Kicking of on May 31st, the 2009 River to River Festival will host free events and concerts all summer long at downtown venues including South Street Seaport, the Battery Park Esplanade, Castle Clinton, and the World Financial Center.
Highlights of the 2009 festival will include:
- The Bang on a Can Marathon (May 31) -- Enjoy 12 hours of can banging and boundary-smashing music at the World Financial Center Winter Garden.
- Brian Stokes Mitchell in Rockefeller Park (June 3) -- Broadway star and Grammy winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will perform live in Rockefeller Park
- Children's Day at the Seaport (June 13) -- Bring the whole family for free concerts (including performances by Robert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine), arts and crafts, and fireworks.
- New York City Opera (June 25, 26, 27) -- See free outdoor performances by the New York City Opera -- including a one-hour version of Mozart's The Magic Flute and a program of beloved selections from classic operas including La bohème and Madama Butterfly.
- Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band (July 4th) -- Spend July 4th at South Street Seaport with folk rock star Conor Oberst and opening act Jenny Lewis. Come early for the show and stick around for a great view of the Macy's July 4th fireworks.
- Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre (July 6, 13, 20, 27) -- On Monday nights in July, enjoy outdoor screenings of classic films on The Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street. On July 6th, enjoy Billy Wilder's Seven Year Itch with Marilyn Monroe. On July 13th, it's Walter Matthau in the 1970s NYC subway caper The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The July 20th screening is the classic New York musical West Side Story. On June 27th, it's Burt Lancaster as a power-hungry Broadway columnist and Tony Curtis as a hustling publicist in Sweet Smell of Success.
- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (July 10) -- The NYC-based indie band will perform tunes that critics have called "everything that's great about indepop at the moment."
- Richie Havens Tribute to Woodstock (July 23) -- Richie Havens was a star of the Greenwich Village folk scene and went on to electrify the audiences at Woodstock. Free tickets to his performance will be distributed 2 per person, outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00PM on the day of the show.
- Arlo Guthrie Tribute to Woodstock (July 30) -- Arlo Guthrie is the son of the legendary Woody Gurthry and a folk hero in his own right. Free tickets to his performance will be distributed 2 per person, outside Castle Clinton on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00PM on the day of the show.
- Merce Cunningham Dance Company (August 1 and 2) -- Dance legend Merce Cunninghame turns 90 this year. See the Merce Cunningham Dance Company celebrate the occasion with a unique outdoor performance.
