Celebrate Summer Solstice In NYC With Community Garden Concerts

NEW YORK CITY, NY — This year's Summer Solstice — the longest day of the year —hits on Thursday and the city plans to celebrate with a series of free concerts in community gardens.

The Parks Department teamed up with Make Music New York to bring free concerts to 16 community gardens in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens to take advantage of the extra sunlight for the day.

Concerts start as early as 10 a.m. with some raging on until after the sun comes down, according to the city.

The Summer Solstice happens every year when the sun goes directly over the Tropic of Cancer with places north of the equator basking in extra sunlight than usual, according to Vox. Residents in the city can expect to enjoy about 15 hours of sunlight on Thursday.

Here's the full list of concerts set to take over community gardens tomorrow:

Brooklyn

All People's Garden
293-295 E. Third St., Kensington
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Performances by tenor sax player Ras Moshe, jazz-fusion keyboardist Jim Duffy, synth-pop musician Julie Hill and rock and reggae band Aqua Cherry.

Brooklyn Bear's Community Garden
Pacific Street and Flatbush Avenue, Boerum Hill
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Performances by pop-folk singer Gwendolyn Fitz, classical musician Crow, acoustic indie-folk artist Emily McNally and the New York Late Starters Strong Orchestra.

Warren St. Marks Community Garden
623 Warren St., Park Slope
1 to 8 p.m.

Performances by world/pop fusion act Decoster, electronic indie-folk band Turbo Goth, Aimee Norwich, experimental jazz group 9 Horses, pop-punk band Babes NYC and the BVS Women's Choir.

Q Gardens Community Farm
69 E. 18th St., Flatbush
5 to 5:30 p.m.

A performance by neo-soul artist Tim Victor.

Woodbine Street Garden
146 Woodbine St., Bushwick
6 to 8 p.m.

Performances by rock, jazz and blues artist Dan Leibel and vocalist Dian Sentino.

Hart to Hart Community Garden
104 Hart St., Bed-Stuy
7 to 8 p.m.

Another performance by rock, jazz and blues musician Dan Leibel.

Manhattan

Children's Magical Garden
Norfolk and Stanton streets, Lower East Side
10 a.m. to p.m.

Performances by Ras Moshe, the Noon: City Stompers, Echoes of Antiquity, the Place of Heart Choir and Os Clavelitos.

Clayton Williams Memorial Garden
303 W. 126th St., Harlem
3:45 to 6:15 p.m.

Performances by the neo-soul act Troy Weekes Music and Benita Charles.

Le Petit Versailles Garden
346 E. Houston St., East Village
4 to 9 p.m.

Performances by NYOBS, DJ Bobby G and Mark Street and the Lost Orchestra.

Oasis Community Garden
511-519 W. 52nd St., Hells Kitchen
4:30 to 9 p.m.

Performances by Lucky Kalantari and Darius, Cady Finlayson with Vita Tango, Walker & Wilmeth, Inner Gypsy, Alfredo Sings Brel and Dusk: The Oasis Firefly Light Show.

Carrie McCraken TRUCE Garden
143-145 St. Nicholas Ave, Harlem
5 to 9 p.m.

With perfromances by Ishmael Levi and Qew Lunel & the All Fruits Ripe Band.

Siempre Verde Garden
181 Stanton St., Lower East Side
5 to 9 p.m.

Performances by jazz/folk musician Andre V. Craig, indie-rock band Soulcake, classic rock act The Glorious Revolution and indie-pop group Shapes on Tape.

Nelson Mandela Community Garden
267 W. 126th St., Harlem
5 to 8:30 p.m.

Performances by Thurston Ray, Virginia Martinez and Goddess Lakshmi.

Joseph Daniel Wilson Memorial Garden
West 122nd Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, Harlem
5:45 to 9 p.m.

Performances by blue/R&B group Kenny Butler and Friends.

Albert's Garden
16 E. Second St., Bowery
6 to 8:30 p.m.

A performance by Just (Jazz) Friends.

Queens

Discovery Community Garden
108-56 Union Hall St., Jamaica
5 to 7 p.m.

Rafael Landron will play punk and funk protest songs followed by the funk group Drumadics Beat-N-Brass Band.

Two Coves Community Garden
Astoria Boulevard and Main Avenue, Astoria
5:15 to 6:14 p.m.

With performances by guitarist Matthew Nichols and Colleen Deery & Friends playing traditional Irish songs.

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