Ideas City Festival

In 2011, the New Museum of Contemporary Art—an institution dedicated to fresh concepts—took its forward-thinking philosophy to the streets with a Festival of Ideas for the New City. The four-day smorgasbord of events posited what New York might look like in the years to come. The biennial event returns this year with a truncated name and a full lineup, running from May 1–4 on the Lower East Side. The blowout of exhibits, workshops, performances, screenings and food is programmed around the theme of “untapped capital” and exploring NYC’s underutilized resources. At the heart of Ideas City is StreetFest, an outdoor celebration taking place May 4 around the Bowery and Sara D. Roosevelt Park, during which artists, activists, entrepreneurs and everyday citizens come together to brainstorm our city’s future possibilities.