Hi everyone!
Can you believe it Christmas is next week and the holiday break for NYC schools start at the end of the day tomorrow! I don’t know about you but 2013 has flown!
We have another busy weekend ahead of us! The LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park is having its grand opening tomorrow! The big day is here! Also if you need to get some errands done without the children then check out Open Play at Brooklyn Robot Foundry tomorrow and other days during the break! We also have the last 15 Minute Christmas Carol performance tomorrow at Brookfield Place and Saturday is the last day of Atlantic Ave BID Children’s Stories Readings at Table 87 & Gumbo!
This weekend we also have a free movie showing of Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas at Nitehawk Cinema with a live performance by Lloyd H. Miller of the Deedle Deedle Dees, Amelia Robinson of Mil’s Trills at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Make Music Winter in Prospect Park, Gingerbread House Making at Hootenanny Art House and the start of Art Week at the Jewish Children’s Museum.
Santa will be at The Brooklyn Lyceum Market this weekend! Also this is the last weekend for Photos with Santa’s Workshop at South Street Seaport & Santa at ABC Carpet & Home and Macy’s Santaland is open until Tuesday! Also look at the calendar for a full schedule of the additional holiday events and also sing-a-longs, drop in yoga & art classes available this weekend!. Remember if you have an event or a drop in class that you would like to have included on our calendar you can use the form on this link to submit it to us!
Enjoy the weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday December 20th
Grand Opening at LeFrak Center at Lakeside (Prospect Park)
Friday Dec 20th 11a. Entry to the LeFrak Center is free and open to the public. An admission fee is associated with skating and skating-related services. The grand opening of the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside is finally here! Lakeside is the largest and most ambitious project in Prospect Park since the Park’s completion nearly 150 years ago. The LeFrak Center at Lakeside provides the public with: A skating pavilion with two rinks providing 32,000 square feet for seasonal ice skating, roller skating, and water play, 15,000 square feet of beautifully landscaped viewing terraces, year-round café with a seating area, public restrooms, public programs, seasonal sports, classes, and event space.
A 15-Minute Christmas Carol at Brookfield Place (Financial District)
Friday Dec 20th. Performances at 12:30 & 1:15 pm sharp! Free. Meet by the Winter Garden escalators.
Our hit holiday show returns… A {15-Min!} Christmas Carol! Adapted from the work of Charles Dickens and directed by Stephen Burdman. A 15-minute smorgasbord of seasonal spirit serving up
Scrooge, Marley, Cratchit, Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, and all of Dickens’s best-loved characters…Performed in record time with just 2 actors! Treat yourself to this classic tale of love and redemption—and still have time to shop! Free to the public — No tickets required, just show up!
Open Play at Brooklyn Robot Foundry (Gowanus)
Friday Dec 20th 330-530p and various dates / times until Jan 3rd. See website for schedule. $10 hour plus materials fee. For ages 5-9y.
It is an open ended activity time for your kids and is a great opportunity for you to drop your kids off while you exercise, shop or have a coffee date with a friend! Your kids will have a great time building robot obstacle courses, crafting robots out of clay and found objects, creating marble runs, making giant Lego creations and much more. It is similar to “choice time” at school. The kids will have a blast and you will get to have some time on your own.
HOLIDAY CIRCUS at Master Theater (Brighton Beach)
Friday, December 20, 2013 at 7p. Tickets $45, $55, $65 and playing various days/times unitl Sun Dec 29th. See website for schedule.
In what is becoming a Brooklyn holiday tradition, Holiday Circus brings together an array of amazing circus artists, astounding magic and illusions, and even Santa himself in an all-new dynamic production at the recently renovated Master Theater. This year’s special guest is the lovable and iconic clown, Grandma!
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday December 21st
Special Holiday Farm Foodies Cooking Class at The Art Farm in the City (UES)
Saturday, December 21st: 9:00am – 10:00am | 2-8 years mixed ages. Price: $40.
Farm Fresh and Seasonal! Finally your child can enjoy a cooking class where they learn about the basics of cooking and the importance of fresh ingredients as well. Please join Chef Sylvie in smelling mint, shaping brioche, peeling rhubarb, cutting cookies and tasting new fresh fruits and vegetables. Winter Spring Summer and Fall Chef Sylvie creates a seasonal organic menu from around the globe. Your kids will embark on a cooking and sensory adventure while developing their taste buds for food fresh from the farm. Reservation Required/ Call to reserve a spot! 212.410.3117
Atlantic Avenue Children’s Story Readings at various Brooklyn locations
Saturday December 11a (Table 87) & 1230p (at Gumbo) FREE
Bring children 3-5y to hear stories by local authors. Winners of the Atlantic Avenue Children’s Literature Contest will read original stories along with selections from their favorite picture books. Judging panel includes Brooklyn-native Bruce Degan, illustrator of ‘The Magic School Bus’ series. Kids will decide the Kids Choice Award by voting for their favorite story. Free hot chocolate provided by Sahadi’s along with bookmarks for all but space is limited. Please RSVP HERE to reserve a spot at one or more of the readings.
