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This blues festival is bringing in the best of barbecue to Hudson Park
We are sad to report that barbecue season will soon come to a close. Luckily, the folks at Hudson Park are saying “goodbye” to the season in a big, big way. This weekend, the longest-running blues festival in New York is returning to the outdoor park for a day of blues, barbecue and all the fun that comes with it.
On Saturday, August 10, Blues BBQ Festival is returning to Hudson Park. For its 24th year, the free, all-day festival will feature for blues music from artists around the country, paired with barbecue and booze from local favorites. Music-aficionados can toggle between two blues stages and catch shows from Brooklyn-raised singer and songwriter Alexis P. Suter; accordionist Blackcat Zydeco; vocalist, keyboardist and drummer Sheryl Youngblood; and six-time Blues Music Award Winner Joe Louis Walker and the Altered Five Blues Band. In between sets, this family-friendly festival has a little bit of everything to keep you entertained, from dance classes from Blues Dance New York to live screen printing and an instrument petting zoo from music and theater school, Jalopy Theater.
“For over two decades, the Blues BBQ Festival has been a true summer staple that brings fans of blues music and lovers of barbecue together for a day filled with singing, dancing, family fun, and, of course, delicious food,” said Noreen Doyle, president and CEO of Hudson River Park Trust in a press release.
Speaking of barbecue, some of the area’s finest pitmasters are bringing their smokers to the waterfront. Iconic New York City barbecue joints will be in attendance, from Carolina cue’ courtesy of Mighty Quinn’s to Southern-style barbecue from Brooklyn’s Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Blue Smoke from Danny Meyer. Not to be outdone, international barbecue specialties will also be on order, think gochujang glazed ribs from Kimchi Smoke, Caribbean-infused, jerk-style brisket from Jase’s BBQ, and fried chicharrones and more Dominican-styled cue’ from one our Time Out Market favorites, Bark Barbecue. Even Big Papa from the beloved New Jersey eatery, Big Papa Smokem, will be bringing his Cuban-inspired eats to the festival. For a little something sweet to cut through all the savory, La Newyorkina’s ice cream cart will also be parked on the waterfront, handing out Mexican ice cream and paletas to keep you cool.
The festivities kick off at 1pm, so bring your hunger and your dancing shoes!
The Blues BBQ Festival will be held on Saturday, August 10 from 1pm to 9pm. Attendance is free. For more information, click here.
Do NOT Unpack Your Suitcase Right As You Get Home, Doctor Warns
There are two types of people in this world: those that immediately unpack the second they step through the door, and the others that let their suitcase collect dust for a week before even unzipping it.
Now we have always been guilty of the latter, but a doctor is now claiming that what we’ve always considered as our laziness might actually be a necessary caution.
Dr. Jasin Singh, who frequently provides medical tips and inspiration on TikTok, warns that uninvited guests might have come along with you back home. Thus, it’s maybe not the best idea to give them even more access to your space by immediately opening your suitcase.
“So hear me out, especially if you stayed in a hotel, that’s because of bed bugs,” he clarifies in his video. Bed bug eggs typically hatch within six to 10 days, and the nymphs require a blood meal shortly after hatching to continue their development. Now, if your suitcase remains closed and undisturbed for at least two weeks, any bedbug egg or nymph present will likely die due to starvation or desiccation.”
Now, NYC is already ranked the second worst city in the U.S. for beg bugs so let’s not increase our chances any more.
A helpful tip when traveling is to store your luggage in the bathtub. This is because bed bugs wouldn’t be able to survive in an environment such as that with constant water flow and a smooth surface
And though two weeks are longer than our usual one week stint, if it’s doctors orders I guess we can put off unpacking for another week!
In other news: 5 Most Underrated Towns In New York To Take A Trip To
The post Do NOT Unpack Your Suitcase Right As You Get Home, Doctor Warns appeared first on Secret NYC.
