Hi everyone!
Another fabulous fun weekend is about to start and as always there is so much to do this weekend in New York City!
Start the weekend with free activities like Summer Fridays with FiDi Families at South Street Seaport, Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID Summer Strolls and Come Out & Play 2014 After Dark at the Manhattan Bridge Archway Plaza! There is also a Come Out & Play Field Day and Family Festival happening on Govenor’s Island this weekend!
The New Museum Block Party and the A Memorial Concert for Pete and Toshi Seeger at Lincoln Center and Rubin Museum of Art’s Chelsea Block Party are all happening this weekend! Don’t forget the Walking With Dinosaurs The Arena Spectacular at the Barclays Center, the Space & Science Festival at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and Shakespeare at Sunset: Taming of the Shrew at Brooklyn Bridge Park are also going on all this weekend!
That is only some of the events going on so check out the calendar for all the events this weekend in Brooklyn & NYC! Remember to check with venues for schedule changes and don’t forget to like us on Facebook for last minute events and news!
Happy weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday July 18th
Summer Fridays with FiDi Families at South Street Seaport
Fridays July 18th and until August 29th 10a. Free.
Join FiDi Families for a FREE hour of fun, family-friendly activities at our Front/Row Stage (11 Fulton Street). July 18th: Music Beans and CityMani. See website for details on future performances.
SummerStage Kids Presents: Janice Marie Robinson’s Melodic Magic at Brower Park (Crown Heights)
Friday July 18th 1030-1130a. Free.
SummerStage Kids offers unique, interactive events for the entire family, throughout the summer in park locations citywide.
With dance performances, storytelling, acrobats, spoken word and music, SummerStage Kids exposes New York City youth to the world of arts and culture through a vast and diverse collection of engaging entertainment unparalleled by any other festival of its kind in NYC. Artists from around the corner and around the globe offer exciting FREE performances June through August every summer.
Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID Summer Strolls
Friday July 18th 5-9p. Free.
Summer Strolls on 5th Avenue. From 12th-18th Street will be closed to traffic. Come enjoy the summer weather, explore the avenue and the extra open space as we close Fifth Avenue for these nights and turn the street into a block party! There will be additional Summer Strolls. See website for all the information.
Come Out & Play 2014 After Dark at the Manhattan Bridge Archway Plaza (DUMBO)
Friday July 18th from 7-1030p. Free.
Come Out & Play is a two-day festival of street games that turns New York City into a giant playground. Each year After Dark turns the city streets in a particular neighborhood into an arcade with social party games, large physical video games and wild new street games. This year After Dark lands in DUMBO where it will light up the Manhattan Bridge Archway Plaza (just across from 155 Water Street). All games are free. Games run multiple times throughout each event. Sign up is on a first come, first served basis at the festival.
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday July 19th
Jeff Koons Family Opening at the Whitney Museum of American Art (UES)
Sat July 19th 930A–12n with a 930–11a Special early opening just for families! Free with Museum admission. No registration is required. For kids of all ages. Bring your kids to visit Jeff Koons: A Retrospective. This family-friendly exhibition features a giant sculpture of a balloon dog, a larger-than-life sculpture of Play-Doh, and much more! We will offer art making activities, hands-on gallery stations, and other fun ways to help families learn about Koons’s art and process.
Autism Friendly NYMF Performance: The Snow Queen at The Griffin at The Pershing Square Signature Center
Saturday, July 19 at 11a. Tickets are $25, which includes one fidget toy per seat.
How far would you go to save a friend? Be sprited away by this new musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fantastical coming-of-age adventure. Join Gerda on a dangerous and whimsical quest to save her best friend Kai before he is trapped forever in the Snow Queen’s palace. Dare to enter a world where flowers sing, animals talk, and riddles yearn to be solved. With an original pop rock score, alluring ballads, urban steam punk flair, and the enigmatic Snow Queen, you’ll soon see this is not your average bedtime story.
