About
Morningside Park's community festival fills the West 113th Street lawn with music and neighborhood spirit where Harlem meets Morningside Heights.
Morningside Park is one of Manhattan's most underrated green spaces — a dramatic cliffside park with a waterfall pond — and Common Ground is its signature community afternoon, drawing Harlem and Morningside Heights together on the 113th Street lawn. Expect a homegrown festival feel: local performers, family activities and blankets everywhere. It is the kind of neighborhood event that shows you a park at its best, and it costs nothing.
What to expect
Expect an easygoing afternoon of music and community programming on the lawn, with families picnicking around the action. The park's pond, waterfall and playgrounds are steps away, making it easy to turn the festival into a full park day.
Good to know
- Free and open to all
- Take the B/C to 110th or 116th St and enter the park from Manhattan Ave
- Bring a picnic blanket — lawn seating is the norm
- The park's waterfall and pond at 113th St are worth the short walk
- Playgrounds nearby make it easy with kids
- Columbia's campus and St. John the Divine are a staircase climb away
Common questions
Where in Morningside Park is the festival?
On the lawn near West 113th Street, close to the park's pond and waterfall, along the Manhattan Avenue side.
Is the festival free?
Yes — it's a free community festival; just bring a blanket and settle in.