Greenwich Village’s rich history of creativity and activism will drive dozens of events throughout the iconic neighborhood, from Saturday September 18 through Sunday September 26 during The Village Trip, the third annual festival celebrating the history and heritage of the Village.
Seven-time-Grammy-nominee Bobby Sanabria and his Multiverse Big Band will bring Latin jazz to a free concert in Washington Square Park on Saturday September 25. “A force of nature” (Jazz Times), the Band is part of the rich downtown history of salsa meets jazz long celebrated by Art D’Lugoff at the Village Gate and later at Le Poisson Rouge. The ultimate feel-good music, it’s just what the doctor ordered for a festival that aims to rally the Village – so come dance in the streets to an afternoon of terrific music with some very special guests.
The Village Trip 2021 promises something for every taste and every age. On Tuesday September 21, Judson Church will host a special performance of Eve Beglarian’s opening movement to Earth Requiem: Wake Up, commissioned by artist Diana Wege. Both women live and work in the Village, as do composers Harold Meltzer and David Del Tredici, whose music will fill the sanctuary of St John’s in the Village on Thursday September 23 and Friday 24.
We are privileged also to feature the world première performance of Prelude, Prayer and Dance for Unaccompanied Viola by David Amram, Artist Emeritus of The Village Trip. Written for Consuelo Sherba, this new piece will form a unique double bill at Judson, with Earth Requiem.
At the historic Bitter End, the festival will celebrate two very different aspects of Village music history: On Saturday September 25, guitar quartet Bodies Electric will showcase the music of Edgard Varèse, and Frank Zappa and the Psychedelic Circus while on Sunday September 26, Sing Out! an all-star celebration of the New York folk revival will bring this year’s festival to a close.
There will be busking, readings, discussions, and events for children, plus a concert by the young students at The Third Street Music School Settlement. There’s also a full program of walks and talks, among them:
- David Amram, will lead a walk through the haunts and hangouts that mark his 65 years in the Village, his personal and professional friendships with a roll-call of legendary musicians and writers. A truly unique opportunity.
- Bill Groom, production designer for the Amazon series The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, will give an illustrated talk about the neighborhood featured in the series.
- Bill Goldstein, who is writing a biography of playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer, will talk about work on that book at the NYC AIDS Memorial
- Public historian Kathleen Hulser will lead a tour focusing on the “Bad, Rad, and Boho Women of the Village”
- Brad Gooch will talk about his novel Smash Cut, set in the Village of the 1970s and ‘80s
- Jesse Rifkin of Walk On the Wild Side will lead two tours exploring the rich history of music in the Village
“This year, The Village Trip will have special resonance and meaning, as the neighborhood recovers from Covid and looks to the future. As a Village resident, I know we all need the chance to remember what we’ve been through and celebrate where we are headed.”
Clifford Pearson, Joint Artistic Director of the festival
The Village Trip 2021 Progam Listing
Busking in Father Demo Square
Father Demo Square 220 Bleecker Street, New York, NY, United StatesFolk, rock, jazz, classical – come and experience the infinite variety of Village music and musicians!
Land of the Blacks Walking Experience
Washington Square Arch Washington Square Park, New York, NY, United StatesBlack Gotham Experience will present a walking experience called "Land of the Blacks" for The Village Trip 2021. The walk will center around the lives of Black people that lived […]
Open Design Studios
Architecture and design firms – including Thomas Phifer and Partners (180 Varick Street, 11th Floor), Architecture Research Office (170 Varick Street, 7th Floor), and Suchi Reddy (Reddymade, 80 West 3rd […]
Free Kick-Off Concert on Eighth Street
Intersection of Eighth and MacDougal streets Greenwich Village, New York, NY, United StatesDavid Amram will headline a free outdoor concert to launch The Village Trip 2021 and will be joined by special guests, including Rene Manning, Earl McIntyre, and guitar quartet Bodies Electric.
