Hi everyone,
Hard to believe Thanksgiving is only two weeks away and the holidays are coming up fast!
If you are ready to dive into the holiday spirit early take the kids this weekend to the opening weekend of Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science, 14th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal and The 3 Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre.
Also happening this weekend is 9th Annual Children’s Book Fair at the Brooklyn Museum, The Magical World of Strega Nona at BAM, Brooklyn Center Presents: Black Violin at Walt Whitman Theatre, Learn & Play and also Thunderbird Dancers at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Celebrate Diwali! Family Sundays at Rubin Museum Of Art, Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth at Coney Island USA, Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic at Barclays Center, Cuba Vibra! at the New Victory Theater, Sicilian Marionettes with Tony De Nonno at the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library, Indigenous Peoples Cultural Festival at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center and Parallel Exit: Wham, Slam and Bam! at Central Brooklyn Public Library
There are even more weekend events on the calendar so check it out to see everything happening in Brooklyn & NYC! Also remember to like us on Facebook for last minute events and news!
Have a great weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday November 13th
Sicilian Marionettes with Tony De Nonno at the Brooklyn Public Library (Park Slope)
Friday November 13th 330-430p. Free. This program is for all ages! Award-winning TV producer/writer/director and historian Tony De Nonno will take audience members on an enlightening journey into the life and legacy of puppeteers Mike and Aida Manteo, their children, and even grandchildren — a family bound together by a Sicilian folk tradition that spans a century in New York. Come experience this enchanting vision of New York’s acclaimed Papa Manteo Sicilian Marionette Theater, first established on Catherine Street in Manhattan’s Little Italy in 1918. During this program Mr. De Nonno will encourage “children of all ages” to interact directly with one of Papa Manteo’s marionettes. A highlight of the program will be the screening of Mr. De Nonno’s award-winning PBS documentary about the Manteos: “It’s One Family: Knock on Wood”
Learn & Play at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Friday November 13th 3-5p. Also happening Saturday November 14th 10a-12n. For all ages. Free with Museum admission. Brooklyn Children’s Museum is hosting “Learn & Play” for educators, parents, and children of all ages. Discover how free play unlocks a child’s imagination and creativity while building social skills, collaboration, confidence, problem solving, determination, and more. Imagination Playground transforms children’s minds, bodies and spirits through play!
Cuba Vibra! at the New Victory Theater
Friday November 13th 7p and also Saturday November 14th 2p & 7p and Sunday November 15th 12n & 5p. See website for future weekend times. For ages 6+. Tickets start at $15. Performance: 95 minutes including one intermission. It’s a hot Havana night when Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba brings the heat in an irresistible fusion of ballet, flamenco, cha-cha, rumba, conga, bolero and salsa. With superior synchronicity, 18 dancers fill the stage with flavorful finesse as they seamlessly dance in lockstep to the Afro-Cuban beats and vocal virtuosity of an on-stage big band. Celebrating Cuban music and dance from the ’50s to today, boisterous Latin rhythms electrify the air in CUBA VIBRA!
75th Anniversary Screening of Fantasia at Symphony Space (UWS)
Friday November 13th 7p. $18; $16 Seniors/Kids; $14 Members. Expected Run Time is 129 minutes. Throughout history, there have been but a handful of groundbreaking films where the soundtrack has become inextricably linked to the cinematic achievement of the film itself. There is perhaps no greater example of this marriage than Walt Disney’s 1940 masterpiece, Fantasia. Disney animators set pictures to Western classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. “The Rite of Spring” tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. “Dance of the Hours” is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. “Night on Bald Mountain” and “Ave Maria” set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day.
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday November 14th
Justin Roberts…Unplugged! at Symphony Space (UWS)
Saturday November 14th 11a. Tickets: $18/$15 members. Expected run time is 60 minuts. Two-time GRAMMY nominee Justin Roberts is truly one of the “all-stars” of the indie family music scene. He logs thousands of miles on the road each year, leading some to call him the hardest working man in children’s show business. With numerous national awards and recognition and a devoted fan base, Justin and The Not Ready for Naptime Players dish out unexpectedly intelligent and whimsically rocking music for kids and their parents. With a style compared to Elvis Costello and Green Day, they’re an audience favorite year after year! Justin has performed in front of millions of people on The Today Show, he’s featured on Nick Jr. TV, and his song “Get Me Some Glasses” was featured on a World Series broadcast. He’s also garnered kudos and raves from national media including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, People, Entertainment Weekly, and the Chicago Tribune. Join Justin and his band for a rare and intimate acoustic performance, filled with all the songs you and your kids know and love, played in a way you’ve never heard them before!
