🌱 Juneteenth In NYC + Porch Stomp Music Festival

Good morning New York City! There's a lot going on.

Porch Stomp, a free folk music and dance festival featuring more than 100 bands will take over Governor's Island all day today. You'd be wise not to miss the Cowgirl Seahorse Stage. Find out more here.

Saturday is also the first day of early voting ahead of the June 28th primary. Learn more on Gothamist.

In the news: NYC plans on rolling out COVID vaccinations for the city's youngest residents next week, police officers are patrolling solo, and the City Council voted to extend rent stabilization. One small programming note: there won't be a newsletter on Monday, so look out for the NYC Daily next Tuesday.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny; windy, cooler. High: 68 Low: 55.

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Here are the top five stories in New York City today:

1. NYC plans on offering COVID vaccines to children under five years old as soon as next week, the last age group to receive them. That's pending final approvals from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday. Click to see the locations where they will be distributed. (New York City Patch)
2. Police officers will no longer patrol the city in pairs, Mayor Adams announced on Friday. The rule that cops travel in groups of two has been in place for the past eight years, since the fatal shooting of two officers in 2014. Adams hopes the change will make the police more present across the subway system. The move was criticized by the Police Benevolent Association who charged it would "embolden people to fight cops and resist arrest." (Gothamist)
3. The city is investing $6.7 million towards programs meant to support the LGBTQ+ community. The funding will cover financial literacy for runaway homeless youth, family acceptance programs and more. This comes at the same time one Queens Council Woman, Vickie Paledino, is facing criticism from her colleagues over her continued opposition of Drag Queen Story Hour, a public library program. (New York City Patch)
4. The City Council voted to extend NYC's rent-stabilization laws, which were set to expire next month, for another two years, ruling that the city remains in a housing crisis due to its low vacancy rate. (NBC New York)
5. The number of homeless people sleeping on New York City's streets is back to pre-pandemic levels, results from an annual survey show, seeing an increase of roughly 1,000 people from 2021. The city currently has nearly enough stabilization beds to house the city's homeless, however many say the conditions are the same or worse than remaining on the street. (amNY)

New York City pic of the day:

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From our sponsor:

Today's New York City Daily is brought to you by Hilary Gingold for Manhattan Surrogate, a Patch Brand Partner. Learn more about candidate Hilary Gingold and why she is qualified to serve as the NY County Surrogate.

This Sunday marks Juneteenth:

• Celebrated every year on June 19, the federal holiday marks the day, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, when federal troops in Galveston, Texas, announcing to the last enslaved Black people that they had been freed.
• In New York City, historians say the story of Seneca Village, a community of Black property owners dating back to 1825 that was displaced to build Central Park, gives the day added significance. (New York City Patch)

Here's how the day is being commemorated this year.

Today in New York City:

• Save Soil Walkathon in New York City - Free Event (noon)
• (Be)Tween Time – Juneteenth (1 p.m.)
• National Dance Institute Event of the Year - Dance and Live Music Performances (5 p.m.)
• "Saint Joan" Free Performances at Battery's Castle Clinton (5:45 p.m.)
• Drunk Black History - Juneteenth (8 p.m.)

Crime and safety corner:

• Police are looking for a man on a scooter who hit a two-year-old on Thursday night on East Houston Street in Lower Manhattan, causing full-body injuries. (New York City Patch)
• A woman, Glennis Andrew, 68, has been missing from East New York for more than a week. (New York City Patch)
• A home in Richmond Hill, Queens was destroyed during a five-alarm fire on Friday, which took over 200 firefighters to put out. (QNS)

From my notebook:

• In addition to Juneteenth, Sunday is also Father's Day. Here's your guide to where to restaurant in style. (New York City Patch)
• Next Tuesday marks the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and to celebrate there will be yoga classes all day long at Times Square. (Patch)
• Artists from all over are "flocking" to see these 33 innovative birdhouses at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. (New York City Patch)
• Need a break from the city? Might I suggest taking a trip to the Green Mountain State? Starting on July 29, Amtrak will begin offering a new direct service from NYC to Burlington, Vermont. (CBS New York)
• The second half of June is bringing with it the rare alignment of five planets. Here's where to see it in NYC. (New York City Patch)

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Events:

• West Park Super Summer Tag Sale!!!! (June 18)
• The Largest Celebration of Cultural Diversity, Pride, Juneteenth & Father's Day In NYC! (June 18)
• Saturday Sunset Dance the Wave NYC Booze Cabana Yacht Party 2022 (June 18)
• Italian Cooking Class and Dinner with Tiramisu Finale, NY (June 18)
• NYC Jewel Yacht Hip Hop vs Reggae® Saturday Midnight Skyport Marina 2022 (June 18)
• Benefit Concert - Sweet Honey in the Rock & Nona Hendryx: 'Juneteenth 2022: The Struggle Continues' (June 19)
• Sweet Honey in the Rock! A Juneteenth Concert and Fundraiser to support the Harlem Mothers SAVE. (June 19)
• Crowd Control Jewel Yacht Party House Sunday Sunset Cruise 2022 (June 19)
• Hire A Pro To Clean Up The Yard For Dad (June 19)
• FREE Theatre [Untitled] Reading Series - The Firebird by Amanda Faye Martin (June 20)
• Five Free Historic Erben Pipe Organ Concerts for Make Music Day 2022 (June 21)
• White Collar Week Tuesday Speaker Series: John Monaghan (June 21)
• Free speech on hiring a personal injury lawyer in New York, NY (June 21)
• The Joyce Theater 14th Anniversary Gala at Lincoln Center (June 22)
• Beginning the College Essay (June 22)
• Bistro Award Winner Quinn Lemley in Rita Hayworth: The Heat Is On! (June 23)
• Jewel Yacht Dance under the Moonlight NYC Midnight Friday Party 2022 (June 24)
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Announcements:

• Want Clean Air? (Details)
• Living with someone with memory loss? Over 60? Paid study done over the phone! (Details)
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Housing:

• Fully renovated Mamaroneck home (Details)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! I'll see you around.

— Dashiell Allen

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming New York City Daily? Contact me at patchnyc@patch.com