Come Experience the Scene at Tavern on the Green!

For Immediate Release — New York, NY (June 7, 2011)  NYC Parks and the Central Park Conservancy recently launched “The Scene @ Tavern on the Green,” regular programming through September on the 7,000-square-foot outdoor terrace that is open to the public daily.  The terrace, which faces into the park and provides stunning views of the Sheep Meadow, is home to four specialty food vendors: Ladle of Love, Pera Turkish Tacos, Rickshaw Dumpling Truck and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.

“Tavern on the Green has long been one of the city’s most historic and bucolic settings and the launch of ‘The Scene @ Tavern on the Green’ marks a new chapter in its life,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe.  “Through film screenings, fitness activities, live acoustic music performances, food tastings, and other cultural offerings, Tavern’s outdoor terrace will brim with activity all summer long.”

“We are thrilled to partner with NYC Parks and IFP to present quintessentially New York films and television shows, showcasing the city’s great talent and diversity,” said Katherine Oliver, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.  “Tavern on the Green has been an iconic location for films, and commemorates that tradition in its exciting new role as an exhibition space.”

The consistent programming on Wednesday evenings, dubbed “Twilights @ Tavern,” will feature a regular film series in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) as well as lectures and live acoustic musical performances.  The film series will showcase independent “Made in NY” films such as Entre Nos, Between the Folds, Mad Hot Ballroom, and Carol Channing: Larger than Life, as well as New York-based foodie TV shows Appetite City and Food.Curated, which air on NYC life (channel 25), part of the official network of the City of New York.  Representatives from the films and shows will address the audience before each screening.

Throughout the summer, lectures will focus on topics related to the natural environment, urban issues, and parks history; the musical performances will highlight NYC-based musicians. Other ongoing Central Park Conservancy programs to be offered within “The Scene @ Tavern on the Green” include regular fitness activities and classes called “Fitness Fridays”, weekend children’s activities called “Kids on the Green”, and tours of Central Park that meet on the Tavern terrace.

“Twilights @ Tavern” begins on Wednesday, June 8 at 7:30 with a screening of Entre Nos and an introduction by the film’s director and star, Paola Mendoza, and co-writer and co-director Gloria La Morte. The film is distributed by IndiePix Films. The rest of the screenings will take place on the following dates: Between the Folds (Green Fuse Films) on Wednesday, June 29; Mad Hot Ballroom (Paramount Pictures) on Wednesday, July 13; Food.Curated on Wednesday July 27; Appetite City on Wednesday, August 10; and Carol Channing: Larger than Life (Dramatic Forces) on Wednesday, August 17.

“It is an exciting honor to present our IFP alumni films in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment at Tavern on the Green,” said Joana Vicente, executive director, IFP. “As IFP has proudly supported each of these films through our programs, we are thrilled to come full circle in sharing them with a New York audience. We cannot think of a better way to celebrate than to kick off this screening series in the heart of the City.”

Tavern on the Green, originally known as the Sheepfold in Central Park, was designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould and was constructed in the latter half of the 19th century.  It is one of the city’s finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture and one of the Parks’ most treasured landmarked buildings.

In 1931, Parks Commissioner Robert Moses converted the Sheepfold (which housed the 200 sheep that grazed across the street) into a restaurant named Tavern on the Green, which opened to the public in October 1934.

In the fall of 2010, NYC Parks and the Central Park Conservancy opened a new visitors center, public restrooms and welcomed new mobile food vendors. The Tavern on the Green outdoor terrace also opened, providing an area of tables and seating that features high-quality offerings from specialty food vendors.

For additional information on “The Scene @ Tavern on the Green,” and the events scheduled throughout the summer, please visit www.nyc.gov/parks.