Summer Rocks At The River To River Festival, By Iris Dean

Named a "must-visit for urban arts aficionados" by the New York Post, River To River Festival is scheduled to start at the end of May, and is New York City's largest free summer arts festival! During the River To River Festival you'll find more than 100 events to attend this summer at venues along Lower Manhattan's spectacular waterfront, including the World Financial Center, South Street Seaport, Rockefeller Park, Battery Park, and Castle Clinton National Monument.

Among the highlight of this year's Festival are: The Bang on a Can Marathon returns to World Financial Center for its fourth year to kick-off the River To River Festival on Late May . One of the highlights of New York City's music calendar, the 12-hour marathon of mind-boggling, genre-bending music epitomizes the spirit of the Festival.

· Hailed as “Broadway's last leading man,” Brian Stokes Mitchell takes to the Rockefeller Park stage in Early June.

· New York City Opera brings opera downtown with three distinct varied programs for the opera novice and expert alike – in three different River To River venues in Late June.

· Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band with opening act Jenny Lewis perform at the Festival's flagship 4 th of July concert in Battery Park.

· Marking Merce Cunningham's 90 th birthday, The Joyce Theater will co-produce Merce Cunningham Dance Company's site-specific Event celebrating the work of the legendary choreographer in Early August at Rockefeller Park.

· Richie Havens performs in Mid July, while Arlo Guthrie will take the stage at the end of July perform at Castle Clinton in Battery Park.

Check for the complete schedule of River To River Festival programming and purchase tickets by visiting www.RiverToRiverNYC.com.