December 21, 11am, Table 87: Barbara DiLorenzo “Atlantic Avenue Dragon”
December 21, 12:30pm, Gumbo: Kristabelle Munson “Miles and the Garden”
Amelia Robinson of Mil’s Trills at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Saturday, December 21, 2013 12n & 1p. Free with museum admission. For kids 0-4y
Met Life Early Learner Series: Amelia Robinson of Mil’s Trills. Brooklyn’s own Amelia Robinson presents a cozy, winter performance that will warm your hearts. Her original, quirky songs on ukulele are perfect for families with young children.
East Meets West Christmas Parade
Saturday December 21st at 2pm. For all ages.
Little Italy Merchants Association and Chinatown Partnership celebrate the unity between these two culturally diverse neighborhoods. Floats, marching bands, Asian and Italian singers, an authentic Italian gondola, Chinese Lion and Dragon dancers, and even Santa Claus are among the many festive parade participants that will wind their way through the streets. Grand Marshall’s are CNN’s Chris Cuomo and WNBC’s Pei-Sze Cheng. 2pm. Parade begins at Canal and Mulberry Streets.
Make Music Winter in Prospect Park
Sat Dec 21st 430-530p (start at Grand Army Plaza and end at the Bridle Trail)
Blink gathers the city’s seasoned and casual cyclists to perform a new piece for bicycle bells by composer Merche Blasco. Riders travel through Prospect Park, following a score transmitted from the lead bike via a special helmet pre-programmed with lights that cue bicycle bells of different pitches. Through the piece, riders will collaborate with each other and generate music that interacts with the soundscape of the area.
Bicycle bells will be distributed to participants at the beginning of the parade.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday December 22nd
Gingerbread House Making at Hootenanny Art House (Park Slope)
Sunday, December 22nd. Three seatings: 10 AM, 12 PM & 2 PM. $30 / house (+ tax)
Children of all ages are invited to come build an all-natural gingerbread house. We’ll provide a pre-fab ginger-home and all the necessary goodies to create the house of your dreams (no corn-syrup or artificially colored candy, only dried fruit and natural candy).
To sign-up, send an e-mail to: hootenannyarts@mac.com Or call: 718-369-0528
Art Week at the Jewish Children Museum (Crown Heights)
December 22 10am-5:30pm. Free with Museum Admission. See website for additional dates & times.
Get your creative juices flowing! Try out a number of different creative art-forms being showcased at the Jewish Children’s Museum during Art Week. Experiment with Japanese Marble art – Suminagashi – through workshops, and create your own stained glass window panel. Kids will be invited to contribute to a collective mural which will be donated to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.
Sing ‘N’ Move Along Children’s Holiday Celebration at Brooklyn Tots Academy (Coney Island)
Sunday Dec 22nd 11a-1p. $25/adult – kids free
A Holiday Celebration for Kids with Santa, Snow Princess, Elves, Games, Sing Alongs and and Goody Bags!
Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas at Nitehawk Cinema (Williamsburg)
Sun Dec 22 12n-2p. For 6 and up with guardian. Free.
Emmet Otter and his Ma are dirt-poor, but very happy and good singers. But as Christmas is around the corner, both of them want to get something special for each other. And the talent show prize is $50! So, Ma gets a song ready, and Emmet forms a jug-band with his friends. But the Riverbottom Gang, a bunch of rich kids with killer electric band equipment are going to be tough competition.
Come to the FREE screening of the Jim Henson TV movie that’s a musical treat for the whole family! Event includes a live performance by Lloyd H. Miller of the Deedle Deedle Dees! It’s free but please RSVP HERE!
Snow Maiden at Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College (Flatbush)
Sun Dec 22nd 4p for ages 4-12y. Tickets $25-60.
Enjoy this whimsical Christmas tale in which a worthy young girl is magically transformed by Grandfather Frost (The Russian Santa Claus) into the beautiful Snow Maiden. Traditional songs, dances and elaborate costumes create a winter wonderland in this delightful children’s show. Performed in Russian with English Subtitles. Plus every child gets a Christmas candy gift box!
For more Sunday events please click here!
