One of the luxuries about living in NYC is that you can wake up on any given day with no particular plan and find something amazing to do no matter what. And that’s what I suggest you do this weekend. Wake up, check out how you and your family are feeling and then just pick something- you can’t go wrong! From the quintessentially NYC lower eastside Howl Festival, to the mellow and intimate Atlantic Avenue Art Walk, there is something for all different kinds of energy levels and mood. The Madison Square Park Spring Kids Fest is always a sure hit as well as the World Science Festival Spring Fair. If you want to stay closer to home, the Red Hook Fest or Brooklyn Bridge Festival might just be right. And there are plenty more to choose from. Have a fabulous and fun weekend!
Saturday, June 4th: 1-2:30 pm
Dragon Boat Festival Workshop at China Institute
More than 2,000 years ago, the incorruptible poet Qu Yuan drowned in the Miluo River. Local residents threw glutinous rice balls into the river, banged huge drums, and patrolled the waters in dragon boats to protect the man’s body from ravenous fish. Such are the legendary beginnings of the Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Participants make zongzi glutinous rice, filled with either sweet paste or savory meats, wrapped in bamboo leaves.For ages 5 years and up.
Details:
China Institute, 125 E. 65th St
$40 member for one child and one adult
$50 non-member for one child and one adult
$20 per additional attendee
Pre-registration required. Call 212- 744-8181 x 110 or email celmore@chinainstitute.org to reserve your place. For more info visit www.chinainstitute.org
Saturday, June 4th: 12-7 pm and Sunday, June 5th: 12-7 pm
Howl Festival
This Howl! Out Loud Carnival for all ages features Carnival Games, Fairway Attractions, Arts & Crafts Activities, Face Painting, Miniature Golf, A Trackless Train Ride, Balloon Art and On Stage– (1:00) Storytelling Fun with Lee Ann Brown, (1:30) Rosie’s Theater Kids Present an Interactive Theater Workshop, (2:00) Ballets with a Twist, (2:30) Rosie’s Theater Kids Present an Interactive Theater Workshop, (3:00) Michael Lydon and Ellen Mandel…On the other stage (South Stage), check out dance beats, theater, yoga, pop and readings. There will also be Hip Hop Howl with a massive live mixtape showcase at 2-5 pm on Sunday.
Details:
More Information: http://www.rosiestheaterkids.org/ and Howl Festival
Tompkins Square Park, South Stage. Avenue A at 7th Street.
Saturday, June 4th: 1-6 pm and Sunday, June 5th: 1-6 pm
Atlantic Avenue Art Walk
Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk celebrates its eighth anniversary showcasing over 200 artists in an interactive and participatory celebration of art and live music along Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue. I took the kids one year and it was a nice, mellow day of talking to artists and enjoying workshops. See everything from open studios, public art, performance, live music, workshops, and special events. Restaurants and bars are offering special rates to ArtWalkers. Some highlights include a workshop at Invisible Dog, going inside Flavor Paper (been dying to!), and a whole block party on Nevins on Saturday.
Details: For the full schedule go to http://www.ArtWalk2011.com. ArtWalk 2011 artist portfolios and tour maps are there too. Audiences who signup for the ArtWalk newsletter receive event updates, special discounts, and more.
Saturday, June 4th: 10:30-1:30 pm
Madison Square Park Spring Kids Fest
Kick the summer off with live music from Joanie Leeds, Rachel Lipson, see kids’ cooking demos, do storytime yoga, get your face painted , do some arts and crafts including button-making and more. Admission is free.
Details:
Madison Square Park, Broadway at 23rd St.
For more info go to www.madisonsquarepark.org
Saturday, June 4th: 12- 3pm
Arts & Letters Summer Fest
This Summer Fest includes a Taste of Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Food Fest with tastes from some of my favorite restaurants: Chez Oskar, Chez Lola, Madiba, Olea and more. There will also be performances, face painting, great food, games and community. Check out the Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band too.
