Music, but Make It Outdoors

After a long drought, live music has started to return to New York City’s indoor venues, and I — like many — am thrilled.

But there are still few things I love more than summer outdoor concerts. How many opportunities do we city dwellers really get to marry our love of fresh outdoor air with the sensory pleasure of live music? And who doesn’t love the taste of chaos brought by seeing the phrases “weather permitting” or “rain or shine” on a ticket?

We here at Summer in the City are particularly excited about the return of the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival to Prospect Park’s Lena Horne Bandshell — a venue we love for its convenience and a series we love because it’s mostly free.

The opening night of the summer series kicks off on Saturday with a show with the neo-soul singer Ari Lennox, the rapper Kamuu and the R&B artist Nesta. Artists to follow include the Roots on Aug. 12 (a ticketed show, though proceeds will benefit the festival), Skip Marley on Aug. 13 and Whizkid on Sept. 11, as well as screenings of “Wattstax” on Aug. 5 and “In the Heights” on Aug. 26.

Grab a drink or a bite near the park — restaurants in Park Slope and Prospect Heights are closest — and then enjoy an evening stroll to the bandshell before the sun sets.

Or maybe rock is more your bag. If so, head to Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. On Saturday, Bright Eyes, a band beloved by moody millennials in the mid-aughts, will take the stage, along with Waxahatchee and Lucy Dacus (two artists about whom I have spent entirely too much time texting The Times’s pop music editor).

Need more time to plan? August brings shows by Wilco and Sleater-Kinney on Aug. 21, the Dropkick Murphys and Rancid on Aug. 28, and My Morning Jacket and Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes) on Sept. 10 and 11. Also in the borough, on Sunday, Grupo Rebolu will bring their modern Caribbean sound to the Queens Theatre’s outdoor stage in Corona Plaza.

The Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage festival is already well underway in Central Park, Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, and the Coney Island Amphitheater. They are putting on varied events every weekend, some of them with livestream components. (This Saturday, the Central Park location will host the Originals, a collective of early hip-hop pioneers, joined by yet another one, Slick Rick.)

Also in August, New York City will put on a free outdoor concert in every borough, part of a celebration of the city’s reopening. The lineups haven’t been announced, but the Bronx show is on Orchard Beach, promising a view of Pelham Bay as the backdrop.

If you’re looking for something less formal, consider heading to Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. The Times just wrote about the thriving outdoor music scene there, which started with shows on porches and gardens.

Chances are, if you keep your ears open and wander toward music, you’ll be able to find something similar in your neighborhood. And the city parks have a running list of outdoor shows if you’re searching for clearer plans.

We want to hear about summer gems in your neighborhood. What are the spots, people and events that make the summer great? Send a note with your tips to us at [email protected].

A few more ideas:

• In Manhattan: Whether you love trivia or not, there is no doubt that drag queens enhance the experience. Head to the outdoor plaza at the Standard in the Meatpacking District on Wednesdays for Thrivia! with Thorgy Thor, a quirky Brooklyn queen with a TV pedigree.

• In Queens: Positive Women United, a nonprofit focused on empowering young women, will hold a summer street fair in Jamaica on Saturday with games, guest speakers, and food and drink vendors.

• Free fun: Watch “The Goonies” under the night sky at Virginia Park in the Bronx on Friday. Practice your “truffle shuffle,” and remember, Goonies never say die. (I have not seen this movie, but I’m told these jokes will kill.)

• With friends: Rooftop Reds, a winery in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard (yes, on a rooftop), will be screening the Olympics on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to midnight throughout the Games. Sports fans will have something to watch; those less interested can admire the city views. Reservations are required.

• For dates: The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit is bringing outdoor theater performances to a neighborhood near you, starting this weekend at the plaza on Manhattan’s Astor Place. Performances are Saturday and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. — after which you can segue into dinner or drinks.

  What do you want to hear from us this summer? Are there events or venues we should know about? Send us a note at [email protected], or let us know in the comments.