BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The People's LES - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.peoplesles.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The People's LES
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20250101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260523T153000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260523T170000
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260420T184338Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T162418Z
UID:406-1779550200-1779555600@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:Traditional Music and Opera at Mencius Society for the Arts
DESCRIPTION:Organized by Mencius Society for the Arts\nwith Grand Street Settlement \nDISCOVER LIFELONG PRACTICE \nIN MUSICAL ARTS ON THE LES! \n– LISTEN IN \n– SING ALONG \n– LEARN \n– CONNECT \nGet a Tour\, Relax\, and Enjoy the music: The EastRiver LES Community Orchestra convene to rehearse for the upcoming concert. Players will pause and answer questions and let you try the instruments! \nNamed after the philosopher Mengzi\, Mencius Society for the Arts is devoted to the practice and advancement of local and folk music\, theater\, and cultural arts in empowering local creative communities in building a more equitable and harmonious American society. Based on the Lower East Side in New York City\, the Mencius mission is defined by a commitment to fostering lifelong learning and intergenerational engagement around the arts as a communal experience rooted in cultural memory and shared creative action. Founded in 2003 Mencius is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization and a key partner of Grand St. Settlement since 2019. All programs and events are free of charge or at low-cost to the community
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/traditional-music-and-opera-at-mencius-society-for-the-arts/
LOCATION:Grand Street Settlement\, 80 Pitt Street\, New York\, NY\, 10002
CATEGORIES:Lower East Side History Month,Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://www.peoplesles.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/LES-History-Month-OPENHOUSE-Flyer-3-1.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260524T000000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260524T235959
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260331T200915Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T173626Z
UID:211-1779580800-1779667199@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:The 39th Annual Loisaida Festival
DESCRIPTION:Organized by Losiaida\, Inc.\nSunday May 24th\, 12pm-5pm \nFor nearly four decades\, the Loisaida Festival has stood as one of the Lower East Side’s most cherished public traditions\, bringing together residents\, artists\, families\, merchants\, community organizations\, and visitors in a joyful celebration of the neighborhood’s enduring cultural life. In a community shaped by Puerto Rican\, Nuyorican and immigrant histories\, and one that continues to confront the pressures of displacement and cultural erasure\, the Festival remains a powerful affirmation of presence\, memory\, and collective pride. \nThis year’s theme\, “Our AmeRícan Thing\,” reflects our commitment to celebrating Loisaida not only as a geographic place\, but as a language\, a rhythm\, and a way of belonging carried through music\, poetry\, theater\, food\, and shared community experience. Inspired by the spirit of Jesús “Tato” Laviera\, the theme seeks to honor the neighborhood not through nostalgia alone\, but through renewed energy\, hope\, imagination\, and the living future we continue to shape together. \nThe 39th Annual Loisaida Festival\, historically celebrated on the Sunday before Memorial Day\, will take place on Sunday\, May 24\, 2026\, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM\, spanning Avenue C / Loisaida Avenue from East 12th Street to East 5th Street. As the Lower East Side’s largest Puerto Rican heritage and Latinx neighborhood block party\, the Festival will once again feature a rich multidisciplinary program across several activations throughout the Festival footprint. \nThis year’s Main Stage\, co-hosted by Giraldo Alvare and Caridad de la Luz\, will feature local and guest artists including Daso y el Grupo Cemí feat. Daydrian and Bebé Bambú\, Grupo Kandela\, Legacy Women\, Las Mariposas Galácticas\, and John Benítez & Revolution Latin Jazz. Featured activations will also include street-level programming by BombaYo\, the Nuyorican Poets Café\, and Batalá NY; performances at Francisco Pancho Ramos Community Garden by YoToco and Grupo Fascinantes; and a dynamic TheaterLab at La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez Community Garden featuring artists such as Fernandito Ferrer\, Dorill Initiative\, Atisferio\, Loisaida Conjunto de Plena\, and visiting urban artist Guada from Puerto Rico\, among others. We are also especially excited that this year’s Festival will include the 40th Anniversary celebration of PRIDA (Puerto Rican Institute for the Development of the Arts) along Avenue C between East 5th and 6th Streets\, as well as Somos Arte’s La Borinqueña Superhéroe Workshop and a Vejigante mask-making pop-up at Piragüa Art Space on 10th Street. \nAs part of this year’s celebration\, Loisaida\, Inc. will also honor a distinguished group of community leaders\, cultural workers\, and neighborhood champions through the Viva Loisaida! Awards. This year’s honorees are Council Member Chris Marte\, recognized for his public service and steadfast advocacy for Lower Manhattan; Naomi Peña\, for her leadership in education justice\, family advocacy\, and community empowerment; David Sanders\, for his longstanding grassroots commitment to community building and neighborhood care; Chanel Elliott\, for her trusted and tireless service to Lower East Side residents through constituent advocacy; and Destiny Mata\, for her important photographic and archival work documenting the lived memory\, culture\, and resilience of the Lower East Side. Together\, these awardees embody the spirit of Loisaida through service\, creativity\, advocacy\, and deep commitment to community. \nThe day’s offerings will include live music\, poetry\, theater\, street performance\, artisan vendors\, and community-based programming reflective of the Puerto Rican\, Nuyorican\, Caribbean\, and immigrant traditions that define Loisaida. Rooted in history and alive with contemporary energy\, the Festival continues to serve as a vital public platform where culture\, memory\, and community are not only celebrated\, but actively carried forward.
