A survival guide to summer food fests

This past weekend, The Great GoogaMooga, the chefs-as-rock-stars food festival that had many bemoaning the end of civilization and the rise of the foodie monster, took place in Prospect Park with some 75 vendors and 40,000 attendees. The first day of the two-day event ended with chefs, critics and hungry parkgoers alike making Woodstock ’99 comparisons, bemoaning long lines, ill-prepared vendors and a Byzantine beer system that left people cranky and thirsty.

The truth is, though, what happened in Brooklyn is no different from what happens at every food festival—it just took place on a larger scale under closer scrutiny. Lineups? You can’t get into these chefs’ brick-and-mortar restaurants without waiting in line; why would a limited-edition outdoor version be any different? As for scarcity, consider that they can only serve as much as they can carry into the middle of the park—no walk-in coolers, no pantries, no back-up supplies. It comes with the territory.

The real problem was one of expectations. An outdoor food festival can be one of the greatest joys of the summer or an absolute hell on earth—the only difference lies in how you’ve prepared yourself, both mentally and materially. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re never left stranded, sweaty and starving surrounded by an ocean of food.

Decide why you’re there. For many, the draw of food fests is the fact that they gather a dozen or more top chefs/purveyors in one convenient spot. Rather than having to trek from borough to borough (or beyond) to sample each, you need only walk across the parking lot. Others, however, see the all-day fest as a test of endurance, the chance to eat as much as possible. This is especially true at events where the price of entry gets unlimited tastes; they are bound and determined to get their money’s worth.

Figure out which of these camps you fall into before you arrive and you’ll save yourself the awkward realization that you’ve filled up on hush puppies at the first stand before you’ve even reached the main course.

Recon. There’s nothing worse than having your heart set on a specific vendor or food item, then getting to the party and realizing you can’t find it. Heavy crowds and the landscape limitations of venues like Madison Square Park mean some stalls end up tucked away in a corner, signs obscured by trees or hat-wearing hipsters. Most events post detailed vendor lists online in the week before the big day or provide maps at the entry; don’t be ashamed to spend some time studying before you go barreling into the fray.

If there’s no guide, take a lap of the venue. Turn down every alleyway and make mental notes of the important spots to hit, as well as essentials like washrooms and drinks. While you’re at it, you can plot out your “must-eats” to make sure you hit all of the highlights.

Water. Seriously. It sounds like the advice your mom would give, along with use the bathroom before you leave the house (come to think of it, you probably should do that, too. Outdoor venues + overindulging attendees= porta-potties you don’t want to have to use). But trust me. Those long lines are a lot easier to wait in if you’re not dehydrating as the minutes tick by, and the sun is a lot less sweltering.

Bring the biggest water bottle you can comfortably carry with you; if it’s a closed venue with no outside containers admitted, make the drinks table your very first stop. If it’s especially crowded, get two bottles at a time and keep one in your back pocket. It’ll keep you cool and keep you from having to interrupt the fun to go back later.

When all else fails, corn. It’s the outdoor food fair’s great equalizer. At the lowliest of tube-sock fairs and the swankiest of charity fundraisers, somebody will be grilling corn on the cob. It may be called elote or topped with crème fraîche and caviar, but it’s always the elemental essence of summer, all fresh, sweet produce and smoky fire, so messy can only be eaten outdoors. If you can’t find your friends or the heat is getting to you, stop, breathe deeply and find the corn—it’s impossible to stay crabby with greasy fingers and a soot-smeared chin.

Harvey

Hot on the heels of last year’s debut in The Normal Heart, two-time Emmy winner Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) returns to the stage in this revival of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic. Parsons is Elwood P. Dowd, the role immortalized on screen by James Stewart, a middle-aged man whose best friend is a 6-foot-tall rabbit. Is Harvey real or a figment of Elwood’s imagination? You’ll have to head over to the Studio 54 Theater to find out. Co-stars include Larry Bryggman (Doubt), Tracee Chimo (Circle Mirror Transformation), Jessica Hecht (A View from the Bridge), Carol Kane (Wicked), Charles Kimbrough (TV’s Murphy Brown) and Rich Sommer (TV’s Mad Men).
In previews now, runs June 14-Aug. 5; $37+. Studio 54, 254 W. 54th St., roundabouttheatre.org

Democracy 

This June-long event, running at Williamsburg’s Brick Theater, is dedicated to the idea of putting on a summer theater festival of the people, by the people and for the people in this election year. Eight candidates will campaign against each other in a series of public appearances for the title of “President of the Brick.” The elected official will be given reign over The Brick for two weeks next January and will be entrusted with curating all Brick programming during this time period. Shows include works from Matthew Freeman, Eric John Meyer, Jeremey Catterton, Zack Calhoun and Roger Nasser. Attendance is mandatory, as all voters must cast their ballot in person.
May 31-July 1; $15. The Brick Theater, 575 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn, bricktheater.com.