Walk on the Wild Side: The Folk Scene, Before and After Bob Dylan
Abingdon Square Veterinary Clinic 130 West 10th Street, New York, United StatesMusic historian Jesse Rifkin leads us back, “down the foggy ruins of time”, on a tour of places associated with the folk revival. The tour examines the fabled Greenwich Village […]
Land of the Blacks Walking Experience
Washington Square Arch Washington Square Park, New York, NY, United StatesBlack Gotham Experience will present a walking experience called "Land of the Blacks" for The Village Trip 2021. The walk will center around the lives of Black people that lived […]
Storytime in Washington Square Park
Washington Square Arch Washington Square Park, New York, NY, United StatesChildren's Book Readings. Hear authors, including Diane Zahler, Ann Burg and Giselle Potter, read from their latest books and take questions from the audience. Free for kids of all ages. […]
Busking in Father Demo Square
Father Demo Square 220 Bleecker Street, New York, NY, United StatesFolk, rock, jazz, classical – come and experience the infinite variety of Village music and musicians!
Eating the Village: Pizza, pork, pastries, and more
Visit some of the Village's independent food purveyors--from the city's oldest butcher to a favorite pizza parlor and a French pastry shop--and hear the stories behind them and the neighborhood. […]
Bad, Rad, and Boho Women of the Village Walking Tour
Judson Memorial Church 55 Washington Square South, New York, NY, United StatesJoin public historian Kathleen Hulser to hear about mavericks such as Emma Goldman, Isadora Duncan, Dorothy Day, Mabel Dodge, Louise Bryant, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lorraine Hansberry, Nina Simone, Jane Jacobs, and […]
Hear The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Bill Groom, Production Designer, talk about the hit series
North Square Lounge at the Washington Square Hotel 103 Waverly Place, New York, NY, United StatesHear Bill Groom, production designer of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, talk about using Greenwich Village as one of the key locations for the hit television series and how he and […]
From Washington Square to Stonewall: An LGBT History Walk
Join the experts at the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project for a walking tour of Greenwich Village. Learn about the LGBT presence in the Bohemian Village and hear about the places and […]
Smash Cut: Author Talk with Brad Gooch
Lobby Bar at the Washington Square Hotel 103 Waverly Place, New York, NY, United StatesBrad Gooch will speak about his book Smash Cut: A Memoir of Howard & Art & the 70s & the 80s. Vanity Fair has described the memoir, chronicling an incandescent moment in […]
West Village Theater Crawl
Visit the Lucille Lortel, Cherry Lane, Rattlestick, the New Ohio Theater and other theaters and hear about their illustrious histories, the talented people who have performed there, and their upcoming […]
Diana Wege’s Earth Requiem: Wake Up + World Premiere of Prelude, Prayer and Dance for Unaccompanied Viola by David Amram, performed by Consuelo Sherba
Judson Memorial Church 55 Washington Square South, New York, NY, United StatesThis event will also be livestreamed.
A unique opportunity to experience Eve Beglarian’s opening movement of Earth Requiem: Wake Up and the world première performance of Prelude, Prayer and Dance for Unaccompanied Viola by David Amram, Artist Emeritus of The Village Trip, commissioned for this year’s festival by the Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music. Performed by Consuelo Sherba.
“It’s Difficult to Write This Without Sounding Alarmist…” Larry Kramer and the Start of AIDS Activism
NYC AIDS Memorial Park 76 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY, United StatesThe quote comes from the start of Larry Kramer’s first article on AIDS, “A Personal Appeal” published in August 1981 in the New York Native, a gay newspaper of the […]
Lorraine Hansberry’s Village Voice
Virtual Webinar on ZoomPlaywright, activist, and villager Lorraine Hansberry is best known for her award-winning play A Raisin in the Sun, which premiered on Broadway in 1959. She had an unflinching commitment to […]
An Evening of Chamber Music by Harold Meltzer
St John’s in the Village 218 W 11th St, New York, NY, United StatesThis event will also be livestreamed.
A journey through the “graceful, sensual and contemplative” sound worlds of the much-garlanded East Village composer
New York Studio School – A Tour of the Arts with Bee Chessman
New York Studio School 8 West 8th Street, New York, NY, United StatesSince its founding in 1964, the New York Studio School has been an innovator in arts education, prioritizing daily continuity of study for artists through work in the studio. In […]