Each August, Harlem doesn’t just host a festival—it becomes a frequency. The rhythm of soul, the beat of resilience, the melody of legacy—it all returns for Harlem Week 2025 under this year’s spellbinding theme: “Celebrate Our Magic.”
From August 1st through the 17th, the neighborhood turns into a living, breathing mixtape of culture, history, and future-forward fire. This isn’t a moment—it’s a movement. And whether you’re uptown born and raised or just discovering Harlem’s heartbeat, this celebration says one thing loud and clear:
You belong here.
From One Day to a Global Vibe
Back in 1974, Harlem Day was born—not just out of ambition, but necessity. The late, great Hon. Percy Sutton envisioned more than just an event—he sparked a cultural revolution in the middle of struggle. That one-day celebration evolved into Harlem Week, a 17-day, worldwide love letter to Black excellence, rooted in Harlem but resonating everywhere from Watts to Toxteth.
Today, powered by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, Harlem Week is a magnet for change-makers, dreamers, and storytellers. Icons like Maya Angelou, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, and James Baldwin have in the past stood on this stage. Their words, wisdom, and works still echo through every drumbeat, dance step, and microphone drop.
Behind the Magic: Sponsors Who Get It
It takes a village—and Harlem Week’s tribe includes partners who don’t just sponsor—they show up with soul.
- The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce: Still holding it down, year after year.
- Amazon Access: Fighting food insecurity with access to nutritious meals.
- City College of New York: Cultivating tomorrow’s changemakers, today.
- Chase Bank: Dropping gems on financial freedom and entrepreneurship.
- The Apollo x Sprite “Art of the Mix”: Remixing culture with flavor, fashion, and fire on the block.
- HarlemAmerica is an OFFICIAL Media Partner of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce
Plus, Harlem Week champions local heroes—small businesses, vendors, artists, and everyday innovators. If you’re about the community, Harlem Week is about you.
Your All-Access Pass: Harlem Week 2025
Over 100+ events across 17 days. If you blink, you might miss something magical. Here’s a sneak peek:
WEEK ONE: August 1st–9th
Honoring Our Roots
Friday, August 1 – Senior Citizens Day
Give it up for the OGs. Health checks, tech tips, and toe-tapping performances honor Harlem’s elders at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building.
Saturdays, August 2 & 9 – Summer Streets Block Party
From W 110th to Dyckman, the streets are yours—bike, skate, dance, meditate, and turn up (safely, of course).
Monday, August 4 – Men in the Arts & Mental Health Summit
Centering the mental health of Black men in the arts? Yes, please.
Tuesday, August 5 – National Night Out + Harlem on My Mind
Community, conversation, and connection—whether you’re jamming with NYPD or diving into intergenerational dialogue.
Wednesday, August 6 – Climate Change Conference
Real talk on environmental justice, hosted in collaboration with Columbia Climate School.
Thursday, August 7 – Uptown Night Market
Jollof. Jazz. Jambalaya. Just come hungry.
Saturday, August 9 – 5K Run, Health Walk & Great Jazz on the Great Hill
Lace up your sneakers, then kick back with the smooth sounds of Wallace Roney Jr. and George Gee’s Swing Orchestra in Central Park.
Live From Harlem: The Soundtrack of the Culture
The music lineup is still growing, but the vibes are guaranteed:
🎷 Great Jazz on the Great Hill – Swing, soul, and sunshine
🎤 The Apollo Hour – The next wave of Black excellence
🌍 Artz, Rootz, & Rhythm, AFRIBEMBE, Gospel Caravan – A full-on diasporic soundscape
🎖️ Tributes to legends keep Harlem’s ancestral energy alive
From throwback icons to future stars, Harlem Week always brings the heat.
WEEK TWO: August 10th–17th
Empowering Our Future
Sunday, August 10 – A Great Day In Harlem
Our first major public outdoor event. The day will begin at 12 Noon with the opening of the International Village featuring vendors and exhibitors.
Monday, August 11 – Youth Conference
Tomorrow’s leaders get the mic—and the blueprint.
Tuesday, August 12 – Economic Development Day
Workshops and panels packed with Black brilliance in business and beyond.
