The Boomerang Theater Company presents The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, directed by Philip Emeott.

There will be performances on these dates:
June 20 - 21 2:00 p.m.
June 27 - 28 2:00 p.m.

July 11 - 12 2:00 p.m.
July 18 - 19 2:00 p.m.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: 69th Street and Central Park West (the lawn between Strawberry Fields and Tavern on the Green)

The beloved hip hop innovator and Renaissance man Q-Tip shares the day with musical trailblazers from around the globe. Presented in association with Giant Step.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

The Central Park Conservancy presents Summer Chess Programs at the Chess & Checkers House in Central Park.

This exciting series of chess lectures and “Simul” (simultaneous) games is conducted by local Grandmasters. Learn their secrets to improve your game and then test your skills against theirs or a friend's. All are encouraged to come watch, and pre-registered players of any age with an official rating of 1000 or better can participate in the Simul.

Lec/Simul program schedule:
Saturday, June 27, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. -- Grandmaster Nick de Firmian
Saturday, July 18, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. -- Grandmaster Larry Christiansen
Saturday, August 8, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. -- FIDE Master Asa Hoffman

All are encouraged to come enjoy these summer chess programs, but space for simul and tournament players is limited. Advance on-line registration is required to play in all chess programs. To learn more about what a simul is, who is conducting them, and how to register, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/chess.

For more information about this or other free public programs in Central Park, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/events or call (212) 794-4064.

The Chess Lecture / Simul Series and Youth Chess Tournament is presented by the Central Park Conservancy in partnership with Renee Yarzig of Cross Generation Chess and Ed Feldman of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Chess & Checkers House, Central Park (Mid-Park at 64th Street)

The master artists featured on the new public television series Passport & Palette, Kevin Macpherson, Joe Anna Arnett, Kenn Backhaus and James Asher, will be painting in areas between the Bethesda Fountain and the Lake.

We invite artists and art enthusiasts alike to join us by painting and sketching along with the master artists and/or simply observing them at work.

Start time: 8:00 am

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Between the Bethesda Fountain and the Lake

Have you ever searched for the Princess of Belvedere Castle? Well, here’s your chance to meet her, hear stories and fables, and enjoy a short tour around her kingdom.

Children of all ages are welcomed.

Start time: 4:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (79th Street mid-park)

The Boomerang Theater Company presents The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, directed by Philip Emeott.

There will be performances on these dates:
June 20 - 21 2:00 p.m.
June 27 - 28 2:00 p.m.

July 11 - 12 2:00 p.m.
July 18 - 19 2:00 p.m.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: 69th Street and Central Park West (the lawn between Strawberry Fields and Tavern on the Green)

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

These two charismatic and political reggae originators from Côte d'Ivoire and Jamaica, have defined the genre and expanded its global reach.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Laughter in the Park is New York's only free outdoor comedy series. Every week, we present two hours of comedy at one of six different city parks.

NYLaughs, Inc. is a unique non-profit that wants to change the cultural landscape of the Big Apple through humor. We seek to elevate the comic arts and provide laughter for free to New Yorkers on a consistent basis by producing free live comedy shows in New York City's public spaces; from its parks and streets to its subways. We want to make New York a better place through laughter!

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 419-5515

Location: Mineral Springs, Central Park. Enter via Central Park West at West 67th Street or West 69th Street.

The elite from the Captive Nations, united with other freedom-loving people, working with the Captive Nations Committee, have stood like a lighthouse in the forefront of the struggle for freedom. Although some Captive Nations are now independent, and some in the process of democratization – all still have Communist strongholds within them. The CNC is constantly increasing their efforts to ensure that these, and all Captive Nations, will one day be free! Join us for this rally and parade in Central Park to celebrate the captive nations.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Bandshell, Central Park

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

A cross-country cycling tour now in its 17th year, the Tour des Trees has become the signature fundraising event of the TREE Fund, and America’s largest fundraising event for tree research.

The 2009 STIHL Tour des Trees kicks off in New York, N.Y. on July 19 and winds through the Northeast before ending in Providence, R.I., during the International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA) International Tree Climbing Championship on July 25.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 10:30 am

Contact phone:

Location: Harlem Meer by the Dana Discovery Center at the north end of Central Park

Join us for a fun-filled day of canoeing and water safety. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. First-come, first-served. Ages 8+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Life jackets will be provided.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: Harlem Meer near Lasker Pool

Since 1905, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts has continuously presented free, outdoor classical music concerts to New Yorkers of all walks of life. Named after founder and philanthropist Elkan Naumburg, who donated the Naumburg Bandshell to New York City in 1923, and inspired by his own love of music, the series seeks to stimulate and encourage new and expanded audiences for classical music in the informal and beautiful setting of Central Park.

