Friends,
It’s Monday, August 8, 2022. Here's what's happening this week. 

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TODAY—August 8—is the deadline to request an absentee ballot. You can do that online or download and print an application form, complete and mail it (postmarked by today). If you need to, request an Accessible Ballot here. (Return the completed ballot by mail, postmarked by 8/23, or in person at an early voting or regular voting site.)

Also, due to a recent change in the law, if you request an absentee ballot, and then change your mind and decide to vote in-person, you’ll have to use an “Affidavit Ballot” at the polling place. You COULD, however, complete the absentee ballot and just deliver it to that same polling site, and avoid the affidavit nonsense.

If you don't feel comfortable mailing your completed ballot, or can't drop it off in-person, Invisible Hands volunteers will deliver your ballot for free! Click here to request a volunteer. 

Early Voting for the August Primary runs 8/13 – 8/21. Some polling locations for early vgoting may have changed since June; to find out where, do a lookup here; hours vary by day during the early voting period as follows:

• Saturday August 13 9 am – 5 pm
• Sunday August 14 9 am – 5 pm
• Monday August 15 9 am – 5 pm
• Tuesday August 16 10 am – 8 pm
• Wednesday August 17 10 am – 8 pm
• Thursday August 18 10 am – 6 pm
• Friday August 19 7 am – 3 pm
• Saturday August 20 9 am – 5 pm
• Sunday August 21 9 am – 5 pm

Questions? Call the Board of Elections at 1-866-868-3692. Assistance is available in multiple languages.

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Wednesday, 8/10, 12 noon: Part 2 of Schneps Media's cannabis webinars, “Growth and Cultivation."
Participants will learn about the science of cultivation, the importance of lighting and other environmental factors in optimizing their grow, as well as business and regulatory insights to help set up a successful New York cannabis business. Panelists: Jennifer Bassuk (Fluence), Ryley Leech (Fluence), Kaelan Castetter (Castetter Cannabis Group), and Bradley Berg (ARCO/Murray National Construction). Moderated by Jill Carvajal, Scheps Media. Register at the link. 
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Wednesday 8/10, 4 pm, hybrid virtual and in-person: The Citizens Complaint Review Board next public board meeting 100 Church St, 10th Floor. Click the link to register virtually. 
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Thursday, 8/11, 6 – 9 pm, at The High Line: ¡Arriba! with DJ Mickey Perez and Bulla en el Barrio. They will perform, engage, and celebrate life through Bullerengue music, dance, and the stories these songs tell. Join them to dance or just enjoy the music. On the High Line between 15th and 16th St. enter at 14th St.

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Saturday 8/13, 4 – 7 pm, W. 106th St. and CPW: “Great Jazz on the Great Hill,” presented by Jazzmobile.org, featuring Tammy Mccann, Antonio Hart Quartet & The Jimmy Heath Legacy Band. In Partnership with The Central Park Conservancy and Harlem Week.

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Continuing on the next two Saturdays in August (8/13 and 20) from 7 am – 1 pm: NYC Summer Streets is back. Everyone is invited to play, run, walk, and bike on Park Avenue and feeder streets, from Brooklyn Bridge to East Harlem. Public art installations, performances and activities will be along the route. Check out the activities, art and performances happening during Summer Streets 2022. On August 6, Citi Bike will be offering free day passes. Use the code SUMMER22 in the Citi Bike app to receive unlimited 30-minute rides on a classic Citi Bike for 24 hours. Click the links for more information.

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Saturday, 8/13, and Saturday 8/27, 1 – 4 pm: Family Workshops at the High Line. These hands-on art-making workshops explore what moves us to create, drawing inspiration from the public art and horticulture on the High Line, facilitated by the High Line’s summer teen staff and its education team. Workshops are free and open to the public and are intended for all ages; you may drop in at any time.  

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Saturday, 8/13, 4:30 pm, Grant’s Tomb: Bloomingdale School of Music summer students present a free concert, in partnership with NYC Parks. 

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There's still some Shakespeare around town...  This year’s second production of Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park is As You Like It, opened last night, 8/10, and runs through 9/11. Ticketing options:

• In-person distribution in Central Park;
• In-person lottery at The Public Theater;
• In-person distribution in the boroughs;
• A digital lottery with TodayTix; and
• In-person standby line in Central Park.

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The Riverside Clay Tennis Association's 2022 Sunset Concert Series continues every Saturday at 7 pm; here's the lineup:

• 8/13, 7 pm: Jacob Varmus Quintet
• 8/20, 7 pm: Cynthia Sayer
• 8/27, 7 pm: Leon & The Peoples

ArtCrawl Harlem invites all to their open studios on Governors Island every Saturday-Sunday, Noon – 5 pm, at 406b Colonels Row through October.

