For immediate release:
September 8, 2009

Contact:
Elizabeth Rapuano, (212) 440-2205


Governors Island Welcomes Record 25,000 Visitors Over Labor Day Weekend Bringing Season Total to More than 180,000 Visitors
Governors Island will open to visitors at night for the first time with extended hours from September 10 – 13 and September 17 - 20

New Island Festival offers unique mix of performance, theatre and fun

Governors Island is continuing to welcome record-breaking crowds this summer, the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) today announced. Over Labor Day weekend, more than 25,000 visitors came to Governors Island over three days, proving it is quickly becoming a destination for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. Since May 30, more than 180,000 visitors have come to Governors Island this public access season.

GIPEC also announced today that for the first time ever, Governors Island will be open to the public at night. Governors Island will be open for extended hours to host the New Island Festival, where the public will be able to experience a wide range of performances, exhibitions and events. The New Island Festival begins on the evening of September 10 and will run Thursday – Sunday, September 10 – 13 and then again from September 17-20. Ferries to the festival are free, and visitors can access the center of the festival for no charge. The Island will be open until midnight on each of these days.

New Island is a unique festival, unlike any other in New York City. It will kick off the fall on Governors Island with provocative theatre, stunning site-specific performance, dazzling visual arts and exhilarating DJ sets, performed by world class Dutch performers. More than 150 artists will perform during the festival. The festival is headquartered in Colonels Row, which is transformed into the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Visitors can enter the Boulevard for free, and are invited to eat, drink and see various performances. The festival will also take place in other island locations, such as Picnic Point and the Parade Ground.

“We are thrilled that more visitors are experiencing Governors Island than ever, and for the first time, Governors Island will be open at night,” said Leslie Koch, GIPEC President. “Governors Island visitors will now be able to experience theatre, performances, installations and exhibitions during evening hours throughout the Island.”

In addition to the free exhibitions and installations on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, various performances do require tickets. Visitors can purchase a one day, all access $35 passport, or they can purchase individual tickets to specific performances. Tickets and the one-day passport can be purchased in advance at www.newislandfestival.com, or at the New Island Festival ticket booth on Governors Island.

The Festival is part of NY400, a celebration to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage from Amsterdam to New York Harbor. The Festival runs from September 10 – 13 and again from September 17 – 20. During regular public access hours to the Island (Friday 10 AM to 5 PM; Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 7 PM), there are a wide range of activities and programs happening on Governors Island. For more information on these programs, visit www.govisland.com. During evening hours, only festival areas and reserve performance areas are open to the public.

Some highlights of the New Island Festival include:

Wind Nomads (FREE)

The WIND NOMADS is an expansive and magnificently colorful gathering of 400 large paintings. Flapping in the breeze like an endless flock of gargantuan butterflies, this remarkably beautiful mixture of art and landscape is an arresting spectacle to behold.

Waterwalk on the Hudson (FREE)

This will be the first Waterwalk in the United States, and it seems especially well timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s expedition. Spectators can watch a show featuring inflatable structures that link art, entertainment and design.

Braakland (Wastlenad) (Ticketed Event)

Braakland tells the story of 9 people wandering through a forgotten place. Inspired by the novels of John Coetzee, this production uses penetrating imagery to bring the violence and desolation of his books to life.

Director Lotte van den Berg stages the action hundreds of feet from the audience, creating an expansive physical distance, and delivering a surprisingly deep and personal impact.
For more information about each of these performances, please visit www.newislandfestival.com.

New Island Festival Hours

Governors Island will be open for special extended hours for the New Island Festival from Thursday, September 10 – Sunday, September 13 and again from Thursday, September 17 – Sunday, September 20.

Governors Island will be open at the following times on these days:

How to Get Tickets to the Festival

The headquarters of the New Island Festival is the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, which will feature site-specific performances, as well as places visitors can eat and drink. Admission to the Boulevard is FREE and does not require tickets.

Many performances do require tickets. To purchase tickets to performances, www.newislandfestival.com.

Biking on Governors Island during the Festival

Bikes are not permitted on Governors Island during the New Island Festival’s evening hours.

Visitors will be asked to leave bicycles in bike racks at the Battery Maritime Building.

If visitors already have bicycles on Governors Island, they will be asked to leave bicycles in bike racks that are located around the festival grounds.

Ferry Schedules for the New Island Festival

Thursday, September 10 and Thursday September 17

On Thursdays, ferries leave from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan (10 South Street, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal).

Ferries leave every 20 minutes, beginning at 4 PM. Ferries return from Governors Island every 20 minutes until midnight.

There is no Brooklyn ferry service on Thursdays.

Friday, September 11 and Friday, September 18

On Fridays, ferries leave from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan (10 South Street, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal). Ferries leave every hour until 4 PM, and then run every 20 minutes. Ferries return from Governors Island every hour until 4 PM, and then every 20 minutes until midnight.

Saturday and Sunday, September 12-13 and 19-20

On Saturdays and Sundays, ferries depart from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan. Ferries depart at 10 AM, 11 AM and then every half hour until 7 PM. At 7 PM, ferries will run every 20 minutes.

In addition to ferries departing from Manhattan on Saturdays and Sundays, there will also be ferry service from Brooklyn. Please note ferry service from Brooklyn is offered from 11 AM to 7 PM ONLY.

There is no ferry service to Brooklyn after 7 PM concert and downloadable maps, please visit www.govisland.com.

About the Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC)
The Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation (GIPEC) is responsible for the planning, redevelopment, and ongoing operations for 150 acres of Governors Island. A partnership of New York City and New York State, GIPEC seeks to bring Governors Island back to life, making this island at the center of New York Harbor a destination with great public open space, as well as future education, not for profit and commercial facilities. For more information please visit www.govisland.com.