This evening's performance is by the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players. The Players' chamber music series attempts to acknowledge and perpetuate the legacy of conductor Jens Nygaard, continuing a marvelous journey through the universe of music that includes works from the standard repertoire and the rarely-performed.

Start time: 7:30 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

In the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, a range of talented and famous musicians performs every Friday morning from May 22 to August 21. Today Sean Paul performs.

Central Park opens to the public at 6 a.m. and audience members will be permitted to enter the park starting then. Concerts are free and open to the public. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive at 6 a.m.

"Good Morning America" airs live from 7 to 9 a.m., with concert performances usually starting around 8:30 a.m.

Start time: 8:30 am

End time: 9:00 am

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

The sophisticated soul songstress Bettye LaVette shares a bill with the NYC’s own Afro Soul band, Budos Band, and Felix Hernandez, a radio personality/soul music champion.

Start time: 7:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

The Grammy-nominated, chart-topping salsero Jerry Rivera spices things up for an afternoon of música muy caliente. Presented in association with Globe Star Media.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

A full afternoon of R&B legends. Presented in association Kedar Entertainment & Globe Star Media.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

The Nautica New York City Triathlon is an Olympic Distance race consisting of a 1500m swim, a 40k bike, and a 10k run.

Each year over 3000 athletes brave the waters of the mighty Hudson River before biking along Manhattan's West Side highway. Finally, athletes put on their running shoes for a run through New York's famed Central Park.

*This event is sold out.

Start time: 6:00 am

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: 99th Street on the Hudson River

Enjoy observing the graceful moves of aquatic bugs dancing on the Meer, followed by a walk through wildflower meadow in search of colorful and dynamic butterflies.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: 110th Street & Lenox Avenue.

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

In the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, a range of talented and famous musicians performs every Friday morning from May 22 to August 21. Today's performer is Kelly Clarkson.

Central Park opens to the public at 6 a.m. and audience members will be permitted to enter the park starting then. Concerts are free and open to the public. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive at 6 a.m.

"Good Morning America" airs live from 7 to 9 a.m., with concert performances usually starting around 8:30 a.m.

Start time: 8:30 am

End time: 9:00 am

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

Two courageous choreographers stage an enthralling evening of provocative dance.

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

A trio of songwriting innovators on one noteworthy evening line-up. On the heels of the success of indie-pop outfit She & Him, singer/songwriter M. Ward recently released his sixth solo effort, Hold Time, to much enthusiasm. NPR describes Hold Time as, “a gorgeously produced mix of finger-picked guitars, upright bass, and shuffling rhythms all tied together by his achy voice.” Currently the lead guitarist of rock band Wilco, Nels Cline is a guitarist and composer best known for his improvisational work and his use of effects pedals and looping devices. Cline has also performed and recorded on several occasions with his Central Park SummerStage partner, punk rock luminary Mike Watt. Cline and Watt have collaborated in The Crew of the Flying Saucer, The Black Gang and in the jazz/punk/improv band Banyan with ex-Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins. Watt is often cited as a key figure in the development of American alternative rock.

Start time: 7:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Join us for a fun-filled day of canoeing and water safety. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. First-come, first-served. Ages 8+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Life jackets will be provided.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: Harlem Meer near Lasker Pool

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

In this Brazilian-themed night, there will be a screening of If I Were You 2 (Se eu fosse você 2), a popular Brazilian concert directed by Daniel Filho, and a performance by Silvia Machete The natural born carioca is renowned for her trademark little red dress, twirling hoops and sensuous guitar work.

Start time: 7:30 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Learn about their basic biology and their importance to humans. We’ll journey through Shakespeare’s Garden, and then stroll along the tall grasses of Turtle Pond.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: Belvedere Castle (79th Street mid-park)

There will be a full set of music by Béla Fleck and Toumani Diabaté, followed by a screening of the documentary tracing Fleck’s journey through Africa in search of the origins of the banjo.

