Gird your calendars: The lineup for this summer’s River to River Festival has been announced. It includes Patti Smith (“uncompromising as NYC at midnight”), a human fountain (“cascades of airborne liquid muscle”), Laurie Anderson, and Rufus Wainwright. Plus: interactive games.

Sunday, June 19
Bang on a Can Marathon
Bang on a Can returns with its incomparable 12-hour super-mix of genre-defying music featuring over 150 astounding musicians and composers from throughout the world. Highlights include Philip Glass performing live with the Bang on a Can All-Stars; music by Bryce Dessner of The National; sonic downtown legend Glenn Branca; the outer-planetary Sun Ra Arkestra; the Asphalt Orchestra playing music by David Byrne/Annie Clark, Yoko Ono, and Frank Zappa; the intrepid Signal in a blistering string orchestra work by Julia Wolfe plus New York premieres by Richard Ayers, Fausto Romitelli, Poul Ruders, Toby Twining and much more! 12pm-12am. World Financial Center Winter Garden.

Real-World Games for Change
Venue and Game are TBD

Monday, June 20
Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan (104 minutes, 1985) follows a bored suburban housewife (Roseanne Arquette), seeking adventure, who accidentally gets hit on the head, wakes up with amnesia, and is mistaken for a free-spirited New York City drifter named Susan (Madonna). Shorts include Eat my makeup! and Flying Saucey! by Marie Losier. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and will be available online or two per person, at the street level entrance to 55 Water Street at 6pm on the day of screening. Show starts at 8pm. The Elevated Acre, 55 Water Street, between Broad and William Streets.

Tuesday, June 21
Group
Aaron Siegel’s GROUP is a collective sound work that will start on individual mobile devices and ends with participants coming together for a large-scale gathering. The piece begins with a dense drone that sheds layers throughout the day and then transforms into a monumental sound as participants come together with their sounding devices to activate the intersection of Broad and Wall Streets. 12:30pm. New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street.

Hoketus
Hoketus is a pioneering minimalist piece by Dutch composer Louis Andriessen, written in 1976 for two spatially-separated quintets. Over 25 minutes, the two groups alternate notes, never playing simultaneously, but creating melodies through the interactions between them, using a “Hocketing” technique developed in the 14th century. Hoketus will be performed by members of the renowned International Contemporary Ensemble and is co-presented by the Darmstadt Music Series, Make Music New York, and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. 1pm. Federal Hall, Wall Street.

Ivan & Alyosha
Seattle’s Ivan & Alyosha are not nihilist indie rockers, but a new brand of tender dreamers. They navigate the music world contemplating their path as a band, and, despite the uncertainty, Ivan & Alyosha’s soulful folk tunes suggest a band inspired, hopeful, and longing, unafraid to probe their collective faith and doubts. Acoustic, 12:30pm. One New York Plaza. Also full band, 5:30pm. June 23 World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street.

Wednesday, June 22
Rebecca Jordan
Singer/songwriter Jordan studied classical piano as a kid and taught herself guitar.  Since moving to NYC in 2009, she has played CMJ and SXSW, been named a 2010 NPR Mountain Stage NewSong Finalist, and honored by the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame as ASCAP’s choice for the 2010 Abe Olman Award. 12:30pm. Zuccotti Park, Broadway, between Cedar and Liberty Streets.

Bottom Line—NY On My Mind
Starring Rosanne Cash, Marshall Crenshaw, Willie Nile, Martin Rivas, Suzzy Roche and Lucy Wainwright Roche, Loudon Wainwright III, Dar Williams, plus more special guests TBA, featuring Music Director John Leventhal with house band Mojo Mancini.  NYC stories read by Christine Lavin and Vin Scelsa. Hosted by Meg Griffin. 7pm. Rockefeller Park, River Terrace and Warren Street.

Thursday, June 23
The Poetry of Food: Elaine Equi
Stimulate your creative side with this food-specific poetry reading by noted poet Elaine Equi, while surrounded by fresh local delights at the WFC Greenmarket.  Equi will share poems inspired by our degustation. Her work has appeared in The Nation, The New Yorker, and in her many published books, including Ripple Effect: New & Selected Poems.12:30pm. World Financial Center Greenmarket, South End Avenue at Liberty Street.

Vijay Iyer
Presented by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Utilizing layered polyrhythms and Indian scales, Vijay Iyer is a jazz musician that personifies the diversity and vitality of New York. Leading the city’s jazz renaissance and celebrated with jazz’s most prestigious awards, Iyer combines the intriguingly complex mind of modern music composers with the adroit touch akin to the legendary pianists of jazz. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and will be available online or two per person at the entrance to Castle Clinton at 5pm on the day of screening. Show starts at 7pm. Castle Clinton, Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place.

Friday, June 24
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Mull mix breezy melodies, Brazilian rhythms and French pop for a sound that is immediate and alluring. Sink your teeth into the TGOASTT’s charming debut, The Acoustic Sessions, which was mostly recorded in the couple’s kitchen. Special guests to be announced. 7pm. South Street Seaport, Pier 17.

Saturday, June 25
Dancing Classrooms Colors of the Rainbow Team Match
Culminating this year’s Dancing Classrooms program, talented 5th and 8th grade dancers from New York City public schools compete in this city-wide competition for the grand prize as they Fox Trot, Merengue, Rumba, Swing and Tango their way to the gold. 8^th Graders at 1pm and 5^th Graders at 4pm. World Financial Center, 220 Vesey Street.

Cowgirl Cowhunt
Hey New York! Think you’ve got enough grit to remix history and take on the biggest cattle drive this side of the Mississippi? Find out in this manhunt-inspired game of team tag set in 1919. Spurs, denim and flannels recommended but not required. (Teams assigned on-site.) 1pm. Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

Sunday, June 26
Sound Bites Series with My Teenage Stride
Veterans of the NYC indie pop scene, My Teenage Stride remain one of the most tuneful, clever bands in the city. The band’s last album, Ears Like Golden Bats, made many Best of 2007 lists and they followed it up with a string of great singles and EPs. My Teenage Stride are wrapping up work on a new album as we speak. We can’t think of a better way to start this year’s series. 2pm. Shows take place at the Fulton Stall Market, South Street between Beekman and Fulton Streets.

Monday, June 27
Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: The Godfather Part II
The Godfather – Part II (200 minutes, 1974) chronicles the early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York as his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate. Preceded by shorts from Maria Niro Waiting) Off My Chest and Fast Cut Chase Dream (Was It A Dream At All).

Tuesday, June 28
Emmet Cohen
At 21, jazz piano prodigy Emmet Cohen plays with the maturity and confidence of a seasoned veteran.  With astonishing technique and an innovative harmonic palate, Emmet shares a deep musical bond with his audience. He has shared the bandstand with a plethora of jazz luminaries including Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Patti Austin and Maceo Parker. 12:30pm. One New York Plaza, Water Street between Whitehall and Broad Streets. Also June 30, 5:30pm, World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street.

New York City Opera—Rufus Wainwright Goes To the Opera!
Join New York City Opera singers, pianist Kevin Murphy, and the great singer/songwriter and opera composer, Rufus Wainwright, who hosts a performance featuring excerpts from his opera Prima Donna (which receives its New York premiere at New York City Opera in Spring 2012) and a selection of his favorite arias. Wainwright will also perform excerpts from a selection of songs inspired by his love of opera. 7pm. World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street.

Wednesday, June 29
Eric Walton: Esoterica
Eric Walton’s talents for showmanship and sleight of hand have taken him to five continents. He has performed on television in the U.S. and U.K.; has been a featured performer and master of ceremonies at clubs in NYC, London and Atlantic City; worked as a magic consultant for numerous shows; and performed for Cirque Du Soleil. 12:30pm. Zuccotti Park, Broadway between Cedar and Liberty Streets.

Chrisette Michele
In a very short span of time, R&B singer/songwriter Chrisette Michele has become one of today’s most exciting talents, featuring a gorgeous and versatile singing voice colored with inflections of pop and jazz.  Growing up on Long Island, listening to Billie Holiday, Astrid Gilberto and others, she is a recording and performing star across multiple musical genres. 7pm. Rockefeller Park, River Terrace and Warren Street.

Thursday, June 30
Laurie Anderson and Bill Laswell
Laurie Anderson and Bill Laswell will collaborate in an evening of improvised beats and melodies. Since the 80’s when they first worked together in the studio, Anderson and Laswell have pursued radically different musical paths. Recently they played together as part of a trio with John Zorn and their much-anticipated performance at Castle Clinton show will build on those new ideas and forms. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and will be available online or two per person at the entrance to Castle Clinton at 5pm on the day of screening. Show starts at 7pm. Castle Clinton, Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place.

Friday, July 1
Lower Dens and Dirty Beaches
Baltimore’s Lower Dens made a splash last year with their atmospheric debut Twin Hand Movements, at the center of which is singer-songwriter Jana Hunter’s haunting voice. Fuzzy, droney and warm, Lower Dens exude that magic hour vibe. Keeping with the theme, twangy openers Dirty Beaches are like a half-remembered dream infected by an oldies station drifting on the breeze at a desert motel. 7pm. South Street Seaport, Pier 17.

Saturday, July 2
Running of the Stocks
Take the role of a Bull, Bear, or a Stock in a crazy run through the streets of lower Manhattan. Try to join the winning side and outlast the waves, but be sure to bail out before you get gored. 1pm. Broad and Wall Street.

TriBattery Pops: Independence Day Weekend Celebration
The TriBattery Pops, led by conductor Tom Goodkind, is downtown NYC’s first all volunteer community band in over a century. This Fourth of July community celebration will feature favorites from Sousa, Gaga and Mingus. Recently, the band performed to an American Masterpiece dance by Trisha Brown and Robert Rauschenberg, garnering the band’s performance praise as “robustly rhythmic” by New York Times. 2pm. Zuccotti Park, Broadway, between Cedar and Liberty Streets.

Shadowplay
Cast yourself into the game with Shadowplay, a large-scale street game projected directly onto the walls of New York City.  Players jump, dash, stretch and contort their shadows in a bid to score points by eclipsing objects floating through the game.  Play alone or collaboratively. Time and VenueTBD.

Sunday, July 3
Sound Bites Series with The Hairs
Catchy, scratchy and just a little bit snarky, The Hairs formed in 2010 following the dissolution of much-loved duo Knight School. Though less than a year old, The Hairs have already gained attention from influential music blogs Stereogum and RCRDLBL.com, and have a digital single out through Holiday Records, the label run by The Drums. Look for The Hairs’ proper debut out on Portland’s fine Magic Marker label this May. 2pm. Shows take place at the Fulton Stall Market, South Street between Beekman and Fulton Streets.

Tuesday,July 5
Sarlin Levine Ganz
Don Sarlin, Mike Levine and Jeff Ganz come together to play an original acoustic-instrumental repertoire that encompasses a diverse range of influences, including bluegrass, blues, folk, rock, samba and R&B. 12:30pm. One New York Plaza.

Wednesday, July 6
Michael Pemberton
Michael’s style ranges from folk to rock to country to pop. Over the past 18 years he has had the opportunity to sing and play his music for and with many of NYC’s finest artists and in many of its best venues from the Oak Room to The Bitter End. Currently he is working on writing a conceptual rock concert based on Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. 12:30pm. Zuccotti Park, Broadway between Cedar and Liberty Streets.

Henry V
Join New York Classical Theatre for their production of William Shakespeare’s Henry V. Journey with King Henry and his army from England (Battery Park) across the English Channel (New York Harbor) by boat to France (Governors Island) where the historic Battle of Agincourt will be staged in front of historic Fort Jay with the largest cast in our company’s history. Wristbands for travel to and from Governors Island aboard Statue Cruises will be made available in Battery Park starting at 3pm each day of performance.  All performances start at 7pm. Also July 5, 6, 8-13, 15. Battery Park and Governors Island. Ferry Services provided by Statue Cruises.

Poets House featuring Jose James & Bobbi Humphrey
This year’s Poets House program honors New York City, with a lineup of celebrated Poets (TBA) and special musical guests Jose James and Bobbi Humphrey.  James is one of the great rising star singers today, accomplished in R&B, Jazz, Pop and Hip-Hop.  Flutist Bobbi Humphrey is a musical legend, who will make a guest appearance with James’ group. 7pm. Rockefeller Park, River Terrace and Warren Street.

Thursday, July 7
Ellio Villafranca: Cuban Roots Cuban Soul
Villafranca and his top-notch band featuring guest vocalist, Giovanna Robinson, perform a selection of Cuba’s most exciting and popular danzones, guarachas, sones, cha-cha-cha, and boleros from the 1950’s and ‘60’s, and other more contemporary work, highlighting the richness of the music and culture of the island. 5:30pm. World Financial Center Plaza.

My Brightest Diamond with yMusic
Shara Worden is the granddaughter of an Epiphone-strumming traveling evangelist, her father an accomplished accordionist and her mother a classical organist. Her band, My Brightest Diamond, has released Bring Me The Workhorse (2006) and A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (2008) on Asthmatic Kitty Records.  On this night she will join forces with a young but sophisticatedly scrappy group of players called Music. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and will be available online or two per person at the entrance to Castle Clinton at 5pm on the day of screening. Show starts at 7pm. Castle Clinton, Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place.

Friday, July 8
The Wake with guests, Weekend
With brittle, danceable classics like “Of the Matter,” “O Pamela” and “Pale Spectre,” Glasgow’s The Wake helped define the ‘80s indiepop sound. Their influence can be heard on today’s crop of pop, from The Radio Depart. to Wild Nothing and The Drums. San Francisco trio Weekend are a blistering post punk wall of sound, rocketfueled by volume, effects pedals and feedback.  Their album Sports was one of 2011’s most impressive debuts, indebted to the past yet making a confident din all its own. 7pm. South Street Seaport, Pier 17.

Saturday, July 9
Extraordinary Moves: The Dancer Films
The Dancer Films is a collection of very short films based on Jules Feiffer’s beloved cartoon character, the modern Dancer. Director Judy Dennis brilliantly translates six of Feiffer’s memorable cartoons−A Dance to Spring, A Dance to Art, A Dance to Summer, A Dance to the Loss of Innocence, A Dance to the New Year, and A Dance to the End of Summer−from the page to the soundstage, alchemizing drawing into dance for film. Brought to life by Merce Cunningham Dance Company dancer Andrea Weber, the Dancer is an icon to optimism and earnestness as she dances to celebrate a cycle of seasonal, emotional and political milestones. Produced by Ellen and Judy Dennis. Choreography by Susan Marshall and by Larry Keigwin, and original music by Jane Ira Bloom. July 9-17.11am-7pm daily. World Financial Center Winter Garden.

Extraordinary Moves: A Dance to Spring: The Drawings of Jules Feiffer
An extraordinary exhibition of original cartoon strips, watercolors, and iris prints by the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist, author, playwright, and iconic New Yorker Jules Feiffer. The centerpiece of the show is a selection of the Dancer cartoons, which ran for 40 years in The Village Voice and as a monthly feature in the New York Times. July 9 – August 14, 2011. (July 9-17, 11am – 7pm daily; July 19 – August 14, Tuesday – Sunday, 12 – 4pm). World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery.

Sunday, July 10
Extraordinary Moves: Express Your Inner Feiffer Dancer
In a live dance-in inspired by The Dancer Films, release your inner Dancer while Jules Feiffer creates new cartoons joined by dancer Andrea Weber and live music by Jane Ira Bloom. All ages welcome! 2pm. World Financial Center Winter Garden.

Sound Bites Series with Pow Wow!
Named one of the “8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear Right Now” by L Magazine in 2009, Pow Wow! burst on the scene with their big pop hooks and party-friendly sound. The band took much of 2010 off, though, to deal with “real life stuff” and refine their craft. Having done that (whew!), Pow Wow! are back in a big way with their debut album out this summer, reminding us that they’re still a band you need to hear…right now. 2pm. Shows take place at the Fulton Stall Market, South Street between Beekman and Fulton Streets.

