Hi everyone,
Martin Luther King weekend is almost here and we have a lot of fun events!
This weekend you can check out fun events like IMpossible IZZpossible at BAM, dance with Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets at Symphony Space, enjoy an End of Season Concert at The Rock Shop, see the Wild Kratts Live at the NYU Skirball Center, skate with with the Berenstain Bears at The LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Jack and the Beanstalk at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, meet Lynda Blackmon Lowery at the New York Historical Society and see the last weekend of The Amazing Max at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center!
There are also Martin Luther King events happening all weekend and Monday. Check out the Civil Rights Weekend Scavenger Hunt at Dimenna Children’s History Museum, Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at BAM, watch a movie screening of Our Friend, Martin at Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Martin Luther King Jr. Day events at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
That is just some of the events happening so check the calendar out to see what else is happening this weekend in Brooklyn & NYC! Remember to like us on Facebook for last minute events and news!
Enjoy the long weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 16th
Toddler Time With Mary Jo at Two Boots Park Slope
Fridays at 1030a. $10/family.
Join us for Toddler Time with Mary Jo. MJ’s background in music, theater and comedy makes “Toddler Time” a weekly class full of stories, songs, instruments and silly fun for the Zero-to-Five-year-old in all of us!
Storytime Featuring Madeline at Barnes & Noble Court Street (Downtown Brooklyn)
Fri Jan 16th 11a. Free.
Join us for Storytime featuring a visit by everyone’s favorite schoolgirl, Madeline.
Slice Family Night at at Soul Cafe of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (Bay Ridge)
Fri Jan 16th doors open at 545p. Advance tickets: $17 per family; at the door: $20 per family
Art on the Corner! Come play with SLICE favorite, Brian Carter! A master percussionist, Brian will lead us in World Music & Middle Eastern Drum/Percussion Adventures. SLICE FAMILY NIGHT begins with a simple, kid-friendly meal [usually pizza, veggies, snacks & juice] at 5:45 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., a 45-60 minute family-interactive, engagingly creative activity/workshop led by an artist/specialist follows. After the fun, we’ll wrap-up and clean-up — everyone helps! Everyone will be on their way home between 7:30-8:00 p.m.
IMpossible IZZpossible at BAM (Fort Greene)
Fri Jan 16th 7p & Sat Jan 17th 2p. Tickets: $12. Run time: 1 hr 5 min
A kinetic combination of hip-hop styles—locking, breaking, popping, and house—blends with tap, step, and modern dance in this electrifying dance showcase. With jaw-dropping technique and infectious enthusiasm, Philadelphia’s Illstyle & Peace Productions celebrate the African roots of American contemporary dance while driving home a message of “peace, love, and respect for everyone.”
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday January 17th
Handmade History! We the Puppets at the Brooklyn Historical Society (Brooklyn Heights)
Sat Jan 17th 11a-12n. Free. Reserve tickets here.
This week, we will explore the exhibit We The People: The Citizens of NYCHA in Photos + Words, which looks at a group of people not always seen in museums. We will each pick our favorite portrait in the exhibit and then return to the art studio to create an exaggerated puppet based on the person in the portrait.
Puppetsburg at Pipsqueak Children’s Shoppe (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Sat Jan 17th 11a-1145a. Cost is $20 per child. Registration required. Register here!
Puppetsburg does hipster, tattooed puppet shows for 0-4 year olds. The shows are 45 minutes long and involve dancing, instruments, dress-up “photo-ops,” and bubble time (!) followed by a puppet story. Children get to know a cast of handmade puppet characters including Clementine, a hipster who always carries around a plush camera for “instagram-esque photos,” Piggy B, a pig with blue glasses and an “over-it” look on his face, and Rex, who’s favorite animal is a T-Rex like the one he wears on his shirt.
End of Season Concert at The Rock Shop (Park Slope)
Sat Jan 17th 2-6p. All ages welcome. Join us for our big end-of-season show/bash at The Rock Shop in Park Slope. Our performance program students have been rehearsing all season, and are ready to rock out in front of family, friends and special invited guests. Enjoy back-to-back shows including iconic Punk Rock and Best of the 90s music. For more info/to RSVP contact brooklyn@schoolofrock.com or call 347-844-9363.
