Lincoln Center Out of Doors: Free Family Music, Dance and More!

Summer may be winding down as we head into August, but there’s still plenty to do in the city! Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors festival, for one, is back. Get ready for three weeks of music, dance, spoken word performances and more from July 24 until August 11. Bring the family out to enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation with the kids before they head off to school again. You can catch a screening of Coco with an accompanying live mariachi performance, walk through an installation of luminous figures and enjoy folk music at Americanafest NYC. And the best part is, it’s all free!

Here are a few highlights from this year’s series. Be sure to visit Lincoln Center’s official “Out of Doors” website for the full line-up.

Things to Know

Most of the events take place in Damrosch Park. Seating is first-come, first-served, so get there early! The line forms on West 62nd Street, and gates open an hour before the scheduled performance. On days with programming, access to the park will be limited to three entry points beginning at 5 pm.

For the kids, don’t forget to visit the Kid Zone at The Deck, located in the southeast corner of Damrosch Park. Here, they’ll find games and snacks, including candy, juice and free fruit. Or, you can stop by one of the food trucks on-site and grab a bite to eat.

Week 1

Out of Doors kicks off on July 24th with a visit to the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. Here you’ll find more than 7,000 artifacts of black memorabilia dating back as far as the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Immerse yourself in different cultures at “Made in NYC 2.0: Next Generation Traditions” on July 28. Take in a performance by the Sri Lankan Dance Academy of New York, hear Nuyorican bomba music, watch an Andean band perform Quechua folk songs and more!

Week 2

On July 31, NPR Music’s Turning the Tables Live: The Motherlode will showcase the work of eight pioneering women in the recorded music industry. Contemporary performers under the direction of Grammy Award-winner Terri Lyne Carrington will bring their music to life. The event will also feature readings by Angela Davis and poet Sonia Sanchez.

Don’t miss Lincoln Center’s annual Family Day on Saturday, August 3. There will be live music, spoken word performances, dancing and even live graffiti-making.

Week 3

To go out with a bang, Out of Doors finishes its final weekend with “Roots of American Music Weekend: Americanafest NYC.” On August 10, hear from Grammy award-winning, singer-songwriter Patty Griffin and country soul singer Yola. Then, on August 11, spend the final day of Out of Doors listening to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee David Crosby and Tony Award winner Anaïs Mitchell.