The shows will be performed in a supportive environment for an audience of families and friends with children or adults who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or other sensitivity issues. Slight adjustments to the production may be made, including reduction of any jarring sounds or light cues. The theatre lobby will have a quiet/activity area, staffed with autism specialists, for those who need to leave their seats during the performance. Social narratives and pictures of the theares and productions designed to personalize the experience for each attendee with ASD will be available for download in advance of the performances. There is also an autism friendly performance of Rescue Rue on Sunday at 11a. See website for details.
Come Out & Play 2014 Family Day at Governors Island
Saturday July 19th 11a-4p. Free.
Family Day is a mini-festival of games for the whole family, organized by ESI Design, one of the world’s foremost experience design firms. All of the games will connect together in a single fun storyline about Time Travel — complete with an official Time Travel Agency, games throughout time, chronological paradoxes, and imminent threats to the space-time continuum! You’ll be able to play just one or two games as you like, or all of them for an epic Time Travel adventure. There is also a Come Out & Play 2014 Field Day on Governors Island at the Parade Ground Field on Saturday the 19th 11a-5p! See website for more information.
New Museum Block Party at the Sara D. Roosevelt Park (Lower East Side)
Sat July 19th 12n-5p. Free.
Join the New Museum for our annual Block Party in Sara D. Roosevelt Park! Enjoy a day of interactive projects and performances inspired by current exhibitions and New Museum programs. Afterwards, head over to the Museum to participate in family-friendly tours of our upcoming exhibition “Here and Elsewhere”. The New Museum Block Party is free and open to the public. All Block Party guests will receive complimentary admission to the New Museum on the day of the event. See website for schedule of events.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday July 20th
Roller Rink Free Admission at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2
Free skate sessions on Sundays from 10 am to noon. (also Mondays and Fridays from 3 to 6 pm)
The rink, operated by New York Skating, LLC, has hockey boards running the perimeter, multiple entrances and player boxes, and will provide opportunities for roller and in-line skating, roller hockey and roller derby. The operators, who were selected last year as a result of an RFP process, will rent skating equipment and manage the rink schedule to allow for a mix of public skate time, recreational league play, and special events.
Free Kid’s Anatomy Workshop at the Morbid Anatomy Museum (Gowanus)
Sunday July 20th 12n-6p. Free.
Today, stop by The Morbid Anatomy Museum to enjoy an excellent cup of coffee and browse of the museum while Artist and Anatomist in Residence Emily Evans teaches your kids how to make their own anatomical artworks!
Rubin Museum of Art’s Chelsea Block Party
Sunday July 20th 1-4p rain or shine! Free. 150 W. 17th Street (between 6th and 7th avenues)
Join us for a party for the entire family in celebration of our tenth anniversary and new Family Sundays program. Take part in art-making activities, crafts, music, performances, and food. Admission to the museum will be free all day!
A Memorial Concert for Pete and Toshi Seeger at Lincoln Center
Sunday July 20th 4p. Free. At the Damrosch Park Bandshell.
Pete and Toshi Seeger’s legacies run deep: from transforming the way we listen to our American roots, to demanding social justice and successfully advocating for grassroots environmental change. Organized by their grandson Kitama Cahill-Jackson, an all-star line-up of family and friends gathers to remember these leaders in folk music and activism.
For more Sunday events please click here!
All Weekend
Shakespeare at Sunset: Taming of the Shrew at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Friday July 18th-Sunday July 20th 7p. Free. At Granite Prospect.
Free performances of Taming of the Shrew by the Dumbo based Random Access Theatre. Part of the series Shakespeare at Sunset.
Out of the Box & Over a Barrel at the Waterfront Museum (Red Hook)
Sat July 19th & Sun July 20th 3p. Tickets at door Adults $15 & kids $12. Discount if bought advanced (see website for info).
