Free Cornell summer events feature outdoor concerts and special lectures

Cornell SCE, May 30, 2023

From music on the Arts Quad to fascinating talks, the 2023 Free Summer Events Series at Cornell will offer a fresh mix of entertainment and education open to the public. Presented by the School of Continuing Education (SCE), the events take place at 7 p.m. on select Wednesdays and Fridays, July 7 through July 28.

Kicking off the music series on July 7 on the Cornell Arts Quad is Gratefully Yours, a renowned Grateful Dead tribute band from New Paltz, NY. They’ll bring psychedelic vibes back to campus following the historic Dead & Company concert at Cornell this spring.

Local favorites follow, with roots reggae band Mosaic Foundation on July 14 and Jorge T. Cuevas & The Caribe Jazz Allstars, a Latin music ensemble, on July 21.

Closing the Arts Quad series on July 28 is Arleigh Rose, aka Sister Sparrow of Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, a powerful vocalist from the Hudson Valley, whom the Washington Post pronounced “a soul queen.” Rose brings a more tight-knit band to the quad for an intimate exploration of new and classic songs.

This year’s Wednesday lectures at Call Auditorium in Kennedy Hall begin with Benjamin Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, presenting, Mission to Earth: Agriculture as a Holistic Solution on July 12. His lecture will look at ways sustainable agriculture can promote environmental conservation and conserve biodiversity.

On July 19, Mary Loeffelholz, dean of the School of Continuing Education, and Caroline Levine, the David and Kathleen Ryan Professor of Humanities, will present their lecture, Stanning Emily: Reading Dickinson and Brontë, Now and Then. They will explore how Emily Brontë and Emily Dickinson have both recently been reincarnated for 21st-century "stans" (super fans) in recent films and discuss their perspective of these new adaptations as feminist literary scholars educated in the 20th century.

All concerts and lectures are free and open to the public. Friday concerts on the Arts Quad are family-friendly; concertgoers can bring picnics, blankets and lawn chairs. Cornell Dairy will sell ice cream, mango sorbet and bottled water during performances. Wednesday lectures are indoors with a TED Talk-like format followed by an engaging Q&A. All events begin promptly at 7 p.m.

For a complete calendar and details, visit the SCE events page.