Start time: 7:30 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Since 1905, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts has continuously presented free, outdoor classical music concerts to New Yorkers of all walks of life. Named after founder and philanthropist Elkan Naumburg, who donated the Naumburg Bandshell to New York City in 1923, and inspired by his own love of music, the series seeks to stimulate and encourage new and expanded audiences for classical music in the informal and beautiful setting of Central Park.

This evening's performance is by Imani Winds. Imani Winds has established itself as more than a wind quintet. Since 1997, the Grammy-nominated ensemble has taken a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, genre-blurring collaborations, and inspirational outreach programs. With two member composers and a deep commitment to commissioning new work, the group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African, and Latin-American traditions.

Start time: 7:30 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

The multi-faceted musician Pedrito Martinez performs songs anchored in his beloved Cuba, afterwards there will be a screening of I Am Cuba, the unforgettable film that reconstructs the life of the island during the Batista era. Presented in association with the African Film Festival.

Start time: 7:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

A dynamic evening of live music, celebrity guests, and elite award-winning short films compiled from the past ten years. The Mingus Dynasty Quintet will perform.

Start time: 7:30 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

In the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, a range of talented and famous musicians performs every Friday morning from May 22 to August 21. Today's performance is by David Cook, Kris Allen, and Adam Lambert.

Central Park opens to the public at 6 a.m. and audience members will be permitted to enter the park starting then. Concerts are free and open to the public. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive at 6 a.m.

"Good Morning America" airs live from 7 to 9 a.m., with concert performances usually starting around 8:30 a.m.

Start time: 8:30 am

End time: 9:00 am

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

The accomplished modern dance company Dayton Contemporary Dance Company grounds their work in the African American experience, and choreographer Nathan Trice employs a diverse ensemble to create dance theater works.

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

A mega-dance party led by the go-to motivator and music producer extraordinaire. Presented in association with Meanred Productions.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

The Central Park Conservancy presents Summer Chess Programs at the Chess & Checkers House in Central Park. This exciting series of chess lectures and “Simul” (simultaneous) games is conducted by local Grandmasters. Learn their secrets to improve your game and then test your skills against theirs or a friend's. All are encouraged to come watch, and pre-registered players of any age with an official rating of 1000 or better can participate in the Simul.

Lec/Simul program schedule:
Saturday, June 27, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm -- Grandmaster Nick de Firmian
Saturday, July 18, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm -- Grandmaster Larry Christiansen
Saturday, August 8, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm -- FIDE Master Asa Hoffman

All are encouraged to come enjoy these summer chess programs, but space for simul and tournament players is limited. Advance on-line registration is required to play in all chess programs. To learn more about what a simul is, who is conducting them, and how to register, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/chess.

For more information about this or other free public programs in Central Park, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/events or call (212) 794-4064.

The Chess Lecture / Simul Series and Youth Chess Tournament is presented by the Central Park Conservancy in partnership with Renee Yarzig of Cross Generation Chess and Ed Feldman of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Chess & Checkers House, Central Park (Mid-Park at 64th Street)

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

HARLEM MEER PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

June 21: Feraba (African)

June 28: Jazz Museum in Harlem All Star Big Band (Jazz) *Co-presented by the Jazz Museum in Harlem

July 5: Caracumbe (Afro-Peruvian)

July 12: Los Soneros de Oriente (Cuban Son)

July 19: Alex Blake (Jazz) *Special Concert at Conservatory Garden

July 26: Orlando Marin (Mambo) *Preceded by a Latin Dance workshop with Nydia Ocasio at 1:00 pm

August 2: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (Jazz) *Preceded by a Swing Dance workshop with Loretta Abbot at 1:00 pm

August 9: Osei (African) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art *Preceded by African Dance workshop at 1:00 pm

August 16: New Amsterdam Musical Association (Jazz) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art

August 23: Retumba (Afro-Caribbean)

August 30: I.S. 143 Performance Ensemble (Salsa)

September 6: ARC Gospel Choir (Gospel)

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

Soul takes center stage on this bill with heartfelt anthems, ballads, love songs and good vibes from three of today’s most sought after vocalists. Presented in association with Globe Star Media.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Get out your magnifying glass and get your detective shoes on. We’re going on a walk through the North Woods to investigate the trees. From our observations of snags, beetles, mushrooms, lichens, and much more, we will discover the quiet stories of these tall giants.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 628-2345

Location: 110th Street & Lenox Avenue

Are you looking for an after-work pick-me-up that takes you away from the crowded bars and restaurants of New York City? Join us for a fresh alternative to the tired old happy hour scene at The Central Park Conservancy’s series for adults, the Harlem Meer Social Hour. Each month, the Conservancy hosts a different evening program, that includes plenty of time for mingling over refreshments.

