New York Musical Theater Festival

Perhaps the next TONY winner will be found amongst this crop of 30 new musicals, debuting over 20 days starting July 9. Tickets ($25 per person) are still available to most musical performances. The festival also offers several free seminars as well as readings, workshops and concert performances. If you can't afford Broadway but want to see some great musical theater, this is a good place to go. When: July 9-29, 2012 Where: Various venues in the Theatre District, Manhattan Website: http://www.nymf.org

Hells Kitchen ArtiST Studio Tour 2012

A free event where dozens of artists open their homes, galleries, and studios for a self guided tour. Participating artists include individuals with well established and honored careers, as well as emerging artists, and all mediums will be represented: including painting, sculpture, photography, theater, dance, and much more.

Information and tour maps will be available online a few days in advance of the event at www.artistsinthekitchen.org. Before the festival, printed versions will be available at participating artists studios and businesses.

When: June 24-26
Where: Hells Kitchen
Website: http://artistsinthekitchen.org/hk-studio-tour-june-24-26-2011/

Support PS 9 Arts Programs at Prospect Heights Arts Fair!

PS 9 in Prospect Heights is hosting its annual crafts fair April 9, 2011.  Artists of all ilk will be on hand to showcase and sell their creations. Be ready for a mix of jewelry, home decor, candles, clothing, accessories and much more.  Kids activities will be on hand as well.

FB supports another enterprising benefit for a local NYC public school: proceeds from this fair support arts programs at PS 9 in Prospect Heights. This year, even more than most, the help is needed. There is no door fee, so show up, support some great local artists, and help maintain arts in education.

When: April 9, 2011 11AM-6PM
Where: PS 9 80 Underhill Ave between St. Marks and Bergen Streets in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
Website: http://www.prospectheightscraftfair.com

Pumpkin Festival

Scarecrow competitions, a haunted house, hay rides, a pumpkin patch, and more!  The Great Pumpkin awaits all New Yorkers at the Pumpkin Festival.

When: October 30, 2010 12PM-5PM
Where: Central Park near 72nd Street near Bandshell
Website: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/events/output_pages/pumpkin_festival.php

Buy Tickets Now: Bococa Arts Festival

We hope you had a great time at the Art Walk. If you did and want more (or if you missed it), here's another chance to get out and about nearby.

BoCoCa stands for Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. I hate that acronym. Doesn't work nearly as well as TriBeCa or NoLita. Whatever. They're having an arts festival. This one is less visual arts (though there will be visual art) and more performing arts (music, theater, multimedia, etc), which makes it a nice follow-up.

Tickets are $14 for all performances if purchased in advance through the festival's website, and $17 cash-only at the door.

There will also be an outdoor event called BoCoCa Outdoors @ Carroll Park at, yes that's right, Carroll Park on June 19. This will be an outdoor performance 11AM - 5:30 PM accompanied by vendors. That will be free to walk through.

When: June 18-27, 2010
Where: Theaters, pubs, restaurants and public spaces around Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens
Website: http://bococaartsfestival.com/

Queens Puts Its Best Foot Forward June 10-13

Do you ever see signs for an event on the subway and think "Hmm, I wonder what the big deal is on that?" and then walk away?  I had to check out the Queens Art Express website and I have to say that this might get me back to Queens.

QAX - as they call it - is a multi-neighborhood effort to showcase the best of Queens. Ok all you Brooklynites, stop ragging on Queens. It's actually pretty cool. And here they are going to prove it. 

The 6 spotlighted neighborhoods are (of course) ranged out along the 7 line: Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, and Flushing. Each neighborhood has a calendar of various events and sites to visit. Naturally, you can expect Corona and Long Island City to dominate the art scene, but literature, poetry, design, theater and food all have a place in this festival.

Check out http://queensartexpress.com for a breakdown of events by date and/or by neighborhood (their website does one of the best jobs of this that I have found - good job guys! )

Where: Throughout Queens along the 7 line

When: June 10-13

Tickets: sometimes required

Art Walk in Brooklyn

For the next couple weeks there are going to be some fun gigs going on in Downtown Brooklyn.  The first one starts Saturday June 5 with the Atlantic Ave Art Walk.  This weekend is jam packed and I am impressed and looking forward to getting down there.  


The garden of Atlantic Gardens will become a 5000 square foot beer garden and tons of restaurant and other  deals will be available from the local shops and restaurants that line Atlantic Avenue. 




There are lots of ways to tackle this blocks-long Art Walk. The website at http://atlanticavenueartwalk.com lists self-guided tours curated by exhibiting artists. Find one that fits your vibe and sample his or her highlights. Or, just download a map and pick out your personal hotspots. Or, follow my personal plan - just walk along and see what happens.    


Atlantic Avenue merchants and the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation are really pulling out the stops here. The website lists dozens of food and drink specials to exploit during Art Walk. The schedule of musical performances is jam packed. And of course, there's the art. There are open studios, exhibitions and plenty of opportunity for artists to display and discuss (and maybe sell) their work. The website for the Art Walk bears a couple hours of giddy exploration and planning. 


Check the website for additional events held in conjunction with the opening of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Bococa Arts Festival!

When: June 5 & 6
Where: Along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn from Hicks Street to Fourth Avenue
Website: http://atlanticavenueartwalk.com/home/

Lower East Side Festival of the Arts

All manner of performing and visual artists will contribute to the 15th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. Starting with a slate of performances at Theater for the New City (on First Ave between East 9th and East 10th Streets). Then on Saturday, the performances continue inside and outside along East 10th Street at the outdoor street festival. Sunday concludes the festival with yes - more performances at Theater for the New City.

Amazingly, there is no admission charge to any of the performances here, which range from comedy to drama to dance and music, poetry readings, and also youth performances of many varieties.

Schedule of events: http://www.theaterforthenewcity.net/les.htm

Coming UP: Park Slope Community Volunteer Fair

Your personal flavor of charity is on tap at the Park Slope Community Volunteer Fair, scheduled Thursday, May 13 at the brand new Park Slope Armory. Arts, local advocacy, animals, parks and rec, hospitals and medical nonprofits will all be there - even the local Civil War reenactment chapter! You don't have to go far from home to do a little good - even a few hours a month make a difference.

High school students with community service requirements will find suitable opportunities there either.

Show up, see your neighbors, help your friends, check out the beautiful renovation. You never know what might move you.

For a more information and a list of participating organizations, click here:
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/member_files/044/20100414/