All Weekend
Santa at The Brooklyn Lyceum Market (Park Slope, Gowanus)
Saturday, December 21st and Sunday December 22nd 11am-7pm
The Brooklyn Lyceum welcomes back SANTA to its Holiday Marketplace for the fifth consecutive year. Whether ironic or earnest, they will take your picture for you to post directly to facebook. One Free photo with proof of Lyceum Marketplace purchase. Bring your kid, your dog and your camera. Free admission to the market
The Muppet Christmas Carol at Brooklyn Lyceum (Park Slope, Gowanus)
Sat & Sun Dec 21st & 22nd 145p $5/per ticket.
A Charlie Brown Christmas at Brooklyn Lyceum (Park Slope, Gowanus)
Fri Dec 20th-Sun Dec 22nd. $10/ticket. Various times see website for details.
The Pig Brooch Theatre Company will perform A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Brooklyn Lyceum. All performances are accompanied by live jazz music.
Mother Africa at The New Victory Theater (Times Square)
Friday December 6, 2013– Sunday January 5, 2014 various times. See website for schedule. Tickets $17-$55. For Ages 5+. 100 minutes including one intermission.
Rich in rhythm and robust in song, MOTHER AFRICA’s acrobats, musicians and dancers light up the stage in a powerful performance of stunning African artistry. Featuring stilt walkers from Tanzania, jugglers from Ethiopia and a renowned contortionist from Kenya, modern circus arts meld with joyful dance and music among a marvel of traditional masks. Exuberant afro-beats radiate from the stage with every strike of the infectious djembe and strum of the mbira, while bazin and kitenge fabrics swirl in a spectacle of color. Merry and bright, this is one holiday party you won’t want to miss!
Open Play at Brooklyn Robot Foundry (Gowanus)
Various dates / times until Jan 3rd. See website for schedule. $10 hour plus materials fee. For ages 5-9y.
It is an open ended activity time for your kids and is a great opportunity for you to drop your kids off while you exercise, shop or have a coffee date with a friend! Your kids will have a great time building robot obstacle courses, crafting robots out of clay and found objects, creating marble runs, making giant Lego creations and much more. It is similar to “choice time” at school. The kids will have a blast and you will get to have some time on your own.
HOLIDAY CIRCUS at Master Theater (Brighton Beach)
Friday, December 20, 2013 at various times & repeating every day through Sunday, December 29, 2013. Tickets $45, $55, $65.
In what is becoming a Brooklyn holiday tradition, Holiday Circus brings together an array of amazing circus artists, astounding magic and illusions, and even Santa himself in an all-new dynamic production at the recently renovated Master Theater. This year’s special guest is the lovable and iconic clown, Grandma!
Film Society Lincoln Center Family Films: Bedknobs and Broomsticks at the Howard Gilman Theater (UWS)
Sat Dec 21st, Sun Dec 22nd & Mon Dec 23rd 11a. $7 per ticket.
Introduce the kids to some family favorites this fall and winter.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks (117 minutes) – Three English children are evacuated from war-torn London to live in a quiet village with a trainee witch (Angela Lansbury). To ensure the children keep her secret, she gives them a magic bedknob that allows them to travel anywhere they wish on a flying bed! Featuring the eye-popping scene on the Isle of Naboombu using a delightful mix of live and animated characters. Rated G
Presents to the Animals at Prospect Park Zoo
December 21–22, 28–29 330p. Free with admission
The presents come early and often for the animals at the Prospect Park Zoo. Throughout December, watch as Hamadryas baboons, Pallas’s cats, red pandas, mongoose, and other critters tear into treat-filled bags and boxes.
Presents for the animals are a form of enrichment. Prospect Park Zoo provides these and other types of mental and physical stimulation to keep the animals’ minds and bodies healthy and active. For full presents schedule click here.
Macy’s Santaland at Macy’s Herald Square
M-Sun various times until December 24th. See here for hours.
Nothing will put you more in the Christmas spirit than a trip to Santaland! In this enchanted holiday wonderland, you can tell Santa what you’d like for Chirstmas, get your picture taken with him and enjoy all sorts of other wonderful holiday magic.
Santaland is open until December 24th. Also happening at Macy’s: Yes Virginia the Musical. A holiday tradition since 1976, Macy’s Puppet Theater recreates beloved tales through the art of puppetry. This year, come see “Yes, Virginia: the Musical.” Featuring the vocal talents of Matthew Broderick, Whoopi Goldber and an all-star Broadway cast, it’s a must-see show for kids of all ages 11/29-12/24. General admission tickets are $5 per person (children under 2 free)
Photos at Santa’s Workshop at South Street Seaport
This December, Santa will be in his workshop waiting to take photos with you! Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 12pm-8pm, located in our See/Change containers (11 Fulton Street). Free.
