National Dance Day Festival at Fort Tryon Park — Broadway and Dongan Place Entrance
Celebrate National Dance Day with an immersive, multi-disciplinary arts production in Fort Tryon Park! A guided walk through the park leads audience members to view Uptown Dance Collective’s (UDC) “Alterations and Repairs: Nature and Us” with dance, music, and spoken word all woven into the landscape of the parkland. Audience members will also take a little journey to Brazil and learn Samba dance at the end of the walk and some Bomba from Puerto Rico along the way.
UDC dance artists Lisa Green, Amy Kail, Navarra Novy-Williams will be joined by Shanik Garcia, Juan Usera, Paul Thompson, and Rishauna Zumberg. This group of dance artists collectively draw from diverse traditions including Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Puertorican, and European and U.S. Modern Dance in creating and performing their dances. John Ehlis, Matthew Gonzales, and Jessica Lurie perform original music on Saxophone, Flute, Guitar, and Drums; and poets Alison Stone and Peter Bulow share poems created for the day. Student dancers Camila Alvarez, Alexis Camacho, Victoria Lopez, and Valerie Quito from The Center Dance Studio in Inwood will also join us this year!
We encourage our audience to bring light pillows, blankets, or folding chairs you can easily carry as we go from site to site.
Urban Park Rangers Heather Garden Highlights
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a stroll through the beautiful Heather Garden as we appreciate the flowers, park history, and bird activity. Celebrate the start of autumn! At 3 acres large, this garden is the largest public garden with unrestricted access in New York City and is home to over 500 varieties of plants!
NEW DAY/TIME: Sungazing in the Park
Sungazing with Local Astronomer Novaughn Miller
Experience the Sun like never before with local astronomer Novaughn Miller during this fascinating afternoon of safe solar observation. Using specially filtered telescopes, participants will get an up-close view of the Sun’s surface while learning about sunspots, solar activity, and the science behind our closest star. This family-friendly program is a unique opportunity to explore astronomy in the heart of Fort Tryon Park at Cloisters Lawn
All viewing equipment is equipped with certified solar filters, making the experience completely safe for your eyes. As the program takes place outdoors during the warmest part of the day, attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather, wear sunscreen, bring water, and consider a hat for sun protection.
Sprinkler Jam with Hila the Earth
Cool off and dance it out at Anne Loftus Playground! Join Hila the Earth for a fun-filled DJ set celebrating the playground’s beloved sprinklers. Bring the whole family, get ready to splash, dance, and enjoy an afternoon of music and summer fun in the park.
All ages welcome
No rain date. In the event of rain, the event will be canceled.
