UPPER WEST SIDE, NY \u2014 Free movies, concerts and fitness classes are returning to the waterfront as Summer on the Hudson kicks off next month in Riverside Park.<\/p>\n
The annual festival \u2014 now in its 24th year \u2014 will bring more than 400 free events to the West Side between West 59th and 181st streets from May through October, organizers said.<\/p>\n
“Our free public programming continues to provide a wide array of high-quality cultural experiences to all New Yorkers at no cost,\u201d Whitney Dearden, director of public programming for Riverside Park Conservancy, said. “This season, we\u2019re looking forward to bringing back perennial favorites as well as piloting even more new programs with the community.”<\/p>\n
Highlights include the return of Movies on the Waterfront at the 145th Street Lawn, plus new offerings like dance-based fitness classes and guided horticulture tours. <\/p>\n
Programming is also expanding uptown, with more events at West Harlem Piers Park and Fort Washington Park.<\/p>\n
Family programming is expanding as well, with a new weekly Story Hour launching Saturdays at the 102nd Street Field House, alongside the returning Nature Explorers series, which offers hands-on lessons about the Hudson River ecosystem.<\/p>\n
A new addition to the calendar, the Speak Up! Festival, will debut June 27 at Pier I, blending opera, jazz, Broadway, dance and karaoke into a participatory evening co-presented with Opera on Tap and other arts groups.<\/p>\n
A new partnership with the Uptown Film Center will bring a September screening of In the Heights, while crowd favorites like Silent Disco, outdoor movies and free yoga classes will return.<\/p>\n
“With more than 400 events along Manhattan\u2019s west side, this beloved series invites New Yorkers of all ages to experience the waterfront in new ways \u2014 whether it’s through music, film, fitness, or community celebrations,” NYC Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura said. <\/p>\n