Join thousands of other opera lovers as the Metropolitan Opera returns to the parks of New York City and New Jersey. A summertime tradition in New York since 1967 and in New Jersey since 1987, the series opens with back-to-back concerts in Manhattan's Central Park on June 12 and 13, with six additional performances in each borough of the city and two locations in New Jersey. Met in the Parks concerts are receiving major funding from Bank of America for the sixth straight year.

A Metropolitan Opera parks concert is the perfect way to experience some of the world's greatest music in a uniquely accessible and informal outdoor setting. This year's series presents Puccini’s La Bohème, a timeless story of love among young artists in Paris, and Gounod’s Faust, an epic drama about an aged philosopher’s pact with the devil. Both offer dazzling arias and ensemble pieces that showcase the Met's incomparable soloists, orchestra, and chorus.

Sign up for our free e-mail news service between now and July 2, 2007, and you’ll be automatically entered into our new season contest. Seven winners will receive a pair of prime orchestra seats to their choice of one of the seven new productions in the Met’s upcoming 2007-08 season. Rules and regulations.

Here are some tips on how best to enjoy the parks concerts.

All performances are at 8:00 pm ET, free of charge, and no tickets are required.

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