Monday, July 11
Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: The Brother from Another Planet
The Brother from Another Planet (108 minutes, 1984) is about a mute alien slave who is chased through the streets of Harlem in this thought-provoking cult classic directed by John Sayles. Two shorts by Henry Hills accompany the feature, Gotham and Failed States. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and will be available online or two per person, at the street level entrance to 55 Water Street at 6pm on the day of screening. Show starts at 8pm. The Elevated Acre, 55 Water Street, between Broad and William Streets.

Tuesday, July 12
Extraordinary Moves: Third Rail Projects: Looking Glass
Looking Glass is a site-adaptive, immersive performance experience utilizing and highlighting pre-existing architecture. The work invites audiences to see the surroundings anew by charting their own path through a cutting edge, fierce, and sophisticated re-imagining of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland & Through The Looking Glass. The work is a durational performance, presented on a loop for roughly one hour. 12:30pm. One New York Plaza. Also July 13 at 12:30pm at Zuccotti Park and July 14 at 12:30pm at World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street.

Wednesday, July 13
All in Good Time: A Celebration for Jonathan Schwartz; Hosted by and starring John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey
A stellar collection of the world’s finest singers and musicians salute WNYC and SiriusXM’s keeper of the flame of American Popular Song. 7pm. Rockefeller Park, River Terrace and Warren Street.

Thursday, July 14
Extraordinary Moves: STREB: Human Fountain
Inspired by the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, Human Fountain involves performers leaping from as high as 30 feet from a three-story, open, honeycomb structure in order to create cascades of airborne liquid muscle. The outcome is a mixture of slam dancing, exquisite and amazing human flight, and wild action sport, which captures kids, older people and the general public’s hearts, minds, and bodies. 6pm. Also July 15, 12 & 6pm and July 16, 2, 4 & 6pm. World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street.

Extraordinary Moves: Michael Moschen: Triangle
MacArthur laureate Michael Moschen is considered to be the supreme juggling virtuoso of our time. His creations have been seen on stage, screen, and television as well as in leading theatre and dance festivals all over the world.  In Triangle, Moschen’s incredibly famous, jaw-dropping piece, three balls and a triangle become a musical and visual work of art. 6pm. Also July 15, 12 & 6pm and July 16, 2, 4 & 6pm. World Financial Center Plaza, 220 Vesey Street.

Patti Smith
Uncompromising as NYC at midnight, the punk queen poet-laureate of downtown Patti Smith has profoundly inspired decades of artists and been a beacon of truth for millions around the globe. With ferocious energy and quiet grace the dark horse diva, singer, writer, reader, seeker, mother and political provocateur has become more than a spokesperson of her generation, she is a hero whose journey has transformed the world around her. Patti’s Castle Clinton performance offers an unheard of chance to see and feel the force of this dynamic artist up close and personal; this will be a night to remember. TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and will be available online or two per person at the entrance to Castle Clinton at 5pm on the day of screening. Show starts at 7pm. Castle Clinton, Battery Park, State Street and Battery Place.

Friday, July 15
The Radio Dept. with guests, Asobi Seksu
With hushed vocals and dreamy melodies, enigmatic Swedes The Radio Dept. have been bewitching listeners for nearly ten years—never more so than on last year’s Clinging to a Scheme, one of 2010’s most heralded discs. Dreampop duo Asobi Seksu are sometimes jangly, sometimes ethereal, and sometimes very noisy. Sometimes all at the same time. Celebrating their tenth year together, their latest album, Fluorescence, shows no signs of fading.7pm. South Street Seaport, Pier 17.

Saturday, July 16
MP3 Experiment
The MP3 Experiment is a participatory public event created by New York comedy group Improv Everywhere.  Participants download an MP3 file, head out to the same public location, and press play simultaneously. Hilarity ensues as participants carry out ridiculous, coordinated instructions to the bewilderment of everyone else. 1pm. Secret Location TBA.

Field Day on Governors Island
A day of new and exciting outdoor games, from wild new field sports to large social games.  Each year Come Out & Play features the best in experimental new real-world games. This year we bring the fun to Governor’s Island. 11am–5pm. Governors Island.