Harlem Week, one of NYC’s most iconic, vibrant and bustling neighborhood events, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with a series of exciting activities for New Yorkers and tourists of all ages to enjoy.
Now through Aug. 18, Harlem will be dazzling with a stellar line-up of events, including concerts, food vending, a job fair, themed days and so much more that celebrate the historic uptown Manhattan neighborhood.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating the Journey.” Organizers say festivities underscore the event’s mission to “provide direction, hope, inspiration, leadership, focus and unity” to the nation and beyond.
It is something Lloyd Williams, president of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, calls a “Harlem state of mind” that stretches far beyond the boundaries of NYC.
“When we deal with a Harlem state of mind, our concern is that Harlem is the international capital of Black America and Harlem happens to be located in the most strategic county in America— that county being the borough of Manhattan,” Williams said in an interview with amNew York Metro.
He also discussed Manhattan being home to the United Nations, adding that so many key industries are based here, from banking to media to entertainment and more.
“So what happens in Harlem resonates throughout the world,” he said. “As a result of that, our message is to Cicero, IL, it is to south side of Chicago, it is to New Orleans, it is to Roxbury, MA, it is to Kingston, Jamaica, and we can go on and on where there are significant communities of color in America or beyond.”
Williams said Harlem Week aims to give urban areas encouragement to focus on the great attributes that every community has.
“Too often, particularly in urban America, we focus on the negative. And when we turn on radio or television or whatever, we hear about who got shot, or what is happening with drugs or what’s happening with all sorts of negatives,” he said. “But we don’t get info on what’s happening with culture, what’s happening with history, what’s happening with education, what’s happening with health. And so we focus on those areas.”
And Williams and his team of organizers have a slew of activities planned to highlight this mission.
What to expect at Harlem Week 2024
Outdoor events kick off with the Percy Sutton Harlem 5K Run & Health Walk on Aug. 10, starting at 8 a.m. on West 135th Street. Then, on Aug. 11 from 12 to 7 p.m., Harlem Week’s first major public outdoor event, “A Great Day in Harlem” will feature an international village with vendors and exhibitors, entertainment and more fun at the Ulysses S. Grant National Memorial on Riverside Drive.
There are plenty of other activities scheduled through Aug. 18, which marks the largest and last day of the event with three stages of entertainment, food vendors, arts-and-crafts and more.
The NYC Jobs & Career Fair: Aug. 14
A highlight of Harlem Week this year is the NYC Jobs & Career Fair, which will take place at City College of New York, 160 Convent Ave., in Shepard Hall, on Wednesday, Aug 14., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The free fair will feature over 50 job exhibitors from the private, nonprofit and government sectors.
The fair is an opportunity for New Yorkers to meet employers, secure career resources and get the latest information on the booming green job economy.
Many government exhibitors will be on-site representing city, state and federal agencies. These include the NYPD, FDNY, NYC Parks, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.
Private sector representatives, including exhibitors from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Northwell Health, Mount Sinai Health System, Con Edison and many others, will also be there.
“We want to get as many people in this venue to help job seekers, period. That’s really what we want to do,” Baron Carr, senior producer of the fair, said. “If they can walk out of the hall with an interview or a job, I will be excited.”
The fair will hold two information discussion panels and workshops:
- Careers in Green Jobs, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., will focus on exciting career paths that support renewable energy and environmental justice.
- The Public Safety Panel, from 1 to 2 p.m., will explore careers in law enforcement, public and emergency services.
More Harlem Week activities
Other activities are planned throughout Harlem Week over the next two weeks. For more information and a complete list of events, visit harlemweek.com.
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NYC Summer Streets Celebrating Harlem Week’s 50th Anniversary (Aug. 10 and 17; 7 a.m to 3 p.m.) . Stop by for a Saturday of non-stop fun on the streets of Harlem. Enjoy biking, walking, running, jumping, meditating, skipping, skating, dancing and live music from artists including acclaimed jazz trombonist Craig Harris, Billboard R&B chart topping artists Ladies of SKYY and more.
- Climate Change Conference (Aug. 7; 6 to 7:30 p.m.; 163 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., State Office Building at W. 125 St.) – Presented by Columbia Climate School & the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, this year’s conference will examine climate change and its disproportionate negative impact on communities and countries of color.
- Senior Citizens Day (Aug. 9; 10 a.m. to 3p.m.; 163 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., State Office Building, W. 125 St.) – This year’s Senior Citizens Day will feature health demonstrations, health testing, performances, exhibits, a panel on demystifying technology, Senior Hat Fashion Show and more. (*This event is by invite to local senior centers.)
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Black Health Matters/Harlem Week Summer Health Summit & Expo (Aug. 15; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; The Alhambra Ballroom; 2116 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Blvd.): The Black Health Matters/Harlem Week Summit & Expo “Where Health Meets Heritage” will address both physical and emotional wellness while bringing together like-minded people who understand and are committed to the idea that Black health matters.
- “Summer In The City” (Aug. 17; 1 to 6 p.m.; W. 135 Street): Harlem Week’s second-largest day of events, “Summer in the City” offers a full day of activities including Broadway performances from the cast members of Hell’s Kitchen, MJ The Musical, The Notebook Moulin Rouge and A Wonderful World; the adult urban fashion show, health testing stations and hundreds of food vendors, arts-and-crafts, music, jewelry, hats, sculptors, corporate exhibitors, and games.
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Alex Trebek Harlem Children’s Spelling Bee (Aug. 17; 2 to 4 p.m.; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; 515 Malcolm X Blvd.) – Children from 1st to 5th grade show off their spelling brilliance and win prizes.