HARLEM MEER SOCIAL HOUR: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

• May 12: Tote It! Woodlands Conservation Lecture and Tote Bag Printing Workshop with Maria Hernandez, Conservancy Wildlife Expert
• June 16: Serene Pleasure: A Walk in the Garden with Diane Schaub, Curator of the Conservatory Garden
• July 14: An Evening on the Meer with the Urban Park Rangers
• August 11: Summer Woodlands Walk with Regina Alvarez, Conservancy Woodlands Expert
• September 8: Exploring Jazz Through Film with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem (this program is a part of the 110th on 110th series celebrating the intersection of inspired landscaping and jazz music. Learn more at www.centralparknyc.org/110.)

All Harlem Meer Social Hour programs take place on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, located in the northern end of Central Park on 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. The series is free and advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/socialhour.

Start time: 6:30 pm

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1360

Location: At the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (located inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

Led by founder and artistic director Vincent La Selva, New York Grand Opera Company is unique in the world for presenting professional fully–staged grand opera productions free of charge to the public, giving all people access to opera, regardless of their financial means.

Today, Vincent La Selva will conduct Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Start time: 7:30 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Naumberg Bandshell, Central Park (72nd Street at mid-park)

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

In the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, a range of talented and famous musicians performs every Friday morning from May 22 to August 21. Today's performance is by Kenny Chesney.

Central Park opens to the public at 6 a.m. and audience members will be permitted to enter the park starting then. Concerts are free and open to the public. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive at 6 a.m.

"Good Morning America" airs live from 7 to 9 a.m., with concert performances usually starting around 8:30 a.m.

Start time: 8:30 am

End time: 9:00 am

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

A very special evening of dance and music that will feature a world premiere by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, set to new music by Martha Wainwright, both commissioned by City Parks Foundation.

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Join the Urban Park Rangers as they guide you through Central Park's most picturesque and historic places. Discover the amazing foresight Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had as they designed the world's most famous park.

In this walking tour, we'll explore the south end of the park, including the Children's District, Lake, and the Mall. A second tour at 2:00 p.m. explores the Strawberry Fields.

No pre-registration is required.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Meet on the north side of Columbus Circle (59th Street and 8th Avenue)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 7:00 pm

End time: 9:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: On the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

A very special evening of dance and music that will feature a world premiere by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, set to new music by Martha Wainwright, both commissioned by City Parks Foundation.

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park (Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

Theater for the New City's award-winning Street Theater Company presents Tally Ho!, or Navigating the Future a rip-roaring musical which will tour City streets, parks and playgrounds throughout the five boroughs.

The production, free to all New Yorkers, has book, lyrics and direction by Crystal Field and musical score composed by David Tice. It's about a young bank teller's adventures in high finance with the big bankers and the heads of industry. The tale gets cosmic as Hera and Athena jump in to help when toxic assets and old mortgages join the runoff from the earth--the dead batteries, pesticides and rotting garbage--that have begun piling up on Mount Olympus. The piece will be written dynamically as events of state and the world unfold.

The production will play Theater for the New City (August 1), Morningside Park (August 2), Tompkins Square Park (August 8), Herbert Von King Park (August 9), Coney Island Boardwalk (August 14), Wise Towers (August 15), Central Park Bandshell (August 16), Prospect Park Concert Grove (August 22), Travers Park (August 23), St. Mary's Park (August 29), Washington Square Park (August 30), Sobel Court & Bowen Street (September 12), and St. Marks Church (September 13).

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 254-1109

Location: Central Park Bandshell

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

HARLEM MEER PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

June 21: Feraba (African)

June 28: Jazz Museum in Harlem All Star Big Band (Jazz) *Co-presented by the Jazz Museum in Harlem

July 5: Caracumbe (Afro-Peruvian)

July 12: Los Soneros de Oriente (Cuban Son)

July 19: Alex Blake (Jazz) *Special Concert at Conservatory Garden

July 26: Orlando Marin (Mambo) *Preceded by a Latin Dance workshop with Nydia Ocasio at 1:00 pm

August 2: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (Jazz) *Preceded by a Swing Dance workshop with Loretta Abbot at 1:00 pm

August 9: Osei (African) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art *Preceded by African Dance workshop at 1:00 pm

August 16: New Amsterdam Musical Association (Jazz) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art

August 23: Retumba (Afro-Caribbean)

August 30: I.S. 143 Performance Ensemble (Salsa)

September 6: ARC Gospel Choir (Gospel)

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Central Park has the “cool factor” – and so do the stars of the 7th Annual Central Park Film Festival, sponsored by Bloomberg L.P.

