th, 15th, and 22nd from 10:30am-5:30pm
Location: Brooklyn Museum Plaza
Stop by our market to shop one-of-a-kind, handmade items from local artisans. This weekly event features more than twenty vendors offering artwork, jewelry, fashion, home and apothecary goods, and more.
This event takes place outdoors.
AFTERNOON TEA
Friday, May 6th at 2:00pm
Friday, May 13th at 2:00pm
Friday, May 20th at 2:00pm
Friday, May 27th at 2:00pm
Ticket Information: Adult: $45, Child: $20
Spend time relaxing with friends and enjoying a formal tea service in the grand setting of the Rosen House, including a variety of tea sandwiches, scones with crème fraiche and preserves, delicious desserts, and a variety of fragrant teas — all served on exquisite vintage china.
Tickets include access to select rooms of the Rosen House beginning at 12:00pm.
EILEN JEWELL
Presented in collaboration with City Winery
Saturday May 14th at 8:00pm
Ticket Information: Start at $30
Eilen Jewell, the reigning Queen of the Minor Key, leads a tight quartet that blends influences of surf-noir, early blues, classic country, folk, and 1960s era rock ’n’ roll. Rolling Stone praised her clever songwriting, remarking that her “mix of gypsy jazz and old-timey folk music goes down easy,” but it was The Los Angeles Daily News that put it best: “She’s mighty good!”
JOEL ROSS, ZOE OBADIA, SEAN MASON, MARK LEWANDOWSKI, KAYVON GORDON
YOUNG MUNK PROJECT
Friday, May 20th through Saturday, May 21st
Ticket Information: Start at $40
ABOUT THE SHOW
“Joel is not only one of the preeminent instrumentalists of this era, but he is one of the greatest musical visionaries of his generation ” – Don Was, Blue Note Records
A curated band of bandleaders and rising stars, the Young Monk Project embraces the songs and spirit of their iconoclastic compositional and improvising hero, Thelonious Monk. To celebrate our mini-Monk Festival as the JLCO presents “Monk Con Clave” with special guests in Rose Theater over the weekend, Dizzy’s spotlights 5 remarkable young artists who have not played together as a band but have long admired each other from afar. They each bring their own arrangements to the bandstand, specific to the instrumentation of vibraphone and alto sax and rhythm section, interpreting the Monk’s handiwork through fresh perspectives. Catch this new band in their debut performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center!
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Joel Ross, vibraphone
Zoe Obadia, alto saxophone
Sean Mason, piano
Mark Lewandowski, bass
Kayvon Gordon, drums
LOUIS HAYES QUINTET: MY 85TH BIRTHDAY!
Thursday, May 26th and Friday, May 27th
Ticket Information: $45
ABOUT THE SHOW
Hard-swinging drummer and bandleader Louis Hayes celebrates his 85th birthday by bringing his high voltage quintet to Dizzy’s for two electrifying nights. While still in his teens in 1956, Louis Hayes moved to New York and joined the Horace Silver Quintet, spending the following years working with greats like John Coltrane and Curtis Fuller, and then joining Cannonball Adderley’s quintet in 1959. He has since become one of the most recorded drummers in history and one of the players most successful in navigating the changes in jazz since the hard bop era. Though his résumé also includes working with Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, Yusef Lateef, Ravi Shankar, J.J. Johnson, Ray Brown, Wes Montgomery, and countless more, he has spent the last several decades as a leader, mobilizing some of the tightest and most cohesive groups in the business.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Louis Hayes – drums
Abraham Burton – alto saxophone
Dezron Douglas – bass (5/26)
Gerald Cannon – bass (5/27)
Steve Nelson – vibraphone
David Hazeltine – piano
CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT
PRESENTED AS PART OF THE ERTEGUN JAZZ CONCERT SERIES
Thursday, May 12th and Friday, May 13th at 8:00pm
Location: Rose Theater
Ticket Information: Start at $40
WHAT TO EXPECT
A genre-defying NYC debut of three-time Grammy Award winner Cecile McLorin Salvant’s forthcoming album Ghost Song.
ABOUT THE CONCERT
Cécile McLorin Salvant is one of the most acclaimed jazz singers and composers of her generation. Her music fuses sounds from across generations and cultures, incorporating vaudeville, jazz, blues, and storytelling. With her remarkable vocal technique and on-stage persona, she performs rich interpretations of familiar songs and rare treasures alike.
