Free concerts and breathtaking sunsets cast a mesmerizing glow over summer nights in Hudson River Park.
Our events season is in full swing as we bring even more music to the Park this month! All summer long, music has filled our four miles with joy and movement. Join us to close out the last month of music in our 25th Anniversary season with sensational performances.
Sunset on the Hudson
Magical moments unfold on HRPK’s Pier 45 every Friday night as the sun dips below the horizon. Our Sunset on the Hudson concerts bring extraordinary, talented, local performers to the riverfront for everyone to enjoy. This year we’ve welcomed back returning favorites in addition to new musical acts.
We’ll be ending our season strong with shows from series newcomers, Sterling Strings and Queer Big Apple Corps. Sterling Strings is a stunning string ensemble made up of diverse, highly trained musicians. They have performed at top music venues and will soon take stage in our Park! The Queer Big Apple Corps is a revolutionary group who have been champions for queer inclusivity through both their music and community for almost fifty years. We can’t wait to have these accomplished performers close out our most exciting event season yet!
Sunset Salsa’s DJ Ariel
Lost in the rhythm, found in Hudson River Park. Our Sunset Salsa series, held on Pier 76 against the backdrop of gorgeous NYC sunsets, has become a summertime Park staple. The talented Talia Castro-Pozo has been leading our classes for years now, with DJ Ariel putting together invigorating mixes of salsa music to help set the tone for amazing evenings in the Park.
Jazz at Pier 84
This popular series, presented in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America, brings a star-studded lineup of jazz artists to perform outdoors, for free, in the heart of NYC, the jazz capital of America.
This year we’ve presented industry legends such as pianist Bertha Hope and trombonist Dick Griffins and welcomed artists whose jazz performances incorporate Latin cultural influences Salongo and the Ariacne Trujillo Quartet.
This August you can look forward to performances from Annette St. John and The Harmony Bartz Experience. Annette was born in Harlem and grew up watching her mother and uncle perform. Since then, she has cultivated her own style combining blues, gospel and jazz. Also born and raised in Harlem, Taifa “Harmony” Bartz has developed a sastyle that fuses the blues and jazz while incorporating neo-blues. Every performer that hits the stage at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 has forged their own sound, but all are sure to put on a stunning show!
Blues BBQ Festival
Our 23rd annual Blues BBQ Festival is less than a month away! On August 19 at Pier 76, our day-long festival offers free live music to everyone, and we can’t wait to see you there! Doors open at 1:00 PM, and the party doesn’t stop until 10:00 PM.
Our main stage is headlined by Danielle Ponder, a former New York State public defense attorney, whose music blends blues, pop, R&B, rock and moody trip-hop. Additional performers include John Primer & the Real Deal Blues Band, led by legend John Primer, whose style helped shape Chicago Blues as we know it. Diunna Greenleaf, who specializes in Texas blues once again graces our stage. Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas willbring zydeco, the fast and energetic accordion-dominant music of Creole South Louisiana to the Blues BBQ Festival stage and songwriter, vocalist and blues guitarist Selwyn Birchwood will open the show with his powerhouse voice and stage persona.
Make sure to check our second stage, where local musicians will entertain between main stage acts! Our partner, the Jazz Foundation of America, are presenting this lineup of incredible musicians. Danny Mixon, a master pianist, was born in Harlem. Ed Cherry and Marvin Sewell are a duo of talented guitarists. Beareather Reddy is a blues songwriter and vocalist who has been performing for over 40 years. Lastly, Cedric “Catfish” Turner and Keith “The Captain” Gamble are a musical duo with vocalist, guitarist, and harmonica player Keith and guitarist Cedric. Jonathan Kalb is a multi-talented singer, guitarist and harmonica player. We thank the Jazz Foundation for curating this lineup and bringing these musicians to the Festival.
Grab some BBQ from any of the participating restaurants that you can read about here, and head over to either stage for what’s sure to be a day packed with spectacular performances.
Check out all of our upcoming free concerts on our events calendar. The Park’s 25th Anniversary Season is presented by Hudson River Park Friends, the Park’s designated fundraising partner, dedicated to the completion, care and enhancement of the Park. Hudson River Park is not part of NYC Parks, and we rely on private funds for our free programs, maintenance and operations. That means your donations are essential to ensuring our event season remains free for the public. Donate today to help keep our 400+ events free for all who enjoy them.