Uncle Vanya

Some of New York’s finest actors have signed on to this world premiere reimagining of the Chekhov classic about a visiting professor and his alluring younger wife at Soho Rep. The winning team of director Sam Gold and writer Annie Baker (The Aliens, Circle Mirror Transformation) have recruited a top-notch ensemble that includes Reed Birney, Maria Dizzia, Georgia Engel, Peter Friedman, Matthew Maher,  Rebecca Schull, Michael Shannon, Paul Thureen and Merritt Wever. Take note: a June 19 benefit performance will include a post-show vodka reception with the cast and creative team.
Opens June 7; $0.99-$40. Soho Rep Theatre, 46 Walker St., sohorep.org.

Sovereign

The conclusion to Mac Rogers’ Honeycomb trilogy is off-off-Broadway’s answer to The Return of the King, and not just because of the similarities in the title. This play, part of Gideon Productions in collaboration with the BFG Collective at the Secret Theater, will confirm the fates of the characters we’ve come to love in Advance Man and Blast Radius, particularly Ronnie (Hanna Cheek), now a hardened governor lording over a slowly rebuilding human race and her defiant brother Abbie (Stephen Heskett). Rogers’ trilogy, directed by Jordana Williams, has offered so many surprising turns, it’s hard to predict where this tale will end—but incredibly exciting at the same time. It’s safe to say that by now, the Secret is out.
June 14-July 1; $15-$18. The Secret Theatre, 44-02 23rd St., Long Island City, www.gideonth.com .

Into the Woods

The second of this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park entries (following As You Like It) is this James Lapine-Stephen Sondheim favorite, in a production based on the acclaimed 2010 staging at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park, London. Woods was just mentioned this week on Glee as the most vocally demanding of Sondheim’s canon—so why revive this tale of what happens to fairy tale characters after their happy ending? With three-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams onboard as the Baker’s Wife, two-time Tony-winner Donna Murphy to play the Witch and current Tony nominee Jessie Mueller (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever) playing Cinderella, why wouldn’t you?
July 23-Aug. 25; free. Delacorte Theater in Central Park, accessible via 81st St. & Central Park West or 79th St. & 5th Ave., shakespeareinthepark.org.

Have you been tempted every year to visit the Chocolate Show but ultimately turned off by the overwhelming scale and trade-show vibe? 92Y’s Chocolate Fest is a kinder, gentler (and boozier) version, featuring local favorites like The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and Liddabit Sweets providing tastings alongside prestigious international chocolatiers like Guittard. The event also features a screening of the short film Radical Chocolate, about a tree-to-bar chocolate-making collective, wine and cocktail pairings and a sampling of chocolate-friendly cheeses.

June 3, 7:30 p.m.; $29. 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., 92y.org.

Big Apple BBQ Block Party

In some parts of the country, BBQ competitions are an integral piece of the summer. While New York City is sadly lacking in this department, for the past 10 years, Danny Meyer, owner of Blue Smoke and the Shake Shack empire, among many others, has been trying to make it right. His Big Apple Block Party assembles pitmasters from around the country, including perennial rib champion Mike Mills and whole-hog maestro Ed Mitchell, allowing festival-goers to sample the breadth of this country’s regional BBQ styles without ever leaving Midtown. Live music and seminars in the park provide a respite from all the smoke, should you need it.

June 9-10, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; $8 per plate. Madison Square Park, babbq.com.

Eat Drink Local Week

Let’s face it: Restaurant Week isn’t what it used to be. These days, it’s strictly for amateurs who don’t mind the worst tables and prix-fixe menus made up of the cheapest, least creative dishes on a restaurant’s roster. The tristate area’s Edible publications, including Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens editions, have teamed up to fill the void, presenting this annual week of special, seasonal menus at participating restaurants, tasting events and discounts at food and wine shops. Each year they choose a number of local ingredients to highlight; this year it’s spinach, eggs, goat, radishes, rosé wine, porgy, fava beans and hops. Not sure what you can make with all that, but it sounds pretty tasty. 

June 23-30. ediblemanhattan.com.

Nathan’s Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest

More a cautionary tale than anything else, this legendary contest, now in its 96th year, is worth a visit just to see the lengths to which some people will go for a free meal. Will Joey Chestnut take the prize again for the sixth year in a row? Will Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas still be impossibly skinny after another year on the eating circuit? Will former champ Takeru Kobayashi stage another rogue eat-off in protest of the organized event? You’ll have to show up to find out, and maybe grab a hot dog yourself from the Coney Island institution (take your time eating it, though). 