A three-time Grammy Award winner and MacArthur Fellow, Salvant returns to Jazz at Lincoln Center for her fourth headlining performance with a New York City debut of her new commission and forthcoming album Ghost Song.
Cécile McLorin Salvant – vocals
Sullivan Fortner – piano
Keita Ogawa – percussion
Marvin Sewell – guitar
Alexa Tarantino – flute
Yasushi Nakamura – bass
MONK CON CLAVE
WITH THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA
PRESENTED AS PART OF THE ERTEGUN JAZZ CONCERT SERIES
Thursday, May 19th through Saturday, May 21st
Location: Rose Theater
Ticket Information: Start at $40
WHAT TO EXPECT
With music direction by JLCO bassist Carlos Henriquez, this concert explores Monk’s music through clave and swing rhythms.
Featuring special guest Pedrito Martinez
A world premiere of new and reinvented music inspired by Thelonious Monk, with an Afro-Latin tinge.
ABOUT THE CONCERT
The syncopated melodies and rhythms of genius composer Thelonious Monk get the Afro-Latin treatment in this one of a kind evening of clave and swing. With music direction by JLCO bassist Carlos Henriquez, this first-ever performance includes reinventions of Monk classics such as “Bye-Ya,” “Evidence,” “Boo Boo’s Birthday,” and inspired new works. With congas and clave providing the groove, any Monk piece becomes danceable.
Named “the most important Latin jazz artist in New York City today” and “the heir to the legacy of Tito Puente” by New York Latin Culture, Henriquez is the longtime bassist for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He is a Grammy Award-nominated artist, a talented arranger, and one of the most exciting bandleaders in town.
Hailing from the Bronx, Henriquez is a rare virtuoso in both the jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions, and he has been performing with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of 14. He’s also a natural entertainer who has led concerts ranging from Rubén Blades’s debut with the JLCO to a New Year’s Eve bash at Dizzy’s Club.
FIRST FRIDAY
Friday, May 6th from 10:00am-9:00pm
Ticket Information: FREE
Join Poster House on the First Friday of every month for free admission and extended hours! Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, or activity throughout the day. This month, the museum is thrilled to partner with Welcome to Chinatown for a series of programming that celebrates the culture, community, and resilience of Chinatown. Stop by and learn more about Welcome to Chinatown and how you can support the organization’s recovery efforts.
12pm-2pm Block Printing with Optimism
3pm Made in Chinatown: Designing for Our Own Communities
6:30pm Cinema on Paper Book Signing
7:30pm Blockchain & Chinatown: Thoughtfully Designing Technology
FASHIONING THE SELF: I AM MY OWN PROPERTY
Thursday, May 26th from 6:00-8:00pm
Ticket Information: $10
The exhibition Ethel Reed: I Am My Own Property highlights the artist’s masterful use of fashion and her appearance to control her own narrative and that ofher work. Of course, Reed wasn’t the only person of her time to leverage fashion to her advantage. How were Black people–whether free, freed, or enslaved–leveraging sartorial freedoms to construct and project new narratives? Join fashion historians Jonathan Michal Square and Elizabeth Way for an evening exploring the turn-of-the-century fashions of African Americans. Questions strongly encouraged!
Jonathan Michael Square is the Assistant Professor of Black Visual Culture at Parsons School of Design. He is also currently a fellow in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He founded and runs the digital humanities project Fashioning the Self in Slavery and Freedom, which explores the intersection between histories of enslavement and the fashion system.
Elizabeth Way is an Associate Curator at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her exhibitions include Global Fashion Capitals (2015), Black Fashion Designers (2016), Fabric In Fashion (2018), and Head to Toe (on view now). Way’s personal research focuses on the intersection of African American culture and fashion, and she edited the book Black Designers in American Fashion (2021).
A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
Tuesday, April 12th through Sunday, May 15th
Ticket Information: Start at $35
Inside a cubicle in a small office in southern Idaho, two men struggle to meet the confounding terms on a loan. MacArthur Fellow Samuel D. Hunter launches his residency with this thoughtful meditation on human resilience, directed by David Cromer (Tony Award- winner, The Band’s Visit).
MOTHER’S DAY 2022
Saturday, May 7th and Sunday, May 8th
Location: see below
Ticket Information: This is a premium-admission weekend, with a $2 surcharge per visitor
The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first in recorded history to celebrate mothers, in their case certain mother goddesses. Nowadays, mothers work even harder than ever to nurture us, whether or not they are our birth mothers, and Mother’s Day, wonderfully timed to coincide—in the northeast anyway—with the arrival of spring, is the perfect opportunity to pull out all the stops.
