Gothamist Summer Guide: 20 Sunny Things To Do In July
21 photos
<br/><br/>We've made it to that summery promised land, full of sun, humidity and hope, known the world over as July. Now that the best days of summer are here, it's time to make the most of them by checking out New York's many street fairs, outdoor concerts, bike parties, and film screenings. Here's an easy guide to the best events happening around town all month.
James Stave/flickr<br/><br/>If, by chance, you're strolling through Williamsburg and hear shouts of "Forward! Up! Down! Dance! Circulate!" don't panic. That's just the sound of 150 brawny men carrying around an 80 foot, 8000 pound statue for the <strong><a href="http://www.olmcfeast.com/">Giglio festival</a></strong>, which returns once again to The Shrine Church Of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. The party, now in its 113th year, will stretch 11 days from the 6th to the 17th, and includes three lifts of the massive Giglio statue (on the 10th, 13th, and 17th). In the mix will be 12-piece brass bands, county fair-style rides, and food vendors serving up Italian treats including seafood, zeppoles and braciola, making this a perfect opportunity to have some sweaty, delicious, crowded, old-school summer fun. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2015/07/13/giglio_lift_2015.php#photo-1">Check out scenes from last year's Giglio lift here.</a><br/><br/><em>Festival runs July 6-17th // <a href="http://www.olmcchurchbk.com/">Our Lady of Mount Carmel</a>, 275 North 8th Street, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.olmcfeast.com/this-years-feast">Free</a></em>
Tod Seelie/Gothamist<br/><br/>Shakespeare's <em>A Midsummer Night's Dream</em> is famously set in Fairyland, under the light of the moon. The Drilling Company's rendition of one of the Bard's most popular works will similarly be set in a kind of Fairyland, under the light of street lamps and skyscrapers. As part of their annual <strong><a href="http://shakespeareintheparkinglot.com/">Shakespeare in the Parking Lot</a></strong> series, the self-professed "plucky New York cultural attraction" will be performing both <em>A Midsummer Night's Dream</em> (from July 7th-24th) and <em>The Merchant of Venice</em> (from July 28th to August 14th). As always, the shows are free, and seating is first come, first served. Shows will take place every Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 p.m. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>July 7 - 24, July 28th - August 14th // 114 Norfolk Street, Manhattan // <a href="http://shakespeareintheparkinglot.com/">Free</a></em>
via facebook<em>service stuff</em><br/><br/>If you're looking to branch out, spice things up, and make out with 2-4 strangers then you'd better be there when House of Yes transforms into <strong><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/house-of-love-dance-party-sensual-experience-tickets-25732979033?aff=FBevent">House of Love</a></strong>. Daring acrobatics, pole dancing, drag stars, and bathtub hijinks are on the agenda, but whereas the venue's head-turning <a href="http://gothamist.com/2016/06/20/lust_party_bushwick_photos.php">LUST</a> event was <em>all</em> about hedonism, we're told that House of Love is meant to be a slightly gentler affair. Then again, bondage experts will be there with whips and chains in addition to a full roster of DJs, so be brave, be ready to dance, and bring along your favorite safe word.<br/><br/><em>Friday, July 8th, 9 p.m. // <a href="http://houseofyes.org/">House of Yes</a>, 2 Wyckoff Avenue, Brooklyn // <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/house-of-love-dance-party-sensual-experience-tickets-25732979033?aff=FBevent">Tickets $0-15</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>The fourth annual <strong><a href="http://www.afrolatinofestnyc.com/">Afro-Latino Festival</a></strong> is more than just another outdoor music event. Working with a mission statement of "Affirm, Educate, & Celebrate," the creators of the festival seek to "provide a networking space to pay tribute to the African roots of people from Latin America and the Caribbean" while celebrating Afro-Latino contributions to the music, cuisine, and culture of the region. The three-day festival boasts a strong lineup of artists from the Americas including Nina Sky, Que Bajo?!, and Oshun, as well as film screenings, late night parties, a dominoes tournament, and various <a href="http://www.afrolatinofestnyc.com/bio/">panel discussions</a> about Afrolatinidad. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9abiT1qtR5I" width="640"></iframe><br/><br/><em>Festival runs July 8-10 // Schomburg Center, 515 Malcolm X Blvd, Manhattan (Friday) & Bed-Stuy Restoration Plaza (Saturday & Sunday) 1368 Fulton St, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.afrolatinofestnyc.com/tickets/">Tickets</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Knock a few back at <strong><a href="http://www.littlefieldnyc.com/event/1232563-drunk-science-outer-space-brooklyn/">Drunk Science</a></strong>, a comedy night that strongly encourages inebriated experimentation. Hosts Joanna Rothkopf, Shannon Odell, and Jordan Mendoza will mediate as comedians Sam Taggart and Christi Chiello present dissertations to Dr. Emily Rice, an astronomer who specializes in the study of mass stars, brown dwarfs, and exoplanets. That last one may or may not be a real thing, but the only way to know for sure is to be there for this boozy science fair. Audience participation encouraged.<br/><br/><em>Thursday, July 28th, 7 p.m. // <a href="http://www.littlefieldnyc.com/">Littlefield</a>, 622 Degraw Street, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.littlefieldnyc.com/event/1232563-drunk-science-outer-space-brooklyn/">Tickets $5-8</a></em>
<br/><br/>Two of the American South's greatest cultural offerings are bourbon and fried chicken (after those comes either Faulkner or Lynyrd Skynyrd). Both will be plentiful at <strong><a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-whiskey-fried-classic-tickets-25583690507?aff=NYCDailyEvents&afu=154664029349">Whiskey Fried</a></strong>, a day-long feast dedicated to the healing synergy of brown liquor and fried foods. Over 100 craft whiskies and cocktails will be served, along with Southern-style dishes from almost two dozen local restaurants, with offerings including donuts, burgers, and boozy ice cream. Attendees will be able to kick back and play horseshoes, and barbers will be on site, ready to wipe the breading from your beard and upgrade your 'do.<br/><br/><em>Saturday, July 9th; 1:30 - 4 p.m. and 6:30 - 9 p.m. // <a href="http://www.brooklynexpocenter.com/">The Brooklyn Expo Center</a>, 79 Franklin Street, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-whiskey-fried-classic-tickets-25583690507?aff=NYCDailyEvents&afu=154664029349">Tickets $85-125</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Checking out the delicious food, beautiful goods, and incredible people at an Arab <em>souk</em> market can be the perfect way to get to know cities like Cairo, Beirut, and Amman. It might just turn out to be the perfect way to get better-acquainted with New York City as well when the <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/209140366110264/">14th Annual Arab-American and North African Street Fair</a></strong> opens for one day only in Manhattan. The festival is a market on overdrive, with dozens of vendors offering home goods, clothes, falafel, tabouli, shawarma, baklava, meze, and more. To top it all off there'll be shisha and live music as the afternoon shifts from flea market to full-on street party.<br/><br/><em>Saturday, July 9th, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. // Great Jones Street, (East 3rd Streetbetween Broadway & Lafayette) // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/209140366110264/265278747163092/?notif_t=admin_plan_mall_activity¬if_id=1467063711641649">Free</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Americans aren't the only ones who celebrate their independence in July. If still you need somewhere to channel all your patriotic energy after the 4th, come out to the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF)'s annual <a href="http://bastilledayny.org/">Bastille Day</a> festivities. Instead of burgers and beer, celebrate France's <em>liberte, egalite,</em> and <em>fraternite</em> with a <a href="http://bastilledayny.org/champagne-chocolate-tasting">champagne and chocolate tasting</a> at FIAF Le Skyroom. Champagne from G.M. Mumm, Drappier, and more will be flowing, served alongside decadent chocolates from Neuhaus, La Maison du Chocolat, Varlhona, and Maribelle. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Sunday, July 10th, 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. // Le Skyroom, 22 E. 60th St., 8th Floor, Manhattan // <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/champagne-chocolate-tasting-at-bastille-day-fete-on-60th-street-tickets-26181154538">Tickets: $75</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Pride month may be over, but that doesn't mean you have to stop celebrating. The IFC Center will be partnering with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/qafilmny/">Queer/Art/Film</a> to screen Jamie Babbit's cult classic <strong><em><a href="http://www.ifccenter.com/films/but-im-a-cheerleader/">But I'm a Cheerleader</a></em></strong>, starring Natasha Lyonne as Megan, a popular, all-American cheerleader whose parents ship her off to gay conversion camp after deciding she's a lesbian. After the screening, performance artist Katy Pyle will be leading a discussion (with drinks, of course) at Julius Bar, the oldest gay bar in NYC. