things to do this summer (and i'm taking volunteers!)

As my show winds down, I'm going to start having free time on the weekends, and continuing to have some free time on weeknights, and there are SO MANY things to do in New York, that have narrowed down a few of them, and present them for your interest, education and pleasure.
And, if you're free to do any of them, let me know, and we'll see if we can do it together!

These first few are ongoing:
Saturdays 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Downtown Boathouse
Kayaking on the Hudson
Facilitated by The Downtown Boathouse, kayaks are available for short 20-minute paddles on the river. The only requirements are that you know how to swim and have fun! Boathouse staff will supply life jackets, kayaks, paddles, and some tips on paddling. Please wear a bathing suit, or shorts and a t-shirt. Weather permitting only. For daily weather status: (646) 613-0740.
Location: 72nd Street and the Hudson River

Saturdays 1-5
CHELSEA PIERS
Rollerskating for free! ($19 skate rental)
Chelsea Piers outdoor rink hosts outdoor skating. Admission is free with a $19 skate rental
Location: Pier 62 at 23rd Street
(212) 336-6200

Bryant Park: Bryant Park Knits Mondays, April 17 - October 16
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Free knitting lessons. Experienced instructors from Knit New York on 14th Street provide beginners with step by step methods and experts with insights and challenges. Come to watch. Come to learn. Come to knit.

If you are already knitting, bring your project and share ideas & secrets with other enthusiasts. Yarn and needles are supplied for beginners. Starter kits are available for sale.

Classes are limited to 20 people. Please pre-register by calling 212-387-0707, or take a chance and stop by.
Location: Bryant Park

Select Fridays: May 12, June 9, Sept 22, Oct 13, 11:30 am-1:30 pm
Gone Fishing
Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park (Battery Park City)
Join Master Anglers and cast away stress during the lunch hour with relaxing fishing. Equipment and bait provided.
more info here

Select Saturdays and Sundays.River SwimsOpportunities to swim in the beautiful Hudson. Co-sponsored by Manhattan Island Foundation.
¥ Aquathon, Freedom Tower: 8:45 am; and Cove to Cove Swim, 9:00 am, Sunday, July 23; South Cove to North Cove¥ Race for the River Swim: Sunday, July 23, 9:30 am; Pier 62 to North Cove
Go here or call 888.NYC.SWIM for registration.

July 10-17
Restaurant week in NYC
You know the deal. This site lists participating restaurants

Horseback riding in Prospect Park
Kensington Stables (go here for more info)
You can rent a ride for $25 an hour, and can get lessons if youre a novice. Bring a cowboy hat and a hot guy and pretend to wish that you could quit him!

August 8 - September 3, 8:00 pm
Central Park: Shakespeare in the Park - Mother Courage and Her Children
This world premiere production of the Bertolt Brecht play stars Meryl Streep. Translated by Tony Kushner, directed by George C. Wolfe, original music by Jeanine Tesori.

In Brecht's seminal work, we follow Mother Courage over a period of 12 years as one by one her children are taken away by a vicious war. As she seeks to profit from the war that is killing her children, she questions the roles of honesty, virtue, and family in the face of a bitter struggle for survival.

Pick up your free tickets on the day of the performance, beginning at 1:00 pm line usually begins to form early morning at the Delacorte Theater, or from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street.
More Event Info>>

Wednesday nights, 8:30 pm
Pier 54. 14th St. & West St.
Enjoy all-time great movies under the stars! Every Wednesday evening at Hudson River Parks Pier 54 (Quirky Themed Movie Series Films are generally rated Pg-13 and R) and Friday evening on Hudson River Parks Pier 46 (Family oriented movies).

Movies begin at dusk (generally around 8:30pm.) Seating is available. Free Popcorn. Beverages and snacks are for sale.

Wednesdays: July 5 through Aug 23.
Location: Pier 54. 14th St. & West St.


And these are date-specific
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006, 7:30 pm
Asser Levy Seaside Park
Seaside Summer Concert Series presents: "Sweet Sounds of Soul" featuring the incomparable Al Green and special guest Funk Brother Jack Ashford & The Original Motown Sound.

For the best in family entertainment, Asser Levy Seaside Park is the place to be every Thursday night from July 13th to August 24th. Enjoy the free shows!

The public can bring their own chairs or rent them for $5/chair in a specially designated area ($10 on 7/13, 7/27, 8/10 & 8/17).

Location: West 5th and Surf Avenue, opposite the New York Aquarium.


