Opening night of the Met Opera’s free Summer HD Festival at Lincoln Center plus a heavyweight Verve Records 70th-anniversary concert at SummerStage tonight (Samara Joy, Christian McBride — free), lunchtime piano in Bryant Park and pop-up music in Midtown today, free Shakespeare continuing in Astoria from tomorrow, and a 20-plus-baker blowout at Little Island. SocaFest + Bomb Shelter (Fri), Tales from the Hood (Sat), School of Rock (Sun) and the West Indian Day Parade (Mon) are all still on.
Live Music
- Verve’s 70th Anniversary Celebration — TONIGHT 7–10pm (doors 6), Rumsey Playfield, Central Park: free celebration of the jazz label’s 70 years with Samara Joy, Christian McBride, Mei Semones and a Sparklmami DJ set — presented by the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment; RSVP and arrive early, entry subject to capacity.
- Piano in Bryant Park — TODAY 12:30–2:30pm, Upper Terrace, Bryant Park: the free weekday ragtime/stride/jazz series runs every weekday through Oct 1.
- Midtown Music in Greeley Square Park — TODAY 2:30–5:30pm, Greeley Square (33rd & Broadway): free pop-up live performances in the park.
- Golden Hour at Greeley Square Park — TOMORROW Thu 9/3, 6:30–8:30pm: the free sunset music series (Americana, jazz, emerging indie) is back.
Festivals & Culture
- Met Opera Summer HD Festival — OPENS TONIGHT, Josie Robertson Plaza, Lincoln Center: the five free opera screenings on the giant outdoor screen begin — Tristan und Isolde tonight and Thu 9/3, I Puritani Fri 9/4, Eugene Onegin Sat 9/5, El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego Sun 9/6, La Bohème Mon 9/7; free, ~2,500 first-come seats a night.
Theater & Performance
- Astoria Players — A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Weekend Two — TOMORROW Thu 9/3 through Sun 9/6, 6pm, North Lawn under the Hellgate Bridge (Astoria): free Shakespeare from the neighborhood troupe, second weekend of the run after a warm first-weekend turnout.
Film & Screenings
- Free Demolition Man screening — TONIGHT, Lucky 13 Saloon, Gowanus: free with RSVP, $5 optional donation; arrive early for trivia + pre-show.
Food & Markets
- Our Little Bake Sale — TOMORROW Thu 9/3, Little Island: Natasha Pickowicz + 20-plus bakers and restaurants (Bar Susanne, Dean’s, Ho Foods, Sofreh) selling one-of-a-kind pastries — free admission, $10 treat vouchers, proceeds to Make the Road New York.
All gathered items - what was cut and why (6)
- NYC’s Council asks Brooklyn Navy Yard to stop holding raves - NEWS: news about events, not an event; 2nd run (r/nyc)
- Columbia University still closed to public - NEWS: neighborhood vent, not an event; score 1227 (r/Harlem)
- NYC to ban student AI tools in 2-K through 8th grade - NEWS: policy news, not an event (r/nyc)
- REMAINS opening, 46 Hester St (no URL found) - OFFTOPIC: crypto hard exclusion - Bitcoin-themed paintings; 338 “going” but excluded regardless
- NYC Dating 101: Therapist Talks on 9/4 at Millie’s Coffee Co - OFFTOPIC: paid-ish self-promo seminar, 6th run edged (r/astoria)
- X @michellehui weekly tech roundup (5 posts) - OFFTOPIC: non-configured account, 26th run; AI/VC meetups, no digest value (X)
21 events auto-dropped by the timing filter (past dates) - logged in the Obsidian raw dump.