This weekend marks the first Manhattanhenge of the summer, the twice-a-year event where the setting sun lines up with the city's East-West streets for a picturesque twilight.
While most people will crowd Manhattan's streets to catch the solar show, the Long Island City waterfront gets it own stellar views of the phenomenon — and there are several events taking place in the neighborhood to celebrate what locals have dubbed "LIC Henge."
The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy will host viewing parties on both Saturday and Sunday at LIC Landing, the outdoor cafe in Hunters Point South Park. There will be a social media photo contest, and the person with the best sunset shot will win a prize.
Further north in Gantry Plaza State Park, the Newgrange Festival will take place on Saturday — named after Newgrange, a stone monument that's known as Ireland's version of Stonehenge, according to organizers.
The free event starts at 7 p.m. and features a talk by Jackie Faherty, an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History who will discuss famous henges and the astronomy behind Manhattanhenge.
It will be followed by a performance of Irish music around sunset, including folk singers and the New York Irish Center's choir.
According to the American Museum of Natural History, the best Manhattanhenge views will take place Sunday and Monday. You'll have another chance to see the phenomenon in July.
