Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
- Dates
- Expected August 2027
- Status
- Expected
- Venue
- Marcus Garvey Park (Harlem) and Tompkins Square Park (East Village)
- Price
- Free
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Aug 26, 2026
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival comes to New York, NY, Expected August 2027. Froligo tracks free-entry details, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is a free, late-summer celebration of jazz in New York City, honoring the legendary saxophonist with concerts uptown in Harlem and downtown in the East Village. Programmed by the City Parks Foundation's SummerStage, it pairs veteran jazz players with a new generation of artists on some of the city's most storied park stages
Last time around (2025)
The 2025 edition again presented free shows uptown and downtown in late August, celebrating the saxophonist's legacy with programming that highlighted both established players and emerging artists
Listen
Tap an artist to play them right here.
No official playlist linked yet. Find Charlie Parker Jazz Festival on Spotify.
Lineup
2027 lineup not yet announced. Here's who played in 2026:
Getting there
Nearest airport LGA.
How do I get to Charlie Parker Jazz Festival?
By car
Most people drive to Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. The nearest major airport is LGA, and from there it is a straightforward drive to the venue. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
Not an airport connection, LGA has no rail link, but for non-flying travelers New York is Amtrak's busiest hub: Northeast Regional/Acela from the DC-Boston corridor plus long-distance routes arrive at Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station, 31st St & 8th Ave). From Penn Station take the 2 or 3 express uptown to 125th St for Marcus Garvey Park (~15 min), or the downtown 1/2/3 to 14th St and the L across to 1st Av for Tompkins Square Park
Book / info →By bus & public transit
Budget fly-in alternative for regional travelers, not an airport transfer: Greyhound and most FlixBus services arrive at or near the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd St & 8th Ave). From there the A/C/E, or a crosstown transfer to the uptown 2/3 at Times Sq, reaches 125th St for Marcus Garvey Park; the downtown A/C/E to 14th St + L to 1st Av reaches Tompkins Square Park. Greyhound bookings for New York: https://www.greyhound.com/bus/new-york-ny
Book / info →The M60-SBS runs 24 hours from all LaGuardia terminals directly across 125th Street in Harlem, the single-seat ride for the Marcus Garvey Park days. Get off at 125th St/Madison Ave or 125th St/Fifth Ave and walk 2-4 short blocks south to the park (bounded by 120th-124th St between Madison Ave and Mt Morris Park West). Select Bus Service uses off-board fare payment at the stop or OMNY tap; transfers to/from the subway are free within 2 hours on the same card/device
Book / info →The Q70 LaGuardia Link is fare-free (since May 2022) and runs nonstop every 8-10 min from Terminals B and C to the Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av / 74 St-Broadway subway hub (E, F, M, R, 7 lines), ~15 min in typical traffic. For the Tompkins Square Park days, ride the subway into Manhattan and finish on the L to 1st Av or the 6 to Astor Pl, both stations are a short walk from the park (E 7th-10th St & Ave A). For Marcus Garvey Park this routing also works (subway to the 2/3/4/5/6 at 125th St) but the M60-SBS above is more direct. Only the subway leg is charged
Book / info →Taxi & rideshare
Yellow taxis pick up at the official airport taxi stands only (LGA has no Manhattan flat fare, trips are metered, starting at $3.00, unlike JFK). The Port Authority's own estimate for Morningside Heights, comparable uptown distance to Harlem/Marcus Garvey Park, is $24-45 before tolls and tip; surcharges: $1.00 weekday peak (4-8pm), $0.50 nightly (8pm-6am), $0.50 NY State tax, and a $2.00 PANYNJ airport access fee on pickups. Uber and Lyft pick up in signed 'Ride App Pick Up' zones: Terminal A directly across the street, Terminal B on Level 2 of the parking garage, Terminal C arrivals inner lane; fares are quoted in-app. Note for the Tompkins Square Park days: the East Village is inside Manhattan's Congestion Relief Zone (below 60th St), so car trips there carry the $9.00 peak-period congestion toll (5am-9pm) on top of the fare, transit avoids it entirely
Book / info →Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🅿 Parking
No on site parking. Use nearby lots or transit. No festival-operated parking exists and none is offered: this is a free City Parks Foundation event in two public parks with no event lots, and the organizer's own plan-your-visit FAQ (which covers all SummerStage/Charlie Parker park venues) contains no parking provisions at all. Neither park has onsite parking. The organizer's implicit answer, and the practical one, is the subway: 2/3/4/5/6 to 125th St for Marcus Garvey Park; L to 1st Av or 6 to Astor Pl for Tompkins Square Park
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at LGA
Lowest-value option for this festival: a free, split-site urban fest where both venues sit on top of the subway, street parking is scarce, garages are expensive, and the East Village venue is inside the $9-peak congestion-toll zone. A hire car only makes sense for attendees building a wider regional trip around the NYC weekend; for the festival itself, transit wins on every axis
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Marcus Garvey Park (Harlem) and Tompkins Square Park (East Village)
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Charlie Parker Jazz Festival?
Hotels nearby 5
Airbnb & private camping
NYC is a special case: Local Law 18 (enforced since Sept 2023) cut legal short-term rental listings by over 90%, only ~3,000 registered STRs operate citywide, so entire-home stays under 30 nights are scarce and priced accordingly, and citywide hotel rates have hit record averages (~$320/night). Book far ahead for late-August, or expect private-room listings rather than whole apartments; Harlem and the East Village both retain some registered inventory
Search Airbnb →No camping exists anywhere near the venues, both are Manhattan public parks that close overnight. Hipcamp inventory for the region is Hudson Valley / Catskills / western Long Island private-land sites, generally 1.5-2+ hours out by car or Metro-North-plus-taxi, so it's a scenic base only for attendees who already have a car and don't mind a long commute in; not a practical hotel substitute for this fest. Link points to the statewide New York directory
Search Hipcamp →Pricing
Got fresher info? Tell us, a real person checks every tip, and we love fresh info.
