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Music festival season is in full swing here in NYC, and if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind experience to make a weekend trip of, you’ve got to try out Elements Music & Arts Festival. Back again for 2024, this weekend getaway is a 4-day camping experience that brings together some of dance music’s biggest artists and most dedicated fans for a musical journey like none other.

Learn all about this incredible festival below:

What is Elements Music & Arts Festival?

Elements Music & Arts Festival is a premier immersive electronic festival in the woodlands of the Poconos, that welcomes over 100 of dance music’s largest artists for a “Burning Man-esque” type of festival. The immersive multi-day camping experience brings some of music’s biggest fans into a wooded festival ground to enjoy multiple stages of EDM, large-scale interactive art installations, art workshops and demonstrations, wellness programs, workshops and talks, theme camps, and so much more.

It’s renowned for its community vibe, which similar to Burning Man, puts emphasis on a sense of community (or “PLUR”) and sustainability through inclusion and socialization with other people there for the music.

“Elements is and will always be radically inclusive,” says Elements Co-Founder Brett Herman. “Once you’ve seen what we’ve created in the forests and fields, it’s only natural to want to see more.”

Fans can spend an entire weekend checking out the multiple stages on the grounds which each represent an element (Earth, Fire, Air, Water) and a different genre of music (house, techno, dubstep, and live performances). This all comes while there’s plenty of other visual and performance artists curating art cars, sound experiences, physical art, and immersive experiences.

When is Elements Music & Arts Festival?

This year’s festival takes place from August 9-12, 2024.

Where is Elements Music & Arts Festival?

Just a mere 90 minutes outside of New York City, the festival takes place in the woodlands outside of Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The fully immersive 150 private acres of forests and fields transforms into a music and arts wonderland that’s only a short drive from the city.

Who’s on the Elements Music & Arts Festival lineup?

This year’s lineup is diverse and features some of the hottest names in electronic music right now. Festival-goers can expect a wide range of genre, from house music to dubstep. Some of the most anticipated names on the lineup include Excision, ILLENIUM, Chris Lake b2b Cloonee, Subtronics, Kaskade, SLANDER, and many more! See the full lineup here.

How can I get tickets to Elements Music & Arts Festival?

Tickets are currently available through Element Festival’s website, with both GA and VIP options available! You can opt for 3 day weekend passes or very limited Single Day Passes also available now. VIP tickets include perks like access to VIP lounges and bars, VIP viewing areas at the main stages, expedited entry to the festival, temperature controlled bathrooms, and free shower access. Check out all of the ticketing options here.

What about accommodation for the festival?

As for accommodation, there are multiple options you can purchase. These include:

• Car Camping Pass – standard car camping spot
• Premium Car Camping Pass – car camping spot in Premium Camping lounge, luxury bathroom & trailer access, dedicated food village + more
• RV Passes – camping spot for RVs, bring your own or preset
• Standard Preset Tent – a preset tent with 2 sleeping bags and sleeping pads
• Glamping – premium glamping tent with bed(s), pillows, pillow cases, and sheets, outlets, complimentary shower
• Tent-Only Camping – camping spot in tent-only area (no cars)
• Hotel – 2 or 4 person rooms available

See all accommodation options and book your stay here.

The post “Burning Man-Style” Music & Arts Festival Returns This August, Just 90 Minutes Outside of NYC appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Stilllife, the Gen Z art collective, is bringing another pop-up market to NYC.

This young group of creatives is working on closing the gap between art in the East and West through art shows, newsletters, curated content and, of course, art markets. This will be its third market, taking place in Washington Square Park North on August 10 from 10am to 6pm.    

RECOMMENDED: Here are all the NYC night markets to indulge in this year.

The group was founded by four NYU alumni in 2022 and already, Stilllife has already hosted over 10 events in New York and Shanghai. As they struggled with post-uni life Stilllife’s founding members realized they weren’t alone and there was a need for community among them. “We, as founding members, also experienced the struggles of navigating the New York art scene. Recognizing this shared struggle, we, as their peers, felt compelled to establish a community where we could mutually support one another,” they’ve shared in a statement. Stilllife aims to create this next-generation art community that both breaks geographical limits and influences trends. 

At the market, there will be over 60 stands hawking anything and everything from ceramics and jewelry to publications and outdoor gear. It is tailored towards the Gen Z style and age, but don’t let that stop you if you’re older. Some of the vendors include accessory brands like Twelve, My Dearest World and Pemako as well as independent publishers like FAR-NEAR and Special Special, these cross-cultural publications are intended to broaden the perspective of Asia through image, idea, person and history. 

