Carnegie Hall Citywide
WHAT: Blues, Cajun folk, zydeco
FREE: No tickets needed, just show up on the lawn!
ARTISTS
Representing the crème de la crème of the vibrant Black Creole dance music native to Southwest Louisiana, Nathan and The Zydeco Cha Chas have delivered the rollicking, accordion-driven sounds of zydeco to audiences around the world for almost 40 years.
Led by accordionist Nathan Williams, arguably zydeco accordion’s foremost living practitioner, the group is known for its classic style infused with reggae, R&B, and rock—a winning formula for a nonstop party both on and off the dance floor.
Born in 1963 in St. Martinville, Louisiana, Nathan Williams was one of 10 siblings raised by a French Creole-speaking grandmother, a widowed mother, and a neighborhood full of musical family. Williams’s accolades include induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. After 25 years and eight recordings with Rounder, in 2013 Nathan and his band recorded A New Road on Cha Cha Records, which Williams founded with his sons Naylon and Nathan Jr. (of Lil’ Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers). The band’s latest record, Lucky Man, was nominated for a 2023 Grammy for Best Regional Roots Album. “If you don’t get up and shake a leg to this record,” Williams jokes, “call the undertaker.”
PLAN YOUR PICNIC
Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first come, first served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs.
Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere on the lawn except for the center lawn blanket zone.
Purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn or bring your own picnic. Look for Stout NYC and Heaster Street Fair vendors, and be sure to visit the Bryant Park Shop, too!
Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more.
Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events.
Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.
Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.
CARNEGIE HALL CITYWIDE
Carnegie Hall is honored to partner with local community organizations to present free concerts that are sensational celebrations of sounds from across the country and around the globe. At a Carnegie Hall Citywide concert, you can revisit your favorite music or try something new, stay in your home borough or journey farther afield. Whatever you choose, you’ll experience everything that makes New York City so vibrant.
Carnegie Hall's mission is to present extraordinary music and musicians on the three stages of this legendary hall, to bring the transformative power of music to the widest possible audience, to provide visionary education programs, and to foster the future of music through the cultivation of new works, artists, and audiences.
PICNIC PERFORMANCES
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.
