12 NYC day parties not to miss this summer

The sun is warmer, the days are longer and it’s that special time of the year, day party season! In New York City each weekend from May to late September any and every outdoor space becomes an outlet for creativity and entertainment. There are plenty of options for a proper dance, but choosing where to go isn’t always easy.

Starting the day at ReSolute for a rooftop party at 9 am is an enticing option, but so is hanging with 5000 dreamers at All Day I Dream or discovering a new favorite artist while cruising the Hudson with ebb +flow. Maybe the day calls for a serving of soul music at Makossa Brooklyn Cookout or funk-infused disco with Tiki Disco. Not to mention the various pop-up parties; the possibilities are only limited by the imagination.

That said, day parties are about more than the music. They’re about delivering a unique atmosphere and each promoter has their own style. From Burning Man decompression parties like ZERO, to concerts inside art exhibits at MoMA PS1, events where cool street style prevails and others that harken back to the old-school house music era, day parties aren’t just a chance to unwind but also to be inspired.

Here are the promoters and venues whose parties embody the spirit of the summertime in New York City:

When ReSolute’s impromptu rooftop session in April is announced, it signals that day party season in NYC is finally here. It’s what we’ve come to expect from the underground party series. They’ve earned a rep for putting on marathon style raves and after-hours gigs in spontaneous locations and is currently one of the local scene’s most coveted events.

ReSolute does have an official day party schedule and they’re kicking it off by collaborating with Output for ReSolute on The Roof. The May 14 event marks the opening of Sundays on the Roof, a weekly series at the Brooklyn club. At the inaugural launch in 2014, ReSolute was there to curate as well. Leader of the ReSolute crew Nektarios Ioannidis shares further details: “It was supposed to be the ‘soft opening’ of their roof as a test, but it was anything but soft. It was an amazing event, looked like a riot was happening around the booth”.

On May 14 Dyed Soundorom of Apollonia will be joined by Kalabrese as well as residents Orazio Rispo and Lauren Ritter.

As for the rest of the day party schedule stay tuned; Ioannidis uses a spontaneous approach: ”The weather inspires me to come up with these events the week of, I surprise myself sometimes”.

All Day I Dream (ADID) is a globetrotting day party helmed by Lee Burridge, bringing “Dreams. Clouds. Broad Smiles.” to every destination. There’s something special about ADID NYC though and resident Hoj shares the ingredients:

5,000 parts lovely people, many of which have been with us since the beginning.
3-5 parts talented DJs playing emotive house and techno
1 part sky
1 part stage
1 part Lee Burridge
7 parts secret ingredient
1 part love
Garnish with lime and season to taste

Sounds about right, but the “7 parts secret ingredient” might just be Brooklyn. The borough is known for it’s booming creativity, freshness, eclecticism, DIY aesthetic, a forward thinking mindset and underground credibility. It’s the perfect playground for the charismatic Lee Burridge to deliver his vision.

You enter the courtyard in Brooklyn where paper lanterns hang on ornamental beams wrapped in flowing fabric while sounds of melodic house and techno bounce through the afternoon breeze, transforming the gritty urban landscape into an afternoon dreamscape. Hoj revealed why the crew are anxious to get back to this particular location: “We couldn't be more excited. We were born on a little rooftop in Brooklyn, and we grew up there. So returning is like going to play for your hometown”.

Look for the All Day I Dream NYC season to begin on Jun 18.

View All Day I Dream's calendar of events here

Ebb+ flow parties possess that distinct essence rave culture was founded on, it’s like going to a party with your closest friends don’t know yet. The spirit is contagious and the is music leaning toward various spectrums of house. Gavin Stephenson, the founder of ebb+flow touched on a crucial part of these events: “In order to have the vibe that you want, you need to have open-minded, excited happy people to feed off the music“.

Which is exactly the type of crowd ebb+flow attracts. The collective has grown immensely in the past year by adding new artists to their roster and curating their own stages at local festivals. This summer they expand their boat party series, dubbed Sunset Debauchery, to three sonic excursions down the Hudson River.

The first Sunset Debauchery sets sail on May 21, with ebb + flow tapping German producer Einmusik and Justin Marchachos, a Cityfox and ebb + flow resident, for live sets. It’s Einmusik first time playing with the crew and they are eager to introduce him to their community. Look for more Sunset Debauchery events to pop up throughout the summer.