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Saturday, 8/13, 12 Noon – 9 pm,  Pier 76 (at 34th St.): Hudson River Park’s Blues BBQ Festival, the longest-running free blues festival in the New York area, dedicated to bringing in the most celebrated blues artists from across the country. This year the event will be hosted by guitarist Binky Griptite, with performers including Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Don Bryant, Bette Smith, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers and Jackie Venson. Five restaurants will participate: Blue Smoke, Jase’s BBQ, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Kimchi Smoke, and Big Papa Smokem—along with beverages from  Allagash, Bronx Brewery, Sunday Beer Lager, Archer Roose Rose and Sparkling White Wine and Two Robbers Hard Seltzer. 

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Saturday, 8/13, 11:30 am – 7 pm, E. 120th Street & Harlem Art Park (Between Lexington & 3rd Ave.): The Afribembé Festival, an all-day Pan-African celebration of the African Diaspora's creativity, musicality, intellectuality, and artistry, sponsored by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute. The festival's Bembé Stage will feature live DJ sets and artists representing various regions.

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Sundays from 2 – 4 pm, at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center at the Harlem Meer in Central Park, 110th St. near 5th Ave.: The Harlem Meer Music Festival. Remaining performances: 8/14, Clean Money Music; 8/21, Despers USA Steel Orchestra.

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Sunday, 8/14, 1 – 4 pm, Amsterdam and 109th St. Open Street: Homemade History Exchange, a project of the Columbus Amsterdam BID and the Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group. View a treasure chest of historical photos, articles, and maps related to the Bloomingdale neighborhood. Be an active participant—bring along any historical photos or other items that you have that might be of interest to others. 

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Tuesday–Friday, 8/16 – 19, 6:30 pm, the 19th annual Central Park Conservancy Film Festival will be taking place on the landscape between Sheep Meadow and the 72nd Street Cross Drive. Sponsored by National Geographic, this year’s festival features documentary films:

• Tuesday, August 16: The Territory (premiere)
• (Rain date for The Territory is August 17 in lieu of America’s National Parks.)
• Wednesday, August 17: America’s National Parks
• (If Tuesday’s premiere of The Territory is shifted to Wednesday, it will substitute for America’s National Parks.)
• Thursday, August 18: Fire of Love
• Friday. August 19: JANE

Gates open at 6:30 pm; programming and music from 6:30 pm until film starts at dusk.
Register at this link for any or all films.

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Wednesday, 8/17, 1 pm: Jazz+Wednesdays at the American Folk Art Museum. Guitarist Bill Wurtzel and Jay Leonhart perform standards from the American Songbook. Limited seating is available but admission is free if you register in advance.

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Saturday 8/20, Pier 76: Kids Learn to Ride sponsored by Bike New York. Registration typically opens up a week before the scheduled class; click the first link to register. 

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Saturday–Sunday, 8/20 – 21, 2 – 6 pm, Morris Jumel Mansion: 30th Annual Jazz at the Mansion Concert. The lineup:

• Rudel Drears – Piano, Vocals, Founder & Musical Director
• Marjorie Eliot – Piano, Founder & Artistic Director
• Sedric Choukroun – Saxophone
• Nicholas Mauro – Trumpet
• Jeffrey Michels – Guitar
• Yuma Takagi – Bass
• Will Glass – Drums, Percussion

This outdoor event is free and open to the public, but has limited capacity, so arrive early to obtain a seat. In case of rain, the concert will be canceled. 

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Friday, 8/26, Haven Plaza on 168 St. and Ft. Washington Ave..in Inwood: "Encanto” outdoor screening on a giant screen! Sponsored by Inwood Art Works. 7:30 pm pre-show by WonderSpark Puppets; screening at dusk. RSVP at the link. 

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Monday, Labor Day, 9/5, 11 am: West Indian Day Parade, probably the most exciting Labor Day Parade in town (especially since organized labor schedules its parade the following weekend!). It’s the culmination of New York Caribbean Carnival Week,and one of the best things to do over the summer. The parade starts at Schenectady Avenue and Eastern Parkway, and ends at Grand Army Plaza.

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The listings above are a small sample of just what WE know about. Find out more from these sources:

• The West Side Rag has a consistently great weekly events listing here. 
• Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City programming continues; check this link for calendar. Every Wednesday from 8 – 10pm on Jaffe Drive, Comedy Underground presents new standup comedians. Film at Lincoln Center screens several movies outdoors each week. 
• The Riverside Parks Conservancy and NYC Parks offer dozens of free “Summer on the Hudson” events all summer long. View their calendar here and follow them on Twitter @summeronhudson for up to the minute event information (including cancellations).
• Hudson River Park events can be found here; sign up at the top of their webpage to receive their weekly newsletter with dozens of free events listed. 
• Battery Park Conservancy also sponsors lots of events; view their calendar here.
• The Columbus Avenue BID has a variety of events.
• Jazzmobile has events throughout the city through the end of August. Click “Calendar” on their home page.

                                                       Stay Safe, 

P.S. If you were forwarded this newsletter by a friend, sign up for your own subscription here!

P.P.S. If you have a problem or concern going forward, please contact me at gbrewer@council.nyc.gov, or call (917) 685-8657, or contact my Council district office at (212) 873-0282 and District6@council.nyc.gov.