July 4, 3 p.m. Corner of Surf & Stillwell Aves., nathansfamous.com.

Foraging in Prospect Park

Foraging, long the purview of the homeless and freegan hippies, has been surging in popularity thanks to locavore chefs like Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen. Join the elite by going on a foraging expedition with expert Leda Meredith, followed by a tasting at nearby restaurant Beer Table. Though you may not find enough to supplant your weekly Key Food run, it’s sure to be more fruitful than your everyday walk in the park.

July 15, 2 p.m.; $30 for Slow Food members, $40 for nonmembers. Prospect Park, meet at Grand Army Plaza entrance, slowfoodnyc.org.

Parked! A Food Truck Festival

Food trucks in the city are often harassed for parking in metered spots, which are off-limits to vendors. This summer, they’ll get a free parking pass at the South Street Seaport, where over 30 of them will be Parked! all day long. Music, drinks and activities for kids will round out the day of fun; check the website to see just what they’ve got lined up this year. A VIP pass will get you a drink ticket, 10 free dishes from 10 of the trucks and a dedicated lineup at all of them so you don’t have to wait around with all those regular jerks.

Aug. 4, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; free, VIP passes $50. South Street Seaport, meanredproductions.com.

Pig Island

They take pigs (about 80 of ’em). They put them on an island. They get 20 of New York’s top chefs to cook them, add liberal doses of NY state beer and wine and set you free to drink and eat all day long. If that doesn’t sound like a wonderful dream you once had, well, you’d better be a vegetarian. Pig Island is your chance to enjoy hog-centric delights like maple-bacon sticky buns, Sriracha-glazed suckling pig and pork belly sliders all on the charmingly anachronistic Governors Island, while benefiting Food Systems NYC and City Harvest.

Sept. 1. Governors Island, pigisland.com.

86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro

Until two years ago, you went to the Feast of San Gennaro to drink luridly colored frozen daiquiris, buy T-shirts emblazoned with “Fuhgeddaboudit” and avoid getting into a fight with an extra from Jersey Shore. Then, Torrisi Italian Specialties, the restaurant that has singlehandedly elevated Italian-American cuisine, opened a stall there selling slyly Chinese-inflected mozzarella sticks and roast pork sandwiches, and chefs from downtown restaurants like WD-50, L’Artusi and The Spotted Pig followed suit. No word yet on this year’s vendors, but it’s sure to be worth the risk of a fistfight or two.

Sept. 13-23. Mulberry St. betw. Canal & Houston Sts., sangennaro.org.

Indonesian Food Bazaar

One of the borough’s best-kept secrets is slowly coming out of the shadows, but it hasn’t outgrown its small-town feel just yet. This bazaar pops up in the parking lot of Masjid Al-Hikmah, a hub for the Queens Indonesian community, during the warmer months. All of the vendors are community members who arrive with foil trays of long-stewed rendang, charcoal grills for smoky satay skewers, fritters, dumplings and amazingly multicolored dessert drinks. Don’t miss the gado gado, for which friendly church ladies grind the salad’s sweet, garlicky peanut dressing in a mortar and pestle to order.

Third Sunday of every month (roughly, check online), 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; free (donations to the mosque requested). Masjid Al-Hikmah, 48-01 31st Ave. (at 48th St.), Astoria, masjidalhikmahnewyork.org.

Smorgasburg

The organizers of the Brooklyn Flea realized the dirty secret of most street fairs: People only come for the food. In response, they created the now-monstrous Smorgasburg, a food-only version of their all-purpose artisanal marketplace. If you want to shop, you can buy pickles, olive oil or cutting boards, but the real reason to visit is for the one-of-a-kind eats. Favorites include Shorty Tang & Sons’ cold sesame noodles, from the family that created the dish some 40 years ago, and Bon Chovie’s fried anchovies, last season’s unlikely snack hit. You’ll never look at a mozzarepa at a tube-sock street fair again.

Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; free.Williamsburg waterfront betw. N. 6th & 7th Sts., brooklynflea.com. 

By Magdalena Burnham

Summer might be the time when a lot of your favorite television shows go away, but networks are pumping out plenty of interesting new shows to fill the void. Here is a rundown of the most buzzed about new summer programs.

Dallas
Get out your “I Shot J.R.” T-shirts—someone has decided to reboot that show you heard about where the last season turned out to be a dream. Patrick Duffy returns to his Dallas roots, joined by newcomers Jesse Metcalfe, from Desperate Housewives, and Jordana Brewster. The previews TNT has released make the show look dead serious, but it would be nice if it were cheesy fun and focused on Metcalfe’s abs. Premieres June 13 on TNT.

