Brian Laird on WNYC.

So if you were wearing a winter coat earlier this week, like I was, you might not believe me, but summer is right around the corner.

And that means it's time to look ahead to all

the fun, often free stuff to do and see around town and beyond. So we're going to end the show

each day during the membership drive with guests who can clue us in on some of the don't miss

cultural offerings of this warming season. And we will start today with another

of our team members, WNYC and Gothamist Arts and Culture reporter, Ryan Kailoff, who is going to kick

this off with some highlights from the big festivals happening in parks around town, summer

stage, celebrate Brooklyn. Yes, we're almost at that season again. And

the new kid on the block, Little Island, I've been there. It's really cool. Great setting.

We'll see what they actually have up. Hey, Ryan. Hey, Brian. So set the stage for summer stage.

It builds itself as our city's largest free outdoor performing arts festival.

In case someone's new to town, how would you describe it?

Yeah, New Yorkers who've been here for a while know this one very well.

It's probably the most famous.

And we heard Liz Kim a little while ago talking about budget cuts.

We do still have a little money in the budget for free shows all summer. Summer stage is maybe the most famous. It's at the Rumsey Playfield, which is in Central Park on the east side, you know, around 71st Street or so. And this one kicks off June 1st is the first real show with the jazz singer Andra Day, who is amazing.

People might know her from that Billy Holiday movie that came out a few years ago.

She played Billy Holiday.

She did.

Won a Grammy for that.

And fun fact about her, she grew up as a church singer, you know, like so many of the great soul divas did.

...