Susan Gail Johnson has her finger on the pulse of New York City. As editor of An Almanac of New York City, she gathers the most exciting events happening throughout the five boroughs each year. The new third edition of the almanac, published by Abbeville Press, will be available on September 5th. Inside, there are historical tidbits about the city, quotes from famous figures, charming illustrations by Andrey Kokorin, and a stacked calendar of happenings. Here, we take a sneak peek inside the book and pull out some of the most exciting upcoming events, as well as fun facts and historical events from the past, for each month of the year!
Join Susan Gail Johnson for a live virtual talk about An Almanac of New York City on September 13th! Johnson will discuss events coming up in 2023 and 2024, fascinating stories from NYC history, and interesting things she discovered while creating the book. This online event is free for Untapped New York Insiders. Not an Insider yet? Become a member today and use code JOINUS to get your first month free!
1. January: Motion/Matter: Street Dance Festival at the Perelman Performing Arts Center
The year starts off strong with the Motion/Matter: Street Dance Festival at the soon-to-open Perelman Performing Arts Center. Taking place January 5th through the 14th, the festival will feature international acts celebrating street dance movements from New York City and across the globe. Dancers, choreographers, DJs, and musicians will all be part of the festivities. Tickets will be released in Fall 2023.
2. February: City Center Encores! Presents Jelly’s Last Jam
From February 21st to 25th, audiences can enjoy the City Encores! interpretation of the 1990s Broadway production Jelly’s Last Jam. The play originally ran for 569 performances from 1992 to 1993 with Tony Award-winning tap dancer Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. The play paints a portrait of legendary jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton, the self-proclaimed “inventor of jazz.”
3. March: Cassius Clay Recites Poetry at the Bitter End
In March 1963, Muhammad Ali, then going by his birthname Cassius Clay, took the stage at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village. It was a week before a fight with Doug Jones at Madison Square Garden. The 21-year-old boxer read a 36-line poem in which he repeatedly stated “I’m the greatest!” He declared himself the winner of the poetry contest and would go on to win the fight with Jones as promised.
4. April: Metropolitan Opera presents Fire Shut Up in My Bones
The Metropolitan Opera House auditorium. Photo courtesy Metropolitan Opera by Jonathan Tichler.
From April 8 to May 12, 2024, The Met stage will host Terence Blanchard’s opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones. When the play opened at The Met in 2021, it was the first by a Black composer in the Opera’s history.
5. May: South Bronx Cultural Festival: Cumplimos 90. ¡Wepa!
From May 31 to June 2, 2024, the South Bronx will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of Casita Maria, the first charitable organization created to serve Latinos in NYC. The festival will showcase a variety of performers, local food vendors, and family-friendly activities.
6. June: Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic
An aerial view of Marcus Garvey Park, courtesy of AFineLyne
The Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic around Marcus Garvey Park is nicknamed the “Skinscraper Classic” because of the tight turns. This annual Father’s Day bike race started back in 1973 when NYPD Community Affairs Officer David Walker hosted the first one. Each year, some of the best amateur riders compete on this challenging course.
7. July: Philippe Petite Crosses Lincoln Center Plaza
8. August: Commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn at Green-Wood cemetery
In late August 1776, the largest battle of the Revolutionary War was fought in Brooklyn. Every year at Green-Wood Cemetery, which partially stands on land where the Battle of Brooklyn occurred, you can take part in family-friendly activities to honor those who fought in the battle and learn more about revolutionary New York.
9. September 1st: New York Tugboat Race
Celebrate Labor Day weekend with an off-beat New York City tradition: cheering on the tugboats racing down the Hudson River!
On October 21st, 1957, the Queen of England was paraded down Broadway in a ticker tape parade on her visit to New York City. While here, Queen Elizabeth II also made stops at the Empire State Building and the United Nations.
11. November: A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House
On November 29, 2024, gather at one of NYC’s most haunted places for a retelling of the classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Inside the double parlor of the historic home, visitors will be regaled by Dickens’ story while being surrounded by original furnishings that belong to the Tredwell family who inhabited the home for nearly 200 years.
12. December: Clement Clarke Moore Memorial Candlelight Service
Every December, the author of Twas the Night Before Christmas is honored with a candlelight service inside the Church of the Intercession where he is buried. 2024 will mark the 200th anniversary of the poem’s publication!
Nicole Saraniero is the Insider-in-Chief at Untapped New York, leading our Untapped New York Insiders membership program. Nicole graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Science in Televis