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/the-loisaida-festival/
LOCATION:Ave C Cooridor
CATEGORIES:Lower East Side History Month,Outdoor Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://www.peoplesles.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Final-approved-loisaida-fest-2026-crop-no-sponsors-Alejandro-Epifanio.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260524T110000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260524T153000
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260420T185835Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T162539Z
UID:412-1779620400-1779636600@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:Traditional Music and Opera at Mencius Society for the Arts - Sing Along\, Learn\, Connect
DESCRIPTION:Organized by Mencius Society for the Arts\nwith Grand Street Settlement \nDISCOVER LIFELONG PRACTICE \nIN MUSICAL ARTS ON THE LES! \n– LISTEN IN \n– SING ALONG \n– LEARN \n– CONNECT \nGet a Tour and get into the action: Students practice Chinese opera stagecraft under the tutelage of professional artists; see if you can read the traditional gongchi notation and follow the drum beats as they sing; meanwhile\, check out the guys practicing southern boxing next door. \nNamed after the philosopher Mengzi\, Mencius Society for the Arts is devoted to the practice and advancement of local and folk music\, theater\, and cultural arts in empowering local creative communities in building a more equitable and harmonious American society. Based on the Lower East Side in New York City\, the Mencius mission is defined by a commitment to fostering lifelong learning and intergenerational engagement around the arts as a communal experience rooted in cultural memory and shared creative action. Founded in 2003 Mencius is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization and a key partner of Grand St. Settlement since 2019. All programs and events are free of charge or at low-cost to the community \nLES History Month-OPENHOUSE Flyer
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/traditional-music-and-opera-at-mencius-society-for-the-arts-sing-along-learn-connect/
LOCATION:Grand Street Settlement\, 80 Pitt Street\, New York\, NY\, 10002
CATEGORIES:Lower East Side History Month,Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://www.peoplesles.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/LES-History-Month-OPENHOUSE-Flyer-3-1-1.pdf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260528T160000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260528T170000
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260413T181204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T181204Z
UID:353-1779984000-1779987600@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:Exhibit Opening: The Gates of Tompkins
DESCRIPTION:Organized by the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space\nThe Gates of Tompkins exhibit\, which is at the Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space in NYC\, will open on Thursday\, May 28th at 4:00pm. It will be open to the public weekly on Friday\, Saturday\, and Sunday from 12-5pm until June 21st. \nAfter a financial crisis that affected New York City in the 70s and 80s \, Lower East Side residents took back their neighborhood\, fixed up buildings\, and reclaimed the gardens\, creating a sustainable\, community way of life. Tompkins Square Park became an amazing example of the community’s vibrance\, cultivating music\, art\, and theater. However\, once the city returned to a stronger financial position\, authorities sought to take back community housing\, gardens\, and this new sustainable way of life and undermine these community-based projects. The neighborhood residents put up a fight to stop the gentrification\, and Tompkins Square Park became a battleground. A protest encampment was established in the park\, and what is known as the Tompkins Square Park Riots went on for several years. Eventually\, after using a lot of violence\, the city closed the park in 1991 and destroyed the bandshell. When they reopened the park\, it was re-designed in a way that discouraged the free exchange of art\, music\, and public assembly. It has been that way ever since–fences everywhere you look. With this Redesign initiative\, we hope to be able to put pressure on the Parks Department to re-design it in a way that maximizes community engagement and brings back the creative spirit of the neighborhood.