The Newsroom
This is easily the most anticipated—and prestigious—show of the summer, so be sure to watch it if you want to have opinions on this year’s Emmys or talk to your pretentious nephew. The Newsroom was created by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, Sports Night) and stars Jeff Daniels (Terms of Endearment, The Squid and the Whale) as a news anchor. It will go behind the scenes of the cable news world; the previews promise the signature Sorkin dialogue his fans have become accustomed to. Premieres June 24 on HBO.

Duets
Duets is a reality show in which four alleged superstars search for a talented unknown artist to compete with them in a singing competition—not the most original idea a network ever tossed out. The talents involved are Kelly Clarkson, Robin Thicke, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and John Legend. They all seem like perfectly nice people, but you’d think ABC would get a bigger variety of stars to draw a wide audience. Compared to the careful musical diversity on display in The Voice’s panel of judges, this show seems like it really only cares about the mom audience. Premieres May 24 on ABC.

Dogs in the City
When you start to feel exhausted by shows like The Newsroom, where you have to think and pay attention, flip over to this CBS reality show. Hopefully, it’ll be mostly footage of cute dogs; the only way it could go awry is if it gives us too much of the human star of the show, dog trainer Justin Silver. Premieres May 30 on CBS.

Anger Management
Exactly what Charlie Sheen’s new series on FX will be like is a bit of a mystery, since none of the trailers have included any actual footage from the show. But reports say that the show tested very well, so Sheen might just get his victorious comeback. The cast also includes Selma Blair. Premieres June 28 on FX.
Magdalena Burnham studied television writing at New York University. She currently resides in the East Village.

Film Socialisme

Taking reading and movie-watching literally
Summer used to be the time people caught up on the reading they had always meant to do. In Goodbye, Columbus, Philip Roth parodied the ritual pulling out of Tolstoy’s War and Peace around the pool or on the beach. Roth observed an ideal situation—not beach fiction but great fiction on the beach—that should inspire movie lovers as well.

With the increased availability of movies in various delivery formats following their initial theatrical runs, when people simple don’t have the time to get out to theaters, summer relaxation offers the opportunity to catch up.

Thanks to tablets and smart phones, this summer’s reading doesn’t have to be limited to Tolstoy, Robert Caro or those James Brown and Nile Rodgers biographies; summer reading ideal can include movies, too, especially movies where you literally need to read—the subtitles.

Conversation Piece
Burt Lancaster stars in Luchino Visconti’s quasi-autobiographical story of an dying professor assessing his appetite for life when a greedy, narcissistic family invades his estate. Many of the themes Visconti explored in his film version of Mann’s Death in Venice are re-examined in this mostly interior-set film, which goes both deeper yet lighter. It‘s a wise man’s view of sexual folly unlike any other.
Each close-up of each ravishing face (Lancaster, Helmut Berger, Silvana Mangano) is worth several pages of great prose. Visconti‘s 1974 masterpiece is one of the New York Film Festival premieres left out of this year’s NYFF retrospective. It’s rarely shown, but this new DVD offers it in an aspect ratio that preserves its widescreen beauty. (Raro Video)

Film Socialisme
Jean-Luc Godard turns the ends of both film and of socialism as we know it into a provocation, going into the bold cinematic and political territory of the present as no other filmmaker can. This film contains some of Godard’s most perplexing yet charming études: two parent and child sequences—one jazz, one classical—that symbolize cultural and spiritual indoctrination.
Godard plays with the idea of a “readable text” by creating special subtitles in “Navajo English” that poetically fracture language into verbal codes. Simultaneously analyzing people, the world and the media between them, he teases sound and image. The visual experiments confirm Godard’s pitch-perfect compositional and color skills. An opening sequence aboard a cruise ship symbolizes the state of the world, afloat/adrift between new media and old means of conveyance. Prophetically, the ship is named Costa Concordia. (Kino Lorber)

Going Places
Bertrand Blier’s debut comedy is as outrageous now as it was back in 1974. Newly released on DVD, it shames contemporary sex comedies as timid and juvenile expressions of sex and romance. Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere, at their physical peaks, portray a pair of louts who roam a small town looking for sexual release at the expense of available women (or each other, if the mood hits).This contemporary surrealist sex farce is perched between erotic daydream and pre-Viagra nightmare. Blier tests social conventions as well as the fragile if bodacious male ego—especially when the unarousable Miou-Miou achieves fulfillment the alpha male duo cannot provide. Going Places shocks, amuses and makes you think. (Kino Lorber)

