As we head into the summer months, Culture Picks will shift to a once-per-month publishing schedule. Be sure to check this space on the last of Friday of each month to see what suggestions I have for you for the month ahead. Today’s post features seasonal festivals and celebrations, plus some exceptional digital offerings. June is really bustin’ out all over!
1st Annual Port Chester Arts Festival & Spring Fest
Saturday, June 3
Port Chester, New York invites one and all to enjoy a day of creativity and inspiration at the 1st Annual Port Chester Arts Festival. The festival will be a celebration of the arts groups and artists that make this Westchester town a creative hub. All events will be free and open to the public.
For event schedules and locations, visit the festival website.
The 8th Annual RiverArts Music Tour
Saturday, June 3, 11am – 9pm
Throughout the Rivertown villages of Yonkers, Hastings on Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley, Irvington, Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow, over 350 musicians perform live music from every genre in backyards, waterfront parks, and the heart of each Rivertown village. Grab your kids, your coolers, and your lawn chairs, and join the Tour!
View event schedules and locations on the River Arts Music Tour website
The White Plains Outdoor Arts Festival
Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4, from 10am – 5pm
Tibbits Park in White Plains, NY.
A long-time White Plains community tradition, the White Plains Outdoor Arts Festival (WPOAF) brings diverse displays of fine arts and crafts to the heart of downtown White Plains. Experience the art and shop for one-of-a-kind gifts and decor. WPOAF donates the proceeds to scholarships awarded to White Plains High School art students to pursue their creative passions in college. Free admission!
Learn more about the White Plains Outdoor Arts Festival on their website.
Westchester County presents 2023 Cultural Heritage Celebrations
Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
Enjoy a multitude of cultures through music, dance, handicrafts, and food. The festivals will be held rain or shine. Seating is informal; bring blankets or folding chairs for seating on the lawn. No coolers will be allowed. Admission and parking are free.
-Asian-American Festival / Saturday, June 3, noon to 6pm
-Albanian Festival / Sunday, June 4, noon to 6 pm
-African-American Festival / Sunday, June 25, noon to 6pm
Westchester Pride
Sunday, June 4, noon-5pm
Court Street between Martine and Main in White Plains, NY
Westchester Pride, an event produced by The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center, is the official celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride in Westchester County, New York. Its mission is to provide a space for celebration, healing, and connection. Westchester Pride is an afternoon street festival; the concert stage will feature a list of entertainers guided by a Pride MC. Additional features include a Pet Parade and a Family Zone filled with fun and games for the little ones. Westchester Pride is free of charge and everyone is welcome.
For more information visit the Westchester Pride website
The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival presents Henry V
Sunday, June 4 through August 21
This Shakespearean epic follows a charismatic warrior King and his cohort through the brutality of warfare, as the ragtag band confronts heavy opposition and their own destinies in an aggressive pursuit of the French crown.
Let’s raise a glass together on Sunday, June 4! After the curtain call on opening night, we invite all ticket holders to join us for a celebratory post-show toast. It’s a perfect opportunity to mingle and toast to a fantastic evening of theater.
Out at the Tent on Friday, June 16. HVSF welcomes and embraces our LGBTQIA+ community. Out at the Tent promises to be an unforgettable evening filled with connection and celebration. Before the performance of Henry V, get to know local LGBTQIA+ organizations, explore a pop-up market curated by River Valley Guild, and enjoy a complimentary reception with drinks and light fare. It’s a chance to mingle and create lasting memories.
For event details and tickets, visit the HV Shakespeare Festival website
Glyndebourne presents Dvořák’s Rusalka
Available to watch on-demand until 5am on Monday, June 5
Celebrate the opening of the 2023 Glyndebourne Opera Festival by enjoying a free stream of Dvořák’s Rusalka. Sally Matthews, who returns to Glyndebourne this summer in Dialogues des Carmélites, takes the title role in this revival of Melly Still’s much-loved production, conducted by Robin Ticciati. Inspired by “The Little Mermaid,” Rusalka offers a poignant reimagining of the classic fairy tale. Rippled with silvery, watery beauty, Dvořák’s sublime score conjures a dappled world of shadowy half-light, of things unspoken and unseen. Rustic folk melodies meet courtly dances and magical love music in this late Romantic masterpiece – an operatic fantasy that looks beyond the storybook world of happily ever after to find truths that are powerfully and painfully human.
Watch Dvořák’s “Rusalka” on YouTube
Westchester Choral Society presents Summer Sings
June 6 & June 20
Music Conservatory of Westchester at 216 Central Avenue, White Plains, NY (1 block from the County Center)
A Westchester Choral Society tradition! Everyone in the community who loves to sing is welcome to join. Music scores will be available at the door; admission includes refreshments and use of score.