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Monday, July 11th, 8:00 p.m. // <a href="http://www.ifccenter.com/">IFC Center</a>, 323 6th Ave. at West 3rd St., Manhattan // <a href="https://www.movietickets.com/pre_purchase.asp?house_id=9598&movie_id=20688&rdate=7/11/2016">Tickets: $14</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Frightening, bizarre, hilarious, reassuring: Diane Arbus's work is all these things, and for the next four months, her <strong><a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2016/diane-arbus">early photographs will be on prominent display</a></strong> at the new(ish) Met Breuer museum. One of the true greats of New York City street photography, Arbus was able to find moments that encapsulated so much: a child holding a grenade in the park, a man tattooed from head to toe at a carnival, drag queens out in the early 60s, and wealthy old women at home. Her style of black and white, square formatted film is by now iconic. But it's not aesthetics that immediately make an Arbus photo recognizable, but the bare humanity of her subjects. The Met's exhibition will display over 100 of her images, specifically focusing on her first seven years of work from 1956 to 1962, many of which have never been shown before in public. It was a period of experimentation and self-discovery for the young photographer, and you'll be able to trace her development from frame to frame.<br/><br/><em>Exhibit opens Tuesday, July 12th // <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/visit/met-breuer">The Met Breuer Museum</a>, 945 Madison Avenue, Manhattan // Suggested <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2016/diane-arbus">Admission $25</a></em>
via wikicommons<br/><br/>Head up to the Bronx Museum, <strong><a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/exhibitions/upcoming">where three new free exhibits</a></strong> are all rolling out on the same day. First up is Art AIDS America, a retrospective of art and cultural artifacts shaped by the the last 35 years we've spent reckoning with the disease. It features 125 pieces from Félix Gonzalez-Torres, Derek Jackson, Kia Labeija, Annie Leibovitz, Robert Mapplethorpe, and more. The AIDS virus's specifically local impact on the Bronx is a key part of the program.<br/><br/>Second, Frank Gimpaya's beautiful black and white photographs will be on display. Directly influenced by French post-impressionist Georges Seurat, Gimpaya's photos are deceptively simple portraits of subjects standing in simple lighting, wearing a mask. Viewed as a whole, however, the masked images begin to toy and tamper with meanings of beauty, change, identity, privacy, and more.<br/><br/>Finally, Caza will bring sculptures and paintings from Rochele Gomez, Margaret Lee, and Alejandra Seeber into conversation with one another. The three are some of the strongest women voices in the contemporary art world, and each will have can't-miss pieces showing; the show will be curated by Sofia Hernandez Chong Cuy. <br/><br/><em>Exhibits open Wednesday, July 13th, 11 a.m. // <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/visit">Bronx Museum of the Arts</a>, 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx // <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/exhibitions/upcoming">Free</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>If butterfly wings, fire dancing, late night house, morning meditation, and theme camping along the Atlantic Ocean sounds like your preferred brand of bliss, then make the trip to <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1711621265738197/">Gratitude Migration: Summer Dream 16</a></strong>, a weekend-long communal party that's part Burning Man bender, part healing organic cleanse. There'll be giant bonfires, body painting, mermaid tea parties, eco-conscious workshops, and plenty of time to dance as you enjoy a stretch of secluded beach just an hour outside of NYC in Keansburg, New Jersey. This party/retreat has truly got it all, and so whether you're looking to trip out or reconnect with your center, just be sure to pack some patterned leggings, a couple of hair ties, and an open mind.