We invite you to plan for a day in the gardens on Saturday or Sunday, May 7 or 8. Find links below for more about a special Family Art Project both mornings, a guided walk in the gardens both afternoons, a session of spring birding, a free session of community yoga and a family nature walk, both on Sunday.
Enjoy the very rare opportunity to picnic on the Wave Hill House Lawn, or, if you purchase a picnic from Great Performances, in Armor Hall or on the Kate French Terrace. (Limited space available on the Terrace on a first-come, first-served basis.) Bring your own feast or purchase a delicious picnic curated by our exclusive partner Great Performances, featuring cedar plank salmon, fresh spring salads and delectable desserts. There’s also a special meal for your junior gardeners (ages seven and under) available! Reservations are required by Friday, April 29.
If you would like to picnic on the North Lawn, you may bring your own blanket and outdoor folding chairs. Enjoy this special day!
MAJEL CONNERY & THE BROTHERS BALLIET PERFORM: RIVERS ARE OUR BROTHERS
Saturday, May 14th from 2:00–3:00pm
Location: Armor Hall
Ticket Information: $30 Adult/$14 Child (8-18), including admission to the grounds. Advance tickets $2 off. Wave Hill Members save 10%
This performance features:
Majel Connery – Vocals, Vocoder, Electric Piano
Brad Balliett – Bassoon
Doug Balliett – Viola da Gamba
“The Rivers are Our Brothers” is a narrative song cycle on ecological responsibility told from the point of view of the land. With titles such as “I Am a River” and “I Am a Cloud”, each song is given the power of first-person speech to highlight important elements in the natural world, ascribing human qualities and feelings to water, trees, mountains, rivers, fish, air and rocks. Written and performed by Majel Connery (voice, vocoder, synthesizer), the artist says “The goal is to give nature a voice. I wanted to allow these vibrant things to speak on their own behalf.” Connery collaborated with musicians Edwin Huizinga and Ben Matus on the original compositions. At this concert, she is joined by The Brothers Balliett on bassoon and viola da gamba. “The Rivers are Our Brothers” was commissioned by Musica Sierra, an organization based in Northern California, and is as part of its “Musical Headwaters” program, a residency series that brings musicians and composers to the headwaters of the Feather River to compose and perform original works reflecting the natural world.
The concert begins at 2PM and lasts approximately one hour without intermission. Ages 8 and older welcome with an adult.
ROBOT HEART PRESENTS FARE FORWARD
Saturday, April 30th through Sunday, May 1st
Ticket Information: Start at $190.55
The Robot Heart Foundation is bringing the original Robot Heart Bus to New York City for a weekend filled with world-class performances, artistic experiences, next-level dining, and conscious revelry.
The line-up includes the DJ Dill, musical artists Formerly (preview), International DJ and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, Turkish DJ and producer Carlita, musician Acid Pauli, musical artists The Illustrious Blacks, Canadian folk music band The Weather Station, DJ and producer Behrouz, British musicians Cymande, DJ and live performer Francesca Lombardo and Danish electronic artist Be Svendsen.
Many more notable music artists have played at Wollman Rink Music Festivals, including B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Tina Turner, Patti Smith, Neil Young, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Meatloaf, Debbie Harry, Bruce Springsteen, The Who and the Doors, to name a few.
Fare Forward reignites this historical venue with a range of talent, multisensory production and the sensurround sound that music lovers have come to expect from the Robot Heart art car.
Fare Forward is part memorial for our founder, Geo, part 50th birthday celebration of our 1972 English bus and part celebration of 15 years of the Robot Heart community, Fare Forward is an invitation to appreciate the present moment. Achieve a state of unity. And transcend the material through an elation of the senses.
PAINT & SIP
Hosted by The Paint Place NYC
Sunday, May 15th at 2:00pm
Ticket Information: $50 (includes supplies and one glass of wine)
No painting experience necessary to join us with the Paint Place, NYC’s #1 Paint and Sip studio, for an afternoon of painting at Wollman Rink. Professional instructors will guide you step-by-step through this fun process where you leave with your own piece of art. The 2 hour class includes instruction, paint, brushes, 16” x 20” blank canvas, apron, and one glass of wine.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND THE BRONX: MAY 2022
By Great Performances
Explore exciting community events around the Bronx during May of 2022.