Wednesday, August 13 – NYC Jobs & Career Fair
Over 40 employers. Real opportunities. No fluff.
Thursday, August 14 – Black Health Matters & Harlem SummerStage
Wellness by day, groove by night. Balance, Harlem style.
Saturday, August 16 – Summer in the City
Harlem’s second-biggest day is stacked:
- Urban fashion shows
- Harlem Broadway Row
- Art of the Mix takeover
- Spelling Bees and outdoor movie nights
- Food vendors, artisans, and culture on every corner
August 16–17 – Harlem Children’s Festival
Howard Bennett Playground becomes a kingdom of double dutch, storytelling, art, and childhood joy.
Sunday, August 17 – HARLEM DAY (The Grand Finale)
Where it all began, and where it comes to a glorious crescendo.
135th Street. Three stages. Gospel. Hip-Hop. Soca. Jazz. Reggae. Broadway. R&B.
Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell hosts The Apollo Hour, featuring breakout talent like Greginald Spencer. You won’t want to miss it.
Click Here To Download
More Than A Festival: A Cultural Reawakening
Yes, there’s music. Yes, there’s food. But Harlem Week is more than entertainment—it’s empowerment.
It boldly addresses:
- Mental health in Black men
- Climate justice in our neighborhoods
- Access to healthy food in underserved areas
- Financial literacy
- Youth empowerment
- Legacy and cultural preservation
Every panel, every performance, every conversation is a step forward for the community.
HarlemAmerica’s Insider Tips for a Legendary Time
✔️ Take the train – Streets will be alive and walkable.
✔️ Bring a fold-up chair & water bottle – Trust me, you’ll thank yourself at Great Hill.
✔️ Check the Harlem Week website – Real-time schedules, updates, and interactive maps.
✔️ Dress to express – This is Harlem. Your style is your ticket.
✔️ Move with love – Hug your people. Dance with strangers. Celebrate like it’s 1999.
Harlem Is the Magic—and So Are You
Harlem Week isn’t just a party—it’s a prayer. It’s a celebration of survival, of style, of spirit. A neighborhood that birthed revolutions in rhythm, resistance, and radiance is inviting you home.
So show up. Show out. Come walk the same streets Baldwin once strolled. Eat the food that tells a thousand stories. Catch the song that sounds like your childhood. Laugh. Reflect. Dream.
Because Harlem is more than a place—it’s a pulse. And during these 17 days, it beats a little louder.
Celebrate Our Magic. Because the magic… is YOU.
For More About Harlem Week, Please Visit The Harlem Week 2025 Website
This Month’s Featured Articles
The Studio Museum in Harlem, long a global epicenter for artists of African descent—reopens in 2025 with a groundbreaking new home that redefines what a cultural institution can be. From its radical 1968 loft origins to Sir David Adjaye’s “inverted stoop,” the museum remains Harlem’s beacon of Black creativity, community, and future-making.
Kelly Rowland’s relationship with Harlem runs deeper than red carpets and photo ops. From the Apollo Theater to Harlem Hospital, Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), and local Black-owned restaurants, she blends star power with street-level service. In Harlem, Rowland isn’t visiting—she’s investing, uplifting, and rewriting what celebrity commitment looks like.
The National Urban League’s return to Harlem with its $242 million Empowerment Center marks a bold new era of Black economic sovereignty. Combining affordable housing, a civil rights museum, workforce development, and a self-sustaining headquarters, the center reclaims Harlem’s legacy while shaping the future of social and economic justice.
Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson’s story isn’t just about Hollywood greatness, it’s about a lifelong commitment to building, protecting, and funding Black institutions. From Harlem’s stages to Spelman’s arts center and the new Urban Civil Rights Museum, the Jacksons have spent decades transforming activism into infrastructure and legacy into community power.
FeaturedHarlem - The Most Soulful Place On Earth™
Walking Into the Heart of Harlem’s Holiday Spirit. On the evening of November 18th, Harlem did what Harlem does best — it shined.
FeaturedHarlemBusinessHarlemEmpowerment
Your dollar has power. Make it work for the culture. Read our guide to global Black-owned businesses you can support today.
