I know this is a little late in the game, or at least, a little later in the game than is probably preferable for a calendar-wielding planner, but I wanted to alert the public! Tomorrow evening is the annual Museum Mile Festival, held all across 5^th Avenue, rain or shine, sleet, snow or chances of meatballs. Ticketed as Manhattan’s largest block party, if you feel like connecting with the New York Art Scene, or just meeting up with some friends in the summer sun, the Museum Mile Festival is the place to be. (I feel like I sound like Stefan from Saturday Night Live– ”New York’s hottest block party is…”)

I have always loved community oriented, family events. There is something so heartening about gathering together and just enjoying your hometown, your temporary city, your whatever. It feels good to be a part of something! Especially something so historically rooted in cultural engagement. By that I mean, during the 1970’s, as New York City was feeling the fiscal burn, in an effort to get more people inside Manhattan’s museums, the Museum Mile Festival was launched. Spanning between the Upper East Side and East Harlem, the festival brings seven 5th Avenue museums together: the Met, the Guggenheim, the Neue Galerie, the Jewish Museum, Cooper Hewitt, the Museum of the City of New York and El Museo Del Barrio.

My friend Annie and I are heading over tomorrow evening, and we’re going to walk uptown, stopping by a couple of the planned events.
Things I’m Excited About: There are a bunch of hands on, do it yourself, street art opportunities tomorrow. On 82nd and 5th, we’ve got chalk drawings with the artist Raul
Ayala. Ayala hails from Ecuador and is deeply passionate about ‘socially engaged’ artwork. I am really looking forward to seeing how Ayala’s painted murals translate into chalk, street art! Also, as I have been working in fashion for the last few summers, I am definitely interested in checking out the abstract fabric design exhibit. Isaac Mizrahi, the acclaimed ready-to-wear designer, draws inspiration from Brazillian Modernism in this on-the-street installation. Aaaand, as the festival does not restrict its definition of art to the visual medium, Annie and I want to listen to DJ Mickey Perez, who will be ’spinning Afro Latin disco’ nearby the Museo del Barrio.

Whether you’re a college student, like me, a parent or a wanderer, I think this is a great event for people of all ages. Sometimes the summer can be a little stifling. There are only so many activities to plan when school is out, and I think this would be a welcome respite for parents who are running out of summertime ideas!