Ongoing Daily from 7/25/12-8/12/12 Lincoln Center Out of Doors Celebrates 42 Years of Free Performances + 7/28/12 Family Day

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 through Sunday, August 12, 2012

Lincoln Center

Columbus Ave & 62nd Street

New York, NY

Subway: 1, A, C, B, D to 59th Street–Columbus Circle; 1 to 66th Street–Lincoln Center
Bus: M5, M7, M11, M66, M104 to Lincoln Center

Cost: Free

For all ages

From July 25 to August 12, Lincoln Center Out of Doors celebrates 42 years of FREE performances. Enjoy longstanding favorites and discover something new when Out of Doors brings three jam-packed weeks of world-class music, dance, and spoken word to the plazas of Lincoln Center. And it’s absolutely FREE!

Please Note: Lincoln Center Out of Doors makes every effort to present each event of the season, as long as unpredictable summer weather allows. For up-to-the-minute updates about show status and other news, follow Twitter at @LCOutOfDoors.

Grab a Bite: In an effort to be in concert with the nightly programming of Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Restaurant Associates has developed a Street Food BBQ program for Damrosch Park. Stop by the Street Food BBQ stand for tasty snacks and meals designed for eating with your hands. Beer, wine, and cocktails are also available for consumption within Damrosch Park.

General info & Map:
http://lcoutofdoors.org/general-information

There's a family day happening this Saturday! For full schedule of events:
http://lcoutofdoors.org/

7/26/12 Barefoot Dancing: ¡Retumba! @ Van Cortlandt House Museum Lawn

Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 6:30pm

Van Cortlandt House Museum
Broadway at West 246th Street

New York, NY
Directions to this location
(718) 885-2574

Cost: Free

For all ages

Learn ethnic dances with live music on the Van Cortlandt House Museum Lawn.

Journey with us as we travel world communities to bring you the joy of song and dance. ¡Retumba! is a unique, all female dance and music ensemble that celebrates the human spirit with universal rhythms and resounding music that stirs the rich culture of Latin-European to Afro-Caribbean origins into a feast of folkloric music that can be enjoyed by everyone.

http://vcpark.org/calendar/programs_and_events.php?qs=2012/07/26/barefoot-dancing-retumba

Ongoing Fridays until 8/24/12 Target Passport Fridays @ Queens Museum of Art

Friday Evenings, July 6 to August 24, from 6:30 to 10 pm

(Dance/Music program begins at 6:30 pm, Films at 8 pm)

Queens Museum of Art
New York City Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens, NY 11368
(718) 592-9700
get directions
Cost: Free

For all ages

Leave your baggage at home and bring a picnic blanket out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park for Target Passport Fridays at the Queens Museum of Art.

The free weekly outdoor festivities feature live dance performances, a concert, and film screening from one of the many international locales that fuel Queens’ cultural and artistic vitality.

This year’s trip visits eight more delightful cultural geographic locations. The voyage has a particularly Caribbean flavor complementing our current exhibition Caribbean: Crossroads of the World. Your ticket is booked!

Just in case of rain, program moves inside the museum.

July 6: Haiti | July 13: México | July 20: Cuba | July 27: Egypt | Aug 3: West Indies | Aug 10: Taiwan | Aug 17: Dominican Republic | Aug 24: Puerto Rico

http://www.queensmuseum.org/events/target-passport-fridays

Ongoing Daily from 7/16/12-8/10/12 NYC Restaurant Week 20th Year Celebration

Restaurant Week is back! From July 16th through August 10th, enjoy $24.07 lunches and $35.00 dinners at NY's best restaurants.

American Express is having a promotion. Register, dine 4 times, then get $20 back. Register online.


http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek/

7/14/12 Celebrate City of Water Day @ Governors Island + Liberty State Park

Saturday, July 14, 2012 from 10am to 4pm

Governors Island, NYC

& Liberty State Park South Field, NJ

Cost: Free

For all ages

Come celebrate the NY-NJ Harbor and witness the potential of our waterfront at City of Water Day! The water that surrounds us is one of the most magnificent and underutilized harbors and waterways in the world. At City of Water Day you can be on the waterfront, have fun, and learn how to get involved.

You and your friends and family will be able to eat, relax, listen to music, participate in waterfront-related activities, and enjoy the beautiful view of the Harbor from Governors Island and Liberty State Park.

Festival Highlights
* Fun and FREE boat tours for thousands on historic and educational vessels
* A spectacular flotilla of hundreds of kayakers, canoers, and sailors
* In Your Neighborhood locations including more activities all around the Harbor
* Free kayaking, rowing, and fishing opportunities
* Dozens of arts, crafts, games, and activities just for kids
* Catch a FREE ferry between Governors Island & Liberty State Park to enjoy all the activities
* Car-free waterfront biking
* Special on-water Launch & Press Event
* Delicious food, live music, and much more!!!

PARTCIPATE IN OUR TWEETSTAKE GIVEAWAY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE SAILING LESSON FOR 2 AT CITY OF WATER DAY

http://www.cityofwaterday.org/

7/11/12 + 7/12/12 Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival @ World Financial Center Plaza

Wednesday, July 11, 2012 & Thursday, July 12, 2012 from 6:00 to 9:30pm

World Financial Center Plaza
220 Vesey Street
(btw. North End Ave. and West St.)
New York, NY
Cost: Free, seats are first-come, first-served
For all ages

Celebrate the Blues downtown at the World Financial Center’s waterfront Plaza as new stars join great legends for a two-day musical tribute to the history and continuing legacy of the Blues.

