Some highlights from our July events calendar, first published in the latest edition of The Lo-Down’s print magazine.
Fri. 4
Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks: After five years on the Hudson, Macy’s fireworks are finally returning to the East River. The annual extravaganza will include live performances, along with fireworks set off from the Brooklyn Bridge and barges along the river. In honor of the 200th anniversary of “The Star Spangled Banner,” the 25-minute musical score will feature patriotic favorites by The DIVA Jazz Orchestra. Plus, new recordings by The Charlie Daniels Band, Tony award-winning artists Idina Menzel and Billy Porter. Go early if you are heading down to the East River Park, crowds start arriving by 5 p.m.; the show starts at 9 p.m. Free, macys.com.
Sat. 5
HOT! Festival Opening Night Party at Dixon Place: The world’s longest-running LGBTQ performance festival continues to celebrate queer performance and culture with a lineup of boundary-pushing theater, music, dance, puppetry, performance art and homoeroticism for the whole family.161A Chrystie St., $15, through Aug. 2, find showtimes and tickets at hotfestival.org.
Mon. 7
The undergroundzero festival at The Clemente: The sixth incarnation of the undergroundzero festival returns to the Lower East Side for two weeks of site-specific live arts events. Billed as a collective gesture of disobedience, a radical act of generosity and a last hurrah for the downtown underground, the performances, talks and panels are mostly produced without a budget. At The Clemente and other locations, $10, through July 20, undergroundzeronyc.org.
Thurs. 10
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot’s “Twelfth Night”: For the 20th season of “Bard-among-the-cars”–and what may be the company’s last summer in the neighborhood–the world within this bittersweet comedy comes to the streets. In this production, the shipwrecked twins are swept into the parking lot itself and the characters of the play are based on those you might find in the contemporary world of the Lower East Side.Through July 26. Corner of Ludlow and Broome streets, 8 p.m., free, shakespeareintheparkinglot.com.
Thurs. 10
Urban Drive-in with Friends of Gulick Park at Abrons Arts Center: Abrons teams up with the Friends of Gulick Park to bring you four evenings of outdoor movies each Thursday in July. Kicking off the series is “Unsilent Films: Chaplin Shorts,” an evening of classic Chaplin shorts accompanied by live original piano and string scores. Artists include pianists Kamel Boutross and Alec Betterley, with compositions by Robert Randazzo. 466 Grand St. in the amphitheatre at sunset, free, abronsartscenter.org.
Sat. 12
Paths to Pier 42 Summer Launch: Celebrate City of Water Day at Pier 42 by visiting new art installations, participating in hands-on workshops with artists or joining a fishing clinic with the LES Ecology Center. Live music by Metropolitan Klezmer. Pier 42 is located along the East River between the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. The temporary park site is on the south side of the FDR Drive at Montgomery Street; you can also enter through Corlears Hook Park at Cherry Street, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, free, pathstopier42.com.
Sat. 26
New Museum Block Party: Enjoy an afternoon of interactive projects and performances in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Afterward, head over to the New Museum to participate in family-friendly tours of current exhibitions. All block party guests receive complimentary admission to the museum on the day of the event. Chrystie Street between Delancey and Broome streets, noon to 5 p.m., free, newmuseum.org.
