Summer Bucket List: Outdoor Karaoke!

Only 11 days behind! I'm catching up, right?

This year, 4th of July fell on Shabbat, which meant that many of the usual fun activities-- barbecues, going to the beach, taking the subway to watch fireworks-- were off limits. So instead, on Friday, July 3rd, my friend Jess and I went to outdoor Karaoke in Riverside Park.

What is outdoor karaoke, you ask? Well, this summer, for the first time, on two Fridays, the Parks Department sets up a stage from 6-9 on the pier at 70th street. People can sign up for songs, and then get to (have to?) sing in front of the whole crowd, and anyone else who might be walking by. It was very hilarious, and the first people were pretty awful, which means that it wasn't so scary.

However-- HUGE bummer-- we had to leave before it was our turn because Shabbat was coming. BOO. We were going to sing Don't Stop Believing and it was going to be epic. Sad Rachel. Also, this was going to be a big deal for me, because as some of you know, there are few things that would be as out of character for me as getting up and singing in front of a ton of strangers. The next karaoke date is on the weekend of my parents' 40th wedding anniversary, so I won't be able to go, but perhaps next year. In the meantime, we enjoyed beautiful weather, some hilarious moments, and the five-year-old we befriended getting up and singing Let It Go in front of the crowd.

The fancy stage,

The sun is setting! Shabbat is coming! Must run home!

In other news, I wore my red and blue Eshakti dress because it seemed so patriotic. This was my first Eshakti purchase, and it might still be my favorite. I LOVE this dress. It is so 1950s-ish, super comfortable, and the perfect shape for my body. Plus, of course, pockets. Obviously.

Hope you all had a fun 4th. Almost two weeks ago. Oh well. Better late than never, right?

What I'm wearing: Eshakti dress (similar here, I added 3/4 sleeves), Franco Sarto sandals via DSW