Summer Season of Free Public Events at World Trade Center Campus

The spire of One World Trade Center lit up at night. – Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Community Events Include Free Public Fitness Classes, Return of Farmers Market and Weekly Composting Tents at Smorgasburg

Campus to Welcome Arts and Culture Activities and Installations to Mark Citywide Celebrations, Holidays and History

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced exciting free public events at the World Trade Center campus this spring and summer. With hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the World Trade Center campus provides a wide range of diverse cuisines, entertainment, and wellness options in addition to many outdoor activities this spring and summer to engage guests.

“We are delighted to welcome more people to the World Trade Center campus for various free activities with our partners,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “From workout classes to musical performances, the campus will be vibrant this summer with the variety of family-friendly events.”

“We want to see the World Trade Center become a big contributor to the vibrancy of Lower Manhattan,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We hope that the local community of Lower Manhattan, office workers, and tourists join us for these fun, free events this season.”

“Whether you’re commuting through, touring, or enjoying a local afternoon out, summer at the World Trade Center promises excitement for everyone,” said Diana Grasso, vice president of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. “Complementing the events program are the 80-plus shops at the Oculus, where visitors can find perfect outfits for the silent disco and dance party, or recharge with fresh, energizing grab-and-go food and drink after a fitness class, all making the World Trade Center Lower Manhattan’s best day out.”

The annual Smorgasburg food festival continues this year on the Oculus Plaza and is held every Friday through October 27. This year, the Port Authority offers two tents to educate the public about accepted compostable waste from the weekly food festival. In previous years, it was estimated that roughly 400 pounds of compostable waste were thrown away during a single day.

The schedule of programs and events this spring and summer on the campus is extensive. Here are some of the highlights:

• Ongoing: Now open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weather-permitting, the Oculus Beer Garden serves drinks and small plates at 2 World Trade Center Plaza, at the corner of Church and Vesey streets. 
• Ongoing through October 25: On select Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m., Wellness Wednesdays fitness classes bring yoga, meditation, high-intensity interval training and other free courses to the North Oculus Plaza aimed at encouraging healthy wellbeing habits.
• End of May, for 12 months: “A Wild Life for Wildlife,” a sculpture series by Australian artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, will be unveiled on the South Oculus Plaza. The exhibit depicts endangered animals in different playful scenarios with a mission to inspire wildlife conservation. 
• June 6, every Tuesday through middle of November: The GrowNYC farmers market returns on Tuesday, June 6, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at North Oculus Plaza. Shop every Tuesday through mid-November for fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and dairy products from regional farmers.
• June 19: From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. the World Trade Center campus will host a special Juneteenth musical performance by the Sammy Buttons Experience on the Oculus floor.
• June 21: From 7 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. on the North Oculus Plaza, catch a special performance dedicated to New Yorkers of Mozart’s master work, “Mozart’s Requiem.” The performance will be led by conductor Douglass Anderson and produced by Melissa Gerstein.
• June 23: From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., the World Trade Center campus will host Pride on the Plaza, a silent disco dance party with Quiet Events to kick off NYC Pride weekend. Dance the night away against the beautiful backdrop of the Oculus, which will be illuminated in rainbow colors all weekend long to celebrate Pride.
• June 29, every Thursday through August: From 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. every Thursday, the Explore Cortlandt program offers live music on Cortlandt Way between 3 World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center.
• July 15, July 29, August 12, and August 26: Oculus Outdoors will return to the World Trade Center campus with free summer movie screenings outside at North Oculus Plaza. Two movies of differing genres will be screened on each date.
• August 5: As part of Dance Party NYC, which is the New York Public Library’s biggest summer program across all five boroughs, the World Trade Center campus will be hosting the fun in Manhattan with a free dance party in Liberty Park.

For a full list of events and programming, visit www.officialworldtradecenter.com/events.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state agency that builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. For over a century, the agency’s network of major airports; critical bridges and tunnel and bus terminals; a commuter rail line; and the busiest seaport on the east coast has been among the most vital in the country – transporting hundreds of millions of people and moving essential goods into and out of the region. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, which today welcomes tens of thousands of office workers and millions of annual visitors. The agency’s historic $37 billion 10-year capital plan includes unprecedented transformation of the regions three major airports – LaGuardia, Newark Liberty and JFK – as well as an array of other new and upgraded assets including the $2 billion renovation of the 90-year-old George Washington Bridge. The Port Authority’s annual budget of $8 billion includes no tax revenue from either the states of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit. For more information, visit www.panynj.gov or check out the Now Arriving blog.