Families Celebrate Africa at Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture (Park Slope)
Sat Jan 17th 4-6p. $15 per child in advance (3 to 17 years old). $20 per child at the door. Adults 18 and older accompanying a child and children 2 and under attend free. Purchase tickets here. Doors open at 4 for African face painting and crafts and costume creation. Performance and African Dance class begins at 4:30. Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture offers a fun filled family event to celebrate African music and dance, with African face painting, crafts and costumes. Simba Yangala and the dancers from JungleDom will guide children of all ages through a relaxed African dance lesson, followed by a performance that welcomes the participation from both, children and adults. Proceeds from this class will help provide scholarships for BSEC’s Ethics for Children Classes.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday January 18th
Wild Kratts Live at the NYU Skirball Center (Greenwich Village)
Sunday Jan 18th 11a & 3p. Tickets $32-$75. See website for additional dates/times.
Martin and Chris Kratt, the real-life stars of PBS’s Emmy-nominated Wild Kratts, come to NYU Skirball in an all new theatrical stage show based on the hit animated television series. Always ready to help animals that need them, Martin and Chris engage the audience in a classic Wild Kratts adventure, tapping into the powers of some of their favorite animals to save the day. And remember to join us one hour before the show in the lobby for a fun and educational activity!
Figure 8 Play-Date with the Berenstain Bears at The LeFrak Center at Lakeside
Sun Jan 18th 2p. Skating Admission: $8 Skate Rentals: $6 including tax
Come skate with Brother and Sister! As part of this special WNET Kids Club THIRTEEN character skate series, families are invited for an afternoon of fun-filled activities and excitement with their favorite PBS Character. Enjoy a meet and greet on the ice and character-themed activities and arts and crafts.
Bouncing Ball Sing-Along at at SideShows by the SeaShore (Coney Island)
Sun Jan 18th 2p. Tickets are $10. The Museum of Interesting Things takes over your eyes & ears at Coney Island for a special Circus/Windup toy themed sing-a-long party! Remember those bouncing balls films? Well we have them on antique 16mm film! Prepare to sing your heart out or just enjoy! The Museum has a show featuring Original Rare 16mm films from the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. Early 1900’s and some 1800’s antiques demos too! Stereviews and Mutoscope cards!
Meet Lynda Blackmon Lowery, Freedom Marcher and author of Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom at New York Historical Society (UWS)
Sun Jan 18th 2-330p. For ages 8 and up. Free with Museum Admission.
Come hear Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the youngest participant in the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, share her experiences as recounted in the memoir Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom. The young adult book – co-written by Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley – gives readers a first-hand account of what it was like to protest nonviolently to gain the right to vote for African-Americans and proves that kids can be heroes, too. Presentation will include photos, newsreels, excerpts read from the book, and a Q&A. After, explore the special exhibition Freedom Journey 1965: Photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March by Stephen Somerstein with a Civil Rights Scavenger Hunt.
For more Sunday events please click here!
Monday January 19th
Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at BAM (Fort Greene)
Mon Jan 19th 1030a (lobby opens at 8am). Free. Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. For the 29th year, BAM hosts New York City’s largest public celebration of the great civil rights leader. This year’s main event features a keynote address by author, professor, and activist Dr. Cornel West, with musical performances by Sandra St. Victor & Oya’s Daughter and the New York Fellowship Mass Choir. Following the morning events, West will sign copies of The Radical King, his new collection of King’s writings, and Black Prophetic Fire, a collection of dialogues on black leaders between West and scholar Christa Buschendorf.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Children’s Museum of Manhattan (UWS)
Mon Jan 19th various times. Free with museum admission. For all ages.
Join us at CMOM for art activities, community service and workshops as we honor the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. 1030a & 12p for ages 5 & older. Historic Heroines: Coretta Scott King: Create a children’s book in honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta Scott King. Learn about The Coretta Scott King Book Award, given out to outstanding African-American writers and illustrators of children’s literature. 1045a & 12p for all ages. Honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by creating a mosaic of his portrait.
Movie Screening: Our Friend, Martin at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Mon Jan 19th 1230, 2p & 330p. Free with museum admission. For all ages.
This animated film incorporates authentic historical footage of Dr. King as two students travel through time to learn about the Civil Rights movement and the courage it took to change the dream of freedom into reality.
Child’s Play NY: Let’s Play MLK Gruffalo Day! at Prema Yoga Brooklyn (Carroll Gardens)
Mon Jan 19th 2-4p. $35/per child. If you are looking for stimulating, creative and physical fun for your children, please have them join us for our special Let’s Play! Class. We’ll be enjoying theater games and performing improvs based on the magical worlds of Julia Donaldson. Teachers: Jocelyn Greene and Eryn Murman
For more Monday events please click here!
All Weekend
Let’s Join Hands at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sat-Mon Jan 17th-19th 1130a & 230p. For 5 and under. Free with museum admission.
Learn about how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. joined hands with people of all colors on a march for his people’s freedom. Explore the big ideas of diversity and tolerance through storytelling and songs. Create a craft inspired by Dr. King’s message to take with you.
