CELEBRATE BROOKLYN!
Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th Street and Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, 718-855-7882, ext. 45, $3 suggested donation
July 26 & August 9 The Moth: The innovative storytelling collective opens for film screenings in the park.
August 11 Boricua Festival
August 19 African Festival
SPOKEN WORD AT CENTRAL PARK SUMMERSTAGE
Rumsey Playfield, 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, 360-2777, summerstage.org, free
July 9 Lyricist Lounge presents ‘Strickly Lyrics’
August 2 Ishmael Reed+Yosef Komunyakaa
August 13 Steve Earle+Waddie Mitchell
‘FLEET WEEK’
May 23-29
Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, Pier 86, West 46th Street and the Hudson River, 245-0072, free
The year’s biggest display of military ships, aircraft, and troops from around the world.
‘CHANGE YOUR MIND DAY’ June 2
Great Hill, Central Park, 106th Street and Central Park West, 800-950-7008, freeTricycle magazine hosts a day of Buddhist meditation, talks, and music.
GATEWAY TO NATIONS POWWOW
June 15-17
Fort Hamilton Military Community, Fort Hamilton Parkway and the base of the Verrazano Bridge, Brooklyn, 718-686-9297
One of the year’s biggest intertribal powwows, with a beautiful view of the bay.
HUDSON RIVER PARK DAY
June 17
Piers 25, 26, 40 & 84, 791-2530, free
A day of boating, live music, food, and games.
NYC PRIDE WEEK
June 17-24
Various venues, 80-PRIDE, nycpride.org
Queer America tears itself away from Queer as Folk reruns and journeys to our fair city to celebrate New York Pride 2001, the largest Gay Pride parade (June 24) in the nation. In successive years, Pride has become an anchor for the hundreds of events around the city during Pride Week. (Every borough has its own parade, and New York’s version of the Dyke March, held June 23, has managed to be a huge draw on its own.) But we have to argue that the best part is the marathon round of weeklong parties and social events. This year’s theme: “What Part of Equal Don’t You Understand?” Head to nycpride.org for full details, or check back with us in our annual Pride Guide, out June 19. (Germosén)
THE FESTIVAL OF MONGOLIA
June 23 & 24
Central Park, 252-5083, free
ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES GARAGE SALE
July 1
32 Second Avenue, 505-5181, free
A fun day of live bands and crap-hounding in Anthology’s back alley.
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS
July 4
For viewing info, 494-4495; for boating info, 494-5247; www.jimsdeli.com; free
One of the nation’s most expensive and sophisticated gunpowder art shows. When you’re melting underneath them this Fourth, just think of the happy fireworks geeks watching from hotel rooms and the Internet, exclaiming things like “That must be the Brocade Crown Kamuro!”
‘SIREN’
July 21
Hooray! The Voice‘s first annual summer music festival in Coney Island, on two stages, features national and local bands, circus troupes, cabaret acts, sideshow curiosities, and an art walk on the boardwalk.
COLOMBIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY FESTIVAL
July 22
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, 718-699-4833, free
HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL
August 11 & 12
Meadow Lake, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, 718-539-8974, free
‘BLUES, BARBECUES & FIREWORKS’
August 26
Pier 84, 791-3530, free
Live music, fireworks, and grub on the Hudson.
BEACHES
The city’s public beaches are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Bronx Orchard Beach, 718-885-2275
Brooklyn Coney Island and Brighton beaches, 718-946-1350
Queens Rockaway Beach, 718-318-4000
Staten Island South and Midland beaches, 718-987-0709; Wolfe’s Pond Beach, 718-984-8266
BOATING IN THE PARKS
Central Park rowboating and canoeing, 517-2233
Clove Lakes Park rowboating and canoeing, 718-390-8031; This beautiful park in Staten Island also offers great fishing.
Prospect Park pedal boats, 718-282-7789; Brooklyn’s 60-acre lake also offers some of the best freshwater fishing in the five boroughs.
CONEY ISLAND
Astroland Amusement Park, 1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-265-2100; Ride the terrifying Cyclone for $5, or get an all-day pass (includes all Astroland rides) for $15.
Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, Boardwalk at West 12th Street, Brooklyn, 718-372-5159; The home of the Wheel also hosts fireworks every Friday from 9:30 to 10:15, June 29 through August 27. A perfect nightcap for your beach buzz.
Brooklyn Cyclones baseball
Mermaid Parade
HIKING
Don’t forget about the green abyss just outside the city limits (and even within it). Several hiking clubs in New York City offer resources and schedules of cheap or free group hikes and excursions.
Appalachian Mountain Club, 986-1430; The Appalachian Trail isn’t far away.
NY/NJ Trail Conference, 685-9699; Call and request its excellent free brochure “You Don’t Need a Car,” which lists dozens of adventures for the carless.
Shorewalkers, 330-7686
Urban Trail Club, 718-274-0407
PARADES
June 10 National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Fifth Avenue between 44th and 86th streets
June 24 Heritage of Pride Parade, Fifth Avenue from 52nd Street to the Village, 80-PRIDE
June 30 19th Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Surf Avenue and West 16th Street, Brooklyn, 718-372-5159; Take note, there are some considerable changes for Coney’s famous day of aquatic revelry and bare flesh: Parade organizer Coney Island USA is presenting the parade along with KeySpan Park. The parade assembles in the stadium’s parking lot, and judging takes place inside the stadium—where you pay $10 to sit and watch. Fortunately, all this happens before the actual parade, which is still free and still on Surf Avenue.
August 12 Dominican Day Parade, Sixth Avenue between 39th and 56th streets, 929-1727
August 19 India Independence Day Parade, Begins at 40th and 41st streets between Fifth and Park avenues, 774-0632
August 26 Pakistan Independence Day Parade & Fair, Madison Avenue between 26th and 41st streets, 693-1660
September 3 West Indian American Day Carnival, Eastern Parkway between Utica and Washington avenues, Brooklyn, 718-773-4052 Caribbean Brooklyn’s answer to Carnival. More than a million people gather along Eastern Parkway to see costumes that took all year to make. One of the country’s largest, most spectacular parades.
POOLS
The city’s 55 outdoor pools are open from June 30 through Labor Day. Call 888-NY-PARKS for more info.
SPORTS
New York Mets, 718-507-TIXX, mets.com
New York Yankees, 718-293-4300, yankees.com; Remember, there’s no more booze in the bleachers.
Brooklyn Cyclones (Thunderbolt R.I.P.), KeySpan Park, 1904 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-449-8497, www.brooklyncyclones.com; The Class A Mets affiliate’s first game is scheduled for June 25 at its brand-spankin’-new home field in Coney Island. Season ends September 2.
June 30 Liberty Challenge, Pier 84, 791-2530, free; Sixty-five outrigger teams from as far away as Tahiti and Hawaii battle it out on the water while you listen to live Polynesian music and gorge on Polynesian food.
July 28 & 29 Citywide Volleyball Tournament, Games in all five boroughs culminate in the finals at Coney Island. Call 360-8222 for info; free.
August 27-September 9 U.S. Open, National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, 718-760-6200
STREET FAIRS
Here’s a small selection of street fairs. Call 800-4900 for more complete listings
June 9 The Annual Village Fair, Astor Place from Broadway to Fourth Avenue
June 10 ‘Welcome Back to Brooklyn: On the Waterfront’, The big 19-year-old Brooklyn street fair moves up to Fulton Ferry Landing this year, along the site of the planned Brooklyn Bridge Park.
July 1 52 Association Jazz Festival, 52nd Street from Lexington to Seventh avenues
July 4 The Great July 4th Festival, Water Street from Fulton to Moore streets
July 5-16 Feast of Mt. Carmel, 8th and Havemeyer streets and vicinity, Brooklyn; Williamsburg’s answer to Little Italy’s San Gennaro. Twelve days of bands, dancing, carnival rides, and parades.
July 28 NYC Unfolds Street Fair, West 3rd Street from Broadway to La Guardia Place and La Guardia Place from West 3rd Street to Washington Square
August 4 Washington Square Summerfest, West 4th Street from Sixth Avenue to La Guardia Place
September 2 17th Annual Brazilian American Festival, 46th Street from Seventh to Park avenues
Reviews by Bryan Zimmerman unless otherwise noted