Get Carried away! In tonight's film, New York hippest single-girl (Sarah Jessica Parker) is finally getting married to her Mr. Big. But her three best girlfriends must console her when one of them inadvertently leads Mr. Big to jilt her.

All screenings are FREE and start at 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. To find Rumsey Playfield, enter the Park at Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. All films are closed-captioned. Rain or shine.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Central Park has the “cool factor” – and so do the stars of the 7th Annual Central Park Film Festival, sponsored by Bloomberg L.P.

Today's film is Shaft--John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) is the ultimate in suave detectives. A cool private eye, Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.

All screenings are FREE and start at 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. To find Rumsey Playfield, enter the Park at Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. All films are closed-captioned. Rain or shine.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Central Park has the “cool factor” – and so do the stars of the 7th Annual Central Park Film Festival, sponsored by Bloomberg L.P.

Today's film is Ocean's 11. In this film, Hollywood’s A list stars come together to pull off the most daring heist Las Vegas has ever known...these guys have it going on, but can they make a sweet escape?

All screenings are FREE and start at 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. To find Rumsey Playfield, enter the Park at Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. All films are closed-captioned. Rain or shine.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield

In the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, a range of talented and famous musicians performs every Friday morning from May 22 to August 21. Today's performer is Reba McEntire.

Central Park opens to the public at 6 a.m. and audience members will be permitted to enter the park starting then. Concerts are free and open to the public. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive at 6 a.m.

"Good Morning America" airs live from 7 to 9 a.m., with concert performances usually starting around 8:30 a.m.

Start time: 8:30 am

End time: 9:00 am

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield, Central Park

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Central Park has the “cool factor” – and so do the stars of the 7th Annual Central Park Film Festival, sponsored by Bloomberg L.P.

Today's film is Twilight. In this film, a teenage girl risks everything when she falls in love the coolest and hottest looking guy at Forks High School, who just happens to be a vampire. This love story has a cult like following. Catch the original before the sequel premieres.

All screenings are FREE and start at 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. To find Rumsey Playfield, enter the Park at Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. All films are closed-captioned. Rain or shine.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

Central Park has the “cool factor” – and so do the stars of the 7th Annual Central Park Film Festival, sponsored by Bloomberg L.P.

Tonight's film will you be selected by you, the viewer! Visit http://www.7online.com/ to vote for one of the following:
(Voting begins on July 21 and ends on August 21.)

* Men in Black (1997)
Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones, slick in their suits and shades, are protecting the earth from the scum of the universe. 98 min.
* Goldfinger (1965)
Investigating a gold magnate’s gold smuggling, James Bond — the ultimate Mr. Cool — uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve. 110 min.
* Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
A bored suburban housewife, seeking adventure to her life, accidentally gets hit on the head, wakes up with amnesia, and is mistaken for a free-spirited New York City drifter named Susan (starring the coolest chameleon, Madonna). 104 min.

All screenings are FREE and start at 8:00 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. To find Rumsey Playfield, enter the Park at Fifth Avenue and 69th Street. All films are closed-captioned. Rain or shine.

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time: 10:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Rumsey Playfield

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

HARLEM MEER PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

June 21: Feraba (African)

June 28: Jazz Museum in Harlem All Star Big Band (Jazz) *Co-presented by the Jazz Museum in Harlem

July 5: Caracumbe (Afro-Peruvian)

July 12: Los Soneros de Oriente (Cuban Son)

July 19: Alex Blake (Jazz) *Special Concert at Conservatory Garden

July 26: Orlando Marin (Mambo) *Preceded by a Latin Dance workshop with Nydia Ocasio at 1:00 pm

August 2: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (Jazz) *Preceded by a Swing Dance workshop with Loretta Abbot at 1:00 pm

August 9: Osei (African) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art *Preceded by African Dance workshop at 1:00 pm

August 16: New Amsterdam Musical Association (Jazz) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art

August 23: Retumba (Afro-Caribbean)

August 30: I.S. 143 Performance Ensemble (Salsa)

September 6: ARC Gospel Choir (Gospel)

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Seneca Village was Manhattan's first known community of African-American property owners, living on land that would become Central Park. Learn about the history of the village and property owners, and what New York City was like at the time.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at the southeast corner of 85th Street and Central Park West.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

New York City is getting adventurous! Locations in all five boroughs host free adventure activities including rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, and outdoor survival skills.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Various locations

Seneca Village was Manhattan's first known community of African-American property owners, living on land that would become Central Park. Learn about the history of the village and property owners, and what New York City was like at the time.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at the southeast corner of 85th Street and Central Park West.

