Earth Day in NYC: 53 Streets shut Saturday for shows, art installations and fun

Published Apr 19, 2024 at 6:09 p.m. ET

Modified Apr 19, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. ET

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Published Apr 19, 2024 at 6:09 p.m. ET

Modified Apr 19, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. ET

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Earth Day is Monday, but there’s no need to wait to celebrate it — with performances and events on shut-down streets slated for Saturday.

It’s all part of the annual “Open Streets: Car-Free Earth Day” celebration hosted by the New York City Department of Transportation.

The city first began closing streets for Earth Day in 2016. This year, 53 streets across the five boroughs will be participating — up from the 30 that participated last year.

Here are some of the best events across the five boroughs this weekend. You can find a full list of programming — and the complete list of street closures — here.

Streets are closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20.

The Brooklyn Ballet will pirouette on the streets of Sunset Park: Dancers will perform a series of solos and ensemble pieces, including a small section of “The Brooklyn Nutcracker,” which takes the characters of the Nutcracker from Victorian Flatbush to modern day.

The performance doesn’t involve a lot of theatrical production or a stage, but is “really just right on the street, in the neighborhood,” Brooklyn Ballet founder and artistic director Lynn Parkerson said.

The Brooklyn Ballet will perform from noon to 12:30 p.m. at 5th Avenue from 40th Street to 45th Street in Brooklyn. Other activities at the same location include a rock wall, “Transportation Jeopardy”and an obstacle course.

Dance Entropy will make you move and groove in Manhattan: A dance instructor will lead a course in the Flatiron District, taking guests through Afro-Caribbean move.

“We’re based in Queens so it’s nice to be in Manhattan, sharing what we do,” Valerie Green, the organization’s artistic director, said. “The intention is to have dance be accessible to the community and all types of people and our hope is to get people moving.”

Dance Entropy will host its workshop from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Flatiron Open Street location on Broadway from 17th Street to 46th Street in Manhattan.

Other Earth Day activities in the area include live mural painting, screenprinting, art installations and bike-riding lessons for children at the same location.

Orisha Wholeness will line dance in the Bronx: The health and wellness organization plans to perform a line dancing routine during its half-hour slot — and let bystanders join in on Zumba and salsa classes later on in the day.

“Orisha was started during Covid because everything was closed down and people weren’t able to move,” said Shelly Wilson, one of the organization’s co-founders. “And with Earth Day, it’s all about giving back to the community, it’s about moving in a car-free environment, so it’s everything that we do.”

Orisha Wholeness is scheduled to perform from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at East 188th St. from East Fordham Road to Grand Concourse and Creston Ave in the Bronx. Other activities and presenters in the same location include a workshop on making lip gloss, rollerblading, balloon sculptures and the Bryant Park Jugglers.

The portions of all 53 streets involved in the celebration will be closed off to drivers on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

New Yorkers can get around the area quickly with a promotion being run by Citi Bike: The promotional code “CARFREE24” gets you a free 30-minute rental on Saturday.

Here are some of the major areas that will be off-limits to drivers on Saturday:

Manhattan

Brooklyn

Queens

The Bronx

Staten Island

The full list of street closures can be found on the Department of Transportation’s website.

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Giulia Heyward is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers politics and breaking news. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-715-1458.

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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