<br/><br/><em>Friday-Sunday, July 15-17th // 2 Beachway Ave, Keansburg, NJ // <a href="http://www.migratewith.us/get-tickets">Tickets $200 and up</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Enjoy a host of bands, great food, and beer at the two-day <strong><a href="http://www.outinthestreets.com/">Out In The Streets Fest</a></strong>, which will take over the stately grounds of Ridgewood/Bushwick's Onderdonk House with multiple live stages. Local legends <a href="http://www.thesosoglos.nyc/">So So Glos</a> are topping the bill, along with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heyfrankierose/">Frankie Rose</a>, <a href="https://pottymouth.bandcamp.com/">Potty Mouth</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wearebeverly/">Beverly</a> and more. The artisan-style <a href="http://www.ridgewoodmarket.com/">Ridgewood Market</a> will be at the festival, too, giving you plenty of morning shopping options before the music kicks off each day.<br/><br/><em>Saturday and Sunday, July 16th and 17th // Onderdonk House, 1820 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.outinthestreets.com/tickets/">Tickets $24-60</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>Pedal over to <a href="http://www.cityreliquary.org/about/">The City Reliquary</a> for <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1613772575602776/">Bike Fetish</a></strong>, a cycle-themed party that's probably not as kinky as it sounds. It's a day for bike collectors, builders, activists, commuters, and admirers to check out competitions in categories like best vintage bike, best mutant, best handmade, best small wheel, and of course best in show. Bike advocacy groups will be there in droves, providing information on how to keep yourself safe on the roads and organize for cyclist rights across the city. Pros will be putting on bike trick demonstrations, and a market of local, boutique bike wares will make it easy for you to pick up a new seat, helmet, or set of wheels before the day's competitions turn fierce. Think of it as the Westminster Kennel Club of cycling, complete with block party trappings like a live DJ, dancing, and plenty of food.<br/><br/><em>Saturday, July 16th, 12-6 p.m. // The City Reliquary, 370 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn // <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1613772575602776/">Free</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/>You may not be able to make it to Spain's annual Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, but Food Karma's <strong><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-karma-presents-running-with-the-beeftm-la-puesta-del-sol-tickets-24316521370">Running with the Beef </a></strong> food festival is a close second, minus the actual bulls. Two sessions, Running with the Beef during the day, and Puesta del Sol at night, promise different Spanish delicacies and festivities. During the daytime session, nosh on Spanish specialties like grass-fed beef, cheese plates, and paella served up by Asturias for Foodies and paired with Spanish wine, cider, and craft beer. At night, sip on mezcal while enjoying Mexican delicacies from a handful of restaurants including Mesa Coyoacan and Hecho en Dumbo. If your stomach and liver can handle it, stay for both sessions and enjoy delicious Latin delicacies from across the globe. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Saturday July 16th, 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. // <a href="http://www.solar1.org/">SolarOne</a>, 24-20 FDR Drive Service Road East, Manhattan // <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-karma-presents-running-with-the-beeftm-la-puesta-del-sol-tickets-24316521370">Tickets: $45 - $80</a></em>
<br/><br/>This year the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival is bringing in a Queens legend. Backed by eight-piece New Orleans bass ensemble The Soul Rebels, Nas will headline the fest's blow out final day in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Also on the bill are Brooklyn MCs Fabolous and Talib Kweli, plus Rapsody, DJ Rob Swift, and more. As always, it's an event full of surprise guest appearances, so expect to see multiple sit-ins and collaborations throughout the day. And if one day of non-stop rap isn't enough, check out the earlier weekday shows, when the likes of Coney Island's Your Old Droog, Skyzoo, and Masego. The Dummy Clap Festival will also feature "a celebration of hip-hop through the moving image," with screenings of documentaries, beloved old features, and short pieces.<br/><br/><em>Festival begins July 13th (<a href="http://www.bkhiphopfestival.com/events-2-2/">schedule here</a>); Final concert 1 p.m., July 16th // Locations vary; Final concert in Brooklyn Bridge Park, DUMBO // <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/12th-annual-brooklyn-hip-hop-festival-tickets-23196448201#tickets">Tickets $0-165</a></em>