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/exhibit-opening-the-gates-of-tompkins/
LOCATION:Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space\, 155 Avenue C\, New York\, NY\, 10009
CATEGORIES:Exhibit,Lower East Side History Month
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.peoplesles.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Your-paragraph-text-2-Bill-Times-Up.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T180000
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260402T182644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260424T131829Z
UID:292-1780146000-1780164000@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:Typewritten Tales
DESCRIPTION:Organized by 6th & B Garden\nTell your unique East Village story on a page of real paper typed on our vintage typewriters! Readings by local poets and writers start at 4pm. Raindate will be on May 31st\, stay tuned for announcements\, as needed.
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/typewritten-tales/
LOCATION:6th & B Garden\, on the corner of E 6th & Ave B\, New York\, NY\, 10009
CATEGORIES:Lower East Side History Month,Outdoor Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.peoplesles.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-24-at-9.14.55-AM.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260530T163000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260530T193000
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260428T163113Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T165458Z
UID:457-1780158600-1780169400@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:An Outdoor Closing Celebration of Lower East Side History Month 2026!
DESCRIPTION:Organized by FABnyc\nwith Performance Project @ University Settlement \nand City Councilmember Christopher Marte\, The Clemente\, City Lore\, Chinese Progressive Association\, Sara Roosevelt Park Community Coalition\, Sara D Roosevelt Park Alliance\, Abrons Arts Center\, Henry Street Settlement\, Tenement Museum\, LES Yearbook\, and M’Finda Kalunga Community Garden! \n  \nJoin us for an outdoor closing celebration of Lower East Side History Month 2026 \nSaturday May 30th\, Free! \n“The Pit”\, Sara D Roosevelt Park between Delancey and Broome \n4:30 PM ‘Tongues’ by Yibin Wang – storytelling and interactive games about native languages \n5:30 PM BombaYo – a joyous session of bomba\, Puerto Rican & African influenced song-drum-dance  \n6:45 PM DASO Y EL GRUPO CEMI- brings Loisaida to the dance floor\, blending salsa\, reggae\, bomba\, jíbaro\, and hip hop. \nplus hands-on artmaking and community info tables \nFABnyc programs are supported in part by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature\,  the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council\, and City Council Member Christopher Marte
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/an-outdoor-closing-celebration-of-lower-east-side-history-month-2026/
LOCATION:SDR Park\, "The Pit" between Delancey and Broome
CATEGORIES:Lower East Side History Month,Music,Outdoor Event
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260530T170000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260530T183000
DTSTAMP:20260520T091421
CREATED:20260420T174102Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T174102Z
UID:382-1780160400-1780165800@www.peoplesles.org
SUMMARY:Artist Legacy Work on Film: The White Rose + Flying Lessons
DESCRIPTION:Organized by Anthology Film Archives in partnership with Soft Network/AFELL and Noble Gas Media\nBruce Conner\nTHE WHITE ROSE\n1967\, 7 min\, 35mm\nA work born of Bruce Conner’s profound friendship with artist Jay DeFeo\, THE WHITE ROSE captures the 1965 removal\, from her first-floor San Francisco apartment\, of DeFeo’s eponymous painting\, a monumental work that she began in the late 1950s and worked on obsessively for eight years\, eventually layering over two thousand pounds of paint onto the canvas. The intimate black and white film captures the fabled painting’s last moments in the apartment’s bay window recess\, a space covered in chunks of paint as though an extension of the work\, which Conner likened to a site-specific environment and “a temple”. Sutured by Conner’s sharp\, rhythmic editing and set to music from Miles Davis’s album “Sketches of Spain”\, THE WHITE ROSE is a tender document of artistic friendship\, and an affectionate record of a key moment in Beat Generation art history. \nElizabeth Nichols\nFLYING LESSONS\n2024\, 84 min\, DCP\nAt a community meeting held to address their gentrifying landlord’s aggressive treatment of longtime tenants\, filmmaker Elizabeth Nichols meets Philly Abe\, an older punk artist who swiftly becomes the younger woman’s muse\, attentive neighbor\, and friend. While tracking Philly’s activism and struggles in the face of harassment\, Nichols surfaces her life story through extraordinarily candid conversations\, as well as a gloriously SD video archive of concert footage and DIY downtown New York films by the likes of Todd Verow and Mike Kuchar in which the fabulously brash Abe starred. The magnetic pull between artist and filmmaker yields something beguiling and precious\, celebrating the fiery Philly even as she and the world she fought to protect are being actively extinguished. \nTotal running time: ca. 95 min. \nFollowed by a Q&A.
URL:https://www.peoplesles.org/event/artist-legacy-work-on-film-the-white-rose-flying-lessons/
LOCATION:Anthology Film Archives\, 32 2nd Ave\, New York\, NY\, 10003
CATEGORIES:Film Screening,Lower East Side History Month
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR