Free festival brings entertainment all summer long

The celebrated sounds of two world-famous musicians will fill Lower Manhattan on June 3, as classical violinist Joshua Bell and jazz superstar Branford Marsalis kick off the third annual Downtown NYC River to River Festival.

The largest free arts festival in NYC history, the River to River festival presents 500 cultural events to the public and produces dozens of top talent music and dance performances in Lower Manhattan, from Battery Park to City Hall. Created to help revitalize Lower Manhattan after September 11, 2001, River to River has attracted more than one million people each of the last two years. The festival, which is presented by American Express, runs from May to September.

This year, Grammy Award winning artists Joshua Bell and Branford Marsalis will jumpstart the festival with a free 'classical meets jazz' concert at Battery Park. Marsalis -- who has played with some of the world's most acclaimed artists, everyone from Art Blakey to Sting -- will begin the show at 7 p.m. (Gates open at 5 p.m.)

Throughout the summer, the festival will welcome a host of musicians and performers including Lyle Lovett,  the Neville Brothers, American Ballet Theatre, the Stills, Cecil Taylor, and Ted Leo/Pharmacists.

Among the festival's new initiatives this year is the uptown/downtown collaboration between the the Joyce Theatre and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, teaming up to present River to River's "Evening Stars" dance component featuring performances by Savion Glover and the Joffrey Ballet, among others.

For more information about the 500 River to River events and directions to the venues, go to www.RivertoRiverNYC.com.