The Clowns
Fellini’s examination of the circus and clown tradition pays tribute to conventions of comedy and caricature that are at the core of his “serious” films. This rarely shown documentary offers a trove of the “Felliniesque”—from outrageous faces and acrobatic movement to universal pathos. It also predates what came to be thought of as the “mockumentary,” through Fellini’s ingenious way of making his documentary investigation as absorbing and fascinating as a fully scripted drama. Instead of mocking narrative convention, Fellini expands the storytelling boundaries of filmmaking, all the time expressing his unique sensibility. Not just for fans of Fellini but for cinema and performing arts enthusiasts, too. (Raro Video)

No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
For cineastes, this is the year’s worthiest documentary, a look back at the twin careers of great cinematographers Vilmos Zsigmond and Laszlo Kovacs. These Hungarian immigrants came to the U.S. in the 1960s, bringing New Wave experiments with natural lighting and mobile cameras that changed the look of American cinema. Between them, Zsigmond and Kovacs shot most of the best and important films of the 1970s’ American Renaissance period—McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Deliverance, The Long Goodbye, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Easy Rider, Paper Moon, Five Easy Pieces, Nickelodeon, Shampoo, The Deer Hunter and more.

Actually, there are no subtitles to read here, but director James Chressanthis brings the cross-cultural art movie experience closer through the personalities and creativity of these major artists. (Cinema Libre Studio)

What is a Bike Share Program?
Bike sharing is essentially a self-serve bike rental. Members go to any one of the electronic docks to withdraw a bike and deposit at another dock when they’re done. Cycling is not only healthy, it’s often quicker than public transportation—and a lot more fun! Now, commuters can enjoy the benefits of riding a bike without having to worry about storage or maintenance.

How many bikes are there?
There will be 10,000 bicycles around the city, with over 600 docking stations to facilitate rental and return.

How do I become a member?
People interested in renting a bike through the program use the automated kiosks at every dock to purchase a daily or weekly pass with a credit card; they’re then given an access code. Those who’d like an annual membership sign up online and receive a special key in the mail that allows them to unlock the bikes.

How much does it cost?
The base prices for membership are $9.95 for 24 hours, $25 for a week and $95 for an annual membership. However, the cost also includes ride charges of up to $4 for 60 minutes, $13 for 90 minutes, $25 for 120 minutes and $13 for each additional 30 minutes over two hours.

How does it work?
Riders get the first 30 minutes of their ride free, while annual members get 45 minutes. Most bike trips in the city are under two miles and take less than half an hour. People who wish to take longer rides simply have to dock their bike and then rent out another one straight away.

What happens if I go over the limit?
People who hold onto their bikes too long get charged an incremental fee the longer the bikes are out of the system. This is designed to prevent theft of the bicycles more than anything. If you’re nearing the end of your time and the closest dock is full, there is an option to gain an additional courtesy time to find another dock.

How will I know if there are bikes or empty docks nearby?
Each kiosk will have its own map. In addition, CitiBike will also releases a smart phone app called SpotCycle, which will provide real-time bike and dock availability.

What’s to stop someone from stealing a bike?

Users are supposed to leave their bikes at the docking stations when they’re finished. If they try to bring the bikes home, they’ll soon face a rather large credit card bill. The bike parts have no resale value, and each bike is equipped with a GPS.

To most New Yorkers, Manhattan-based cyclists seemed to be faced with their own unique set of obstacles: screeching cabs, distracted pedestrians, drivers unexpectedly opening their car doors in the bike lane during rush hour. The island, however, is also home to some of the best cycling routes in the city, which offer some much needed respite for city-dwellers on two wheels.

Hudson River Greenway
The gently sloping Hudson River Greenway is more than just the largest green space in the city, it’s also one of the busiest, attracting over 7,000 cyclists a day, according to the DOT. You might wonder what all the fuss is about until you realize that the Greenway, which is the longest in the city and extends from Battery Park to Inwood, is one of the quickest ways to get around Manhattan. While the gentle slopes make it a cinch to ride, the Greenway’s calling card is its proximity to the water and notable sights, making this a must for any city cyclist.

Harlem River Speedway
Calling this a speedway seems like some sort of cruel joke. This riverside getaway connects the Hudson River and East River Greenways via two access points—at Dyckman Street and 10th Avenue and Edgecomb Avenue and 155th Street. The leisurely two-mile ride, built upon an old riverside walkway and carriage path, is one of the few Class 1 paths in the city, allowing riders a chance to relax and not worry about getting hit by an errant cab door. Swindler’s Park, located by the western access, provides an excellent location to while away those summertime afternoons. While the Speedway provides a great, if momentary escape, from city life, the lack of access points makes this one of the more difficult paths to get to.