Details:
225 Adelphi school yard.
Saturday, June 4th: 12- 7 pm
Red Hook Fest
All day from 12pm-7pm, there will be music, dancing on the mainstage, as well as information on community issues, programming for youth, etc. Then in the park there will be a special DIY area where pop-up workshops run throughout the day. Free kayak rides will run out of the harbor from 1pm-5pm.
Schedule:
12:30 there will be 45 minutes of yoga
1:30 Incite Arts will facilitate a “story circle”- a chance for our diverse audience to share their experiences- funny, moving, or otherwise- with one another
2:30 there will be a recycled materials art project, as people attach used plastic to an installation
3:30 there will be a self-defense class from Underground Physique (basic martial arts)
5:30 we’ll have “Circle Rules Football” a really fun game invented as 1/2-sport, 1/2 art. It involves a big yoga ball and a lot of falling down.
Also happening- scheduling TBD, is a community photo portrait from local photographer Andy Vernon-Jones.
Details: Louis J. Valentino, Jr. Park & Pier, which is @ Coffey & Ferris Streets in Red Hook, BK (11231).
For more info, go here.
Sunday, June 5th: 10 am- 6 pm
World Science Festival Street Fair
The Washington Square Park area will be transformed into a science wonderland when the World Science Festival’s Street Fair returns to New York City, Sunday, June 5. This year’s extravaganza will feature a non-stop program of interactive exhibits, experiments, games, and shows designed to entertain and inspire. Highligths include appearances by Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, check out what it’s like to be a forensic scientist, a smell lab, shows by the Central Park Zoo, science experiments and robotics by kid scientists
Details:
The Fair takes place in Washington Square Park. For more info go to www.worldsciencefestival.com
Sunday, June 5th: 12- 5 pm
Kite Festival
Fly a kite, rock out to Audra Rox and Hungry March Band, do some arts and crafts, games and enjoy some rides. There will be food for sale so don’t worry about packing a lunch. All put on by the PTA of PS 132 in Williamsburg.
Details:
5 N. 11th Street
Williamsburg
Saturday, June 4th: 12-7 pm and Sunday, June 5th: 12-7 pm
Howl Festival
This Howl! Out Loud Carnival for all ages features Carnival Games, Fairway Attractions, Arts & Crafts Activities, Face Painting, Miniature Golf, A Trackless Train Ride, Balloon Art and On Stage– (1:00) Storytelling Fun with Lee Ann Brown, (1:30) Rosie’s Theater Kids Present an Interactive Theater Workshop, (2:00) Ballets with a Twist, (2:30) Rosie’s Theater Kids Present an Interactive Theater Workshop, (3:00) Michael Lydon and Ellen Mandel…On the other stage (South Stage), check out dance beats, theater, yoga, pop and readings. There will also be Hip Hop Howl with a massive live mixtape showcase at 2-5 pm on Sunday.
Details:
More Information: http://www.rosiestheaterkids.org/ and Howl Festival
Tompkins Square Park, South Stage. Avenue A at 7th Street.
Sunday, June 5th: 12- 6 pm
Compost for Brooklyn Block Party
Compost for Brooklyn has transformed a vacant lot into a thriving refuge for native plants and community members. On a regular basis, neighbors come to the garden to relax, get their hands dirty, and drop off their veggie scraps, coffee grinds, and other organic waste. On June 5, they will host a block party to celebrate the garden and our community, while raising money for this important project. The afternoon will include music, food, workshops, games, as well as a raffle and silent auction. For the band line-up and more info go to www.compostforbrooklyn.org
Details: Right on the corner of Newkirk Avenue and East 8th
Sunday, June 5th: 1-6 pm
Atlantic Avenue Art Walk
Atlantic Avenue ArtWalk celebrates its eighth anniversary showcasing over 200 artists in an interactive and participatory celebration of art and live music along Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue. I took the kids one year and it was a nice, mellow day of talking to artists and enjoying workshops. See everything from open studios, public art, performance, live music, workshops, and special events. Restaurants and bars are offering special rates to ArtWalkers. Some highlights include a workshop at Invisible Dog, going inside Flavor Paper (been dying to!), and a whole block party on Nevins on Saturday.
