Midsummer Night Swing

The River to River Festival takes place each summer during the month of July, in a variety of public venues that canvas all of Downtown New York - from Chambers Street down to the southern tip of Manhattan and across the island from river to river. Starting in 2007, the River to River Festival is proud to be taking steps toward becoming an environmentally friendly festival. From recycling to printing to power generation, the Festival is teaming up with business and civic leaders to develop ways to lessen its impact on the environment and to become a carbon-neutral event.

Watch tennis history unfold each late summer when players converge on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the year's final Grand Slam event. Running since 1881, this tournament caps off the competitive season with matches spread across two weeks that straddle Labor Day weekend. Five championship categories—men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, plus mixed doubles—share the schedule with competitions for juniors, seniors, and wheelchair athletes. The acrylic courts at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center have hosted the action since 1978, and the crisp early autumn air brings a different energy than the other majors. What sets this event apart is its final-set tiebreak format, letting matches conclude decisively rather than stretching into endless back-and-forth play like you'll find at other Grand Slams. Queens transforms into a tennis epicenter for those two weeks, drawing crowds eager to catch the sport's biggest names competing at the highest level.

Picture New York Harbor transformed into a maritime showcase during those warm late-spring days when the city buzzes with activity. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum serves as the epicenter, though the celebration radiates across all five boroughs with energy to spare. Expect more than a dozen naval vessels—from the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and international fleets—anchored in the harbor, their decks welcoming curious visitors through free daily tours. The week unfolds with parades of ships gliding past the skyline, athletic showdowns like relay races and crew tug-of-wars, live combat demonstrations, and even a spirited cooking competition among ship crews. A solemn Memorial Day ceremony anchors the schedule aboard the Intrepid's flight deck, where veterans and active service members honor fallen heroes with Taps, a wreath placement, a 21-gun salute, a massive unfurled flag, and military aircraft performing the missing man formation overhead. Throughout the seven-day festival, the harbor becomes a living museum where civilians can climb aboard vessels, witness military precision up close, and celebrate the personnel who serve the country. The collaboration between New York City, the Navy, and the Intrepid Museum creates an event that blends spectacle with tribute.

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival annually assembles some of the finest musicians in the world who reflect Parker’s musical individuality and genius, to promote appreciation for this highly influential and world-renowned artist. The concerts originally scheduled for August 27 and 28 and canceled due to Hurricane Irene will now be consolidated into one and will take place on Friday, September 23 at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem.

Celebrate Brooklyn! is back in Prospect Park for its 35th summer of providing a wide variety of exciting programming at the Bandshell. Congratulations to the Executive Producer of Celebrate Brooklyn! Jack Walsh, BRIC President Leslie Schultz, BRIC Board Chair Lizanne Fontaine and everyone at BRIC Arts/Media/Brooklyn for creating this wonderful festival. We know that this year’s line-up will entertain long-time Park fans and attract a whole new generation to discover Prospect Park.