Photo: Nicole Freezer Rubens

 There’s so much going on in June whether you’re celebrating Pride, Father’s Day, or just celebrating life and all the great things to do this summer. The Pride Parade is Sunday, the Bronx Zoo celebrates 125 years, there’s a great new exhibit at the Met, the Jazz Age Lawn Party, Little Island performances, and so much more. Our Broadway Babe is back with some great entertainment suggestions, and our roving photographer is kicking off summer with a cocktail in Quebec! And look for a new feature, “Spotlight on Long Island” starting June 19.

 Celebrate Pride Month

NYC is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and there are events all month long. The theme this year is “Reflect. Empower. Unite,”and culminates in the Pride March on June 30. The NYC Pride March will start at 11 a.m. at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The parade typically proceeds south on 5th Avenue before heading west on 8th Street. After crossing over 6th Avenue, the march continues on Christopher Street, passing the Stonewall National Monument. Then, it turns north on 7th Avenue, passing the NYC AIDS Memorial, before concluding at 16th Street and 7th Avenue. Get the full schedule of events.

The Jazz Age Lawn Party

Travel back in time to the 1920s  at Governors Island this weekend (there[‘s one in August too) for a truly authentic Prohibition-era-inspired gathering where people come together to discover the music zeitgeist of the era. The New York Times calls it  one of the year’s most memorable events. Jazz Age was founded and hosted by Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, it offers a unique, interactive opportunity to relive one of the most colorful and formative epochs in American history. Don’t miss out! GET THE DETAILS.

 Celebrate the Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is celebrating it’s 125 anniversary and this summer is a great time to visit, including the Congo Gorilla Forest. There are all kinds of special events, and for a limited time only, explore the all-new Animal Chronicles, an immersive walking trail of more than a quarter mile, featuring 13 scenes of 68 animal eco-sculptures that showcase key achievements in the Bronx Zoo’s history of saving animal species and connecting New Yorkers to wildlife.

Learn how the zoo has been an urban oasis, a place for New Yorkers and visitors from around the globe to escape the concrete jungle and experience the awe and beauty of animals and the natural world. GET ALLTHE DETAILS.

Enjoy Performances at Little Island

We love this very special park, located in Hudson River Park and features two performance venues where visitors can experience cultural events all summer long. From June through September, Little Island presents a series of all new work across dance, music, theater and opera. With food, drinks and views all summer long.  GET THE DETAILS.

Opens June 9. New Exhibit at the Met

Edward Moore was the creative force who led Tiffany & Co. to unparalleled originality and success during the second half of the 19th century. He amassed a vast collection of decorative arts of exceptional quality and in various media, from Greek and Roman glass and Japanese baskets to metalwork from the Islamic world. These objects were a source of inspiration for Moore, a noted silversmith in his own right, and the designers he supervised. The exhibition Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. will feature more than 180 extraordinary examples from Moore’s personal collection, alongside 70 magnificent silver objects designed and created at Tiffany & Co. under his direction. GET THE DETAILS.   

 Broadway Babe’s Picks: No Way to Treat a Lady, My Fair Lady and More!

 Our Broadway Babe, Randie Levine-Miller has come up with some real gems, including Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison doing excerpts from “My Fair Lady”; from 1965, Richard Kiley star of “Man of La Mancha”, with the original cast performing showstopping excerpts on the Ed Sullivan Show ; Mary Rodgers in an up close and personal interview, courtesy of the Dramatists Guild; and Randie‘s personal favorite, excerpts from Douglas J. Cohen’s musical, “No Way To Treat A Lady”, performed by an all star cast at 54 Below six years ago. WATCH THE VIDEOS.

Roving in Quebec

Our roving photographer, Nicole Freezer Rubens is roving in Quebec…

 The local temperatures are holding steady and summer is definitely coming our way. I went to our family cottage in Quebec to kick off the summer with that old reliable lakeside vibe and some of the universal images of the treasured season.

I was able to bask in the glory of starry starry nights and mirror like water surfaces reflecting Mother Nature’s gifts. I rose to challenge the sneaky heat that melts ice cream so quickly that you must race to eat it or surrender to a very sticky mess. There is nothing better than cooling off on a shady screened in porch and knowing that the plump buzzing insect is outside, just beyond the protective thin metal mesh.

It is these simple moments, sights and sounds that signify the summer start and put me at ease. By cocktail hour, in the perfect golden evening light, I am grateful for the simplistic day and delighted that it is Aperol Spritz season once again.