BRONX WEEK 2022
May 5th through May 15th
Beginning on May 5th, there will be a series of events from every sector of the community including senior activities, small business networking, family, health, finance, and more.
Bronx Week will culminate in a Black-tie gala honoring our Bronx Walk of Fame Inductees on Saturday, May 14th.
50TH ANNIVERSARY VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON GALA AND AUCTION
Tuesday, May 10th from 6:00-10:00pm
Location: Virtual
On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, The Bronx Museum of the Arts will host a grand virtual and in-person gala at Guastavino’s (409 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022) celebrating 50 years of championing the people of the Bronx, supporting important contemporary artists, and serving the youth through educational initiatives.
FLUTTER BY! RAISING BUTTERFLIES
May 10 at 11am: Part 1 – Raising Butterflies
May 24 at 11am: Part 2 – Raising Butterflies
Location: Virtual
Join a 4-part virtual series on how to support pollinators! Learn how to raise pollinators for release and pollinators live an how to protect them with Nathan Hunter of the Bronx River Alliance and Talima Wilson-Evans of Learn N’ Play Party Friends.
Follow along with the series as we learn about pollinator habitats and how to protect them, as well as learn how to raise butterflies for release at Concrete Plant Park on June 4th!
Series dates and topics:
April 5 at 11: Pollinators, our Insect Friends
April 19 at 11am: Habitats are homes for Pollinators
May 10 at 11am: Part 1 – Raising Butterflies
May 24 at 11am: Part 2 – Raising Butterflies
June 4 at 12pm: Special Butterfly Release In-person Event at Concrete Plant Park
THE AMAZING BRONX RIVER FLOTILLA!
Saturday, May 14th
Location: The Bronx River
Save the Date! The Amazing Bronx River Flotilla is scheduled for Saturday, May 14. This special fundraising paddle travels most of the length of the River within the Bronx, and helps ensure that the Alliance can continue to provide free and reduced-cost public programming to the communities we serve.
Join us as a sponsor, by starting a fundraising paddling team, or as a volunteer to help safely run the event.
Watch this space for more information, and volunteers can submit an interest form HERE.
MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK – KEYS TO THE CITY: BX MARKS THE SPOT
Saturday, May 14th at 10:00am
Tickets: Adults: $53, Youth (7-17): $27, Children under 6: Free
50 Clues & 1 Grand Prize. Unlock secret places, historic haunts, and new views as you and your team solve clues in our daylong scavenger hunt. Teams will solve clues in five of the Bronx’s most vibrant neighborhoods: Belmont, Fordham Heights, Crotona, Concourse, and Mott Haven. These neighborhoods are home to everything from the Bronx’s Little Italy to Fordham University to The Bronx Museum of Arts to the New York Yankees. Participants can expect to stroll down Arthur Avenue, discover the Bronx’s notable art and architecture, and take in the memorable sights and sounds of the borough where Hip-Hop was born!
In one adventurous day, you’ll encounter the past, present, and future of the Bronx as you document your journey, all while helping us raise vital funds to support the Museum. This past year has proven that it takes grit and determination to make it in New York. Do you and your friends have what it takes to hold the Keys to the City?
Saturday, May 14, 2022
- 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | Scavenger Hunt
- 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Closing Party & Award Ceremony
MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND GARDEN PARTY
Saturday, May 7th through Sunday, May 8th from 10:00am-6:00pm
Treat Mom to a One-of-a-Kind Garden Party
The most spectacular spring landscape New York City has to offer is the setting for live music, games, picnicking, and more.
DIG! PLANT! GROW!
WAKE UP, GARDEN!
Tuesday, May 10th through Friday, June 17th
Tuesdays–Saturdays; 1:30pm–5:30pm
Sundays and Monday Holidays; 10:00am–5:30pm
The Garden’s “salad days” are here! Explore and learn more about the spring crops (and lots of lettuce!) growing in the garden. Children are invited to pot up their own spring salad mix to take home.
Each season offers a new theme to investigate through hands-on activities and take-home projects at the Edible Academy!
HORSESHOE CRAB EXPLORATION
Sunday, May 15th from 1:00–2:00pm
Location: Section 2 Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
Free to Join
Join the Urban Park Rangers for a walk on the shore dedicated to the horseshoe crab, a “living fossil” that has existed for over 445 million years.