Central Park
Spanning over 50 city blocks, cycling is the best way to see much of Central Park in an afternoon. Park Drive, the main road, which stretches a winding six miles through the park, is about to get even friendlier to bikers, runners and skaters, as cross-park paths at 72nd and 96th streets gain an additional bike lane. Terrace Drive is also reportedly set to lose one of its car lanes in favor of a second bike lane. Tours and bike rentals of the park are available year-round. Rentals for the day, which include helmets, locks and maps, start at about $15, making Central Park a no-brainer bargain.

East River Greenway
Comprising the eastern half of the Waterfront Greenway, this bike path runs from the Battery up to East Harlem, where it connects with the Speedway. While the cycling lane provides fantastic views of Brooklyn and Queens skylines, cyclists are warned that this path is interrupted between 37th and 63rd streets. The detour, which goes through city traffic, allows riders to bypass the United Nations.

Governors Island
This is the hidden treasure trove of New York biking. While tantalizingly close to Manhattan, it is another world that offers unprecedented views of the city. Governors Island is accessible by a free, five-minute ferry ride from the Marine Battery Building, next to the Staten Island Ferry. The hidden retreat is seemingly made for biking, with five miles of car-free paths and plenty of parks and sequestered buildings. What makes Governors Island so ideal is that cyclists can either bring their bikes or rent them there from Bike and Roll. And, unlike with the new Bike Share program, you can finally ride that tandem bike you always dreamed of.

By Allen Houston

New York shows its literary stripes during the summer months, when every bookstore and bar seems to sweat an author or reading series from its pores. Here are our choices for some of the best events to help you get back in touch
with your inner literatus.

Downtown
Fantastic Fiction at KGB
Yes, this makes our yearly list and yes, we are suckers for daring speculative fiction (just don’t call it science fiction). From past luminaries such as Joyce Carol Oates and China Mievelle to up-and-comers trying to burnish their geek chic cred, this monthly reading series raises a respectful glass to an underappreciated genre. Third Wednesday of every month; free. KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St., www.kgbfantasticfiction.org.

Happy Ending Music and Reading Series
Nearing the decade marker, the Happy Ending series at Joe’s Pub is like an old friend you always have a great time with. Writers and musicians alike walk a lyrical tightrope, all to the tune of a monthly theme (June’s is “Advancement and Ruin”). Once a month; $15. Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., www.amandastern.com.

New York Review of Science Fiction Readings
This science fiction reading series has served up heaping helpings of brave new worlds, as well as fantasy, horror and science fiction, since 1989. A bespectacled crowd gathers to pay homage to a bevy of new writers as well as such luminaries as Ursula K. Le Guin and Susana Clarke, among others. First Tuesday of every month; free ($7 donation suggested). Soho Gallery for Digital Art, 138 Sullivan St., www.nyrsf.com

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot
Tired of waiting in the stifling heat for Shakespeare in the Park to no avail? Fear not; there’s another free outdoor option to view the Bard’s work. The Drilling Company’s LES staple, taking place in the municipal parking lot at the corner of Broome and Ludlow streets, will present The Merry Wives of Windsor in July, followed by Coriolanus in August. Keep in mind that these productions are prone to interruption; the action occurs around parked cars whose drivers sometimes return and drive away mid-performance. Now that’s something performers never needed to concern themselves with during the Elizabethan era!
Thursdays-Saturdays, July 12-28 & Aug. 2-18, 8 p.m.; free. Broome St. at Ludlow St., shakespeareintheparkinglot.com.

Upper West Side
Shakespeare in the Park
It wouldn’t be summer without a trip (or better yet, two) to the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, where the Public Theater presents Shakespeare in the Park. This summer, it isn’t just the Bard taking the stage, however. In addition to As You Like It, starring Oliver Platt and Lily Rabe, there will also be a run of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical Into the Woods, featuring movie star Amy Adams and Broadway vet Donna Murphy.
As You Like It opens June 5, Into the Woods opens July 2; free. The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, enter at W. 81st St. & Central Park West, shakespeareinthepark.org.

Upper West Side
Lincoln Center Theater Festival
The esteemed arts institution will offer a diverse mix of live programming, including two works—Giselle and Orpheus and Eurydice—by the Paris Opera Ballet and a 70th birthday tribute to late soul great Curtis Mayfield on July 20. Performers will include Tunde Adebimpe, Meshell Ndegeocello, Ryan Montbleau, Sinéad O’Connor and Mavis Staples. The National Theatre of Scotland will perform Macbeth, starring Tony winner Alan Cumming as the famed Thane of Cawdor. And six years after playing Hedda Gabler at BAM, Cate Blanchett and the Sydney Theater Company will revive another Chekhov classic, Uncle Vanya. Completists can check out both this version and Annie Baker’s adaptation at Soho Rep.
July 5-Aug. 5. Lincoln Center, W. 62nd St. & Columbus Ave., lincolncenterfestival.com.