Saturday, Jul 15, 2006
12:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Coney Island
Village Voice Siren Music Festival

This free, all-day, all-ages, music festival will feature live international, national, local bands and DJs performing on two outdoor stages in historic Coney Island. Now in its sixth year, the Village Voice Siren Music Festival has solidified its status as a leading outdoor music festival, drawing over 100,000 music fans the past three years, establishing itself as a leader in showcasing indie rock veterans and emerging artists.

The 2006 festival line up will be announced shortly. For general information please call The Village Voice Siren Music Festival Hotline: 212-475- 4022 or go here.
Location: Coney Island


Thursday, July 27th 6:00pm-7:30pm
Washington Square Park
Romashka Experience the kinetic rhythms, wild playing, and delicious harmonies of this soulful gypsy folk band. Located at the Southeast Plaza Stage.
More info here

Thursday, Jul 27, 2006
7:30 pm
Celebrate Brooklyn!: Dracula with Philip Glass & Kronos Quartet / Slavic Soul Party

World-renowned composer PHILIP GLASS' collaboration with the genre defying KRONOS QUARTET on an original score to the 1931 camp-horror classic DRACULA resulted in one of the great film soundtracks of all time. Glass and Kronos reunite at Celebrate Brooklyn to perform the score live for the first time since 2001. SLAVIC SOUL PARTY's toothsome combo of Gypsy brass, Balkan anthems, and hip-grinding funk will make you want to bite someone on the neck.

Keep It Great, Give $3 at the Gate!
more event info
Location: Prospect Park Bandshell

Thursday, Jul 27, 2006
8:30 pm
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Movies with a View - Pee Wee's Big Adventure

This year's theme is "Movies in Motion" - get set for some of Hollywood's most incredible journeys and road movies. Music starts at 6 pm; movie starts at sunset.
More Event Info>>


Friday, July 28th 8:00pm-9:00pm
Washington Square Park
Fireless Fireworks The Madagascar Institute crafts the thunder, pulses, screeches and colors of a fireworks display without the use of a single pyrotechnic. Located at the Fountain
More info here

Friday, Aug 04, 7:00 pm
Sunset on the Hudson/David Ippolito
Enjoy the sunset on the Hudson every Friday from June 9th to August 25th. It's the perfect way to wind down the work week.

David Ippolito (a.k.a. The Guitar Man) has been playing in New York City for 15 years. His avid following enjoys both original and cover songs that are of a folk style. You can enjoy Davids original songs, which bring out his unique perspective on life, along with the beautiful sunset from the spectacular, grass-covered pier 45 that stretches 900 feet into the majestic Hudson River.
Phone number: 212-627-2020
Location: Hudson River Park's Pier 45 at Charles Street.

Saturday, Aug 05, 1:30 pm
Lincoln Center Out of Doors: Dance with Folk Feet
Move your feet with the Brooklyn Art Councils world traditional dance troupe. Featuring performers from the spectrum of international communities whose New World home is Brooklyn.
Yahaya Kamate - Ivory Coast koukou.
Sheren Attal - Middle East debkah.
King Uprock and Tiny Love - Brooklyn-style uprocking and electric boogie.
Joanna Barry and Martin Connolly - Irish reels and jigs.

Location: South Plaza is directly south of the Josie Robertson Plaza and Lincoln Center Fountain, at West 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.
More info: Lincoln Center
Sunday, Aug 06, 7:00 pm
Hudson River Park's MoonDance: Tango
Dance the night away under the stars with music from New Yorks hottest dance bands on Sunday evenings no experience necessary. Featured styles include swing, tango and salsa. Free Dance lessons begin at 6:30pm courtesy of Dance Manhattan. Live bands go on at 7pm!

Featuring Eternal Tango.

Location: Hudson River Park's Pier 54 located at 13th Street and the West Side Highway. Enter at West 14th St.

Phone number: 212-627-2020
Hudson River Park Trust


Saturday, August 12th 8:30pm-10:00pm
Washington Square Park
The Fire Within Professional fire dancers mesmerize with a dazzling array of fire accessories that swing, twirl, toss, and spin. Located at the Fountain.
More info here

Saturday, Aug 12, 19, 26 12:00 pm
A Country House in Manhattan
Manhattan's oldest house began its history as Colonial Roger Morris's "Gentleman's Farm" in Colonial New York, became a Revolutionary War headquarters to Washington, and finally a "Chateau in the Heights" to Madame Eliza Jumel in the 19th century. Today you can take a guided tour of its 11 period rooms decorated in the Colonial, Federal and Empire styles and learn about is fascinating history and inhabitants.
More Event Info>>
Location: Morris-Jumel Mansion, Roger Morris Park - 65 Jumel Terrace at 160th St.

