Special Performances Coming To UWS Open Boulevard This Weekend

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — In celebration of New York opening back up, a special series of performances will take place within Open Boulevards across the city, and the first one will be this weekend on the Upper West Side.

Starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, the Open Boulevards Performance Series Kick-Off Event will begin on Columbus Avenue and 107th Street in partnership with the Columbus/Amsterdam Business Improvement District.

There is an Open Boulevard that stretches from 106th to 110th on Columbus.

The Open Boulevards Performance Series is organized by the architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, the live-events group TAIT, and Moet Hennessy USA — in partnership with OpenCultureWORKS — a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing live performing arts programs and events to streets, parks, plazas, and other public spaces in the city.

On Saturday, the two special performers coming to the Upper West Side will be Mambembe NY, and Keith Nelson from Bindlestiff.

Mambembe NY is a drum group and band, while Nelson is a founder of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus. Anyone in attendance on Saturday can expect to see him juggle, eat fire, and swallow swords.

There will also be other musical performances on the Columbus Open Boulevard throughout the day.

Additionally, Moet Hennessy USA will help spice up the menus of restaurants within the Columbus Open Boulevard with celebratory cocktails made with Belvedere, Chandon, Glenmorangie, Hennessy, and Volcan.

For anyone that might be unsure about the Open Boulevard designation, Mayor Bill de Blasio described it as taking "the concept of Open Streets and supercharging it — multiple blocks in a row filled with restaurants, with performances, with community activities."