Spring into Summer in Washington Square Park: A Season of Play and Performance
Spring into Summer in Washington Square Park: A Season of Play and Performance
Chess in the Park: Eight to Eighty, Everyone Plays
Lieutenant Darin Lazar, Grandmaster Joel Benjamin, and Hudson Lazar
The Washington Square Association’s annual Chess Exhibition returned to the park’s chess tables in May for our 5th year with kids, adults, and longtime regulars, all playing side by side.
Our Grandmaster this year was Joel Benjamin, a three-time U.S. Champion and former U.S. Grandmaster of the Year, who broke Bobby Fischer’s “youngest master” record at just 13. A U.S. Chess Hall of Fame inductee and six-time Olympian, he also served as a key advisor to IBM’s Deep Blue project in its historic matches against Garry Kasparov.
New this year, we added a spot for someone from the NYPD 6th Precinct and welcomed Lieutenant Darin Lazar, who was instrumental in the October 2025 effort in the northwest corner of the park that has significantly reduced crime there and in the park generally. His son Hudson filled the Precinct’s spot in the exhibition and joined the lineup of players at the tables.
Abigail Zhou and mom Chunhua Weng
As in past years, we reserved five spots for kids 12 and under, and as always it was great to see young players hold their own against seasoned adults. A standout this year was Abigail Zhou: when she first played in 2022, she had the lowest USCF rating in the field; this time she came back with the third‑highest rating and the same cool, steady style at the board.
Our roster of players was again stellar including Bryon Miller, who won, and rock star father-son duo, Weiji Ma and Yitian Zhou-Ma, who won and drew, respectively. Salah Bouillon was walking by that morning, signing up at the last minute, and thank goodness he did; Salah was the simul’s last person standing, earning a draw after a rousing game.
With a diverse group of kids, adults, and Chess Plaza regulars testing themselves over the board a Hall of Fame grandmaster anchoring the event, this year’s exhibition felt like Washington Square Park chess, and our community, at its best.
Grandmaster Joel Benjamin and rock star, father-son duo Weiji Ma with Yitian Zhou-Ma.
Brendan T. Seto and parents Tony Seto and Grace Chen-Seto
People on the waitlist really do get to play! Bianca Vargas was a last-minute entry and played as dad Jorge Vargas and uncle Adolfo Vargas cheered her on
Diana Sun and family
Salah Bouillon and mom Asima Bouillon with Grandmaster Benjamin just moments after Salah achieved a well-earned a draw
The Washington Square Music Festival Presents Another Moving Season
The 68th season of the Washington Square Music Festival (WSMF) brought four Tuesday evenings of free live music to Garibaldi Plaza this June, each one a distinct trip through a different musical world under the direction of WSMF Music Director, conductor, and pianist, Ahmed Alom.
The season opened on June 9 saluting the Washington Square Association and welcoming Council Member Harvey Epstein. The Festival Chamber Ensemble delighted, performing a Baroque and Renaissance repertoire and featuring longtime WSMF soloist Eriko Sato on violin. Sato once again brought decades of chamber-music pedigree, as Ahmed Alom conducted with exuberance.
The Washington Square Festival Chamber Ensemble performs on the Garibaldi Plaza stage as Festival Music Director, Ahmed Alom, conducts. Photo by Sally Blair.
On June 16, the mood shifted south with Cuban jazz from Latin Grammy–nominated trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Kali Rodriguez Peña, performing with his ensemble The New Cuban Masters. Just months earlier, Rodriguez Peña had been named one of only ten jazz ensembles nationwide to receive Chamber Music America's prestigious Empowerment for Impact and Growth Grant, a $200,000 award (funded by the Doris Duke Foundation) that supports new recordings and professional development for recipients. After that concert and truly spirited performance, everyone in the audience understood why.
Bandleader, Kali Rodriguez Peña, performing with his ensemble, The New Cuban Masters. Photo by Sally Blair.
Kali Rodriguez Peña performing on the trumpet. Photo by Sally Blair.
The following week, on June 23, the festival traveled even further afield with Itai Kriss and the Telavana Ensemble, blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms with Middle Eastern melodic traditions. Flutist Itai Kriss, also known for his work with the Latin dance band Los Hacheros, which opened the WSMF's 2024 season, co-curated the evening's program alongside music director Ahmed Alom.
Itai Kriss and the Telavana Ensemble play as a vibrant dancer moves freestyle to the music. Photo by Erika Sumner.
Manhattan Borough President, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, gives a jovial shout-out to CB2 Chair Valerie De La Rosa (off-camera) as Washington Square Association President, Erika Sumner, peeks around speakers to applaud. Photo by Ken Howard.
The Festival's final summer concert, on June 30, opened with remarks from Manhattan Borough President, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, followed by an enchanting performance by the Festival Chamber Orchestra. The program spanned Kinan Azmeh's "Run," Hector Berlioz's "The Death of Cleopatra," and works by Robert Schumann, with mezzo-soprano Rosario Armas taking the spotlight for the Berlioz. Fittingly, Armas performed under the baton of her husband, conductor and pianist Ahmed Alom, making the finale as much a celebration of artistic partnership as of the festival's four-week run.
Festival Chamber Orchestra accompanies mezzo‑soprano Rosario Armas as she sings of tragic longing. Photo by Ken Howard.
Still to Come in 2026!
The Washington Square Music Festival Winter Concert
The date (usually in early December) will be announced soon. Please check the Festival website or the Washington Square Association’s Festival page for updates.
Washington Square Association Annual Tree & Caroling - Now In Our 103rd year!
The tree and carolers in Washington Square Park on Christmas Eve
For over a century, the Washington Square Association has provided the annual 45-foot Christmas tree under the Arch that is lit for the season between the hours of 4 pm and 1 am. We celebrate the winter holiday at the Washington Square Arch on two evenings in December when attendees sing yuletide carols with neighbors and global visitors, all accompanied by a lively brass band and professional singer.
Tree Lighting: Typically the first or second week of December, check out our event page or home page for the upcoming date.
Christmas Eve Caroling: December 24th at 5pm.