This New Train Route Will Bring You Directly From NYC To The Great New York State Fair
The Great New York State Fair is one of New York State’s premier summer events complete with top musical performances, agricultural exhibits, family fun, and delicious food. Each summer it takes place in Syracuse, NY on the The New York State Fairgrounds–about a 5 hour drive from NYC–but this year you won’t have to worry about gassing up your car (or finding a friend who actually has a car to drive you) as a brand new train route will provide direct service from NYC straight to the fair!
Four trains, two of which depart from NYC, will make daily stops at the Fair throughout its 13-day duration. NYC train service to the Fair includes:
- Empire Service Train 281 – Departs NYC at 10:21 am and arrives at the Fair at 4:19 pm
- Empire Service Train 283 – Departs NYC at 1:21 pm and arrives at the Fair at 7:11 pm
Governor Hochul stated:
There is something for everyone at the Great New York State Fair – delicious food, live music, rides and games, and exhibits highlighting the best in New York agriculture – and getting there on the train makes it easier than ever to enjoy one of the largest events in Upstate New York. Direct train service allows fairgoers to safely arrive and explore the Fair.
New York State Fair Director Julie LaFave added, “As a showcase of all that’s great about New York State, it’s important to us that the Great New York State Fair is accessible to as many New Yorkers as possible!”
The Great New York State Fair opens Wednesday, August 21st and continues through Labor Day, September 2nd. Admission is $8 plus fees for adults, and children 12 and under and those aged 65 and older are free. More info can be found here.
Tickets are now on sale for direct train service this summer to and from the Great New York State Fair online, via the Amtrak mobile app, at station ticket counters, or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
The post This New Train Route Will Bring You Directly From NYC To The Great New York State Fair appeared first on Secret NYC.
Brooklyn’s Pioneer Works is reopening with powerful art and performance
After more than a year of significant construction, nonprofit cultural arts center Pioneer Works is opening its doors in Red Hook once again. The artist- and scientist-led Brooklyn organization will mark its return with a suite of visual and performing arts experiences.
The reopening events, including solo exhibitions by Alejandro García Contreras and Le’Andra LeSeur, kick off on Friday, September 6 with an annual gala set to return on October 8.
RECOMMENDED: The best outdoor art in NYC right now
This Red Hook non-profit, founded in 2012 by artist Dustin Yellin, occupies a warehouse dating from 1866, that was once home to one of the country’s largest ironworks. Inside the building, expect to see noticeable upgrades, including an accessible pathway in the garden, additional restrooms, structural steel beams to support a future roof deck, a new elevator that will reach all three floors plus the roof, and design and architectural work for the observatory. There’s also an upgraded central HVAC system, so you’ll even feel the difference.
To welcome the public back, Pioneer Works is hosting several powerful exhibitions. First, they’ll simultaneously open “Alejandro García Contreras: Quien no ha intentado convertir una piedra en un recuerdo? (Who hasn’t tried to turn a stone into a memory?)” and “Le’Andra LeSeur: Monument Eternal.” Both begin on September 6 and run through December 15.
Contreras is a Mexican artist known for his elaborate sculptures that cross-pollinate wide-ranging interests, from popular culture and eroticism to global art history and the occult. Inspired by the notion of an archeological site left behind by an unknown, ancient civilization, the exhibition blends ceramics, concrete pouring, photography, and experimental video. The artist even created some work on-site at Pioneer Works. This is his institutional solo debut.
As for LeSeur, she dissects the way that monuments erected to commemorate racist legacies have altered the mental psyche of Black communities. She explores how these legacies manifest in the physical body, especially when presented with, and situated in, the sonic rhythms that reverberate across these sites of violence. She specifically features Stone Mountain, a public park in Georgia known for its three-acre-wide carving of Confederate leaders. This is also her first institutional solo presentation in New York.
Joining the visual art, Pioneer Works will unveil a new performance commission by Narcissister on September 14 and 15. This New York-based performance artist is known to blends humor, fetish and social commentary. Their work, Titled Voyage Into Infinity, features a cast of live performers who trigger, participate in and bear witness to an assortment of physical feats, chemical reactions, lo-fi magic tricks and indoor pyrotechnics. The project marks the artist’s first large-scale performance commission in over ten years.
