LOWER MANHATTAN — A jam-packed festival of music, art, dance and theater is kicking off Downtown on Thursday — and it's all free.
The River to River festival, in its 14th year, brings a host of eclectic performances to Lower Manhattan, with daily events, many of which take place outside, along the Downtown waterfront, and Governors Island.
The festival, which features multiple events daily, launches Wednesday with the “R2R Bash,” a block party-style event with acclaimed East African vocalist & songwriter Somi on North End Way in Battery Park City.
Some highlights of the festival, which takes place entirely south of Chambers Street, include performances by the Trisha Brown Dance Company in BPC's Wagner Park on June 21 and a performance by acclaimed choreographer Twyla Tharp, on June 20, in Rockefeller Park, also in BPC. Innovative vocal band Room Full Teeth are slated to perform on June 24 at 28 Liberty Plaza, and singer-songwriter Olga Bell, of the band Dirty Projectors, will play on June 23 at Pier 15.
The festival, run by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, will also bring back its popular Bang on a Can Marathon, a freewheeling eight-hour concert on June 21 at the Brookfield Place Winter Garden featuring musicians from across the globe.
The River to River Festival will run from June 18 to June 28. For a complete schedule of events, visit the festival's website.