JULY 11, 2012 
BUDDY GUY  At age 74, Buddy Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound. He has been awarded 23 W.C. Handy Blues Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, the Presidential National Medal of Arts, and 5 Grammy Awards, including “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for his 2010 album Living Proof. Rolling Stone ranked him in the top 30 of its "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

Buddy Guy will be signing his new memoir When I Left Home: My Story from 5 - 6pm in the World Financial Center Winter Garden on July 11.

QUINN SULLIVAN  Quinn Sullivan is a 13-year-old blues guitar prodigy who has toured with Buddy Guy and been featured on several national television shows, including Ellen, Oprah, The Today Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

JOHN MAYALL  John Mayall is often referred to as the “Father of the British blues.” Founded in the 1950s, his band, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, has served as a launching pad for such legendary artists as Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, and many more.

JULY 12, 2012 
NEKO CASE  Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Neko Case has developed a sound all her own: a mix of country, gospel, torch, and pop, and her five full-length solo albums (not to mention her two live collections and Canadian Amp EP) have won her critical acclaim and countless devotees.

CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES  63-year-old Charles Bradley released his debut album No Time For Dreaming in 2011 and has since gone on to win accolades for his haunting, soulful voice, and is one of the leading lights on the esteemed label, Daptone Records.

HE'S MY BROTHER SHE'S MY SISTER  Led by brother and sister Rob and Rachel Kolar, He's My Brother She's My Sister also includes tap dancer Lauren Brown. Together, they create a mix of folk, glam and western swing, and their live performances are full of dancing, humor, nostalgia, and great vibes.

http://www.artsbrookfield.com/new_york/world_financial_center/

7/9/12 Side by Side: Free Filmmaking Documentary Movie @ The Elevated Acre

Monday, July 9, 2012 at sunset (approx 8pm); seating opens at 6pm

Elevated Acre
55 Water St. off of Old Slip
New York, NY
Get directions
Cost: Free

For all ages

Side by Side, a documentary narrated by Keanu Reeves, takes viewers on a journey through the history of film and the digital revolution in filmmaking. It features interviews with lots of movie magicians, including James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Robert Rodriguez and Steven Soderbergh. A screening of the film, on the Elevated Acre in Lower Manhattan—part of the annual River to River Festival—starts at sunset (approximately 8pm). Attendees may arrive anytime after 6pm to snag seats.

http://rivertorivernyc.com/node/1165

See clips/more info on the movie's website:
http://sidebysidethemovie.com/

7/7/12 + 8/18/12 Science on the River @ Pier 84

Saturday, July 7, 2012 + August 18, 2012 at 11:00am

Pier 84 in Martime Entertainment District
West 44th Street at Hudson River

New York, NY

Subway: A,C,E to 42nd St.
Bus: M42

Cost: Free
For all ages

Chosen as a “Critic’s Pick” by New York Magazine and featured by Time Out New York Kids, Science on the River provides families with an enriching and fun waterfront experience. Numerous natural science organizations show their work and research on the western end of Pier 84 in a festival atmosphere. Pet a native Hudson River animal, conduct kid-friendly natural science experiments, and make crafts out of recycled materials – the event makes science fun for all ages!

Participating organizations include:
Children’s Museum of the Arts: "Recycled" crafts and digital animation workshop)
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater: Dock tours
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum: Estuary lessons
Lamont-Doherty - Columbia University Earth Observatory: River-core explorations
Talons!: A bird of prey Experience
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Water quality monitoring
NYC Audubon: Bird monitoring in NYC
Sims Municipal Recycling: Recyclarium
Bash the Trash: Live music and building instruments out of recycled materials
Floating the Apple: Boat building workshop
Hudson River Park Trust: Nine Education and Environment Dept. activities
And more!

http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events/science-on-the-river

7/7/12 First Saturdays Family Fun: Midi My Way/Digital Music Workshop @ Schomburg Center

Saturday, July 7, 2012 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY 10037-1801
(212) 491-2200
Subway: 2,3 to 135th Street
Bus: M7, M102 to 135th Street

Cost: Free, but registration required at www.schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com

For tweens/teens aged 12 to 18

Bring your kids to the Schomburg so they can learn how to create their next hit with computers and keyboards! Participants will use a Midi controller and computer software to mix a track, add effects, and build the melody to suit their lyrics. All materials provided.

http://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2012/07/07/first-saturdays-family-fun-midi-my-waydigital-music-workshop?nref=62452

7/4/12 36th Annual Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Show: Ignite the Night

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Hudson River between 18th & 48th Streets

Cost: Free

For all ages

The 36th Annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks returns to the west side with an awe-inspiring display of patriotic firepower. This year's extravaganza,  “Ignite the Night,” will feature more than 40,000 fireworks expertly synchronized to a dynamic 25-minute score that includes a mix of beloved standards and the hottest pop favorites that America voted for.

This year's performers include Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney. Grab a blanket and portable radio (you can catch the show’s original soundtrack on 1010 WINS), find your favorite spot and delight in the crackling. Wed July 4 at 9pm. Hudson River between 18th and 48th Sts (212-494-4495, macys.com/fireworks).

The best viewing location is Twelfth Ave between 26th and 57th Sts.

http://social.macys.com/fireworks/?LinkType=Homepage&cm_re=2.11.11-_-HOMEPAGE_INCLUDE_1-_-CATEGORY%20--%205125%20--%20:get%20the%20details#/show

Until 7/7/12 Free Lunch Kit/Bag @ ToysRUs

At ToysRUs, both in-store and online, get a free lunch kit (up to $9.99 value) when you buy any backpack priced $12.99 or more. Offer valid until 7/7/12.