A New Era: An Expanded Summer Festival and Sneak Peek at the Harlem Meer Center

The Harlem Meer Performance Festival has been a cultural cornerstone for the community surrounding Central Park’s north end and a mainstay of New York City summer since its creation in 1993. It was founded to celebrate the Central Park Conservancy’s original restoration of the Harlem Meer and the surrounding 225-acre area above 96th Street. Today, the Festival continues to bring music and dance to the shores of the Meer.

This year marks the Festival’s 30th anniversary, and the Conservancy is celebrating with a newly expanded lineup as part of the Harlem Meer Summer Festival. Featuring an abundance of multicultural music performances and an extensive slate of movement classes, the Summer Festival offers entertainment for New Yorkers of all ages. In honor of this lively programming, we’re taking a look back at the Festival’s start as well as what’s to come at the Harlem Meer.

FORMING THE FESTIVAL

Each year, the Festival is held along the northern shore of the Harlem Meer. An energetic epicenter for regulars from the neighborhood and visitors from all over the City, people come to dance, listen, and commune through music—a result of the Conservancy’s early restoration work around the Meer.

While the neighboring Conservatory Garden opened its doors in 1983, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done in the area. The Conservancy raised the money to build the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, a hub for visitors to enhance their Park experience with maps, tours, and free educational programming. As soon as the Dana Discovery Center was finished in 1993, it was ready to serve the community and became home to this beloved event.

“The Harlem Meer Performance Festival has been integral to the surrounding community for years. It offers an opportunity to leave behind the stresses of the City and just be in the moment: singing and dancing to local musicians in a beautiful, cared-for greenspace,” says Allan Wong, the Conservancy’s Manager of Public Programs. “A well-maintained park is needed for these types of public programs, and we're so honored to bring music—and now movement classes—to the Meer summer after summer.”

MOVING AND GROOVING TO A HUGE MILESTONE

Having attracted a variety of the best local music and dance talent over the past 30 years, this year takes the beloved Harlem Festival to another level. In addition to an exciting slate of music performances, the Festival bring a new lineup of movement classes that are available to the public at no cost.

Jump into some double Dutch with Double Dutch Dreamz (open to all skill levels) or participate in some family yoga or vinyasa yoga classes with Harlem Yoga. There are also Silver Sneakers (open to seniors only) and funkaerobics dance classes, which combine the thrill of stretching and working out with dance choreography, hosted by Go Hard Dance. And, of course, don’t miss an amazing music performance lineup that includes the award-winning gospel group Sing Harlem, hip-hop group Clean Money Music, Latin pop singer La Pia Paez, and Afro-Puerto Rican bomba and plena band Los Pleneros de la 21.

A NEW ERA AT THE HARLEM MEER

The Harlem Meer Summer Festival brings a summer of fun and wellbeing to our north end neighbors, and these opportunities will only continue to expand when the new Harlem Meer Center opens.

Celebrating the Harlem community is at the heart of the Festival, and the Conservancy remains steadfast in its “community-first approach” at the new Center as well. Construction continues to progress, and we're excited to unveil it next year. The Center will offer expanded recreational opportunities, a full-scale ice rink and pool, and much more. Our friends and neighbors remain integral to this transformational project, as we incorporate ongoing input from nearby communities and user groups.

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