Make Music Winter Returns December 21

Make Music Winter, a free, outdoor music-making celebration on the winter solstice, returns this year on Saturday, December 21 with joyful and dynamic participatory musical parades, performances and events in more than 30 U.S. cities.

The all-day musical celebration on the shortest day of the year brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, musical abilities and styles to sing, play, march and dance their way across streets, parks and other public spaces.

In addition to the flagship event in New York City, where more than 11 participatory musical parades will be held across the five boroughs, the sweet sounds of Make Music Winter will be on parade in cities around the country. In Montclair (New Jersey), all of the performances will take place around new outdoor wall murals and feature music inspired by the art. At an ice rink in Land O’ Lakes (Wisconsin), a special “Music on Ice” celebration will provide frozen fun. In Chicago (Illinois) the festivities will include an event that kicks off with a tree lighting and features Christmas caroling, electric candles and children joining with kazoos.

“Last year, Make Music Winter launched nationwide for the first time, and we were delighted that this new concept was immediately embraced by music-makers around the country,” said Make Music Alliance president Aaron Friedman. “This year, over 30 cities have already come on board to bring magical, musical events to their communities on December 21, and we expect many more cities to join in the celebration.”

Elsewhere, at the Train Depot in Issaquah (Washington), events will include a Christmas carol sing-a-long, a hootenanny sing-along, fiddle music and a blues hour. In Crystal Lake (Illinois), at Piano Trends Company Showroom, people will be encouraged to perform Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” on 10 showroom pianos tuned and ready. In Salem (Oregon), a “Yule Make Music” parade and pub crawl will headline the local celebration.

All Make Music Winter events are free and open to the public. Additional events will be posted at www.makemusicwinter.org in late November.