tuesday
thru the season: rooftop cinema club: take your movie night to new heights at rooftop cinema club, the annual open-air movie series held at the third floor skylawn rooftop of the embassy suites hotel in midtown. catch cult favorites, classics, and newer releases all season long, with provided wireless headphones to help block out the city buzz. soda, beer, wine, cocktails, popcorn, candy, hot dogs, pretzels, nachos, pizza, and more are available for purchase to make it a full night out. this month’s screenings include casablanca, coming to america, do the right thing, ghostbusters, interstellar, taxi driver, the grand budapest hotel, the great gatsby, the princess bride, top gun, up, and many more. $12-29 admission (15% off for military, 10% off for students). >>
thru september: rooftop movies at yotel times square: take in a flick on the rooftop terrace of the green room 42 at yotel times square. food and drinks will be available for purchase. this month’s selections include beetlejuice, cats, clueless, ferris bueller’s day off, mary poppins, national treasure, when harry met sally, and more. $21+. >>
tues 6:30pm + 7:30pm: the chess fight: brooklyn action theater makes its debut with the chess fight, a reimagining of a chess match from the perspective of the pieces themselves. staged outdoors at summit rock in central park, the ‘knight’ out features dramatic and comedic moments, plus stage combat with 10 different weapons. free admission (tips are encouraged). >>
tues 7:30pm: andré aciman with kanishk tharoor: andré aciman, author of call me by your name and distinguished professor of comparative literature at the cuny graduate center, presents his new short fiction collection, room on the sea: three novellas, at greenlight bookstore (fort greene). aciman will read from and discuss the book with fort greene author kanishk tharoor (swimmer among the stars) before an audience q+a and signing. free admission (books will be available for purchase). >>
wednesday
weds + thurs (various dates thru 8/9): lincoln center’s fourth annual summer for the city: lincoln center’s annual arts festival brings two months of free and choose-what-you-pay music concerts, performances, dance parties, film screenings, and more to its upper west side campus. this week: baila cozmic with dj duo dada cozmic and ultra violet (weds 7pm), salsa with las guaracheras (thurs 6:30pm), a silent disco with dj hellotones (thurs 10pm), and more. >>
weds various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
captain america: brave new world at mae grant playground (east harlem) >>
sponsored sinners at parklife (gowanus). note: food/drink purchase required. >>
weds 6pm (wednesdays thru 8/13): summer concerts at hudson yards: the annual concert series returns to the public square + gardens at hudson yards for eight weeks. tonight: electronic music duo the knocks with an opening set by dj chachi. free admission. >>
weds 7pm: the great american retro road trip: join journalist rolando pujol as discusses his new book, the great american retro road trip—a coast-to-coast celebration of quirky roadside attractions, from the coffee pot and the big duck to the world’s largest paint can and neon signage galore. joining rolando in conversation is entertainment reporter joelle garguilo. the rare book room at strand bookstore (union square), $10 admission (books will be available for purchase). >>
weds 7pm: slay’s anatomy: watch your favorite fictional doctors return in this fully-improvised take on television’s longest-running primetime medical drama. brooklyn comedy collective (williamsburg), $12 adv, $15 day of. >>
weds 7:30pm: awkward teenage years: laugh and reminisce as storytellers relive their growing-up joys and traumas for your entertainment. hosted by will clegg, and featuring ronna levy, mikayla sherfy, dave kalema, devan sandiford, and rita rigano. under st. marks (east village), $1-15 sliding scale admission. >>
weds 9:30pm (weekly): friends with caveats: expect everything from stand-up and character performances to music and even powerpoint presentations at caveat’s weekly comedy show, ‘friends with caveats.’ tonight’s lineup features nat towsen (fallon), sarah adelman (hbo), emily baker (flopsauce), gary simons, shosh brodman, and more. hosted by art cai. caveat (les), $10 adv, $15 door. >>
thursday
thurs + fri (7pm): bryant park picnic performances: new york guitar festival presents: bryant park’s annual summer performance series is back with 25 evenings of free live music, theater, and dance in the heart of midtown. bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from on-site vendors. blankets and bistro chairs are provided for use. next up: wnyc’s john schaefer hosts a two-day celebration of global guitar culture, with guests ranging from the late show band leader louis cato to 16-year old phenomenon marel hidalgo. >>
thurs + fri (thurs 7-9:45pm, fri 6-9:45pm): the pit’s 13th annual indie-pendence day fest: the people’s improv theater presents the 13th annual indie-pendence day fest, a two-day improv comedy celebration featuring up-and-coming teams and seasoned ensembles across three chelsea venues. $11.99/show, $30/pass. >>
thurs various times (weather permitting): free outdoor movies:
call me by your name at fort greene park (brooklyn) >>
the little mermaid at dyckman marina in inwood hill park >>
wicked at the unisphere in flushing meadows corona park (queens) >>
thurs 12pm: nathan’s famous fourth of july hot dog-eating contest weigh-in: see the world’s top eaters get weighed in ahead of tomorrow’s coney island competition. the public square + gardens at hudson yards, free admission. >>
thurs 6:30pm (thursdays thru 8/14): sunset salsa: dance into golden hour at hudson river park’s sunset salsa series, returning to pier 76 (midtown west) for the summer. led by performer and instructor talía castro-pozo, each night kicks off with a beginner salsa lesson—open to first-timers and seasoned dancers alike—followed by an open dance party with guest djs. free admission. >>
thurs 7pm (monthly): immigrant jam comedy: german-born, nyc-raised comedian and actor lucie pohl (overwatch) celebrates all things cross-cultural, international, and delightfully different at the immigrant jam stand-up show, featuring immigrant and first generation comedians. tonight’s lineup reps the dominican republic, germany, india, mexico, trinidad, and more with performers gastor almonte, ayanna dookie, veronica garza, vikrant sunderlal, and more. a portion of the proceeds will go to new women new yorkers. caveat (les), $18.76 with promo code ‘jamily’ (reg. $24-25). >>
friday
fri thru 7/20: come as you are: ’90s music on screen series: madonna: truth or dare, party girl, singles, slow century, the decline of western civilization iii, and more. metrograph (les), $17. >>
fri thru sun (10am-9pm): 54th annual international african arts festival: the international african arts festival returns to commodore barry park (fort greene), bringing together performers, artisans, and food vendors from africa, the caribbean, europe, the u.s., and latin and south america for three days. rain or shine. free admission (donations welcome at the gate). >>
fri (various times): fireworks!: where to watch the big displays for free:
► jersey city’s 4th of july festival + fireworks: at exchange place. >>
► macy’s 49th annual fourth of july fireworks show: along the east river between pier 17 and the downtown manhattan heliport. 100,000 free tickets to select viewing areas in manhattan and brooklyn will be made available online starting 8:30am on tuesday, 7/1. >>
fri 10am: nathan’s famous annual fourth of july international hot dog-eating contest: the world’s top competitive eaters battle it out in this belly-busting spectacle, held every year at the original nathan’s famous location in coney island. free admission. >>
fri 10pm: str8 west coastin’: djs still life, eleven, and meka bring west coast summer hip-hop vibes to brooklyn’s friends and lovers (crown heights). $5 before 11pm with rsvp, $10 otherwise. >>
ongoing
our roundup of 70+ ongoing events and attractions: public beaches and pools, sargent and paris, free outdoor fitness classes, and more. >>
stay safe and healthy
– the skint