The popular Second Sundays series, a free monthly open house with exhibitions, workshops, music and food, resumes on September 8.
This is the most expensive neighborhood in NYC
We already know that we live in one of the most expensive cities in all of the U.S. but a new study by PropertyShark takes a look at the particular neighborhoods that are most costly in this great town of ours.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the construction that’s been going on across the west side of Manhattan for years now, but, according to the report, Hudson Yards boasts the highest median sale price in the city at the moment, around $7.5 million.
“That’s more than double the median price in New York’s second most expensive neighborhood—SoHo, at $3.1 million—though it represents just five sales during the quarter,” writes the New York Times when analyzing the survey. “SoHo had 37.”
To put it simply: a single property in Hudson Yards probably costs more than a bunch of different ones in SoHo. That’s… pretty insane?
Believe it or not, though, according to the data, prices in Manhattan stayed more or less flat throughout the second quarter of 2024. In Brooklyn, though, median costs have increased by about 12%.
To come up with its ranking, PropertyShark looked at closed residential property sales recorded in the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS), specifically comparing data between April 1 and June 30, 2023 and April 1 and June 30, 2024 to come up with the median sale prices.
The moral of the story is: living in New York is oh-so expensive—no matter what neighborhood you call home.
Most expensive neighborhoods in New York City:
1. Hudson Yards in Manhattan
2. SoHo in Manhattan
3. TriBeCa in Manhattan
4. Hudson Square in Manhattan
5. Little Italy in Manhattan
6. Chinatown in Manhattan
7. Cobble Hill in Brooklyn
8. Carroll Gardens in Brooklyn
9. Flatiron District in Manhattan
10. West Village in Manhattan
11. Chelsea in Manhattan
12. Downtown Brooklyn in Brooklyn
13. Greenwood Heights in Brooklyn
14. DUMBO in Brooklyn
15. Boerum Hill in Brooklyn
16. Williamsburg in Brooklyn
17. Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn
18. Prospect Heights in Brooklyn
19. Gowanus in Brooklyn
20. Battery Park City in Manhattan
The National Dominican Day Parade 2024 is back this weekend in NYC: here’s everything you need to know
A sea of dancers, maracas, and Dominican flags will fill Sixth Avenue in Manhattan this weekend for the National Dominican Day Parade. This massive cultural celebration typically welcomes more than a million people, and organizers said it’ll be even bigger and better this year. It’s one of the best things to do in August, so don’t miss it. Here’s what to expect if you’re attending the parade or just looking to avoid traffic delays this weekend.
When is the Dominican Day Parade in New York City?
The Dominican Day Parade is on Sunday, August 11 starting at noon.
What is the parade route?
The parade route is on Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas), running from 37th Street to 55th Street.
What’s the theme this year?
This year’s theme is “Merengue Nuestro Ritmo (Merengue Our Rhythm).”
“This theme recognizes Merengue as more than just music—it’s a vital part of our cultural fabric, embodying joy, resilience, and the community spirit deeply rooted in Dominican identity,” event organizers said.
Who is the grand marshal?
In keeping with the theme, this year’s grand marshal is the legendary merengue band Los Hermanos Rosario.
What is the history of the Dominican Day Parade?
This is the 42nd year for the parade, which seeks to “celebrate the richness of the Dominican culture, folklore, and popular traditions,” per the event’s website. “The parade highlights promote and acknowledge the heritage and contributions of the Dominican community in the United States and throughout the world.”
Will there be any street closures from the parade?
Yes, definitely. Expect traffic jams around the parade route near Sixth Avenue from from 37th Street to 55th Street. Here’s the full list of closures, per the city.
Formation:
- 6th Avenue between 37th Street and 38th Street
- 36th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue
- 38th, 37th Street between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue
Route:
- 6th Avenue between 36th Street and 55th Street
Dispersal:
- 55th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
- 55th Street between 7th Avenue and 6th Avenue