Let’s March at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sat-Mon Jan 17th-19th 1230p. For ages 4 and up. Free with museum admission.
The Civil Rights Era is marked by the action of marching. Join us as we watch footage of Dr. King’s famous March on Washington, create posters for peace and justice, and march together throughout BCM.
Tim Kubart and the Space Cadets at Symphony Space (UWS)
Sat Jan 17th & Sun Jan 18th 11a. Adults $21, Members $18, Kids $14, Members $12
Sprout TV host Tim Kubart and his band deliver charming and charismatic tunes about talent shows, superheros and more!
Civil Rights Weekend Scavenger Hunt at Dimenna Children’s History Museum (UWS)
Sat Jan 16th-Mon Jan 19th 10a-6p. Free with museum admission. For ages 8 and up.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the special exhibition Freedom Journey 1965: Photographs of the Selma to Montgomery March by Stephen Somerstein, families take a deeper look at the courageous people who marched for equal voting rights through a scavenger hunt matching faces to the names of heroes from the Civil Rights Movement.
Jack and the Beanstalk at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Tue–Fri 1030a & 12p, Wed 1030a, 12p & 230p and Sat & Sun 1p until June 26th. Tickets are $7/children and $10/adults. Based on the classic English fairytale, this fresh retelling of the Swedish Cottage original production takes Jack on an enchanting adventure up a magical beanstalk. In this starry new world, Jack encounters the notorious Giant, Milford, whose thieving ways have brought misfortune upon Jack and his mother. Determined to make life better for his family, Jack, with help from friends old and new, risks his life to take back what the Giant stole.
Transportation Inventions: Winter Wheels at the New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Sat-Sun Jan 17th-18th 130p. Free with museum admission. For ages 5+
Use your imagination, a little inspiration and some wacky materials to plan, bluepring and buile a pint-sized bus, subway or elevatrated train car equipped for dashing through the snow!
The Amazing Max at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (UWS)
Sat Jan 17th 3p, Sun Jan 18th 1p and Mon Jan 19th 11a & 1p. Recommended for ages 3 & up. Tickets $29.50-$64.50. See website for other future dates in Dec & Jan. The Amazing Max bursts with striking visual magic, comedy and loads of audience participation. Magician Max Darwin makes objects appear out of thin air, defies the laws of physics, and performs miracles inches from spectator’s faces. “An awesome and hilarious live magic show” PBS Kids. “Max Darwin is indeed amazing ” Time Out Kids. “His ability to astound is something to see” Huffington Post. This show is the wackiest, most interactive, highest energy magic show for families in town today.
Holiday Express at the New-York Historical Society (UWS)
Now until February 22nd. Friday 10a-8p, Tue-Thu & Sat 10a-6p & Sun 11a-5p. Free with paid admission. Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection. The New-York Historical Society will be transformed this holiday season with the installation of a spectacular exhibit of treasures from the renowned Jerni Collection, now owned by the New-York Historical Society, of model trains, scenic elements and toys. The dynamic display will appeal to all age groups, showcasing the beauty and allure of toys from a bygone era. The exhibition begins at the West 77th Street entrance, where movement and sound from four large-scale multimedia screens will make it seem as though trains are roaring through the space. A 360-degree mountainous landscape will be on view in the Judith and Howard Berkowitz Sculpture Court, featuring artifacts grouped into ten scenes.
13th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Now until February 22nd. M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p. (extended hours November 22n-December 24th – see website for details. Location: Shuttle Passage adjacent to the Station Master’s Office. Free. Lionel trains once again will capture hearts and imaginations at the Transit Museum where Metro-North, New York Central and subway trains depart from a miniature GCT. The Museum’s store and booth at the Holiday Gift Fair offer great gifts for your holiday shopping!
Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Now until January 19th 2015. Various times and prices. See website for information.
Advance reservations are strongly recommended as tickets do sell out. Tickets are timed and sold in 15 minute increments. New York City’s Favorite Train Show: A 23-Year Tradition! A must-see New York tradition where enchanting model trains zip past popular landmarks under the twinkling glow of the magical Haupt Conservatory! Step into a city in miniature featuring more than 150 iconic buildings, all re-created with bark, leaves, and other natural materials. Marvel at G-scale trains humming along among familiar sights such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center—surprising at every turn—on a quarter-mile of track as they enliven this cherished holiday experience. The Artist’s Studio showcases how visionary artist Paul Busse and his team craft these amazing small wonders. Real trains, real landmarks, real fun—only at NYBG!
For a full calendar of events please click here!