Details: For the full schedule go to http://www.ArtWalk2011.com. ArtWalk 2011 artist portfolios and tour maps are there too. Audiences who signup for the ArtWalk newsletter receive event updates, special discounts, and more.
Sunday, June 5th: 1- 4 pm
Brooklyn Bridge Park Festival
Enjoy music, arts and family programming at the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge Park with its new cool section. See our post about it here.
Family Fun Art Activities
1 – 4 p.m. Sticker Camp
1 – 4 p.m. Facepainting by Mini Max
1 – 4 p.m. On-site live portraits by Acorn’s Sheena Hisiro
1 – 2 p.m. Moxie Spot Art: Paper Flowers & Group Project
2 – 3 p.m. Private Picassos Recycled Art Activity
and more!
Details:
Intersection of Atlantic Ave and Columbia. R to Court Street, F to Bergen, 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hal: B673 or B61 bus. Right off the ArtWalk route so do the ArtWalk too!
Monday, June 6th: 7-9:30 pm
Biggest Baby Shower
Big City Moms and TheBump.com have teamed up to host the 9th Annual Biggest Baby Shower for expectant moms. More than 500 moms will be there with you, all shopping the vendors to find out what are some of the coolest products out there. There will be great food (I can definitely attest to that!), spa activities and seminars. Their goodie bags are so heavy that one year I had to take a cab home- and I wasn’t even pregnant. They also do some killer raffles from strollers to cribs. Dr. Alan Greene, Dr. Bill Sears, Ali Wing (founder of Giggle) and Alison Bernstein, Senior Editor of TheBump.com will all be there giving short seminars on everything from gear to being green. Every mom-to-be at the Biggest Baby Shower event will go home with baby products galore and a new Aprica Stroller, valued at $160! After all, no baby shower would be complete without gifts.
Details:
Intercontinental New York Barclay Hotel
Monday, June 6th: 4 pm
Big Movies for Little Kids Student Film Festival
How about a little Cannes in Brooklyn? Join BMLK for a selection of the films they received in their open call to all New York City students. They will be screening over 20 shorts from filmmakers ranging in age from 4 to 18 on the BIG SCREEN at BIG MOVIES! The talent, variety of subject matter and technique these young filmmakers bring to the screen is amazing and not to be missed! Then the young audience members will vote for their top three favorite films, which will be shown on June 17th at our Drive-In Movie Night at the PS29 schoolyard. Prizes will be awarded to all filmmakers. With pre-show activities and crafts supplied by the Children’s Museum of the Arts. (USA; shorts; not-rated; approximately 60 minutes.)
Details:
Cobble Hill Cinemas, 265 Court Street @ Butler Street, Brooklyn
Subway: F train to Bergen Street
Cost: $7.00 per person (as per theater policy, all walkers need a ticket)
To secure seats at Cobble Hill Cinemas, tickets may be purchased on-line at: www.cobblehilltheatre.com
Wednesday, June 8: 5:30- 8pm
Carnival Night for Kids at Victorian Gardens
We went to this last year and had a very memorable evening. This is definitely one of those NYC experiences that are really special- and all the more wonderful because by going you are giving back. Carnival Night is an evening with amusement park rides, games, magicians, delicious BBQ, readings by popular children’s book authors, and much more! Last year we saw Elmo, met great authors and they signed free books for us, we had full run of all the rides and just a blast. This year’s event will feature a performance by teen pop sensations, the Varsity Girls and Jerome Bell, and popular children’s book authors Sue Macy, Sally Lloyd-Jones, Suzanne LaFleur, and Katie & Jerry Davis. All proceeds benefit the Coalition for the Homeless’ Youth Service Programs.
Details:
Victorian Gardens at Wollman Rink, located inside Central Park
Ticket prices reflect the donation to the Coalition for the Homeless. $150 for adults, $100 for kids- buy tickets online at www.coalitionforthehomeless.org.