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Clear your calendars and dust off your dance shoes: Hudson River Park just unveiled its spring and summer event lineup, and it’s packed tighter than the West Side Highway at rush hour.
Starting this month and running through September, the four-mile-long waterfront park will host hundreds of free events ranging from Broadway By The Boardwalk to sunset salsa, science parties and one of NYC’s longest-running barbecue blowouts. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic, jazz junkie, science nerd or just someone who enjoys a good sunset and a picnic blanket, there’s something here for you, day or night, weekday or weekend.
Things officially kick off May 17 with the SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival on Pier 84, a full day of river-themed fun, live experiments and real-life critter encounters. For grown-ups who never got over their eighth-grade science fair glory, the Science After Dark series (think: oysters, microscopes, cocktails) will make your summer weeknights smarter and buzzier.
Meanwhile, dancers of all ages can get their groove on at Dance Is Life! and Sunset Salsa (Pier 76 is your new dance floor), and Broadway buffs can catch big talent for free every Monday night at Clinton Cove.
Want to work up a sweat? The Healthy on the Hudson fitness series returns with yoga, HIIT and dance cardio classes from some of the city’s top instructors, alongside bike skills classes for kids ready to ditch the training wheels and hit the pavement with confidence.
If you want even more music, Jazz at Pier 84 brings smooth sounds to the river every Wednesday, and the brand-new Boardwalk Blues series will light up Pier 97 with rootsy sunset concerts.
But if you’ve got one date circled, make it August 16, when the Blues BBQ Festival is back for its 25th year, serving up smoky bites and sizzling performances from noon to night, plus games, dancing and hot-sauce-fueled bragging rights.
You can even positively impact the park yourself by volunteering to work alongside the the destination's horticulture and river project team members, assisting with everything from gardening to shoreline cleanup and oyster stewardship.
Throw in kayaking, fishing lessons, storytelling nights, improv flash mobs and Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, and this is the most stacked summer yet. Find the full schedule and details at Hudson River Park’s website.