Midtown
Marble Collegiate Church New Work Festival
Entering its second year, The Puzzle, Marble Collegiate Church’s festival of new work, brings together a host of freshly written theater pieces from New York and around the country for a three-week workshop process culminating in a week of plays, musicals and spoken word.
June 25-30; free. Marble Collegiate Church, 29th St. at 5th Ave., marblechurch.org.

Midtown
Signature Theater
In its first season in its new three-theater Midtown home, the Signature Theatre will present Athol Fugard’s My Children in Africa, Will Eno’s Title and Deed, the world premiere of Kenneth Lonergan’s Medieval Deed and Sam Shepard’s Heartless, among others. In addition to the plays, the theater will offer talk-back programs with performers and playwrights as well as pre-show discussions with designers.
Times and dates vary. Signature Theatre, 480 W. 42nd St., signaturetheater.org.

Citywide
New York Musical Theatre Festival
Featuring live music, workshops and full productions of brand-new musicals, the NYMTF has been giving New York audiences a chance to experience exciting musical theater without Broadway price tags (or tourists) since 1994. This year’s lineup is particularly strong, with 30 musicals including A Letter To Harvey Milk, about a butcher sending a letter to Milk; Baby Case, Michael Ogborn’s take on the Lindbergh baby’s disappearance; and Prison Dancer, a show based on the Filipino prisoners who became a worldwide sensation thanks to their YouTube performances.
July 9-29. Various locations, nymf.org.

Citywide
Fringe Fest
Even at 16 years old, this annual marathon of offbeat, cutting-edge theater—which birthed Rent, among other memorable shows—is devoted to the new and the strange. This year’s performances will include From Busk Till Dawn: The Life of an NYC Street Performer, Love Death Brains (A Zombie Musical), Occupy the Constellations: A Collaborative Revolutionary Puppet Tale and, all the way from California, a show called What I Learned From Porn. Not everything you’ll see at the Fringe is great, but it’s always done with humor and spirit, making it more interesting—if not quite as professional—than most other festivals. Aug. 10-26. fringenyc.org.

Explore the High Life
Everyone knows that the High Line is a wonder of modern urban greenery and should be showed off to tourists of all provenances, but not everyone knows you can score a free guided tour of the elevated park this summer. The organization Friends of the High Line runs the events, starting from the High Line on West 14th Street and wandering through the park. Guides will explain how the unique park came into existence, focusing on the design, public artworks and horticulture that make the structure into an experience, as well as the history of the High Line before it became the city gem it is today. Tours are about an hour long and are wheelchair accessible. Guides suggest paying extra attention to the weather when dressing for the tours and arriving early to guarantee a spot.
Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.; free. Meet at the entrance to the High Line at W. 14th St. & 10th Ave. For questions, email karla.osorio-perez@thehighline.org.

CENTRAL PARK
Moonlight Ride Through the Park
The environmental action group TIME’S UP has been leading cyclists through the evening glow of Central Park for 20 years, so you’re in good hands, even if you’re a newbie to nighttime riding. The first Friday of every month, weather permitting, a group of bicyclists meet at 10 p.m. at Columbus Circle, and guides in the front and back of the gang bring everyone safely and at a leisurely pace through the tranquil park, hopefully by the light of the moon, if it cooperates. The total journey is about 10 miles and ends back where it started around midnight.
times-up.org

CENTRAL PARK
The Park as Art Exhibit
Most residents strolling through Central Park don’t stop to ponder the very design of the place, not to mention the majestic additions of the Belvedere Castle and other landmarks. Luckily, the Central Park Conservancy offers free guided tours to enlighten oblivious observers. At various times over the summer, tours meet outside the Tavern on the Green visitor center, inside the park at 67th Street and Central Park West, and guides take groups on an eye-opening walk that shows off the park’s majestic landscapes and romantic vistas that many would miss on a hasty jog. Groups of seven or more can arrange for custom tours by calling 212-360-2726 or emailing tours@centralparknyc.org.
centralparknyc.org

UPPER WEST SIDE
Lincoln Center, Outside
The famous institution known for its stately theaters takes its programming into the wilds of the West Side this summer for the Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival. All events at the Damrosch Park Bandshell, Hearst Plaza and Josie Robertson Plaza are free. This year, highlights include a performance from the Chinese American Arts Council Acrobatic Group, From Chinatown with Love, family days with the Bindlestiff Cirkus and the U.S. premiere of Tangle, an interactive, audience-created kid-friendly show from Australian troupe Polyglot Theatre. The event concludes with the 29th annual Roots of American Music Festival Aug.11-12.
July 5-Aug. 12. lcoutofdoors.org.