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

HARLEM MEER PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

June 21: Feraba (African)

June 28: Jazz Museum in Harlem All Star Big Band (Jazz) *Co-presented by the Jazz Museum in Harlem

July 5: Caracumbe (Afro-Peruvian)

July 12: Los Soneros de Oriente (Cuban Son)

July 19: Alex Blake (Jazz) *Special Concert at Conservatory Garden

July 26: Orlando Marin (Mambo) *Preceded by a Latin Dance workshop with Nydia Ocasio at 1:00 pm

August 2: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (Jazz) *Preceded by a Swing Dance workshop with Loretta Abbot at 1:00 pm

August 9: Osei (African) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art *Preceded by African Dance workshop at 1:00 pm

August 16: New Amsterdam Musical Association (Jazz) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art

August 23: Retumba (Afro-Caribbean)

August 30:

September 6: ARC Gospel Choir (Gospel)

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

JoAnne Akalaitis returns to The Public Theater to present Greek tragedy as it was always meant to be seen – in the open air of the city. This visionary interpretation, featuring a lush choral score by Philip Glass, re-imagines the classic story about what happens when a government attempts to outlaw desire.

For over 50 years, The Public has been proud to bring free performances to over 100,000 people each summer at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This long-standing tradition has joined esteemed artists with audiences from all over the world to celebrate Shakespeare and other classic works. Free tickets are available both in person and online to the general public. Tickets start being distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance--get there early to get one!

Start time: 8:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Join the Central Park Conservancy for the 2009 season of this popular FREE concert series that features the best in local emerging and established Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel artists.

Advance registration is not required. Performances take place at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues, inside the Park). Please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/performancefestival for more information.

HARLEM MEER PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

June 21: Feraba (African)

June 28: Jazz Museum in Harlem All Star Big Band (Jazz) *Co-presented by the Jazz Museum in Harlem

July 5: Caracumbe (Afro-Peruvian)

July 12: Los Soneros de Oriente (Cuban Son)

July 19: Alex Blake (Jazz) *Special Concert at Conservatory Garden

July 26: Orlando Marin (Mambo) *Preceded by a Latin Dance workshop with Nydia Ocasio at 1:00 pm

August 2: Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (Jazz) *Preceded by a Swing Dance workshop with Loretta Abbot at 1:00 pm

August 9: Osei (African) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art *Preceded by African Dance workshop at 1:00 pm

August 16: New Amsterdam Musical Association (Jazz) Co-presented by the Museum for African Art

August 23: Retumba (Afro-Caribbean)

August 30: I.S. 143 Performance Ensemble (Salsa)

September 6: ARC Gospel Choir (Gospel)

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues, inside the Park)

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Are you looking for an after-work pick-me-up that takes you away from the crowded bars and restaurants of New York City? Join us for a fresh alternative to the tired old happy hour scene at The Central Park Conservancy’s series for adults, the Harlem Meer Social Hour. Each month, the Conservancy hosts a different evening program, that includes plenty of time for mingling over refreshments.

HARLEM MEER SOCIAL HOUR: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

• May 12: Tote It! Woodlands Conservation Lecture and Tote Bag Printing Workshop with Maria Hernandez, Conservancy Wildlife Expert
• June 16: Serene Pleasure: A Walk in the Garden with Diane Schaub, Curator of the Conservatory Garden
• July 14: An Evening on the Meer with the Urban Park Rangers
• August 11: Summer Woodlands Walk with Regina Alvarez, Conservancy Woodlands Expert
• September 8: Exploring Jazz Through Film with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem (this program is a part of the 110th on 110th series celebrating the intersection of inspired landscaping and jazz music. Learn more at www.centralparknyc.org/110.)

All Harlem Meer Social Hour programs take place on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, located in the northern end of Central Park on 110th Street between Lenox and Fifth Avenues. The series is free and advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370 or visit www.centralparknyc.org/socialhour.