OUTDOOR SKILLS: SURVIVAL 101
Sunday, May 22nd from 1:00-2:00pm
Location: Pelham Bay Nature Center in Pelham Bay Park
Free to Join
Our Urban Park Rangers are well versed in outdoor lore. Learn tips and tricks that will enhance your knowledge of the natural world, and might just save your life. Whether you are preparing for an extended journey through the woods or just want to be more prepared for any situation, an outdoor skills program is the perfect fit for you. Learn the basic skills of outdoor survival including fire making, shelter building and water collection among other skills.
MOTHER NATURE HIKE AND CRAFT
Sunday, May 8th from 1:00-2:30pm
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center in Van Cortlandt Park
Free to Join
On this Mothers Day, explore the park in search of animal families and learn how mothers care for their young. We will also draw some inspiration from nature to create a Mother’s Day craft.
AAPI HERITAGE MONTH: CONTRIBUTIONS IN SCIENCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Sunday, May 29th from 11:00am-12:30pm
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with NYC Parks! Rangers will connect you to the meaningful contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander scientists and environmentalists.
SPRINGING UP IN NEW VENUES
By Great Performances
It’s been an incredibly busy month for us at Great Performances. From increasing our workplace dining numbers due to workers returning to their offices to the more increasing pace of events as people are more willing to gather and celebrate. But more than that, we’ve opened a number of new venues!
We’re celebrating the re-opening of Café Des Affiches at museum in Chelsea (Poster House), the grand opening of Trinity Café at a venerable institution in Wall Street (Trinity), and the rebirth of our beloved Mae Mae Café, reimaged as a Plant-Based Café + Plant Store.
A huge kudos to our operations and culinary teams for executing such distinctly delicious spaces and making it look so effortless. Read more about each of these venues at the links below!
Check out their poster exhibits and then take some time to relax with a delicious latte and pastry or enjoy a delightful salad with the most refreshing iced tea in the neighborhood!
119 West 23rd Street
New York, NY 10011
Huge windows fill the cafe space with plenty of natural light as you enjoy an innovative coffee (a Honey Rose Latte perhaps?) with the best avocado toast in Wall Street. Or perhaps you’re looking for a salad that’s as beautiful as it is delicious.
Trinity Commons
76 Trinity Place
New York, NY 10006
All things plants at Mae Mae! From a plant-based, Latin-inspired menu to plants waiting to be purchased to green your homes, Mae Mae is back and better than ever!
2417 Third Avenue, Ground Floor
The Bronx, NY 10451
MAE MAE CAFE BLOOMS AGAIN
By Great Performances
After three years, Mae Mae Café is opening at a brand new location with a brand new theme–but with the same company behind the magic.
Located in the Mott Haven section of the South Bronx, Mae Mae reopens with a plant-based theme as Mae Mae Café + Plant Shop. Not only will we sell plants and plant-related goods, the café will feature a plant-based menu. The delicious Latin-inspired menu takes its roots from a project Great Performances participated in with students from the Bronx as part of The Bronx Private Industry Council (The Bronx PIC) initiative at Here-to-Here. Bronx students worked together to come up with ideas for better integrating Great Performances into the Bronx. Among their ideas was creating a food station that incorporated the flavors of the Bronx which has been adapted for the Mae Mae Café menu.
Doubling as a plant store, the café is decorated with a variety of plants that can also be purchased. A potting bench available for use is overseen by Gloria, one of our famous llamas,
Mae Mae Café + Plant Shop
2417 Third Avenue, Ground Floor
The Bronx, NY 10451
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND THE BRONX: APRIL 2022
By Great Performances
BRONX NIGHT MARKET RETURNS!
Saturday, April 30th from 1:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Fordham Plaza
We are a small, diverse, majority female-operated team that’s passionate about creating fun and informed experiences for the “love-to-eat” community. We aim to showcase the vibrancy of the Bronx and its convergence with food and culture and create valuable opportunities for more micro-businesses and young entrepreneurs.
The idea is simple—curate a space for a diverse group of vendors to sell freshly made, delicious food, have local artists present their craft and create a platform for local entertainers to perform. Make it safe, affordable, approachable, and family-friendly. Simple, right?! Fordham Plaza proved to be the ideal location for our monthly celebrations: it is centrally located, easily accessible, and surrounded by a robust and supportive community hungry for activations. Founder Marco Shalma aligned our mission to improve commerce and aid in community initiatives with the guidance of Wilma Alonso, Director of the Fordham Road BID.
