If you're not interested in beating the heat today, there is something totally worthy of your time that you can check out...the heat might even make it more exciting. Tonight at 8:15pm, at 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar & Penthouse Lounge, 150 members of Castellers de Vilafranca (aka a multi-story humantower (aka castell) group from Spain), will attempt to make a world record by building the first eight-level castell ever assembled on a rooftop. This unique sport is a 300 year old tradition in Catalonia, Spain. 

The group's human foundation will begin more than 21 stories above Manhattan and the performers will not use any ladders, cranes, or nets. The performance will inaugurate a series of free public castell buildings throughout the city today until the 24th, in honor of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center.

How exaclty does this whole thing work? Each participant will climb up the bodies of each layer of smaller tiers to mount the shoulders of the previous tier until the tower is topped by a nine-year-old child. The feat will be performed to the melodies of a quartet playing Catalonion music. The event will be supported by Estrella Damm Beer and there will be an $8 hot dog and beer special going on throughout the event.

The series of performances this evening and this week will be the first by any castell team in NYC and only the second time in the country. The Castellars de Vilfranca, considered Spain's best castellars, will also perform in Central Park and Battery Park for the Make Music NY Festival tomorrow, and at the United Nations on the 22nd. The team will also participate in the presentation of the documentary about their passion as practiced in Catalonia, Chile, and India on the 22nd at Goldcrest Studios Theater.