Central Park Walking Plans: Jul 20–26 — the heat broke, and the Bandshell has a good week

Hi walkers — after a week where going outside felt like a bad idea, the park is pleasant again. Highs in the low 80s, two free evening concerts worth building a walk around, and a Saturday that’s as full of small, good things as any Saturday this summer.

Weather this week

The heat wave is over: highs run 79–85°F all week with comfortable mid-60s evenings, though Tuesday and Wednesday bring showers and thunderstorms before Thursday clears into a sunny weekend. Monday and Thursday mornings are the pick of the week for a long, unhurried walk — and the two wet days are exactly when the Ramble and the North Woods are at their best, if you don’t mind damp shoes.

One standing note: Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is listed closed all week. If the Terrace is your usual turnaround, route by way of Cherry Hill and Bow Bridge instead — it’s the prettier approach anyway, and you’ll want the alternative for the whole week rather than discovering it at the arcade steps.

Mon Jul 20 — the week’s best walking day, and dancing at the Bandshell

Sunny and 80°F with no wind at all. The Great Lawn is fenced for the last day of the World Cup viewing setup, so the mid-park is busier than usual and the lawn itself isn’t walkable — swing west through the Ramble instead. In the late afternoon, Dance Is Life takes Bandshell Plaza at 5 PM, which makes the Mall a lovely place to end up rather than pass through.

Tue Jul 21 — Naumburg’s 121st season at the Bandshell, 7:30 PM

The evening to plan around. Orchestra of St. Luke’s plays the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts — free, at the Bandshell, in the 121st season of the oldest free outdoor classical series in the country. Storms are forecast through the day and Naumburg’s convention is to play unless it’s actively pouring, so bring something to sit on that doesn’t mind being wet. Arrive by 7 and walk the Mall on approach; the light under the elms before a summer storm is worth the trip on its own.

Wed Jul 22 — a wet day for the quiet north end

More thunderstorms. This is the day to give up on the formal walk and take the Ravine and the Loch instead — after rain the waterfalls actually run, and the North Woods empties of everyone but you. If you’d rather stay dry, the SummerStage dance program at Rumsey at 8 PM is free and covered ground is close by.

Thu Jul 23 — clearing, with a free concert on the Great Lawn at 7 PM

The second-best day. Morning is clean and cool for a Reservoir loop or the Conservatory Garden, which is at its high-summer peak right now and nearly empty before 9. In the evening the Great Lawn hosts a free concert — the crowd builds from late afternoon and it’s a genuinely nice thing to walk past even if you don’t stay.

Fri Jul 24 — the quietest day of the week

Clearing to sunny, and almost nothing on the calendar. Peace in the Park, a midday meditation gathering, takes Bandshell Plaza at noon — quiet, easy to sit down at the edge of. The Columbus Circle Food Market runs at Merchants’ Gate from 9:30 AM if you want to build a walk around lunch. Otherwise this is the day for the long aimless one.

Sat Jul 25 — a full menu of small pleasures

85°F and sunny, and the park will be busy, so aim early or aim for the edges. In rough order around the park:

• Model yacht racing on Conservatory Water at Kerbs Boathouse, 9 AM — reliably charming
• Storytelling at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue, 10 AM, right alongside it
• Unity Markets at Farmers’ Gate and the Columbus Circle Food Market at Merchants’ Gate, both from 9:30
• That Guitar Man From Central Park at Hernshead, 12 PM — the Lake side, one of the quieter corners
• Bandshell concert at 2 PM, and tango at the Shakespeare Statue at 6 PM to close the day

The East Meadow is closed all weekend. Expect the usual Saturday crowding at Cherry Hill and Cedar Hill for picnics — nothing to avoid, just don’t count on finding an empty patch after noon.

Sun Jul 26 — a race in the morning, folk dancing at 11

The NYRR Team Championships runs the drives from 7:30 to about 10 AM with roughly 5,000 runners, staging on the north end from 6. It won’t stop you walking, but the loop path and the 102nd Street Cross Drive are no fun during it — start on the west side, or wait until 10:30 and have the park back. After that: the International Folkdancers at King Jagiello Plaza from 11 AM, a Steppers dance demo at Summit Rock at 1:30, and Summer on the Harlem Meer at the Dana Discovery Center from 9 if you want to make the north end the whole day.

Quick recap

• Tue 7:30 PM — Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Naumburg, free. The week’s best evening.
• Bethesda Terrace and Fountain closed all week — route via Cherry Hill and Bow Bridge.
• Monday and Thursday mornings are the best walking of the week.
• Wednesday’s rain is a gift to the Ravine and the Loch.
• Saturday is stacked — model yachts, storytelling, markets, guitar at Hernshead, tango at 6.
• Sunday before 10:30 the drives carry a large race; the west side and the north end are unaffected.

Enjoy the break in the heat, The Central Park Guide