Founded in 2002, The River To River Festival is a partnership between the Alliance for Downtown NY, World Financial Center, Battery Park City Authority, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Port Authority of NY & NJ, and The Seaport.
The River To River Festival takes place each summer from June through August, in a variety of public venues that canvas all of Downtown New York – from Chambers Street down to the southern tip of Manhattan and across the island from river to river.
We aim to produce a world-class performing arts festival with a broad sweep of programming and free admission in order to enhance the vitality of cultural life in Lower Manhattan, to support its economic and social health, and to generate new audiences for the arts of our city. By removing barriers to the experience of live arts by free admission and by presentation at popular, mostly outdoor, public venues, we aspire to attract diverse audiences.
The partners founded the Festival following September 11, 2001 with the intention of using the arts as a tool for the revitalization of Lower Manhattan. Our effort, now in its 8th season, has not only assisted in renewal, but has transformed Downtown into a major cultural destination during the summer.
May, 31 12:00pm Bang on a Can Marathon – World Financial Center Winter Garden
June, 01 7:30pm Félix Lajkó with Antal Brasnyó – Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts
June, 03 7:00pm Brian Stokes Mitchell – Rockefeller Park
June, 10 7:00pm POETIC CITY: A CELEBRATION OF POETS HOUSE Rockefeller Park
The music of Meredith Monk performed by Don Byron, Vijay Iyer and other artists to be announced, and poetry readings by Jane Hirshfield, Ed Sanders, Brenda Shaughnessy and Major Jackson in Rockefeller Park, just steps away from the future home of Poets House. Literary tours at 6:00pm.
June, 15 7:30pm Mark O’Connor & Friends Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts
June, 17 7:30pm Chuck Brown Rockefeller Park
June, 22 7:30pm Soo Bae Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts
June, 25 7:00pm New York City Opera: The Magic Flute Rockefeller Park
June, 29 7:30pm Brasil Guitar Duo Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts
July, 01 / July, 08 12:30pm Lunchtime Music at Zuccotti Park Zuccotti Park
July, 01 7:00pm Tift Merritt Rockefeller Park
July, 03 6:00pm Seaport Music: Here We Go Magic with Bachelorette and guest DJ The Seaport
July, 04 3:30pm Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band with Jenny Lewis to Open Battery Park
July, 07 9:00pm Scanner & Mountains World Financial Center Winter Garden
July, 08 7:00p Stepping Off “The Corner” Rockefeller Park
July, 10 12:30pm Luminescent Orchestrii One New York Plaza
July, 10 6:00pm Seaport Music: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Zaza and Ribbons The Seaport
July, 14 9:00pm Anthony Gonzalez (of M83) & Janet Biggs World Financial Center Winter Garden
July, 15 12:30pm Lunchtime Music at Zuccotti Park – Darren Wallis Trio Zuccotti Par
July, 15 7:00pm Luisito Rosario y su Orquestra Wagner Park
July, 16 12:30pm Emmet Cohen Trio World Financial Center Plaza
July, 21 9:00pm Karsh Kale and Timeline, cartoon hd movies ,GamelaTron & Forward Motion Theater World Financial Center Winter Garden
July, 22 12:30pm Lunchtime Music at Zuccotti Park – Mahalo Boys Zuccotti Park
July, 22 7:00pm Frankie Negrón Wagner Park
July, 23 7:00pm Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock Richie Havens Castle Clinton
July, 24 6:00pm Seaport Music: Black Moth Super Rainbow The Seaport
July, 28 9:00pm King Britt Sun Ra-lectric: Saturn Never Sleeps World Financial Center Winter Garden
July, 29 12:30pm Lunchtime Music at Zuccotti Park – Great Republic of Rough and Ready Zuccotti Park
July, 29 7:00pm Químbombó Wagner Park
July, 30 7:00pm Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock Arlo Guthrie Castle Clinton
August, 05 7:00pm Los Salseros del Hudson Wagner Park
August, 06 7:00pm Four Nights of Peace, Love & Music: A Castle Clinton Tribute to Woodstock “Songs for a Shiny Hot Night” John Kelly Sings The Joni Mitchell Songbook Castle Clinton
August, 07 6:00pm Seaport Music: Casiokids, The Wave Pictures and Slow Club The Seaport
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