Each August, Harlem doesn’t just host a festival—it becomes a frequency. The rhythm of soul, the beat of resilience, the melody of legacy—it all returns for Harlem Week 2025 under this year’s spellbinding theme: “Celebrate Our Magic.”
From August 1st through the 17th, the neighborhood turns into a living, breathing mixtape of culture, history, and future-forward fire. This isn’t a moment—it’s a movement. And whether you’re uptown born and raised or just discovering Harlem’s heartbeat, this celebration says one thing loud and clear:
You belong here.
From One Day to a Global Vibe
Back in 1974, Harlem Day was born—not just out of ambition, but necessity. The late, great Hon. Percy Sutton envisioned more than just an event—he sparked a cultural revolution in the middle of struggle. That one-day celebration evolved into Harlem Week, a 17-day, worldwide love letter to Black excellence, rooted in Harlem but resonating everywhere from Watts to Toxteth.
Today, powered by the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, Harlem Week is a magnet for change-makers, dreamers, and storytellers. Icons like Maya Angelou, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, and James Baldwin have in the past stood on this stage. Their words, wisdom, and works still echo through every drumbeat, dance step, and microphone drop.
Behind the Magic: Sponsors Who Get It
It takes a village—and Harlem Week’s tribe includes partners who don’t just sponsor—they show up with soul.
- The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce: Still holding it down, year after year.
- Amazon Access: Fighting food insecurity with access to nutritious meals.
- City College of New York: Cultivating tomorrow’s changemakers, today.
- Chase Bank: Dropping gems on financial freedom and entrepreneurship.
- The Apollo x Sprite “Art of the Mix”: Remixing culture with flavor, fashion, and fire on the block.
Plus, Harlem Week champions local heroes—small businesses, vendors, artists, and everyday innovators. If you’re about the community, Harlem Week is about you.
Your All-Access Pass: Harlem Week 2025
Over 100+ events across 17 days. If you blink, you might miss something magical. Here’s a sneak peek:
WEEK ONE: August 1st–9th
Honoring Our Roots
Friday, August 1 – Senior Citizens Day
Give it up for the OGs. Health checks, tech tips, and toe-tapping performances honor Harlem’s elders at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building.
Saturdays, August 2 & 9 – Summer Streets Block Party
From W 110th to Dyckman, the streets are yours—bike, skate, dance, meditate, and turn up (safely, of course).
Monday, August 4 – Men in the Arts & Mental Health Summit
Centering the mental health of Black men in the arts? Yes, please.
Tuesday, August 5 – National Night Out + Harlem on My Mind
Community, conversation, and connection—whether you’re jamming with NYPD or diving into intergenerational dialogue.
Wednesday, August 6 – Climate Change Conference
Real talk on environmental justice, hosted in collaboration with Columbia Climate School.
Thursday, August 7 – Uptown Night Market
Jollof. Jazz. Jambalaya. Just come hungry.
Saturday, August 9 – 5K Run, Health Walk & Great Jazz on the Great Hill
Lace up your sneakers, then kick back with the smooth sounds of Wallace Roney Jr. and George Gee’s Swing Orchestra in Central Park.
WEEK TWO: August 10th–17th
Empowering Our Future
Sunday, August 10 – A Great Day In Harlem
Our first major public outdoor event. The day will begin at 12 Noon with the opening of the International Village featuring vendors and exhibitors.
Monday, August 11 – Youth Conference
Tomorrow’s leaders get the mic—and the blueprint.
Tuesday, August 12 – Economic Development Day
Workshops and panels packed with Black brilliance in business and beyond.
Wednesday, August 13 – NYC Jobs & Career Fair
Over 40 employers. Real opportunities. No fluff.
Thursday, August 14 – Black Health Matters & Harlem SummerStage
Wellness by day, groove by night. Balance, Harlem style.
Saturday, August 16 – Summer in the City
Harlem’s second-biggest day is stacked:
- Urban fashion shows
- Harlem Broadway Row
- Art of the Mix takeover
- Spelling Bees and outdoor movie nights
- Food vendors, artisans, and culture on every corner
August 16–17 – Harlem Children’s Festival
Howard Bennett Playground becomes a kingdom of double dutch, storytelling, art, and childhood joy.