TREE PLANTING IN BRONX FOREST
Wednesday, April 20th from 9:30am-12:00pm
Location: Burke Avenue Bridge, Bronx Park, Bronx NY 10467
Celebrate Earth Week and help preserve vital habitat along the river by planting native trees in Bronx Forest! Find our team at the Burke Avenue Bridge in Bronx Park on Wednesday, April 20th from 9:30am-12pm.
BRONX RIVER OPEN HOUSE!
Saturday, April 23rd from 12:00pm-4:00pm
Location: 1490 Sheridan Blvd, Bronx, NY 10459
Join us as we officially open the Bronx River House for a celebration of community and an immersive demonstration of the programs that the Bronx River Alliance has to offer!
Activities will include:
- a community canoe paddling event
- kid-friendly environmental education programming
- a pop-up bike repair station and workshop
- a bagged compost giveaway (and food scrap drop off)
- and more!
RUN FOR THE WILD 2022
Saturday, April 30th at 8:00am
Each year, the WCS Run for the Wild raises awareness of the threats facing wildlife while fundraising to help WCS’s conservation work at the Bronx Zoo and around the world.
The 5k race for individual runners will begin at 8:00 a.m.; casual runners and walkers can take part in the 3K Family Fun Run/Walk at 9:30 a.m.
More than 5,000 runners and walkers are expected to participate in this year’s event. All are welcome to stay after the race to take part in post-run activities and visit the Bronx Zoo.
Runners, walkers, and wildlife supporters are invited to participate and/or support a participant.
BE A PLANT CHAMPION!
Saturday, March 26th through Friday, June 3rd
Tuesdays–Saturdays; 1:30pm–5:30pm
Saturdays, Sundays, and School Breaks; 10:00am–5:30pm
Discover sustainable solutions for a healthy planet during Plant Champions! Activities include crafting a seed ball to grow pollinator friendly native plants in your neighborhood, designing a collage that envisions the future planet you want to see, and exploring amazing ecosystems in our wetland and compost pile.
Weekends and School Breaks
Listen to stories celebrating plant champions and environmental change makers at our Swamp Oak Story Spot at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Welcome back the popular Spanish/English sing-along program Bilingual Birdies! Enjoy new songs and activities each week in this 45 minute interactive program at the Swamp Oak Story Spot.
DIG! PLANT! GROW!
WAKE UP, GARDEN!
Saturday, April 9th through Sunday, May 8th
Tuesdays–Saturdays; 1:30pm–5:30pm
Sundays and Monday Holidays; 10:00am–5:30pm
Celebrate spring at the Edible Academy! Get started gardening by sowing seeds, digging, and watering. Explore the garden and look for signs of spring. Children are invited to sift and save compost to take home.
Each season offers a new theme to investigate through hands-on activities and take-home projects at the Edible Academy!
NATURE IN POETRY HIKE
Saturday, April 9th from 1:00pm-2:00pm
Free to Join
Join the Rangers for a walk around Hunter Island as we reflect on poetry inspired by the outdoors. Read or write your own nature inspired poems with us.
KIDS WEEK: BIRDING FOR KIDS
Wednesday, April 20th from 1:00pm-2:00pm
Free to Join
Even when school’s out, our parks are still the city’s natural classroom! Bring your kids to parks throughout the city for Kids Week during Spring recess. With programs led by our Urban Park Rangers, kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. Let’s learn how to get an up close look at birds without the need for wings! We will teach you ways to identify birds by sight and sounds.
FAMILY FUN HIKE: CELEBRATING PLANET EARTH
Saturday, April 16th from 10:00am – 12:00pm
Ticket Information: Start at $5
Celebrating Planet Earth!
Let’s come together to celebrate all the wild creatures on planet Earth! Keep your eyes and ears open for signs of forest creatures. Van Cortlandt Park is home to squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks and the occasional groundhog. Can you spot a nest? Or a secret burrow? Afterwards, let’s create our own creatures using pinecones and other natural material.
WOODLAWN BEAUTIFICATION DAYS
Saturday, April 30th from 10:00am – 1:00pm
Volunteers needed to care for and beautify the Wildflower Garden and area around Woodlawn Playground in Van Cortlandt Park.
Join VCPA, Women of Woodlawn and Woodlawn Taxpayers Association as we continue to beautify the area around Woodlawn Playground. Projects will include removing non-native invasive plants, planting native species and general clean-up around the playground and in the wildflower garden.