NY Phil Concert in Central Park (Free) with Picnic & Urban Hike

Hey everybody, it’s summer again – yippee! – and time for the free(!) concert in Central Park performed by the NY Philharmonic, capped off by fireworks!, on Wednesday, June 10, at 8:00 PM. Yeah, there’s always a big crowd, but, judging by last summer’s turnout, it’s really not that bad and quite manageable. Last summer’s event was definitely enjoyable… and a lot of fun! And this year’s performance by the NY Phil features one of the most recognizable and popular pieces of classical music, Ravel’s “Bolero” (featured in the 1979 film, “10”, starring Dudley Moore and Bo Derek).

And to make a real “Event” of this event, we’ll start our “day in the City” with an urban hike up through Central Park from Penn Station to Malcolm X Plaza at its northern tip (4.3 mi.). From there, we’ll head up to the “Harlem Food Court” at 66 W 116th St. or the “Field Trip Harlem” at 109 Lenox Ave. to have a refreshing soul food lunch break. Then, we head back down into the Park and hang out at the North Woods Loch Double Waterfall and the Conservatory Garden. At 5:30 PM, we head over to the site of the concert, the Great Lawn, and stake-out “our spot”. Once we’ve settled down, we'll enjoy the picnics we've brought and, if no one objects too loudly, some corny but fun group games like Charades, What Would You Do If, Never Have I Ever, etc., until the concert begins at 8:00 PM. Note: no food carts or trucks will be available at the Great Lawn so, if you haven’t packed a picnic with you then, you can get something to take away from one of the food trucks out on Fifth Ave. or some other place along the hike. The total distance of the hike will be a little over 6 miles. Note that, the exact meet up point at Penn Station will be the entrance of Madison Square Garden on 7th Ave. and 32nd St.

If you’re not able to join-in on the hike – so, you “work for a living”, eh? – then you can come to the Great Lawn at 6:00 PM. The meetup point will be the porta-potties near the volleyball courts on the northeast side of the Lawn. The event host will meet you there to guide you to “our spot”. He will check this meetup point once more – and for the last time – at 7:00 PM, so you need to get there by 7:00 or you’ll be on your own.

This additional info is posted on the Concert in Central Park FAQs Website:
Seating: You may bring beach chairs that lie low to the ground and picnic blankets but no “regular” blankets or “standard” lawn-chairs.
Bag Policy: You may bring small, clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags (12"x12"x6" max size), non-clear clutch/purse/fanny/back pack no larger than 4.5" x 6.5". Sorry, no other bags are allowed.

Please post in a comment below if you are joining both the concert and the hike or only the concert. Also note how you’re planning to get into, and out of, the city so we can arrange places to meet up and car-pool or train-pool together. If you are, like the event host is, taking a train to Penn Station, mention what station you’re leaving from. Once again, the meet up points for everyone coming from anywhere by any means will be:
At Penn Station at 12:00 noon: The entrance of Madison Square Garden on 7th Ave. and 32nd St.
At the Great Lawn in Central Park at 6:00 PM: The porta-potties near the volleyball courts on the northeast side of the Lawn