Uptown is abuzz this weekend with live music, theater, exhibitions and public art—and almost all of it is free and outdoors:
Through December 31; Tuesday-Thursday by appointment, walk-ins Friday & Saturday
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd and W 135th St
Starting this week, you can visit the Schomburg on Fridays and Saturdays without an appointment and see its two current exhibitions, including a show exploring a century of "traveling while Black."
Friday, July 9 4pm-8pm; FREE
Jackie Robinson Park Bandshell, Bradhurst Ave and 148th St
The scenic bandshell at Jackie Robinson Park is playing host to this free jazz concert.
Friday, July 9 7pm-9pm; FREE
The Porch, 750A St Nicholas Ave between W 147th and W 148th Sts
A free outdoor concert in front of The Porch, a new music venue and cafe opening this fall.
Saturday, July 10 noon-2pm
The Baylander, West Harlem Piers, 125th and Marginal Sts
Head to the Baylander (a former Navy ship that's now also a restaurant and bar starting in the late afternoons) to check out this project dedicated to restoring the city's oyster reefs.
Saturday, July 10-July 29; Tuesday-Sunday at 8:30pm; FREE, no reservations needed
Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park, 18 Mt. Morris Park West and W 122nd St
The Classical Theatre of Harlem returns to Marcus Garvey Park with this modern reinterpretation of Shakespeare's Richard III.
Saturday, July 10 noon-7pm
Uptown Grand Central Underpass, 124th St and Park Ave (under Metro-North)
Celebrate the completion of the Grandscale Mural Project—featuring the work of more than 100 artists along 125th Street in East Harlem—with this roller jam complete with DJ, skate rentals and, yes, mural tours.
Sunday, July 11 1pm-4pm
Morningside Ave at 114th St
Swing by Morningside Park for an afternoon of toddler story time, yoga, nature walks and more.
In case you missed it:
Through Sept 30; Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat noon-10pm, Sun noon-9pm
Frederick Douglass Blvd between W 111th to W 120th Sts
Nine blocks of Frederick Douglass Boulevard are closed to traffic on the weekends through September. The stretch includes a long list of restaurants with terrific outdoor seating, including Melba's, BLVD Bistro, Lido, Vinateria, and more.
In theaters and streaming now
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 finally out. Watch it in theaters (including the AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9) or stream it on Hulu
Saturdays 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.
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.