Santa Hours at ABC Carpet & Home (Union Square)
Sat December 21st: 10am – 3p & Sun December 22nd 11am – 3pm. Free.
We love the ABC Santa experience. Everyone joins a civil line that winds through the beautiful store. The kids AND you are totally occupied with all the delicate items that sparkle from all the shelves. Attendants hold your stroller for you as you descend to Santa’s room. You walk down a red carpet to Santa who welcomes you in open arms. His beautiful vintage wine red robe and rosy cheeks are so authentic- it will convince even the oldest. Tips: The line is shortest around 2 pm because it’s near the end of his visiting hours. We went at 12:30 pm one weekend and waited for 20 minutes. Others report that they went the week before Christmas on a Saturday and had no wait. Bring your own camera.
Origami Holiday Tree 2013-2014 at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Now until January 12th. Grand Gallery, near the 77th Street exit on the Museum’s first floor.
An annual tradition, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for 40 years. The theme of this year’s tree is Wicked, Wild, and Wonderful, honoring the Museum’s new exhibition The Power of Poison. Volunteers begin folding in July to complete hundreds of creations that will be displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of paper folding.
South Street Seaport Ice Rink Public Skating Hours
Everyday now until Sunday March 2nd 2014. Monday – Thursday: 11a- 9p, Friday – Saturday: 10a- 10p, Sunday: 10a – 9p
Admission – $10, children 5 and under receive FREE admission. Skate rental: $6, helmet rental: $6, bag check: $8
*Residents living in 10038 and 10005 zip codes, with valid ID, receive 50% off Admission, Skate Rentals and Helmet Rentals. Passes also available for purchase. See website for details.
Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Now until January 12, 2014. Tuesday – Friday 9:30 am – 5 pm &Saturday & Sunday 10 am – 6 pm
Marvel at homemade gingerbread houses that are drafted, designed, baked, planned, built and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. GingerBread Lane, a 1.5 ton, 300-square-foot village made entirely of edible gingerbread, royal icing and candy, is a contender for the Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread exhibit.
The village includes an estimated 1,900 lbs. of icing, 400 lbs. of candy, and 500 lbs. of gingerbread dough. It is comprised of 152 gingerbread houses, 65 trees, four gingerbread cable cars, five gingerbread train cars, an underground candy subway station, candy trees and sugar signage. A behind-the-scenes window gives a peek into the makings of GingerBread Lane with ovens, models and ingredients made entirely from royal icing. Five two-foot-high nutcrackers, also made of royal icing, stand guard over the exhibit. Free with NYSCI admission.
The Centennial Holiday Fair at Grand Central Terminal(Midtown East)
Mon-Sat 10AM-8PM • Sun 11AM-7PM Christmas Eve 10AM-6PM (Closed Thanksgivng) in the Vanderbilt Hall now until December 24th
Grand Central Terminal’s 14th annual Holiday Fair, sponsored by Shaw Floors, is the only holiday market in the city to operate indoors. This season, the Fair will fill Vanderbilt Hall with 76 vendors for six weeks each offering a wonderful array of holiday gifts for all your loved ones including art, clothing for adults and children, handbags, jewelry and accessories for men and women, bath and body items, home goods, collectible toys, holiday items and gifts for pets.
The Centennial Holiday Light Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Now until Thursday Dec 26th 5-11p. Free.
The Holiday Light Show makes its return to Grand Central Terminal for its Centennial year. The show will light up the famous windows on the west side of the Main Concourse above Michael Jordan’s The Steak House N.Y.C. and Cipriani Dolci this holiday season.
12th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Now until February 23rd. M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p. (Closed for Christmas and New Year’s Day) Extended holiday hours from November 18 to December 24: M–F: 8a–8p, Saturdays: 10a–8p, Sundays: 10a–7p.
Trains are trips. Trips are adventures. This year memorable characters from Maira Kalman’s Next Stop Grand Central will be watching our Lionel trains as they zip, zap and whizz through their journey from Grand Central to the North Pole!
Three Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park/UWS)
Now until December 30 Monday through Friday at 10:30AM and 12:00PM. Additional show on Wednesdays at 2:30PM. Saturday and Sundays at 1:00PM. Tickets: $7/children & $10/adults.
The Three Bears Holiday Bash, is a variety show that celebrates the holiday season in song, dance, and puppetry. This production quickly becomes a comedy of errors when Baby Bear invites Santa to star in Mama and Papa
Bear’s annual holiday show. The audience also gets to join in on the fun with a “12 days of Christmas” sing-a-long during the performance!
Drawing from the stories of Hanukkah, the Night Before Christmas, and Kwanzaa, The Three Bears Holiday Bash is a great way to get into the holiday spirit!
For a full calendar of events please click here!