Saturday, Aug 12, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Central Park SummerStage: Soul to Soul

This is a music event with a suggested donation of $30 as the 2nd Annual Benefit for the New Orleans' Musicians Clinic by Central Park SummerStage.

SummerStage will present its second annual Soul to Soul benefit to pay tribute to the resilience and spirit of the Big Easy in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. The festivities will help to raise money for the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, the non-profit medical center whose aid for the areas music-makers is needed now more than ever.

Admission to all free performances is on a first-come, first-served basis, no tickets required. Gates open 90 minutes prior to performances on weekends and at benefit concerts, and 60 minutes prior to performances on weekdays. All SummerStage performances are rain or shine.
More Event Info>>
Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park - enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Ave on the east side or at 72nd Street & Central Park West on the west side

Sunday, Aug 13, 7:00 pm
Hudson River Park's MoonDance: Swing

Rollickin roadhouse boogie is the heart and soul of George Gees Jump, Jive & Wailers, an electrifying 10-piece band that has kept dance floors pulsating from coast to coast. Dance the night away under the stars to their music no experience necessary. Free Dance lessons begin at 6:30pm courtesy of Dance Manhattan. The live band goes on at 7pm.

Location: Hudson River Park's Pier 54 located at 13th Street and the West Side Highway. Enter at West 14th St.
More info: Hudson River Park Trust

Tuesday, Aug 15, 8:15 pm
Lincoln Center Out of Doors: Carpetbag Brigade Physical Theater Company
Brilliant red, nine-foot tall stilt characters rise, fall, and suspend one another with daredevil lifts and stunts in the Carpetbag Brigade Physical Theater Companys Mudfire, a spellbinding tale of destruction and rejuvenation.Inspired by the cycles of regeneration after forest fires, Mudfire is an acrobatic, stilt-walking fairy tale that enchants children and mystefies adults.

Location: Damrosch Park, located at the southwest corner of the Lincoln Center Plaza, at 62nd Street near Amsterdam Avenue.
More Information: Lincoln Center

Saturday, August 19th 10:30am and again at 12:30pm
Washington Square Park
The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre: The Princess, the Emperor and the Duck One of the only public marionette theatres left in the US, these puppeteers bring this magical tale gloriously to life. Located at the Southeast Plaza Stage.
More info here

4:00pm-10:00pm
Quiet Disco DJs spin music transmitted directly to wireless headphones, and people dance like crazy to sounds no one else can hear. Bring your own FM headphones, or borrow a pair from presenters The Madagascar Institute. Located on the Big lawn (northwest quadrant).
More info here

Tuesday, Aug 22, 6:00 and 6:45pm
Lincoln Center Out of Doors: Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre
Conceived by Vit Horejs, Artistic Director of the Czechoslovak Marionette Theater and performed by members of the Czechoslovak American Marionette Theater, this performance piece with puppets, music and dance explores four centuries of immigrant life in the cultural melting pot of the East Village. The title is derived from the bittersweet autobiographical account of artist Yuri Kapralovs life in this turbulent, eclectic neighborhood.

Location: South Plaza is directly south of the Josie Robertson Plaza and Lincoln Center Fountain, at West 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues.
More Information: Lincoln Center

Thursday, Aug 24, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Central Park: Dancing on the Plaza

Dancing outdoors under the stars, featuring live music and a 45-minute dance lesson. Each week dance to a different style of music. FREE.

Location: Central Park - The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. Inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues
More Event Info>>

Saturday September 9
East River
Brooklyn Bridge Swim
Manhattan Island Foundation hosts about 150 swimmers in the first-ever Brooklyn Bridge Swim from South street seaport to Dumbo. Its a distance of one kilometer, requiring exertion roughly equivalent to running five miles.

Saturday, Sep 23, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Fall in Love with Prospect Park

Hawk Weekend, 12 5 p.m.
Get up-close and personal with birds of prey and learn about the resident raptors of Prospect Park. Discover how these creatures raise their young, catch their prey, and build their homes. Hand puppets, hawk costumes, interactive games, and crafts. Audubon Center. Free.

Harvest Fair, 1 4 p.m.
History you can touch! Harvest and cook potatoes, churn butter, make apple cider, watch a spinster spinning flax into linen thread, and make instruments from gourds. Lefferts Historic House. Free.
More Event Info>>

this is a really good place to look for things to do