View ebb+flow's calendar of events here

[photo credit: Anya White]

From mid-May to September, The Roof at Output is the most consistent place for enjoying at music at an outdoor venue. This year they’ve upped the ante as well, turning their rooftop into an Enchanted Forest, extending day party hours and partnering with Pretty Southern food for fueling through those marathon-dancing sessions.

On Saturdays, they keep light and summery by collaborating with local party purveyors like Tiki Disco, The 808 by MeanRed and 718 Sessions with soulful house legend Danny Krivit.

Sundays on the Roof they go a little deeper and welcome heroes from the underground like Schwarzmann LIVE (Âme & Henrik Schwarz), Cassy, Matthew Dekay and Behrouz. On holidays Everyday People and Okay Africa take over the Roof bringing sexy Afropolitian and Caribbean vibes.

The opening weekend for the Roof starts May 12 with Roy Ayers live.

View The Roof's calendar of events here

Mister Saturday Night's Mister Sunday takes place throughout the year, but when Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin bring the event outside it yields an infectious atmosphere not commonly found. Now with a permanent location at Nowadays, the veteran DJs fully deliver their aesthetic, focusing on making people move with their carefully curated selection.

Expect to hear the full musical spectrum at Mister Sunday, with Eamon and Justin digging through their extensive collection to showcase the finest in soul, funk, disco, house and everything in between. Plus, with too many records to count, there will be a few vinyl rarities on rotation. It's always a treat when these guys get behind the decks and IDs are constantly requested.

A few general "rules" make sure the crowd is fixated strictly on the dance. People come to let loose, as they recognize that feeling the energy from the crowd is a special thing. It's difficult to describe the essence of Mister Sunday, but it's one that is best experienced firsthand.

View the Mister Sunday calendar of events here

Club and electronic music mogul Eddie Dean has announced his production company RPM Presents will be activating a massive six-acre outdoor venue on New York City's Governor's Island. The event space, which sees its inaugural show this June, will feature live music, arts and culture, food and eco-friendly initiatives with views of the Lower Manhattan skyline and Statue of Liberty.

In June, Carl Cox will bring his Carl Cox Presents: Intec Island to take over the venue with supporting acts Pan-Pot, Darren Emerson and Jon Rundell. Following the closing of Space Ibiza and Cox's legendary 15-year residency, the carefully curated event will have the seminal artist "gearing up to put on the show of the summer'.

Then on July 2, HYTE, the Berlin based promoter known for throwing massive, over-the-top warehouse events with line-ups of underground royalty will bring MORE HYTE NYC to Governor's Island for a day and night affair. The lineup consists of Richie Hawtin, Maceo Plex, Matrixxman, Marcel Dettmann, Julia Govor, Loco Dice, Jackmaster, Peggy Gou, Chris Liebing and Speedy J.

Tiki Disco is known for supplying a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere with offerings from a variety of genres including funk, soul, disco and house. Patrons are graced with eight hours of infectious grooves from the Tiki trio, comprised of experienced DJs Andy Pry, Eli Escobar and Lloydski, plus with tickets going for around $10, these events are also some the most affordable in the city.

The Tiki trio harken back to the days of clubbing when the scene wasn’t so DJ-centric. People would go to a club for the type of crowd and the music, not necessarily the star-power, which is an aspect the Tiki parties embody. “They may not know my name but the people know Tiki Disco is a good place to dance”, Andy says.

The casual atmosphere and highly danceable music paired with a diverse crowd makes Tiki a local favorite summertime disco. They’ve been at it for eight seasons now and Tiki fans have become like family, literally, as Andy explains. “People fall in love, and get married, there are even Tiki Disco babies.

You can join the family at Tiki Disco’s bi-weekly Sunday parties at their home base of The Well, plus a few Saturday parties on The Roof at Output. Tiki Disco’s opening party is May 14.

View Tiki Disco's calendar of events here

Since 1998, partygoers have packed the courtyard at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) PS1 in Long Island City to experience lineups with the likes of DJ Premier, Richie Hawtin, Maya Jane Coles, Skrillex and J. Cole.

The Warm Up program, which began as an experiment to broaden and diversify the museum’s audience, has become a platform for innovation and experimentation in both music and visual art. MoMA PS1’s Taja Cheek explains the initiative: “There are special relationships between the artists that are shown in our galleries and the musicians that perform in the courtyard. Like Mark Leckey, whose retrospective at MoMA PS1 just closed, and Jamie xx,who performed at Warm Up in 2012, are two recent examples”.

