Concerts & Events in Palisades Park

Under the bright lights of the world-famous Madison Square Garden arena, four of the best women’s college basketball teams in the country will tip off in the Maggie Dixon Classic. The first game pits Baylor against St. John’s before DePaul takes on Tennessee to guess the number of jellybeans hidden inside the basketball. The undefeated Baylor Bears, ranked No. 1 in the nation nine games into the season, follow the lead of junior slam-dunk machine Brittney Griner. Pumped up from her placement on the Naismith Trophy early-season watch list, St. John’s senior forward Da’Shena Stevens will induce frustrated growls from Baylor as she makes them work for their points. With 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 23 years, DePaul’s squad enters the high-pressure match gracefully, and Tennessee confidently follows the lead of its celebrated coach, Pat Summitt, named Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year for her more than 1,000 wins and ability to slam dunk while riding a unicycle.

Thousands of fashionistas flock to StyleFixx Premier Shopping Events to meet up-and-coming independent fashion designers and browse the latest styles. This year’s displays include the 2012 lines of Hivernage NYC, Bling Boutique, and Cimber Designs. In between shopping sprees, attendees may relax with complimentary beauty treatments such as hair services by Dellaria Salons, makeovers by Virginn Pure Mineral Makeup, and body wraps by good-natured mummies. Once pampered, refreshed guests mingle while sipping free cocktails and munching on samples from Finale Desserts and Haru Sushi, and each partygoer receives a StyleFixx Swag Bag loaded with product samples.

Besides having the chance to sample the finest specialty coffees and teas from all over the world, you'll also get to partake in seminars that are just as eye-opening as anything you happen to imbibe. Tea specialist Yoon Hee Kim will take you on a world tour of teas in "From Garden to Cup: Tea 101". Marcela Zuchovicki, owner of Jalima Coffee, will lead an interactive discussion of the art of cupping and tasting coffee, while Chef Melody McGinley Whitelaw teaches you how to use both breeds of brew to prepare the decadent desserts in "Think Outside the Cup: Creating Coffee- and Tea-Infused Desserts". During the festival, you can also engage in chocolate tastings and Korean tea ceremonies, and learn how to both brew and find the best coffee in New York.

One of SoHo’s premier venues for world music, R & B, and hip-hop, Sounds of Brazil’s storied stage has seen all kinds of acts from Tito Puente to Kanye West since opening three decades ago. Owner and founder Larry Gold prides his combination restaurant-nightclub as being instrumental in bringing some now-renowned performers to a broader audience, hosting musicians such as Common, Drake, and John Legend early in their careers. While big names and rising stars attract music lovers, the flavor-heavy dinner menu excites all tongues more effectively than a bite of Pop Rocks mixed with dynamite.

Since 1981, Blue Note has tangled trumpets and tickled ivories with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and Chick Corea. In honor of its 30th year of making audience members' ears smile, Blue Note will be hosting a citywide jazz festival. Throughout the month of June, patrons can catch acts including Jon Hendricks and Jimmy Scott at the legendary Blue Note, or Bootsy Collins, Al Kooper & Organ-asm, or Roberta Flack as they take the main stage at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. Highline Ballroom will also open its doors to musicians such as Ron Carter and Roy Ayers as they wring sixteenth notes from their guitars, pianos, and electric kazoos. Attend the Sunday Jazz brunch at Blue Note, which includes a meal and drink, on Sundays between June 26 and August 28 at 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. and eat in 5/4 time signature to intricate arrangements by artists such as the Frank Kimbrough Trio and Paul Bollenback. Seating is first-come, first-serve.

S3 Leagues scoops up locals and arranges them into kickball, softball, and bowling teams according to their age and neighborhood, giving them the opportunity to enjoy team sports while meeting new people. In the summer 2010 season alone, more than 4,000 players took to the fields at McCarren Park for competitive kickball and softball competition followed by friendly postgame carousing at a nearby bar. After each game, teams receive two complimentary pitchers of beer to facilitate boisterous discussions about how many ounces are in a liter. This postgame partying perpetuates team solidarity, as does wearing matching team shirts, cashing in on food and drink specials together, and mingling at the end-of-season party.