The market will also include the StillShop collection. StillShop is an off-shoot of Stilllife which simply offers another way to engage with art in day-to-day life. This series collection is titled “Cabinet of Curiosities,” which is a curated selection of eight Chinese brands: YRGD, the coming, LELALES, SoftServe, 1ER, herherlin, Tagi., THEYKNOW and tenttent. The collection is meant to reflect society’s current draw to independent creative designs over mass-produced, one-dimensional objects. If you can’t make the market, you can check out the collection online.  

The market is free but you can RSVP here. Dragon Fest, the Chinese food festival, will also be happening simultaneously in Washington Square Park, so not only can you browse through amazing creative vendors, but you can also satisfy your culinary desires.

* This article was originally published here

After taking this summer off for renovations to the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park, the Public Theater‘s cherished annual series Shakespeare in the Park will return in 2025 with Twelfth Night, one of the Bard’s most popular plays. And no shortage of stars will shine their light on this free outdoor production: The cast will be led by Lupita Nyong’o, Sandra Oh, Peter Dinklage and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Saheem Ali, who holds the title of Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director at the Public and who directed the 2021 show Merry Wives at Shakespeare in the Park, will helm the production. Nyong’o will play Viola, a shipwrecked maiden who disguises herself as a boy to serve the man she loves, Orsino, who dispatches her to court the wealthy and beautiful noblewoman Olivia (Oh) on his behalf, only for Olivia to fall for the boy that Viola is pretending to be—who is not to be confused, but inevitably is confused, with Viola’s twin brother, whom she closely resembles and whom she falsely believes to be dead. Comedic hijinx ensue, along with lovely verse. Dinklage will costar as Olivia’s pompous major domo, Malvolio, who harbors secret romantic designs on his mistress; Ferguson will be Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a hapless fop who also fancies the well-favored Olivia. 

The Public’s summer series has offered free stagings of Shakespeare plays since 1962, except for this summer and the pandemic summer of 2020. If you don’t want to wait a year to see alfresco accounts of Elizabethan classics, fear no more: You can tide yourself over with one of New York’s several other free outdoor theater options—including the Classical Theatre of Harlem’s fantastical take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which plays uptown at Marcus Garvey Park through July 28, and even two productions of Twelfth Night. (We told you it was popular!)

Along with today’s casting news, the Public has released several artist’s renderings of the renovated Delacorte. Here is another one. See you at Central Park next year!

* This article was originally published here

What once was a 1940s barbershop has just opened as Lavitta’s Creole located in Harlem. Instead of stools, there are now dining tables, and instead of trimmers, there are now forks and knives to dig into traditional Louisiana Creole food with creative gourmet twists.

Executive Chef and Owner Jimmy Thomas’ says he is paying homage to his mother, Lavitta—which practically means “ambition,” “beauty” and “inspiration,” he says—and his family’s own Creole recipes and hopes to contribute to the rich cultural environment that is Harlem. The neighborhood has always been a social and cultural hub, with jazz, comedy, and theater deeply ingrained in the social fabric of the community. But Thomas also noticed a void: the lack of a restaurant that represents truly authentic New Orleans Creole cooking. 

That’s when he decided to create Lavitta’s. Transforming the barbershop-turned-salon, into an intimate, homey restaurant, Thomas promises to deliver recipes rooted in a respect for his family’s culinary heritage and a commitment to extraordinary dining experiences. Behind this respect lies inspiration from his mother and grandfather—both restaurateurs and chefs who trained him both how to cook and how to love the process. Thomas took these skills to the Michelin-starred restaurant BlackBird and Otom in Chicago, and to Paris, where he dove into the food scene, and then to New Orleans, where he studied and mastered the art of Creole cuisine. He’s been featured on Food Network’s Supermarket Stakeout and has displayed his catering talents at esteemed events across the Tri-State area. 

Stand-out menu items at Lavitta’s include the Puffed Bowl, featuring a Creole aioli, grits with an eight-hour lamb red-eye gravy, wild shrimp po boys and blueberry pancakes. He also serves crawfish cakes, a wild shrimp avocado bowl and a mango cheesecake parfait. There are plenty of drinks to pair with your meal, including Interboro Spirits & Ales Bushburg and Pilsner, as well as steep wine, beer and spirits lists. 

With just 32 seats in the restaurant and sprinkled antique decorations that pay homage to the barbershop roots, Lavitta’s may just be the new Harlem hotspot.

* This article was originally published here