Festivals, films, and fun: August 2014 calendar of events
Make room on your calendar for a bunch of exciting events going on in New York City this August! Here is a selection of festivals, parades, music, arts, and more that showcase the ethnic and cultural diversity of New York.
August 2: Harlem Sweet Spot Festival: Jamaican Indepen-Dance, West Harlem Pier (Harlem, Manhattan), free – Come celebrate Jamaican culture at one of Sweet Spot Festival’s summer events! There will be music, food vendors, a vintage market, and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
August 7, 7pm: MOCAREADS: Singapore Noir, Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street (Chinatown, Manhattan), $15 – The Museum of Chinese in America presents the writings of some of Singapore’s best contemporary authors, highlighted in Singaporean-American Cheryl Lu-Lien’s anthology Singapore Noir.
August 7, 7pm-10pm: Passport Thursdays Outdoor Music, Dance, and Film Series: Global Sights for the Urban Traveler: Brazil, Queens Museum (Jackson Heights, Queens), free – Sit under the enormous Unisphere globe and enjoy the sights and sounds of Brazil: live music and dance by all-women Afro-Brazilian drum band Batala NYC and the film The Mystery of the Samba. Check out Batala NYC here.
August 7-10: Giglio Feast of Saint Antonio, Pleasant Avenue/114th-116th Street (East Harlem, Manhattan), free – Celebrate Italian culture in East Harlem (once known as Italian Harlem) with live entertainment and delicious food.
August 8-10: NYC Latino Punk Fest, various locations (Brooklyn), $10 and up – Enjoy three days of Latino punk music, shows, art, parties, and more at this music festival and countercultural fair.
Until August 9: Art Exhibit: “Presencia,”Museo del Barrio (East Harlem, Manhattan), $9 suggested admission – Visit el Museo del Barrio’s “Presencia” exhibit, which features a number of Latino artists’ interpretation of presence and absence, human visibility and invisibility.
August 9-10: Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Flushing, Queens), free – Celebrate the fifth moon (or the fifth month) of the lunar calendar with traditional Chinese food and performances, while watching one of the largest dragon boat competitions in the United States.
August 10, 11am: 33rd Annual Dominican Day Parade and Festival, 6th Avenue from 37th to 52nd Street (Midtown, Manhattan), free – Celebrate Dominican culture with New York’s largest immigrant group.
August 14, 7pm-10pm: Passport Thursdays Outdoor Music, Dance, and Film Series: Global Sights for the Urban Traveler: Cuba, Queens Museum (Jackson Heights, Queens), free – Enjoy the sights and sounds of Cuba without leaving New York: live music and dance by New York-based Afro-Cuban ensemble The Cimarron Project and the film Habanastation.
Until August 16, Art Exhibit: “Back in Five Minutes: Antonia Perez,”Museo del Barrio (East Harlem, Manhattan), $9 suggested admission- The “Back in Five Minutes” exhibit showcases a different artist of Latino or Caribbean descent each month. This month: Antonia Perez, who created unexpected mixed-media art out of discarded domestic objects.
August 16, 10am-6pm: The Great Irish Festival, 6th Avenue between 42nd and 56th Street, free – Discover authentic Irish food, art, crafts, and entertainment.
August 17, 12pm-6pm: India Day Parade and Festival, Madison Avenue between East 38th and East 23rd Street (Midtown, Manhattan), free -Celebrate the “Colors of India” at the World’s Largest India Day Parade in the Murray Hill neighborhood, often nicknamed “Curry Hill” for its growing South Asian Presence and abundance of delicious food.
August 21, 7pm-10 pm: Passport Thursdays Outdoor Music, Dance, and Film Series: Global Sights for the Urban Traveler: Korea, Queens Museum (Jackson Heights, Queens), free – Experience a night of Korean culture: live music and dance by the Song Hee Lee Dance Company and the film Approved for Adoption.
August 24, 11am-6pm: Pakistan Day Parade, Madison Avenue between 23rd and 38th Street (Midtown, Manhattan), free – Celebrate Pakistani culture at this exciting parade!
August 31: 30th Annual Brazilian Day Festival, 6th Avenue between 42nd and 56th Street, 46th Street between Madison and 7th Avenue (Midtown, Manhattan), free – Celebrate Brazil’s Independence Day in the heart of Little Brazil at this festival and live outdoor concert event.
Ongoing exhibit: With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America, Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre Street (Chinatown, Manhattan), $10 – Explore the complexity of the Chinese American experience, both the political and the personal, and discover the United States as a nation of immigrants.
Plus, keep an eye out for screenings of these two films in your area:
Documented, the moving story of a successful Filipino-American journalist who is an undocumented American. Watch the trailer here.
Who is Dayani Cristal?, a film that retraces the steps of an anonymous man who, after having made the journey across Mexico from Central America, was found dead in the Arizona desert.Watch the trailer here.
