SummerStage To Kick off Free Harlem Concerts in August

HARLEM, NY — Get ready for more free summer events in Harlem. SummerStage will be holding the first of many free concerts in Marcus Garvey Park on Aug. 16 and will continue the event series through Aug. 27.

SummerStage holds events in parks across all the entire city. Most of the events are held in Central Park, but SummerStage makes sure to move to different areas around the city borough to borough. This year's SummerStage theme is jazz, but the concerts won't be limited to that genre.

"The SummerStage festival celebrates the rich cultural fabric of New York City," said Erika Elliott, Executive Artistic Director of City Parks Foundation. "This year, we’ll celebrate the 100th anniversary of jazz, with both emerging and master musicians, who will highlight the long legacy jazz has in the city and its continued impact on New Yorkers.”

The SummerStage concert series is a joint venture from the City Parks Foundation and Capital One Bank.

“At City Parks Foundation, we believe culture should be convenient and affordable for everyone. Our SummerStage festival removes the barriers to culture, bringing world-class artists, topical and popular, to neighborhood parks across all five boroughs, free of charge,” said Heather Lubov, Executive Director of City Parks Foundation. “SummerStage brings together New York’s diverse communities in authentic and meaningful ways, making high quality performing arts — from music to spoken word, circus and contemporary dance — truly accessible. We are thrilled to bring another season, filled with exceptional artistry, to communities across the City.”

Here's the schedule of events in Marcus Garvey Park:

Tuesday, Aug 16. 7 p.m.: Alpha Blondy

Wednesday, Aug 17, 7 p.m.: Saul Williams / Kimberly Nichole

Thursday, Aug 18, 7 p.m.: Tamar-kali with ASE Dance Collective / Master Class: Calvin Wiley

Friday, Aug 19, 7 p.m.: Nathan Trice Rituals / HAS Dance Ensemble / Master Class: Calvin Wiley

Saturday and Sunday, Aug 20-21, 7 p.m.: Kalabantè Circus / Iron Skulls & Quim Moya / Sxip's Hour of Charm

Friday, Aug 26, 7 p.m.: Charlie Parker Jazz Festival: Jason Lindner: Breeding Ground / Antoinette Montague and Jazzmobile Friends / DJ Greg Caz

Saturday, Aug 27, 3 p.m.: Charlie Parker Jazz Festival: Randy Weston African Rhythms Sextet / Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles / The Artistry of Jazzmeia Horn / Charles Turner III / Master Class: Samuel Coleman

[Photo courtesy of SummerStage]