The Museum of the City of New York Announces
Gotham Groove: 32 Hours of Nonstop NYC
FREE ADMISSION ALL WEEKEND
Saturday November 19, 10:00 am
– Sunday November 20, 6:00 pm
First-ever 32-hour Continuous Public Festival
Celebrates NYC & Launch of Milestone Exhibition
New York at Its Core
The Museum of the City of New York announces Gotham Groove: 32 Hours of Nonstop NYC, a weekend-long public festival celebrating New York and the launch of the Museum’s groundbreaking permanent exhibition, New York at Its Core – the first ever Museum presentation of all 400 years of the city’s history, plus an interactive look at the future. Starting Saturday, November 19, at 10 a.m. and continuing all the way through 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, this unprecedented event will feature musical performances by Broadway performers, an overnight movie marathon of classic NYC films, a Silent Disco dance party, storytelling by The Moth, morning yoga, family programs, Gospel performances, and food trucks serving up the best Big Apple cuisine. Please note that some ticketed events are already selling out, so register online fast!
“We are thrilled to present Gotham Groove – an exhilarating weekend festival celebrating New York City and its rich and diverse past, present, and future,” said Whitney Donhauser, Ronay Menschel Director of the Museum of the City of New York. “We welcome New Yorkers and visitors to our city to join this first-of-its-kind celebration marking the launch of New York at Its Core.”
Gotham Groove kicks off Saturday morning, November 19, with morning yoga in the Museum’s newly renovated Ronay Menschel Hall, followed by performances by some of New York City’s best acapella groups, including the Tee Tones, Tonewall, The Original Mixed Company, Blackout, the New York Belles, and the Perfect Fifths. Visitors to the Museum will enjoy Broadway performances of songs from hit shows like Hamilton, Guys and Dolls, Hair, and On the Town. For those interested in literary history, Gotham Groove offers an hour-long presentation of Walt Whitman’s New York-themed poetry and prose featuring a Walt Whitman “personator,” as well as an open-mic storytelling slam presented by The Moth podcast. Guests are invited to share their five-minute stories about New York City and winning stories may even be featured on The Moth. Gotham Groove will also feature a New York City trivia competition, as teams compete against each other to win prizes, and of course, history buff bragging rights.
A tribute to NYC dance music will be celebrated with a Silent Disco, which lets people wear illuminated wireless headsets that allow them to choose music from iconic New York musicians from three eras – classic partner dancing, dance hits from the 70s to the 80s, and contemporary dance music. After the dance party, a midnight movie marathon will feature a selection of quintessentially New York films like Saturday Night Fever, After Hours, and King Kong.
On Sunday, Gotham Groove will present a morning Gospel music celebration with Vy Higgensen’s Gospel Choir of Harlem and the Great Divas of Gospel, followed by an afternoon dedicated to salsa featuring a family dance lesson and a performance by Los Ciegos del Barrio.
With dozens of other activities from family programs to scavenger hunts, Gotham Groove showcases the varied and diverse arts and culture New York City has shared with the world throughout its history.
Gotham Groove and the opening of New York at Its Core were made possible with the support of Citi, as part of the bank’s continuing commitment to celebrating New York’s unrivalled diversity, energy and culture.
“Citi is honored to partner with the Museum of the City of New York to sponsor New York at Its Core,” said Will Howle, Head of U.S. Retail Banking at Citi. “The exhibition chronicles the rise of New York, a city in which millions of our customers strive to make it every day and one we have proudly called home for more than 200 years. Sponsoring this exhibition and Gotham Groove are great ways to celebrate New York’s unrivalled diversity, energy and culture.”
Admission to the Museum during Gotham Groove is completely free, though certain special events will be ticketed. Visitors can learn more and register for free admission or buy tickets to featured programs at www.mcny.org or by visiting Gotham Groove online.
Gotham Groove celebrates the Museum’s November launch of the groundbreaking exhibition New York at Its Core, which presents New York City’s sweeping 400-year history and offers an interactive look at the city’s future. New York at Its Core is the capstone of a $100 million renovation of the entire Museum over the last decade and is expected to become a “must-see” destination for all New Yorkers, school groups, families, and visitors from across the country and around the world.
Gotham Groove and New York at Its Core Grand Opening is proudly Presented by Citi
New York at Its Core is made possible by: James G. Dinan and Elizabeth R. Miller, Pierre DeMenasce, the Jerome L. Greene Foundation in honor of Susan Henshaw Jones, Thompson Family Foundation, Heather and Bill Vrattos, and the Charina Endowment Fund. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Zegar Family Foundation, Tracey A. and Kenneth A. Pontarelli, Jill and John Chalsty, Dyson Foundation, The Robert A. and Elizabeth R. Jeffe Foundation, Valerie and Jack Rowe, Mary Ann and Bruno A. Quinson, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and an anonymous donor.
About the Museum of the City of New York
Founded in 1923 as a private, nonprofit corporation, the Museum of the City of New York celebrates and interprets the city, educating the public about its distinctive character, especially its heritage of diversity, opportunity, and perpetual transformation. The Museum connects the past, present, and future of New York City, and serves the people of the city as well as visitors from around the world through exhibitions, school and public programs, publications, and collections. To connect with the Museum on social media, follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @MuseumofCityNY and visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/MuseumofCityNY. For more information please visit www.mcny.org.