“Out of the Box” tells the story of this bustling era in NYC history before bridges and tunnels. Based on true stories using maps, models, and puppets, this multi-discipline show aims to entertain and enlighten audiences about what this last-surviving wooden barge carried and the families and captains who lived on them. Maritime scholars and almost a dozen old-timers and their oral histories add historical accuracy to the project. The leaders of “Out of the Box” are Deborah Kauffman, a physical actor and puppeteer, Stephen Kaplin director and puppeteer, Alma Sheppard-Matsuo, puppeteer and David Sharps, captain of Lehigh Valley #79 and a former entertainer aboard cruise ships. The project is funded in part by the NY Council for the Humanities and the Brooklyn Arts Council NYSCA Regrant Program.
Walking With Dinosaurs The Arena Spectacular at Barclays Center
Wed July 16th-Sun July 20th various times
Come see 20 life-size dinosaurs, including the terror of the ancient terrain, the Tyrannosaurus Rex! Be thrilled and amazed as the greatest creatures ever to walk the earth return before your very eyes. Marvel at the story of their 200 million year domination of life on earth. Watch them walk. Hear the roar. Be there as they fight for survival and supremacy. From the ripple of their skin to the glint in their eye, you will know the dinosaurs really are back!
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.
Unsung & Heroes at Tada! Youth Theater (Chelsea, Midtown West)
Tues-Sat at various times now until August 1st. Tickets $8-$25. See website for details.
Unsung (part-one) is a world-premiere dance theater piece about the most daring thing for every kid: coming of age. Part two is Heroes, a new musical based on the play by Tom Keegan and Davidson Lloyd. When the sun disappears, a group of kids learns what it means and what it takes to be brave.
Cultural Connections: Max ZT & The Hammered Dulcimer at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sat & Sun July 19th & 20th. 12n-1230p & 1-130p. For all ages. Free with museum admission.
Lauded as the “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammered Dulcimer” by NPR, Max ZT is an innovator of the instrument. Taking his roots from classical Irish folk music, his music is inspired from places like Senegal to India. Cultural Connections Performances are supported by the Tiger Baron Foundation.
New York Classical Theatre: As You Like It in Battery Park (Financial District)
Tuesday July 1st-Sun July 27th (except Mondays) 7-9p. Meet in front of Castle Clinton. Free.
Celebrating Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday and our 15th Anniversary Season. New York Classical Theatre’s production of: AS YOU LIKE IT! Directed by Stephen Burdman. The show is completely FREE! No tickets or reservations required! As You Like It tells the tale of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved female characters, Rosalind (Rin Allen), and the object of her affection, Orlando (Ian Antal). Exiled to the Forest of Arden, the two become entangled in a beguiling game of love, lust, and mistaken identity. Gender roles, nature, and politics are confused in a play that exuberantly upends the traditional rules of romance.
Space & Science Festival at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum (Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West)
Wed July 16th-Sun July 20th. All activities taking place on Pier 86 are free to the public, while programs and activities inside the Museum and the Space Shuttle Pavilion require Museum admission. See website for schedule of activities.
The Intrepid Museum’s third annual Space & Science Festival is a five-day celebration of space, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) and innovation. Join us for interactive displays from NASA and other amazing science partners, astronaut appearances, special presentations, space-themed Tour Guide Talks, an Astronomy Night and more! We’re also celebrating the 45th anniversary of the Moon landing with a special discussion with astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Mike Massimino.
NYMF Performance: Rescue Rue at Studio Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center
Sat July 19th 12n, Sun July 20th 1p. Tickets $25. 1 hour with no intermission.
When a little dog named Rue wishes for a “Happily Ever After” from her Fairy Dogmother, she soon embarks on an emotional journey of self-discovery and belonging. Kicked out of her home, Rue meets new friends and enemies alike on the street and at the pound before finding her “Furever” home in NYC and realizing life is really about finding your happy beginnings, not endings! Based on a true adoption story, this family-friendly pop musical is told by a colorful cast of puppets and people. Fun for all ages!
Little Rockers at the Bronx Zoo
Sat & Sun July 19th & 2oth 1130a, 130p & 230p at the Terrace Cafe. Free with zoo admission.
Come jam with The Little Rockers Band in their original, upbeat show “Rock & Roll Zoo.”