Sunday, August 17 – HARLEM DAY (The Grand Finale)
Where it all began, and where it comes to a glorious crescendo.
135th Street. Three stages. Gospel. Hip-Hop. Soca. Jazz. Reggae. Broadway. R&B.
Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell hosts The Apollo Hour, featuring breakout talent like Greginald Spencer. You won’t want to miss it.
Live From Harlem: The Soundtrack of the Culture
The music lineup is still growing, but the vibes are guaranteed:
🎷 Great Jazz on the Great Hill – Swing, soul, and sunshine
🎤 The Apollo Hour – The next wave of Black excellence
🌍 Artz, Rootz, & Rhythm, AFRIBEMBE, Gospel Caravan – A full-on diasporic soundscape
🎖️ Tributes to legends keep Harlem’s ancestral energy alive
From throwback icons to future stars, Harlem Week always brings the heat.
Click Here To Download
More Than A Festival: A Cultural Reawakening
Yes, there’s music. Yes, there’s food. But Harlem Week is more than entertainment—it’s empowerment.
It boldly addresses:
- Mental health in Black men
- Climate justice in our neighborhoods
- Access to healthy food in underserved areas
- Financial literacy
- Youth empowerment
- Legacy and cultural preservation
Every panel, every performance, every conversation is a step forward for the community.
HarlemAmerica’s Insider Tips for a Legendary Time
✔️ Take the train – Streets will be alive and walkable.
✔️ Bring a fold-up chair & water bottle – Trust me, you’ll thank yourself at Great Hill.
✔️ Check the Harlem Week website – Real-time schedules, updates, and interactive maps.
✔️ Dress to express – This is Harlem. Your style is your ticket.
✔️ Move with love – Hug your people. Dance with strangers. Celebrate like it’s 1999.
Harlem Is the Magic—and So Are You
Harlem Week isn’t just a party—it’s a prayer. It’s a celebration of survival, of style, of spirit. A neighborhood that birthed revolutions in rhythm, resistance, and radiance is inviting you home.
So show up. Show out. Come walk the same streets Baldwin once strolled. Eat the food that tells a thousand stories. Catch the song that sounds like your childhood. Laugh. Reflect. Dream.
Because Harlem is more than a place—it’s a pulse. And during these 17 days, it beats a little louder.
Celebrate Our Magic. Because the magic… is YOU.
For More About Harlem Week, Please Visit The Harlem Week 2025 Website
This Month’s Featured Articles
The Studio Museum in Harlem, long a global epicenter for artists of African descent—reopens in 2025 with a groundbreaking new home that redefines what a cultural institution can be. From its radical 1968 loft origins to Sir David Adjaye’s “inverted stoop,” the museum remains Harlem’s beacon of Black creativity, community, and future-making.
Kelly Rowland’s relationship with Harlem runs deeper than red carpets and photo ops. From the Apollo Theater to Harlem Hospital, Getting Out and Staying Out (GOSO), and local Black-owned restaurants, she blends star power with street-level service. In Harlem, Rowland isn’t visiting—she’s investing, uplifting, and rewriting what celebrity commitment looks like.
The National Urban League’s return to Harlem with its $242 million Empowerment Center marks a bold new era of Black economic sovereignty. Combining affordable housing, a civil rights museum, workforce development, and a self-sustaining headquarters, the center reclaims Harlem’s legacy while shaping the future of social and economic justice.
Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson’s story isn’t just about Hollywood greatness, it’s about a lifelong commitment to building, protecting, and funding Black institutions. From Harlem’s stages to Spelman’s arts center and the new Urban Civil Rights Museum, the Jacksons have spent decades transforming activism into infrastructure and legacy into community power.
FeaturedHarlem - The Most Soulful Place On Earth™
Walking Into the Heart of Harlem’s Holiday Spirit. On the evening of November 18th, Harlem did what Harlem does best — it shined.
FeaturedHarlemBusinessHarlemEmpowerment
Your dollar has power. Make it work for the culture. Read our guide to global Black-owned businesses you can support today.