<br/><br/>Nostalgia-inducing throwbacks regularly grace the screens at the <a href="http://syndicatedbk.com/">Syndicated Theater</a>, but their screening of <strong><em><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/my-girl-tickets-26270200878">My Girl</a></em></strong> is perhaps the most important, at least to me. I first saw <em>My Girl</em> when I was eight, and immediately decided it was the best film ever made. I've changed my mind since then, but Roger Ebert gave it a pretty high rating, so I'm in good company. For the uninitiated, <em>My Girl</em> is the coming-of-age tale of Vada, a hypochondriac with a mortician father and a dead mother. Vada and her only friend, Thomas (played by Macaulay Culkin in his prime) try to navigate puberty, love, loss and her constant visits to the doctor. It's funny, it's charming, and for some, it's the first chance to see it in theaters instead of at a sleepover. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Tuesday, July 19th at 6:00 p.m., 8:10 p.m., and 10:40 p.m. // <a href="http://syndicatedbk.com/">Syndicated Bar/Theater/Kitchen</a>, 40 Bogart Street, Brooklyn // <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/my-girl-tickets-26270200878">Tickets $3</a></em>
<br/><br/>We tend to remember artists by their most famous or popular works. <strong><a href="http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/the-keeper">The Keeper</a></strong>, a new exhibition at the New Museum, is instead a collection of what various artists kept either for themselves, away from view, or as a means of preservation. The exhibition plays with the idea of "keeping": keeping something for oneself, keeping something away from others, keeping something as a means of remembering trauma, keeping something to protect it from iconoclasm. At the forefront of the collection is Ydessa Hendeles' <em>Partners (The Teddy Bear Project)</em>, a series of vitrines containing antique teddy bears and more than 3000 photographs of people posing with teddy bears. Other highlights include Hilma af Klint's abstract paintings from 1907, Ye Jinglu's self-portraits, and Shinro Ohtake's personal scrapbooks. <em>(Gabriela Del Valle)</em><br/><br/><em>Opens Wednesday July 20th // <a href="http://www.newmuseum.org/">The New Museum</a>, 235 Bowery, Manhattan // <a href="http://www.newmuseum.org/pages/view/visit/#!hours-and-admission">Tickets: $16</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/> Time is running out to see <strong><a href="http://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1613?locale=en">MoMA's "Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty."</a></strong> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/arts/design/the-moderndegas-you-havent-seen.html">Described by the New York Times</a> as a "thrillingly intimate" exhibit centered on the "most seductive of all print mediums," the alluring display includes 120 rare monotypes and about 60 other works by the influential French artist. Unfortunately, the exhibit is closing up shop at the end of the month, so if you've been putting off your visit, you'd better act fast. As critic Roberta Smith points out, even for those of us familiar with Degas's work, the monotypes on display at MoMA reveal a side of the artist most of us haven't seen. Don't miss your chance. <em>(Sarah Aziza)</em><br/><br/><em>Exhibit closes Sunday, July 24th // <a href="http://www.moma.org/">MoMA</a>, 11 W 53rd Street, Manhattan // <a href="https://www.moma.org/tickets/select">Admission $14-$25</a></em>
via facebook<br/><br/><strong><a href="http://www.bam.org/film/2016/animation-block-party">BAM's three day Animation Block Party</a></strong> will feature rarely-shown independent shorts like Morgan Miller's <em>Too Many Crows</em> and retro favorites including <em>The Pink Panther</em> and the 1986 <em>Transformers</em> movie, which features Orson Welles in his final film role as an evil planet. There'll be brand new experimental animated films that utilize new mobile and social media technologies, plus an extended look at animation restoration with cartoonists Jerry Beck and Tommy Stathes. Best of all, though, is BAM's plan to show <em>Cowboy Bebop: The Movie</em> on the big screen. A crowning achievement of Japanese anime made at a time just before computer drawing techniques took over, the film is a breakneck tale of interstellar bounty hunters that's loaded with style and grit.<br/><br/><em>Festival runs July 29-31st; <a href="http://www.bam.org/film/2016/animation-block-party">Showtimes vary</a> // BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn // <a href="http://www.bam.org/film/2016/animation-block-party">Tickets</a></em>