It’s Opening Weekend on Governors Island
May 21, 2015 9:00 am
We can’t wait to welcome you back to Governors Island this Saturday, May 23! There are lots amazing programs and events, yummy food, plus our 30 acres of park that opened last year. We’ll be open 7 days a week again this year, allowing more opportunities to visit your local Island oasis.
Our summer events calendar is on view here, and you can get a “taste” of some of the food that’s available this summer. Below are some of the great events to look forward to in May.
The Opening Day Family Festival: Sunday, May 24, noon – 4 PM in Nolan Park
The Governors Island Alliance’s Family Festival is back again this year! The festival will feature puppet-making, the NY Aquarium, the Central Park Zoo Wildlife Theater, flower planting, live music, face painting and more!
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Open Studios with Artists in Residents: Saturday & Sunday, May 23 – 24, 12 – 5 PM in Building 110
Do you know any real life artists? Now is your chance to meet a few. Visit with visual and performing artist and writers who have been working in the Arts Center on Governors Island since March. You’ll get a behind the scenes look at the work of 20 multi-disciplinary artists and their studios.
The Dysfunctional Collective, Saturdays and Sundays, noon – 5 PM, Building 8B in Nolan Park
The Dysfunctional Theater Company turns one of the Nolan Park houses into a grab box of art, poetry, dance, theater and song! Each week will feature new work, usually with a focus on Governors Island and NYC. Come by to explore, have your picture taken, hear a song, or see a short play. www.dysfunctionaltheatre.org
Free Bike Mornings, every weekday from 10 AM – noon
Borrow a bike for free for up to one hour from Blazing Saddles on Colonels Row.
See the Hills Hard Hat Tour, Saturday, May 23, 12 PM, Meet at the Liggett Hall Arch
See Governors Island and New York Harbor from a breathtaking vantage point 50 feet in the air. Climb to the top of Outlook Hill, the tallest of four man-made hills now under construction, and learn about what it takes to create extreme new landforms.
OutdoorFest’s Adventure Day: Sunday, May 30, Colonels Row
Looking for a free outdoor adventure? Look no further! The day starts with yoga, followed by outdoor fitness classes, field day games and wilderness skills demo. http://bit.ly/1EJ9zHC
Rite of Summer Concert, Saturday, May 30 1 PM and 3PM, Nolan Park
Baritone John Brancy and pianist Peter Dugan present an afternoon of vocal music by Gershwin, Dvorak, Berstein, Chopin and the Beatles. www.riteofsummer.com
Of course, this is just a small sampling of things happening on Governors Island our first two weekends. Plus, we’ll see returning events like Figment NYC, the Jazz Age Lawn Party, RECESS, City of Water Day, and the Unicycle Festival later in the season. And don’t forget about all the awesome season-long ongoing programs in the Nolan Park houses.
Check out our calendar for full listings of special events and ongoing programs. Keep checking back, we’re adding new events all the time.