# Event Details - **Event Name**: Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival - **Event Start and End Date**: Sat, 12 Sep, 2026 at 12:00 pm – Sat, 12 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: A free afternoon of art, play, food, music, storytelling, rest, and community connection in St. Nicholas Park.About this EventFor the second annual Imagine Harlem, The Work of Love is more than a theme. It guides how we gather, share resources, care for one another, and imagine Harlem’s future.On Day Two, Saturday, September 12, we bring that work into public practice with The Soapbox Festival, a free, civic and cultural experience at St. Nicholas Park. Neighbors of all ages are invited to move through art, storytelling, food, music, community resources, wellness, rest, conversation, and neighborhood games.THE DAY IS GROUNDED IN FOUR IDEASHonest recognition: We cannot repair what we refuse to name.Accountability without shame: Love asks us to become more responsible to one another without treating shame as the only path toward change.Care as public infrastructure: Care becomes real through food, resources, rest, safety, wellness, access, and the systems that allow people to thrive.Radical imagination and commitment: Love moves us beyond naming problems and asks what we are prepared to build, practice, and protect together.Food and nourishment are central to that work. Charles Pan-Fried Chicken and Harlem Grown serve as the official food sponsors of Imagine Harlem 2026, providing free meals and fresh produce for festival attendees. Their participation reflects a simple belief at the heart of The Work of Love: caring for a neighborhood means helping make sure people have access to what they need. Each festival space honors a Black visionary whose life reflects the experience taking place there. Come create, play, move, rest, connect, eat, and imagine alongside your neighbors.FESTIVAL EXPERIENCESMarion Stokes Resource StationHonoring activist and archivist Marion Stokes, this space connects neighbors with community organizations, civic information, services, tools, and opportunities that can help our community grow.Charles Gabriel’s CornerHonoring Harlem chef and community icon Charles Gabriel, this is where food, hospitality, and neighborhood care come together. With support from official food sponsors Charles Pan-Fried Chicken and Harlem Grown, attendees can receive free meals and fresh produce while supplies last.Alma Thomas Imagination GardenHonoring pioneering artist and educator Alma Thomas, children and families can create, read, explore, and express themselves through hands-on art and imagination-based activities, with support from Blick Art Materials.James Baldwin StageHonoring Harlem-born writer James Baldwin through live storytelling, music, performances, community voices, and conversations about the truths we must face and the futures we are willing to imagine.James Baldwin LawnA space to slow down, rest, read, reflect, move, and connect. Guests can take part in wellness activities, yoga, reading, and neighbor-to-neighbor conversation inspired by Baldwin’s commitment to truth, love, and responsibility.WHAT TO BRINGA blanket or lawn chairYoga mat (if interested)A reusable water bottle and sun protectionComfortable clothing for yoga and other outdoor activitiesYour family, friends, ideas, and neighborhood spiritNo money is required. All festival programming, activities, meals, and resources are free.ABOUT IMAGINE HARLEMImagine Harlem is a civic and cultural platform produced by NewScope Media to reconnect and empower our community through storytelling, dialogue, creativity, play, wellness, and shared experiences.The second annual Imagine Harlem takes place September 8–12, 2026. This year’s theme, “The Work of Love,” asks neighbors to practice care, honesty, accountability, repair, and imagination in public—not simply as values, but as responsibilities we share.Throughout the festival, activations honor Black leaders whose lives and work continue to shape how we understand truth, creativity, community care, and collective possibility. Among those honored are Marion Stokes, Chef Charles Gabriel, Alma Thomas, and James Baldwin. Their names and legacies help define what each festival space invites neighbors to practice. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events1/banners/62ff9010-a73f-11f1-b98f-cbeba3585b3a-rimg-w1200-h600-dc080808-gmir.jpg - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/new-york/imagine-harlem-presents-the-soapbox-festival/100001995878600622 - **Event Categories**: festivals, art, food-drinks, storytelling, health-wellness, literary-art - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Age Limit: all_ages - Duration: 6 hours - Location: St. Nicholas Park Plaza - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: New York - **state**: NY - **country**: United States - **location**: St. Nicholas Park Plaza - **lat**: 40.8179199 - **long**: -73.9497428 - **full address**: St. Nicholas Park Plaza, 135th St & St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events10/banners/cb82dcc68b1c31dc591fc17292f0dbd749b3a387e1b99ca635972734abec9906-rimg-w1200-h600-dcf8f8f8-gmir.jpg?v=1787159553 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival being held? - **A:** Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival takes place on Sat, 12 Sep, 2026 at 12:00 pm to Sat, 12 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm at St. Nicholas Park Plaza, 135th St & St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival? - **A:** Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival is organized by NewScope Media. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Imagine Harlem Presents: The Soapbox Festival is ideal for music lovers, fans of all genres, and anyone who wants to celebrate the power of music - from intimate gigs and live sessions to festivals and cultural performances. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in New York, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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