UPPER WEST SIDE
The Lotus Garden
It’s rare that a private garden opens its gates to the public, but every Sunday, The Lotus Garden allows people inside without a key to view its harmonious collection of fragrant blooms and even a couple of small fish ponds. Situated 20 feet above 97th Street on top of a parking garage, it’s a blissful and unexpected escape from the city.
Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; free. The Lotus Garden, W. 97th St. betw. Broadway & West End Ave., thelotusgarden.org.

UPTOWN
Wedding Watching in the Cloisters
Who says you need a formal invitation to watch Jane and John tie the knot? The lush gardens and scenic overlooks of Fort Tryon Park serve as the perfect wedding backdrop, and come just about any weekend afternoon, you can gaze at the gowns and rings. Just stay at arm’s length from the invited guests—nobody likes a wedding crasher—and keep your cell phone on vibrate during the vows. If you get a chance, tell the bride the ceremony was lovely; such compliments are probably half the reason they wed in the park to begin with. Mazel tov!

UPTOWN
Traipse into New Jersey by Way of the George Washington Bridge
The East Side has the Brooklyn Bridge, but the George Washington Bridge and the Palisades beyond it beckon just as seductively from the west. We dare you to cross it. Only the south side of the bridge is open to pedestrians, which means you won’t miss out on the sight of Manhattan’s western flank. Cross at sunset and see the city bathed in gold toned hues. It does get windy up there, so you will not regret leaving your air conditioned, hermetically sealed apartment. You might even want to pack a picnic; on the other side is Fort Lee Historic Park, the forested site atop the Palisades where the Continental Army held a position over the Hudson River. Start your adventure at 177th and Cabrini, where you can access the pedestrian walkway from 6 a.m. until midnight.

UPTOWN
See the Light Side of the Moon from Inwood Hill Park
When it comes to seeing stars, New Yorkers are more likely to see the red-carpet-walking, Oscar-statue-wielding kind than the fiery masses suspended in the cosmos. The opposite is true, however, at Inwood Hill Park, in Manhattan’s northernmost reaches. At sporadic but frequent stargazing sessions led by NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador Jason Kendall, the starry-eyed will get an opportunity to see if there is a man on the moon, discover constellations and become a little more familiar with the cosmos. In a recent event, stargazers held a Jupiter and Venus conjunction party to see the two bright planets pass within two degrees of each other.
moonbeam.net/inwoodastronomy

UPTOWN
Free Paddling on the Hudson
The Inwood Canoe Club has been run since 1902 by paddling enthusiasts, mostly volunteers, who love the river and want to spread the joy of a day spent skimming the surface of the Hudson. Rivergoers should wear clothes that can get splashed (or soaked) and be able to swim. The club provides kayaks, life vests and paddles free of charge, though insurance is required. The club is at the far west end of Dyckman Street; there is a sign at the marina gate directing visitors to the red boathouse.
Sundays, May 27-Sept. 2, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; free, $4 insurance required per visit or $15 for the season. Inwood Canoe Club, at the Hudson River at Dyckman St., inwoodcanoeclub.com

CITYWIDE
Big City, Big Fish
New Yorkers are always looking for ways to feel like adventurers, trapped as we may be in our concrete jungle. The charter company Big City Fish lets you feel like a true captain of the high seas, if only for a day, as it guides clients to the most gigantic fish the Hudson and East Rivers have to offer up. The real captain, Craig Gantner, has been fishing since childhood, and is licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard. He champions catch-and-release, mindful of keeping fish populations plentiful for all customers, and can teach landlubbers the arts of fly and spin fishing, as well as simple pole-and-tackle conventional fishing. Gantner’s boat holds up to four people and can pick up passengers from Manhattan or the Jersey City marina.
908-963-0215, thebigcityfish.com

CITYWIDE
Summer Days on the River
Riverside Park’s Summer on the Hudson series gives New Yorkers a chance to get groovy on the river all summer long. The park holds tons of events, from Zumba, yoga, Pilates and tai chi classes to concerts for kids to kayaking, all on a regular basis. There are also the special features of the season, including the Sing for Hope Street Pianos—real pianos are placed around the park and are available for players, both pros and tinkerers, to plunk out tunes for two weeks starting June 1. On several Friday evenings, dance troupes from Harlem will show their stuff and encourage others to join in, teaching kids dance moves as well as confidence. There are also DJ dance parties, French films, a fishing festival, and a number of sports activities and lessons.
riversideparkfund.org