Artist rendering by Anthony George

A new attraction coming to Times Square next week hopes to wheel in tourists. A 110-foot high outdoor Ferris wheel will open next Tuesday on the plaza between West 47th and West 48th Streets, as the New York Post first reported. Dubbed the Times Square Wheel, the limited experience runs from August 24 through September 12. The pop-up attraction is part of a larger effort by the Times Square Alliance to promote the neighborhood as the city continues to recover from the pandemic.

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Mermaid Parade 2018; Photo Credit: © Norman Blake

Two of New York City’s most vibrant parades won’t take place in person this summer for the second year in a row. Due to the spike in coronavirus cases, organizers of both the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island and the West Indian American Day Carnival along Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway have postponed their in-person parades until next year.

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Battle of Brooklyn reenactment in Green-Wood Cemetery; Photo by Allison Meier on Flickr

The first major battle to take place during the Revolutionary War after the United States declared independence took place in Brooklyn on August 27, 1776. During the Battle of Brooklyn, fighting took place across the borough, including throughout present-day Prospect Park, Fulton Ferry Landing, and Green-Wood Cemetery. To commemorate the 245th anniversary of the historic struggle, Green-Wood Cemetery is hosting a family-friendly event this month with Revolutionary War reenactors, music, demonstrations, and other activities.

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Exterior photo (L) by Alexandra Arnold; Living room photo (R) by Mick Hales. Courtesy of Airbnb.

The fish room, the creepy Halloween decorations, “I made it nice!” — IYKYK. Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City” has captured many an iconic moment at Blue Stone Manor, former cast member Dorinda Medley’s home in the Berkshires. And now you, too, can live like a reality TV star, as Dorinda has teamed up with Airbnb to offer the 1902 hilltop estate in western Massachusetts for two $100 one-night stays on August 23 and 25.

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Photos courtesy of New Yorkers for Parks

Daffodil bulbs will once again be planted across New York City this fall as part of a living memorial to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Led by open space advocacy group New Yorkers for Parks, the Daffodil Project launched in the spring after 9/11 and has continued every year since, with more than 8 million daffodil bulbs distributed for free and planted by volunteers. As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the organization will hand out more than one million daffodil bulbs, double the amount from the year prior. The project’s expansion this year will also honor lives lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Photo of Madison Square Garden by ajay_suresh via Flickr cc

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson have organized a special benefit comedy show at Madison Square Garden called “NYC Still Rising After 20 Years: A Comedy Celebration.” Other big-name comedians who will perform at the September 12 show include Dave Chapelle, Amy Schumer, Jimmy Fallon, Michael Che, and Wanda Sykes, among others.

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Mockup of Rooftop Films’ Queens Drive-In, courtesy of Rooftop Films

In addition to five free concerts–four hip hop performances in the outer boroughs and one massive show in Central Park–New York City’s Homecoming Week will feature five free outdoor film screenings put on by Rooftop Films. Taking place in all five boroughs, the screenings range from documentaries about choreographer Alvin Ailey and Malcolm X/Muhammad Ali to a collection of short films and locally set television episodes. The events will take place from Monday, August 16 through Friday, August 20, and attendees are required to show proof of vaccination.

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(L) “Barack Obama” by Kehinde Wiley, oil on canvas, 2019. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; (R) “Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama” by Amy Sherald, oil on linen, 2018. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

The famous portraits of President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are coming to the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights this month. At the beginning of 2020, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery announced a five-city tour for the two popular paintings, which kicked off in June in the Obamas’ hometown of Chicago. Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald are the first African American artists selected by the Portrait Gallery for the museum’s official portraits of a president or first lady.

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Orchard Beach concert in 2017; Photo by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr on Flickr

Four free concerts featuring both legendary and up-and-coming hip hop musicians are coming to a borough near you. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday revealed the lineup of the shows, which are taking place as part of the city’s “Homecoming Week,” a weeklong celebration of New York City’s comeback following the pandemic. Produced by the Universal Hip Hop Museum, the concerts will feature stars like KRS-One, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, Big Daddy Kane, George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars, and nearly 40 more performers.

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Pigpen Theatre Co. performs in “The Amph”; Photo courtesy of Little Island

A month-long arts festival featuring more than 160 events and 460 artists will take place in New York City’s newest public park next month. Called NYC FREE, the celebration will bring a variety of music, dance, and comedy performances to Little Island, the offshore park in Hudson River Park that opened this spring, over four weeks starting in August. The festival is the culmination of the state’s “NY PopsUp” initiative, which launched earlier this year to revive New York’s art and culture scene.

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