Kicking off this month, and all summer long, Hudson River Park’s busiest-ever lineup of free programming spotlights and celebrates LGBTQIA+ voices. Read on as we highlight some of these outstanding artists, and follow along with us throughout this month as we share more ways to celebrate Pride in the Park.
Hudson River Park welcomes all who have relied on the piers historically, and still today, as a safe space for gathering, connection and love. We embrace and honor the LGBTQIA+ history of our waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods. Here are some helpful resources where you can learn more about this history through art, written records, tours and other learning tools.
Pride Sunday in HRPK
Christopher St. Plaza, Pier 45, Pier 46, West Village Esplanade
Sunday, June 26 at 9:00 AM to Monday, June 27 at 1:00 AM
Join us for Pride in Hudson River Park! Our West Village esplanades, along with Piers 45 and 46, have long been a place of gathering on Pride Sunday, with thousands coming together to celebrate Pride.
For everyone’s safety, to manage crowding conditions, please expect closures in the area, including on both sides of Route 9A. As a reminder, Park rules are in effect regarding glass containers and open flames, including BBQs and grills, which can quickly create dangerous conditions, particularly on crowded days. View the full list of Park rules. Available amenities will include porta-sans and water fountains. Please note that Heritage of Pride’s Pride Island has moved south to Governor’s Island, and there will not be fireworks visible from Hudson River Park this year.
Click here for closures and other guidance.
The Garden Party
Hudson River Park’s Pier 84
Tuesday, June 21 at 6:00 PM
New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (known as The Center) has been a place of celebration and Pride for all LGBTQ New Yorkers since their founding in 1983, and this year’s Garden Party will be no exception. Come celebrate in person at Pier 84 on Tuesday, June 21 at 6 p.m. for an evening of extraordinary performances, music, special guests and more. Confirmed performers include Gigi Goode, Paula Cole, Sophie B. Hawkins and DJ BBARI.
Tickets are on sale now.
Resistance Revival Chorus
Sunset on the Hudson
Hudson River Park’s Pier 45 at Christopher St.
Friday, June 24 at 7:00 PM
On Friday, June 24, we are thrilled to bring the Resistance Revival Chorus (RRC) back to perform at Sunset on the Hudson. This collective of more than 60 women and non-binary singers join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance, and to uplift and center women’s voices.
Members of the chorus hail from diverse professional backgrounds — touring musicians, film and television actors, Broadway performers, solo recording artists, gospel singers, political activists, educators, filmmakers, artists, and more — representing a multitude of identities, professions, creative backgrounds, and activist causes. The RRC centers women in music, and addresses how historically marginalized women have been in the music industry.
We can’t wait for you to experience this powerhouse performance. As Sunset on the Hudson regulars know there’s no better way to kick off summer Fridays in NYC than with a rousing concert as the sun sets over historic Pier 45 — and we can’t think of a better way to kick off pride weekend than with RRC.
LBGTQIA+ Art Walk
Hudson River Park’s Piers 45 – 51 and the southern edge of Hudson River Park’s Gansevoort Peninsula
Hudson River Park’s Greenwich Village waterfront is home to public art and monuments that celebrate NYC’s LGBTQIA+ community and honor its history. Enjoy this walk anytime by entering Hudson River Park at Christopher Street, near the Park’s historic Pier 45, and walk north along the esplanade. Learn more about the public art and monuments.
Queer Urban Orchestra
Sunset on the Hudson
Hudson River Park’s Pier 45 at Christopher St.
Friday, August 19 at 7:00 PM
Later this summer, we are excited to bring Queer Urban Orchestra (QUO), NYC’s only LGBTQIA+ orchestra, to our Sunset on the Hudson stage. Founded in 2009, QUO promotes inclusion and self-expression by coming together to make beautiful music.
Encouraging equality, understanding, acceptance and respect, QUO strives to entertain and educate members and audiences through performances of classical and contemporary music. If you’ve never experienced orchestral music performed along our waterfront, we encourage you not to miss this opportunity to see QUO in the Park.
Drag Story Hour NYC
Hudson RiverKids
Monday, August 22 at 4:00 PM at Hudson River Park’s Pier 25 at N Moore St.
Thursday, August 25 at 4:00 PM at Hudson River Park’s Pier 63 at W 23 St.
Hudson RiverKids brings family-friendly interactive activities and live entertainment to the Park all summer long, and later this summer, we welcome Drag Story Hour NYC back to HRPK’s Piers 25 and 63.
Drag Story Hour NYC produces storytelling and creative arts programs for children and teens, presented by local drag artists in community spaces across all five NYC boroughs and virtually.
Designed for children ages 3-8, this storytelling program invites a local drag artist trained by children’s librarians to read picture books, sing songs and lead movement activities, providing an age-appropriate introduction to the concept of drag as a form of dress-up and play.
Through fun and fabulous educational experiences, Drag Story Hour NYC programs celebrate gender diversity and all forms of difference to build empathy and give kids the confidence to express themselves however they feel comfortable. We look forward to bringing this popular program back to Hudson RiverKids for Park families to enjoy!
Fogo Azul
Mirage Performance at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 at W 44 St.
Wednesday, August 24 at 6:30 PM
For the first time this summer, we invite you to keep your eyes and ears open for Mirage Performances, a series of shows featuring a spectrum of artistic expression in unexpected corners of the Park. We close this outstanding lineup of pop-up performances with a bang (literally), with Fogo Azul.
Fogo Azul (Blue Fire) is a New York City-based all-women, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming Brazilian Samba Reggae drum line. Fogo Azul was born at the intersection of founder and Buffalo, NY native, Stacy Kovacs’ passion for Samba Reggae, her deep respect for its cultural roots as a music of protest and resistance, her belief and activism in support of gender equality and her sense of civic duty in the current environment to publicly awaken and inspire people to resist oppression and exercise their power to uplift society — loudly.
Launched in 2016 as an extension of Marcus Santos’s Samba Reggae-based Grooversity education project, Fogo Azul NYC is an age and ethnically diverse community that spans the drummer spectrum from novice to professional. As of 2022, Fogo Azul NYC has expanded to become one of New York City’s most powerful women, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming community musical groups.
The Frame: NYC Pride Shorts
Hudson River Park’s Pier 46
Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 PM
Join Rooftop Films & lululemon NYC with Hudson River Park co-presenting, as we celebrate Pride Month with some of our favorite queer shorts from the past couple of years. Featuring LGBTQIA+ subjects and filmmakers from around the globe, these films showcase the diversity and legacy of queer identity. They’ll make you laugh, cry—and ultimately feel seen, heard, and welcome. RSVP. Note: RSVP does not guarantee entry. Seating is first come, first served. In the event of rain, show will be rescheduled at the same location.
We are so excited to showcase such a range of artistic expression — from the orchestra to the drum line, from affirming storytelling to choral resistance — all right here in Hudson River Park. See what else we have planned on our event calendar! As we embrace and celebrate Pride throughout this month and beyond, we will continue to highlight ways to connect with and celebrate the Park’s LGBTQIA+ history and community.
Hudson River Park’s 2022 event season is presented in part by HRPK Friends, the Park’s philanthropic partner, dedicated to the completion, care and enhancement of the Park. Join our growing community of Park supporters and members, and help us continue to bring dynamic voices to the Park and provide an outstanding lineup of free programs for all to enjoy.