West Side Fest
July 10–12, 2026
Join us and our neighboring cultural institutions on July 10–12, 2026 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 10 from 5–10 pm and on Sunday, July 12 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.
West Side Fest is on Bloomberg Connects. Visit the free arts and culture app to find the full calendar of events, learn about the participating organizations, navigate the festival using the built-in map, and access the content in over 50 languages.
Friday, July 10, 2026 at the Whitney
Open Studio for Teens: Ignacio Gatica
4–6 pm
Teens are invited to join artist Ignacio Gatica for a special Open Studio for Teens. Through photography and creative image-making, participants will explore how visual storytelling can capture personal experiences, spark dialogue, and deepen connections to the world around them.
Free Friday Night
5–10 pm
Admission to the Museum is free on Friday evening. Join us for music, tours, and special programming. Reserve tickets in advance.
Artmaking with Blooms by PLAY-DOH
5–9:30 pm
Join the Whitney Museum and the PLAY-DOH brand for a special Free Friday Night artmaking experience rooted in creativity, self-expression and joyful discovery.
Art + You: Gallery Conversations for Younger Adults
5:30–6:30 pm
Join us in the 5th Floor Gallery for a conversation about Malcom Peacock’s sculptural installation in the 2026 Whitney Biennial.
Queer History Walk
6 pm
Join us for a free walking tour exploring the rich queer history of the Whitney Museum’s neighborhood. This walk will bring visitors to select historical sites that once provided a place to find and create queer community.
Gallery Tours
Throughout the day
Join us for gallery tours through current exhibitions. Tours are free with Museum admission but capacity is limited to twenty people on a first-come, first-served basis.
Biennial 2026 Performance: Gabriela Ruiz
July 10
Presented as part of the 2026 Whitney Biennial, a forklift, built for cargo, for weight, for work, becomes Ruiz’s partner, lifting her into the air with a slow, deliberate tenderness that feels both perilous and reverent.
Saturday, July 11, 2026 at the Whitney
Gallery Tours
Throughout the day
Join us for gallery tours through current exhibitions. Tours are free with Museum admission but capacity is limited to twenty people on a first-come, first-served basis.
Biennial 2026 Performance: Joshua Citarella
11:30 am
Presented as part of the 2026 Whitney Biennial, Doomscroll is a podcast that explores online culture and politics in the 21st century. This live podcast will feature political scientist Francis Fukuyama.
A Closer Look: Guided Close-Looking Through Dialogue
3 pm
Slow down and discover how much there is to see when we take the time to look closely at highlights from “Untitled” (America).
Sunday, July 12, 2026 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.
Storytime
11 am–12 pm
The Whitney Free Second Sundays Storytime series continues strong, teaming up with independent bookstores to showcase diverse voices and fresh perspectives that will captivate our youngest visitors.
All Ages Artmaking: Collaborative Magnetic Mosaic
11 am–1 pm
Artists of all ages are invited to contribute to a collaborative magnetic mosaic inspired by Nourish by Dyani White Hawk. Arrange and rearrange colorful magnetic shapes to create your own designs, respond to others, and see how the mosaic shifts throughout the day!
All Ages Artmaking with Taína H. Cruz
11 am–3 pm
Artists of all ages are invited to join Biennial artist Taína H. Cruz to make their own works of art.
Recorridos de la Exposición:
La Bienal del Whitney
12 pm, 1 pm
Únase a una visita guiada y a una conversación breve, sobre las obras de arte de la expo, dirigida en español por un educador del Whitney.
Double Take
1–1:30 pm
Slow down and discover how much there is to see when we take the time to look closely at selections from the Whitney’s collection.
Make and Paste a Poster with Rich Tu
2–5 pm
Get ready for an unforgettable Free Second Sundays afternoon on July 12! Join us in the vibrant world of poster-making and wheat pasting with the incredible Rich Tu, the mastermind behind the 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP POSTER for New York and New Jersey.
Gallery Tours
Throughout the day
Join us for gallery tours through current exhibitions. Tours are free with Museum admission but capacity is limited to twenty people on a first-come, first-served basis.
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
Taína H. Cruz's I Saw the Future and It Smiled Back
95 Horatio Street
Graffiti is a major inspiration for Taína H. Cruz’s paintings and drawings, including those she created on-site on one of the Whitney’s fifth-floor gallery walls for the 82nd edition of the Museum’s Biennial. Her work, I Saw the Future and It Smiled Back, on the Gansevoort Street billboard, reflects a child-like sense of newness and anticipation.
Rashid Johnson: New Poetry
At the Museum entrance
Extending from within the Whitney out onto the plaza in front of the Museum, Rashid Johnson’s New Poetry was made specifically for this site. Grab some food and drink at Frenchette Bakery and take a seat surrounded by the artwork.
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.
Free West Side Fest transportation is available for older adults on Saturday, July 13, 10 am–6 pm, provided by New York Foundation for Senior Citizens' Project CART. View the schedule and pick up locations.