Summer Solstice In NYC: Times Square Yoga On 2022's Longest Day

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Wondering how to relish the longest day of the year in New York City? Consider taking part in what's become an annual tradition: Summer Solstice yoga in Times Square.

This year's event is the 20th anniversary of Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga. It will be held, obviously, on Tuesday, June 21.

"Experienced yogis and first-timers alike" are encouraged to join the free event, which will include classes throughout the day on Times Square's pedestrian plazas. Reserve a spot on the event webpage.

Classes will run from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, with seven different events along Broadway and 7th Avenue between 44th and 48th streets. It is organized by the Times Square Alliance, with instructor bios available online.

All classes will also be livestreamed at tsq.org/Solstice and on YouTube and the Times Square Facebook Page, allowing anyone to participate from home.

"In the 20 years since this event began, both New York and the world at large have been through several cycles of darkness and light," said Tim Tompkins, a co-founder of Solstice in Times Square, in a statement.

“Let us peacefully celebrate light and love through the solstice ritual on what is, in this part of the planet, the brightest day of [the] year.”

The 2022 June solstice, which marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, occurs Tuesday at 5:14 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

The sun travels its longest path through the sky on the day of the summer solstice, which occurs the exact moment Sol reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky, making it the longest day of the year in terms of daylight.

On Tuesday, the sun will rise at 5:25 a.m. in New York City and will set at 8:30 p.m., meaning we’ll see about 15 hours and 5 minutes of daylight.

You can read more about the science of the summer solstice on The Old Farmer’s Almanac website.