West Side Fest is back this July with a packed weekend of free activities

Head west this summer to experience some of the best cultural activities in the city—for free. West Side Fest is back for its third year with gratis fun for all ages at museums, parks, performing arts centers and cultural institutions across the west side of Manhattan. 

Programming runs from July 11–13 with a packed weekend of activities, including free admission to The Whitney, tai chi classes on the High Line, tours of Poster House, zine-making at Print Center New York and much more. It's hosted by The West Side Cultural Network, a group of museums, parks, performing arts centers and cultural institutions located within a half-mile portion of the city. 

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The event is meant to highlight the west side as a cultural destination with a mix of history, fresh activities and open gathering spaces. 

West Side Fest highlights include:

• A Free Friday Night at The Whitney Museum of American Art with music by Public Records
• Curator-led tours of Fallout: Atoms for War & Peace and other exhibits at Poster House
• Art workshops focused on creating pieces inspired by the plants, soil, fungi and insects in the High Line gardens.
• Tai Chi and Afro-Brazilian Dance workshops on the High Line (Sunday only) 
• A backgammon tournament on artist Sam Moyer's handcrafted boards at Hill Art Foundation
• Walking tours that engage with the local ecology of the Hudson River hosted by Hudson River Park
• A painting workshop at Manhattan's only beach, Gansevoort Peninsula
• A curator-led tour of the Steve McQueen exhibition at Dia Chelsea
• Collaging and zine-making using the LGBT Center's National History Archive with 
• A mandala-making art experience hosted by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art 
• Performances of Pilobolus's Other Worlds Collection at The Joyce Theater 
• Zine-making workshop with artist Francisco Donoso hosted by Print Center New York
• Music, performances and readings at The Shed 
• The Art, Craft & Vintage Market hosted by Westbeth Artists Housing
• A multi-day reading room at The Kitchen
• Tours of the exhibition "Stephanie Comilang: An Apparition, A Song," alongside servings of the Filipino dessert halo-halo ("mix-mix") at the Center for Art, Research and Alliances

The full schedule is absolutely packed; be sure to check it out here.

In a statement, NYC's Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo said West Side Fest has "fast become a New York City tradition." 

"Manhattan is the cultural capital of the world, and the West Side is one of its most vibrant stages," Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine added in a press release. "From museums and parks to performance spaces and art installations, West Side Fest brings together the institutions that fuel our economy, strengthen our communities, and tell the story of who we are as New Yorkers."