June 6, 7-9pm
Faure: Requiem; Vivaldi: Gloria
Conductor: Purchase alum David Baranowski; Music Director, Westchester Choral Society, Hudson Chorale
June 20, 7-9pm
Mozart: Requiem; Haydn: Te Deum
Conductor: Dr. John T. King; New Choral Society; Hitchcock Church Choir of Scarsdale
Learn more about the Westchester Choral Society on their website
The Friends of Greenwich Library present a special concert celebrating Pride Month:
The Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus in Hard at Work
Sunday, June 11, 3pm
Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830
What do Tina Turner, Glen Campbell, Carly Simon, Bon Jovi, David Bowie, Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, and Styx all have in common? They’ve all had mega-hit songs about everyday jobs. Join the men of the CTGMC as we celebrate ordinary occupations with extraordinary music! This event is free and open to all who register; doors open at 2:30 pm.
Click here to RSVP for “A Concert With Friends: Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus”
Artrider presents Rhinebeck Crafts Festival
June 24, 10am – 6pm, and Sunday, June 25, 10am – 5pm
Dutchess County Fairgounds, 6636 Spring Brook Ave., Rhinebeck, NY
Come shop for original fashions, accessories, jewelry, home décor, furniture, photography and fine art; as well as functional and sculptural works in ceramics, glass, metal, wood, mixed media and more! Plus enjoy gourmet specialties, tastings from local distilleries, craft demos, and family activities! Don’t forget your reusable shopping bags. Free Parking. No pets, please.
Visit Artrider’s website for complete event information and tickets
White Plains Public Library presents Juneteenth Celebration:
Amanda, Diane, and the Mfouambila Dance Company
Sunday, June 25, 2-3:30pm
Library Plaza, 100 Martine Ave, White Plains, NY
Join Amanda Armenteros for a full immersive traditional West African Dance performance in celebration of Juneteeth. She will be joined by Diane and The Mfouambila Dance Company for a day of live drumming and dance.
Visit the White Plains Library website for event details
Dia Beacon presents Hudson Valley Free Day
Sunday, June 25
Regular hours are Friday–Monday, 10 am–5 pm
3 Beekman Street, Beacon, New York
Occupying a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the banks of the Hudson River, Dia Beacon presents the majority of Dia’s collection of art from the 1960s to the present as well as special exhibitions, new commissions, and public and education programs. Hudson Valley residents receive free admission to Dia Beacon on the last Sunday of each month.
For directions and exhibit information, visit the Dia Beacon website
Robert Irwin at Dia Beacon
On-demand
On May 18, 2003, Dia Art Foundation opened Dia Beacon on the banks of the Hudson River in Beacon, New York, in a former Nabisco box printing factory. 20 years later, on the occasion of Dia Beacon’s anniversary, Dia presents a film about Robert Irwin’s transformation of the former factory.
Watch “Robert Irwin at Dia Beacon”
WQXR presents a Celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Month
On-demand
WQXR celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a concert in The Greene Space. Featured artists included violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, who has been praised by the Los Angeles Times for her “vigorous mastery, unflinching technical skills, and stylish elegance.” The evening also features Korean percussionist Ji Su Jung, who is a 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, and pianist David Fung, plus insights from comedian Ben X. Kim. Hosted by two-time GRAMMY Award-winner and cellist Andrew Yee.
Watch WQXR’s celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Month on YouTube
Great Performances presents Richard III
On-demand
As part of its annual “Broadway’s Best” lineup, Great Performances raises the curtain this spring on The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III. Starring Danai Gurira (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “The Walking Dead”) in the title role with Tony Award winner Ali Stroker (“Oklahoma!”) as Anne, Tony Award nominee Robert O’Hara (Broadway’s “Slave Play”) directs this Shakespearean tragedy spotlighting one of The Bard’s most indelible villains as part of Great Performances’ 50th anniversary season. The energetic production features the use of American Sign Language, a revolving set, and dance sequences.
Watch “Richard III” starring Danai Gurira on PBS.org
Watch “Creating an Inclusive Richard III” Danai Gurira, Ali Stroker, and Monique Holt discuss how director Robert O’Hara prioritized diversity and inclusion in Richard III.
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Culture Picks celebrates the performing arts. In each post, PAC staff member Coni Guhl shines the spotlight on work by artists that you know and love from their appearances at The Purchase PAC, and offers recommendations about other performing arts events that you really should not miss. Experience them all!
All times are EDT unless otherwise noted.