This summer season the Warm Up will take place in an immersive installation of photoluminescent textiles that transform over the course of a day, courtesy of young architect Jenny Sabin. Each week the team creates unique designs for the stage to suit the upcoming performance with lineups that combine emerging talent with established artists.

The Warm Up season starts on July 1 and runs weekly every Saturday until September 2.

View Warm Up's calendar of events here

ZERO began as many parties often do, quite casually. Rich Hooban of ZERO reveals a bit of the history: “It began as a friend's birthday party in a loft and just organically as friends invited friends it grew immensely”.

Their approach to parties is very friends and family oriented with an eye to forward thinking local and international talent. Past headliners at ZERO include Satori, whose live sets blend instrumentals, world and house music, and Be Svendsen known for his nomadic style of groovy techno.

The crew throws a party once a month and in the summer, they combine themed boat parties, rooftop sessions and curated festival stages to its repertoire. The first of the themed events is the Monte Carlo Boat Celebration, Richard Hooban shared his excitement for the season’s initial soiree: “Monte Carlo is maybe the most fun. Everyone dresses up in burning man meets the red carpet style, funny tuxedos, beautiful dresses, and they turn into the 1% for a few hours”.

But in the same way that parents can’t pick their favorite child, Hooban is just as excited for the Golden Sunset boat party, which is the closing event months away, as well as the popular rooftop Burning Man decompression party. ZERO starts the day party season with Monte Carlo Boat Celebration on June 10.

View ZERO's calendar of events here

Brooklyn hotspot Good Room has expanded its reach to include the Good Roof, an outdoor venue located on a nearby rooftop.

The new partnership combines Good Room with Dobbin St., a newly renovated factory with a rooftop that provides a clear shot of the Manhattan skyline. Delivering all the amenities one could need, popular restaurant Roberta's will provide a gourmet menu in the courtyard. Musical curation for each event features international and local artists, including Galcher Lustwerk, Marcellus Pittman, Juan MacLean, Joey Anderson, Project Pablo, Psychemagik and more.

Good Roof is set to open on Memorial Day, May 29, with DFA Records' affiliates Holy Ghost! and support from FIXED local selectors JDH & Dave P.

View Good Roof's calendar of events here

A cookout in Brooklyn that’s dubbed Makossa, meaning "dance" in the Douala dialect of Cameroon, combines aspects of what makes day parties stand out during the summer months.

Makossa was already popular party in the Bay Area, but Wonway Posibul of the Latin Soul Brothers decided to launch the next iteration when on a summer visit to Brooklyn. He teamed up with local event promoters Rare Form to create the Makossa Brooklyn Cookout and eight seasons later they’ve grown from a BBQ in the backyard of a Williamsburg boutique to packing out premier summertime venues like The Roof and The Well.

The monthly affair showcases a variety of musical styles from classic soul, dancehall, salsa, Afrobeat, R&B, hip-hop, electronic and house. Derreck Johnson of Rare Form shares how they’ve garnered such a strong following: “I think our party brings a strong sense of togetherness and like-minded personalities. You're going to go home fulfilled and full of spirit.”

The season opener is Memorial Day weekend and they’ll finish out the season with a closing party Labor Day Weekend.

View Makossa Brooklyn Cookout's calendar of events here

When the NYC community got word of the return of Avant Gardener, including The Brooklyn Mirage, The Great Hall, The Kings Hall, many were elated to finally have the immersive location back in action. In 2015 the venue established itself as the premier destination for outdoor music, hosting events like All Day I Dream, and Cityfox’s legendary marathon parties.

The Brooklyn Mirage boasts KV2 Audio and projection mapping by Projektil. It’s a huge space, holding 6,000 people and with palm trees and large plants, it’s a musical oasis in the middle of Brooklyn. Needless to say, when it was shut down in 2016 due to various licensing issues, it was sorely missed. Earlier this year however, Cityfox received approval to reopen. So far the promoters have yet to make an official announcement about their summer plans, but most New Yorkers will agree it will have been worth the wait.

Look for a calendar of events to surface soon.

[Photos: Razberry Photography]

Shaquina Blake is a freelance journalist based in New York. Follow her on Twitter here