Start time: 6:30 pm

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1360

Location: At the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (located inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: On the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

Seneca Village was Manhattan's first known community of African-American property owners, living on land that would become Central Park. Learn about the history of the village and property owners, and what New York City was like at the time.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at the southeast corner of 85th Street and Central Park West.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call 212-860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

Don’t miss your opportunity to play in the 7th annual youth tournament for rated and recreational chess players of all abilities in kindergarten through 9th grade. Highlights include a lecture and simul game with Grandmaster Robert Hess, a rising senior at Stuyvesant High School. All are encouraged to come watch, and pre-registered players can participate in the tournament.

All are encouraged to come enjoy this summer chess program, but space for simul and tournament players is limited. Advance online registration is required to play. To learn more about what a simul is, who is conducting them, and how to register, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/chess.

For more information about this or other free public programs in Central Park, please visit www.centralparknyc.org/events or call (212) 794-4064.

The Chess Lecture / Simul Series and Youth Chess Tournament is presented by the Central Park Conservancy in partnership with Renee Yarzig of Cross Generation Chess and Ed Feldman of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: At the Chess & Checkers House. Located Mid-Park at 64th Street

Olmsted and Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests and Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies approach as they sailed down the East River. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Central Park (inside the Park at 110th Street, between Fifth and Lenox avenues)

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and enjoy an afternoon of multicultural fun in Central Park's most intimate natural playground!

A Clearing in the Forest is the Central Park Conservancy's series of FREE multicultural performances and family art workshops. Led by a range of established and emerging performing artists from some of New York City’s leading cultural institutions, and featuring live music and dance, puppets, storytelling, and crafts, these programs are fun for all ages.

Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade* and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at West 106th Street. Advance registration is not required. For more information, please call (212) 860-1370, visit www.centralparknyc.org/clearing, or see the full schedule of programs below.

A CLEARING IN THE FOREST: SUMMER 2009 SCHEDULE

Saturdays on the Great Hill

• May 23, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Family Bash! with Bash the Trash
• June 20, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm: "Swan Lake" Ballet Workshop with American Ballet Theatre
• July 11, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Great Jazz on the Great Hill co-presented by Jazzmobile
• August 15, 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" film screening co-presented by African Film Festival
• September 12, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: "Henry Hudson and the River that Discovered Him" large-scale puppet show with Arm of the Sea Theater

Sundays in The Children's Glade

• May 31, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: European Folktales with Ron Ropyla
• June 7, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: A Journey through Mexico with Mexico Beyond Mariachi
• June 28, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: African Dance Workshop with Live Percussion with Nafisa Shariff
• July 19, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Native American Stories, Song, and Dance with Leaf Arrow Storytellers
• July 26, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Ladybug One Songs with the Harmonica Pocket
• August 2, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Batsongs with Musical Mark
• August 9, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Picnic Playground Tour co-presented by Putamayo Records
• August 30, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Czech and Slovak Fairy Tales with Vít Hoøejš
• September 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Stories Under the Elm Trees co-presented by the Museum for African Art
• September 27, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Autumn in the Glade with Bobby Gonzalez

For more information, please call 212-860-1370, or visit the official A Clearing in the Forest website here: www.centralparknyc.org/clearing.

*The Children's Glade landscape and its ongoing maintenance and care are made possible by the Directors of The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Programs take place in The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade and on the Great Hill. Enter Central Park at 106th Street and Central Park West.

Seneca Village was Manhattan's first known community of African-American property owners, living on land that would become Central Park. Learn about the history of the village and property owners, and what New York City was like at the time.

Start time: 2:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at the southeast corner of 85th Street and Central Park West.

As you promenade through the heart of Central Park, imagine living in 19th-century New York City. Learn about the Park's history and hear how its designers, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, struggled to make their vision our reality.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop, mid-Park at 65th Street.

Take a walk around the lands dominated by Belvedere Castle, situated high on Vista Rock. Visit this tiny 55-acre realm on an eclectic tour of history and nature.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-Park at 79th Street)

You will see many surprises on this walk. A hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, and a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.

Walk through a scenic area of the western edge of the Park, much of which is off the beaten track for most visitors. See rolling meadows, lake views, bridges of different styles, and a garden with flowers and plants mentioned by Shakespeare.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Inside the Park on the north side of West 81st Street and Central Park West.