The return of Open Streets, live outdoor dance and music (much of it free), a not-to-be-missed documentary set in Harlem, and more fun things to do this weekend.
In theaters and streaming on Friday, July 2
Questlove's documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in Marcus Garvey Park—bringing to light performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and more—is out this weekend. Watch it in theaters (including the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9), stream it on Hulu, or catch a free screening on 120th Street and Lenox Avenue on Friday, July 2 at 8pm.
Friday, July 2 5:30pm-8pm; Saturday, July 3 1:30pm-8pm
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building Plaza, 125th St and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd
This free pop-up performance festival is bringing two days of live dance and music to the heart of Harlem.
Through Sept 30; Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat noon-10pm, Sun noon-9pm
Frederick Douglass Blvd between W 111th to W 120th Sts
For the next three months, nine blocks of Frederick Douglass Boulevard will be closed to traffic on the weekends. The lively stretch includes a long list of restaurants with terrific outdoor seating, including Melba's, BLVD Bistro, Lido, Vinateria, and more.
Saturday, July 3 2:30pm-5pm
The Cecil, 210 W 118th St and St. Nicholas Ave
Harlem's acclaimed Sing Harlem choir is taking you to church—on Saturdays.
Saturday, July 3 at 8pm
Southwest corner of Lenox Ave and 120th St
The music of Parliament Funkadelic, performed live on a corner of historic Lenox Avenue.
In case you missed it:
Through April 2022
Central Harlem Morningside Park, Morningside Ave and 120th St
Take a selfie with artist Zaq Landsberg's 25-foot-long sculpture, "Reclining Liberty," right above the entrance to the park at 120th Street.
Saturdays through October
134th Street Farm, 118 W 134th St between Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvds
Free workshops for children on farming (sample themes: pollinators, leafy greens, edible flowers) on Harlem Grown's urban farm. Registration is mandatory.
Through August 1
Upper East Side The Met, 100 Fifth Ave at E 82nd St
This career retrospective of Alice Neel includes a treasure trove of portraits and streetscapes from the 24-year period the painter lived in East Harlem.
Sundays 6pm-9pm
Hamilton Heights The Grange Bar & Eatery, 1635 Amsterdam Ave at W 141st St
After a brief hiatus, the Grange has reopened and is back to hosting the Sam Taylor jazz trio on Sunday nights.
Through September 26; Sat & Sun 11am-5pm
East Harlem El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Ave between E 104th and E 105th Sts
The culmination of two years of research and studio visits, this national survey takes a closer look at the work of 42 Latinx artists and collectives from the United States and Puerto Rico, exploring themes such as identity, structural racism, migration and more.
