West Side Fest
July 12–14, 2024
West Side Fest, 2023. Photograph by Filip Wolak
Join us and our neighboring cultural institutions on July 12–14, 2024 for West Side Fest, a free, multi-site celebration organized by the West Side Cultural Network.
The West Side Cultural Network—a group of museums, parks, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions located within a half-mile portion of historic New York—is presenting free admission days, special indoor and outdoor programming, artmaking for all ages, performances, and more to welcome all New Yorkers to the culturally vibrant western edge of Manhattan.
The Whitney Museum will offer free admission on Friday, July 12 from 5–10 pm and on Sunday, July 14 from 10:30 am–6 pm. While admission to the Museum is free on Friday nights and the second Sunday of every month, tickets are required, and capacity is limited. Advance booking is strongly recommended.
Friday, July 12, 2024 at the Whitney
Free Friday Night
5 pm–10 pm
Admission to the Museum is free on Friday evening. Join us for music, tours, and special programming. Reserve tickets in advance.
Open Studio for Teens
1 pm–3 pm
Grab your friends and get creative! New York City teens are invited to a free drop-in artmaking program at the Whitney in collaboration with The Studio Museum in Harlem’s Expanding the Wall program.
And More
Museum hours are 10:30 am–10 pm
Explore even more of the Whitney with tours and talks throughout the Museum.
Saturday, July 13, 2024 at the Whitney
Gallery Tours
Throughout the day
Stop by the Museum on Saturday and join a tour of the galleries. Tours are free with Museum admission but capacity is limited to twenty people on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sunday, July 14, 2024 at the Whitney
Free Second Sunday
10:30 am–6 pm
Admission to the Whitney is free all day on the second Sunday of every month. Visitors of all ages enjoy artmaking, activities, tours, and story times with NYPL librarians at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm.
Artmaking Inspired by Wanda Gág
11 am–3 pm
Artists of all ages are invited to get creative and build a story world inspired by the exhibition Wanda Gág’s World.
Artmaking and Storytelling
11 am–4 pm
Visitors of all ages are invited to a day of artmaking and storytelling inspired by Archibald John Motley, Jr.’s iconic painting Gettin’ Religion.
West Side Fest throughout the Neighborhood
West Side Fest highlights the city's newest cultural destination on the western edge of Manhattan, a historic area with a welcoming and unique mix of fresh activities, open gathering spaces, and more. The neighborhood includes organizations that have been on the West Side for decades as well as newer arrivals like Gansevoort Peninsula in Hudson River Park. While many organizations are offering free admission to programs and events, advance registration may be required.
Participants include: Center for Art, Research and Alliances; Chelsea Factory; Dia Chelsea; the High Line; Hill Art Foundation; Hudson Guild; Hudson River Park; The Joyce Theater; The Kitchen; The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center; Little Island; NYC AIDS Memorial; Poster House; Print Center New York; Rubin Museum of Art; The Shed; Westbeth; West Village Rehearsal Co-Op; and White Columns.
LISTEN
Queer History Walk
Audio tour and podcast minisode
Explore the rich queer history of the Meatpacking District. Listen to our podcast minisode for a quick five-minute snapshot and find the complete twenty-minute tour on the audio guide. Listen while walking in the neighborhood or from the comfort of your home.
Whitney Art Outside
People Who Stutter Create: Stuttering Can Create Time
95 Horatio Street
People Who Stutter Create: Stuttering Can Create Time is part of Whitney Biennial 2024: Even Better Than the Real Thing and is presented at 95 Horatio Street, on the facade of the building across the street from the Whitney and the south end of the High Line.
Alake Shilling: Buggy Bear Goes on a Cool Cruise
Gansevoort Street and 10th Avenue
Buggy Bear Goes on a Cool Cruise is the latest in a series of paintings and sculptures that depict Buggy Bear, a character imagined by Los Angeles–based artist Alake Shilling. The mural is painted on the ground at the corner of Gansevoort Street and 10th Avenue. Relax at benches and tables there too.
David Hammons: Day’s End
Hudson River Park
Across from the Museum in Hudson River Park is a monumental installation by David Hammons titled Day's End. The artwork traces the outline of a pier that once existed on this site. Enjoy the sculpture from sandy Gansevoort Beach nearby.
Land Acknowledgment
The Whitney is located in Lenapehoking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenape. The Whitney acknowledges the displacement of this region’s original inhabitants and the Lenape diaspora that exists today.
Accessibility
To learn more about the accommodations offered at each program, please visit the individual event pages. Email accessfeedback@whitney.org or call (646) 666-5574 with additional questions. View additional Museum access information and resources.