Victorian Garden at Wollman Rink (Central Park)
Daily until Sun Sep 7th various times and admission & ride prices varies by day. See website. Enter park from 59th St. and 6th Avenue.
Victorian Gardens will open its gates Memorial Day Weekend! Opening weekend times: May 24th 10a-9p, May 25th and May 26th 10a-8p. Victorian Gardens is a traditional family amusement park featuring one-of-a-kind handcrafted rides, games of chance, classic concessions, face painting and live entertainment.
Bessies’s Big Shot at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
M-Sun now until August 24th M-F 1030a & 12p, Wed 1030a, 12p, & 230p, Sat-Sun 1p. Tickets: $7 children under 12y & $10 all others. For all ages.
Based on the famed PuppetMobile show of the same name, this popular production makes its Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre debut! Directed by Bruce Cannon and co-written by Douglas Strich, Alexander Bartenieff and Bruce Cannon, this version of the beloved show will feature several new puppets in addition to new and extended scenes. It’s a bird … it’s a plane … no … it’s Bessie the cow! CPF’s original production, Bessie’s Big Shot, follows Bessie the cow’s dream of joining the circus. Can she lift more than Ziegfried, the strongest man in the world? Fly on a trapeze high above the crowd? Train Munson the Monkey? This variety show cheers Bessie on as she attempts the impossible and searches for her special talents.
CMA/Free Arts Island Outpost on Governors Island
Sat-Sun now until Sep 28th and Labor Day Sep 1st 11a-3p. For ages 1-15y. Free.
Join us as we spend the summer amongst the trees, with the crickets and cicadas, dreaming of far away spaces and surreal surroundings! Places with wonderful surprises and strange twists, where not making sense makes the most sense! Be prepared for theater games and film-making; painting, collage, and found object art; costume and prop-making; up-cycling, recycling, and re-purposing! And don’t forget: The Flubber Experience! Location: Governors Island, Outside Buildings 11 & 14 in Nolan Park.
Kids Corner at Habana Outpost (Fort Greene)
Saturdays & Sundays until August 24th 11a-3p.
Drop in for FREE, fun arts & crafts every Saturday and Sunday in the courtyard of Habana Outpost. July 19th-20th: Recycled paper frames
Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed! at the Bronx Zoo
Now until November 2nd 10a-5p. Admission included in total experience ticket price. Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed! Nine new dinosaur species have been added this year including the deinonychus, prodohadros, stegosaurus, and edmontonia. Returning for the Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed, the ever-popular 40-foot long tyrannosaurus rex will send chills up the spines of Bronx Zoo adventurers. At the end of the experience, there is a field site that includes a fossil dig for children; a Tyrannosaurus rex photo-op; a paleontologist’s tent that includes a fossil museum; and an interactive robotic dinosaur that illustrates how the animatronics work.
Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Now until January 4th 10a-545p. Free with General Admission Plus One
In the new exhibition Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs, rare fossils, life-size models, and hands-on interactives bring these ancient animals to life. Step back in time to see pterosaurs, including giants such as Tropeognathus mesembrinus,with a wingspan of more than 25 feet, and find out how they moved on land and in the air. Get a first-hand look at the rare pterosaur fossils that have helped paleontologists learn all that we know about these animals. In a virtual flight lab, use your body to pilot a pterosaur over a prehistoric landscape. Encounter the exceptional creatures that flew in the age of dinosaurs.
Prospect Park Carousel Summer Hours
Now until September 1st 2014 Thu–Sun: 12n–6p. $2 per ride, $9 for a book of 5 tickets.
Kick off spring with a ride on the Park’s beautiful 102 year-old carousel. Located in the Park’s “Children’s Corner,” the Carousel features 51 magnificently carved horses, a lion, a giraffe, a deer, and two dragon-pulled chariots. Carved in 1912 by Charles Carmel, one of the foremost carousel designers of the time, and restored by the Prospect Park Alliance in 1990, the Carousel promises that classic summertime amusement will be available for generations of fun. In addition, the Prospect Park Carousel is one of the few in the world that is wheelchair accessible.
For a full calendar of events please click here!