New York celebrates its melting pot with the ‘It’s Time for Culture’ offerings
New York City is kicking off the summer with culture. The New York City Tourism + Conventions recently announced the return of the It’s Time for Culture festival.
The festival celebrates the many cultures and heritages that make up the melting pot of New York City.
The festival will present over 100 representations of customs and traditions from people across the five boroughs. According to the festival’s official website, attendees can participate in workshops, art exhibits, gallery tours, concerts and more.
The festival will run from May 9 to May 21.
In the official news release announcing the cultural explosion’s return, Fred Dixon, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, stated how important this festival is to cultural travel.
“Cultural travel accounts for 40 percent of global travel and continues to be one of the top activities for visitors to New York City.” He added. “As the weather warms, we’re launching It’s Time for Culture to encourage visitors to explore the diversity and vibrancy of our city’s cultural landscape, and the talent and creativity that can be found across all five boroughs.
Post-pandemic, the city’s economic recovery peaked in 2022. Travel Daily Media stated that over 56 million travelers arrived in “the Big Apple” last year—a 72.5% increase over 2021.”
The outlet added the relaunch of Its Culture Time marks the return of 85% of the city’s record 2019 visitation levels. With the influx of visitors, the city should meet its goal of having 63.3 million visits in 2023.
Cultural experiences are vital to that growth, as more than half of individuals who visit the city seek a culturally relevant experience.
A full list of events and all participating institutions can be found on the official website nyctourism.com/timeforculture. Those interested can also search what each group is offering by borough.
The website lists some of the following locations as participants in this year’s event. The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Coney Island USA, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Mark Morris Dance Group, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Dance Parade, New York Live Arts, Museum of the City of New York, National Museum of the American Indian, Apollo Theater, Harlem One Stop, American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog, Louis Armstrong House Museum, New York Hall of Science, National Lighthouse Museum, among many others.
Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her favorite things to cover include “person of interest” pieces, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything about Beyoncé. Her bylines can be found in Blavity, Black Excellence, Signature Bride, Black Wall Street Times, and HipHop Weekly.