NYC Cultural Institution Belongó Celebrates The Holiday Season With Robust Slate of Free Concerts & Community Events

NYC Cultural Institution Belongó Celebrates The Holiday Season With Robust Slate of Free Concerts & Community Events

Harlem Lights Parade, Annual Christmas Eve Concert With Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Weekly Residency at The Pocket in Times Square, Music Education Programs At The Harlem Library, And More

October 30, 2026 - Belongó is a New York City-based non-profit cultural institution founded by pianist/composer and GRAMMY Award-winner Arturo O'Farrill in 2007 that is dedicated to performing, teaching, and preserving the music of the Americas rooted in African and Indigenous traditions through jazz. This holiday season, Belongó presents a robust slate of programming, bringing its mission to stages, schools, libraries, and community spaces throughout New York City. The organization will participate in the annual Harlem Lights Parade (November 17), continue their monthly music education programs at the Harlem Library (November 21 and December 19) , and present weekly performances at the new jazz club The Pocket as well as a special Christmas Eve concert at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Park Slope, Brooklyn. See below for a detailed schedule.

This year has been a milestone year for Belongó, including the February groundbreaking hosted by Mayor Mamdani of Casa Belongó -a state-of-the-art culture hub currently being built in East Harlem. Featuring performance spaces, rehearsal rooms, and a public gathering space, Casa Belongó will occupy the first two floors of Timbale Terrace, a transformational project addressing the urgent need for affordable housing in New York City. In addition to its performance slate, the organization offered free music programs at NYC public schools and community programs like financial workshops and senior socials. It also held their second annual benefit "Casa Blues" at New York's City Winery, featuring performances from Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Blues Brothers' "Blue" Lou Marini and Leon Pendarvis, Afro Cuban jazz artist Daymé Arocena, members of Ballet Hispánico, and Belongó's Youth Ensemble the Fat Cats.

Community

Harlem Holiday Lights Parade

Tuesday, November 17

Belongó will have a float in the 2026 Harlem Holiday Lights Parade, bringing Afro Latin jazz to the annual event running along 125th Street.

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Weekly Live Jazz at The Pocket

Every Tuesday in December and January

Belongó presents O'Farrill & ALJO at its ongoing Tuesday residency at vibrant, new jazz club The Pocket in Times Square. Now in its 30th year, the celebrated orchestra's New York City residency has become a key part of the cultural fabric of the City, drawing from its deep repertoire of Afro Latin jazz from across the Americas. November and December performances will feature holiday favorites from those regions.

Christmas Eve concert at All Saints' Episcopal Church

Thursday, December 24 at 9 PM

The six-time GRAMMY winner and his 18-piece Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra will perform their annual Christmas Eve concert in Park Slope.

The Fat Cats

A new season is underway for the Fat Cats-Belongó's pre-professional youth ensemble led by Zack O'Farrill. Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, this special program provides young musicians with hundreds of hours of education, mentorship, and performance opportunities throughout the city at no cost to families. Upcoming public performances from the Fat Cats in Harlem and Brooklyn include:

El Barrio's Artspace PS 109

Monday, November 30 at 5-7 PM

Open Rehearsal and Jam

ShapeShifter Lab

Monday, December 14

Education

Belongó's free music education programs provide the next generation of New York musicians with opportunities to develop their skills through mentorship and performance. These initiatives include live music, hands-on participation, and opportunities to explore the rhythms, instruments, and stories of Afro Latin jazz. During the holidays, they take place at the Harlem Library, in public schools, and at free events in Manhattan and The Bronx.

Arts in Health Interactive Performance Series at Urban Health Plan

November 9, 16, 23, 30, and December 7

HFH Family Workshops

Friday, November 6 and Friday, December 4

School Residency: PS 30X

Mondays and Thursdays in November and December

Afro Latin Jazz Music Exploration at the Harlem Library

Saturday, November 21 and Saturday, December 19

Belong ó has also been featured extensively in key New York media outlets over the past few weeks:

* Good Day New York met up with O'Farrill at PS30X in the South Bronx, for a behind-the-scenes look at the music programs Belongó offers to New York City elementary school students.

* O'Farrill joined WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show live to discuss bringing music education to NYC schools, including incarcerated youth on Rikers Island, while taking calls from listeners.

* He also sat down with NY1's Stephanie Simon to chat about Casa Belongó, the organization's annual benefit, and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra's weekly residency at The Pocket in Times Square.

* Telemundo later visited O'Farrill at The Pocket for a wide-ranging discussion about The Fat Cats youth ensemble. The conversation also featured his son Zack O'Farrill (who runs the Fat Cats program at Belongó), and Lisandro Reyes, a recent alumni of the organization.

Education Programs are supported by New York State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, New York City Council, Arnhold Foundation, D'Addario Foundation, Exploring the Arts, National Association of Music Merchants, The Endeavor Foundation, and The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation.

Community Programs are supported by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council, The Hearst Foundations, Metropolitan Park Community Impact Fund and the West Harlem Development Corporation.

About Belongó

Belongó is dedicated to performing, educating about, and preserving the music of all of the Americas, emanating from African and indigenous roots, through the entry point of jazz. Belongó embraces its mission with a commitment to social justice, equity, inclusion, and the equality of all cultures worldwide. Belongó's mission is reflected by its core values of cultural inclusiveness, ground-breaking creativity, social consciousness, excellence, and responsible stewardship, and purposeful engagement. For additional information please visit belongo.org .

About Casa Belongó

A new state-of-the-art cultural and education hub that broke ground in February, Casa Belongó will occupy the first two floors of Timbale Terrace, a 341-unit building of affordable housing in East Harlem. Featuring opening remarks from Mayor Mamdani and the premiere of a new O'Farrill composition penned for the occasion called Mamdani Belongó Mambo, the groundbreaking was covered by the New York Times, Gothamist, WNYC, NY1, JazzTimes, 1010Wins, ABC7, Pix11, Hellgate, and more.