9th Annual Children’s Book Fair at the Brooklyn Museum
Saturday November 14th 12n-4p. Free. Join us for our annual Children’s Book Fair featuring your favorite Brooklyn authors and illustrators. This free event includes storybooks, picture books, graphic novels, and original hands-on art activities for all ages. Readings and drawing with the illustrators in the Rubin Pavilion: 12:30 p.m. Julia Sarcone-Roach, author and illustrator: The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, 1 p.m. Tad Hills, author and illustrator: Duck & Goose Colors, 1:30 p.m. Abby Hanlon, author and illustrator: Dory and the Real True Friend, 2:30 p.m. Scott Menchin, author: Grandma in Blue with Red Hat, 3 p.m. Aaron Meshon, author and illustrator: Tools Rule, 3:30 p.m. Michael Hearst, author (Young Adult): Extraordinary People. Other participating authors and illustrators: Selina Alko, Artie Bennett, Sophie Blackall, Carin Bramsen, Peter Brown, Lauren Castillo, Mike Curato, Laura Lyn DiSiena, Zetta Elliott, Brian Floca, Gilbert Ford, Melanie Hope Greenberg, Meredith Hamilton, John & Wendy, Nancy Krulik, Laura Ljungkvist, Yona McDonough, Christopher Silas Neal, George O’Connor, Kris Poluchowicz, Sean Qualls, Sergio Ruzzier, Daniel Salmieri, Louella San Juan, David Ezra Stein, Julie Sternberg, Naoko Stoop, Heather Swain, Dasha Tolstikova, Lesley Ware, Hyewon Yum
The Magical World of Strega Nona at BAM (Fort Greene)
Saturday November 14th 1p. Tickets: $8. For ages 7+. Legendary children’s book author and illustrator Tomie dePaola comes to BAM on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his original Caldecott Award-winning book Strega Nona and the publication of a new collection of stories. Maria Russo, children’s books editor of The New York Times Book Review, leads a discussion with the prolific author on the origin of the story and the magic of the beloved “grandma witch.” Following the conversation dePaola reads a classic Strega Nona tale and signs books for fans of all ages.
Brooklyn Center Presents: Black Violin at Walt Whitman Theatre (Flatbush)
Saturday November 14th 2p. Tickets: $18. Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission. Back by popular demand, virtuoso violinists Kev Marcus and Wil B return to Brooklyn with their electrifying mash-up of hip-hop, classical, and pop tunes. With appearances ranging from the Apollo Theater and the Billboard Music Awards to three NFL Super Bowls and President Obama’s official Inaugural Ball, this dynamic duo never fails to take audiences by storm with their unique spin on music for strings.
Events for Youth & Families: Parallel Exit: Wham, Slam and Bam! at Central Brooklyn Public Library
Saturday November 14th 130-230p. Free. Location: Dweck Center. With music, magic, juggling, and comedy, Parallel Exit packs more entertainment in a single show than a three-ring circus. Three fun-loving physical comedians present a wide range of old-fashioned family entertainment, and you get to join in the fun! A delight for audiences of all ages.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday November 15th
Indigenous Peoples Cultural Festival at the Children’s Museum of the Arts (SoHo)
Sunday November 15th 10a-5p. Free with Museum admission. Help us celebrate indigenous cultures with performances and workshops throughout the museum! Enjoy an interactive Performance at 12:30PM by Kalpulli Huehuetlahtolli, a Mexica Danza Group. Grounded in commitment to cultural pride, and time-honored traditions. The mission of Kalpulli Huehuetlahtolli is to preserve indigenous ways of life, as it has been passed down from ancient Mexico. Workshops include: Fine Arts with Totem Poles & Weaving. Media Lab: Natives Homes and Spirit Animals at the Clay Bar, Animate Light: Sun Dials & Cave Paintings in the Media Lab, Nature Sound Collages, Beats and Chants in the Sound Booth.
Carnegie Kids: Songs for Unusual Creatures (UWS)
Sunday November 12n. 15th Free with RSVP. RSVP here. Location: Resnick Education Wing. Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and writer Michael Hearst and his band Songs for Unusual Creatures introduce families to some of the most bizarre animals on the planet. Hearst and his compatriots make these creatures come to life with the use of a wide range of peculiar instruments, including claviola, theremin, and stylophone. Unusual creatures—such as the blue-footed booby and blobfish—slither, soar, and scamper along in video projections to the band’s quirky tunes.
Celebrate Diwali! Family Sundays at Rubin Museum Of Art (Chelsea)
Sundays in November drop-in anytime between 1pm and 4pm. Ages 3 and up with accompanying adults. Free for all children and accompanying adults. Please call 212.620.5000 x362 in advance if you are interested in bringing a group of 10 or more. Sundays are for families! Bring your family to the Museum for a Sunday afternoon full of family-friendly activities. Drop into the Education Center for some art making, enjoy our 2p family exhibition tour, or go on your own thematic gallery search. November Sundays: Celebrate Diwali! (No Program on November 29). Celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, all month long at the Rubin. Search for light in Sacred Spaces and then explore India through Steve McCurry’s photographs. Drop by the art studio for light-themed art making.
Thunderbird Dancers at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sunday November 15th 2-3p. For all ages. Free with museum admission. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with BCM and the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers! Their performances feature a diversity of dance forms that reflect the group’s multicultural tribal membership. Through their performances and community outreach, they preserve American Indian culture while promoting understanding of their communities.
Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth at Coney Island USA
Sunday November 15th 4p. Admission: $10 youth under 21 / $15 adults. Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and Playful Productions present a special showcase for young variety performers, ranging from absolute amateurs to world-class professionals. Juvenile jugglers, diminutive dancers, adolescent acrobats, and a host of other majorly talented minors present a full show of vernal vaudeville. Now in its eleventh year, Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth continues to feature an amazing array of young talent. These are the future stars of Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Coney Island Sideshow, and television. Where else can you see young unicyclists, tap dancers, magicians, clowns, and contortionists share the stage with Broadway-bound singers and classically trained musicians?
For more Sunday events please click here!
All Weekend
Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic at Barclays Center (Prospect Heights)
Ongoing at various times until Sunday November 15th. See website for more information on times and ticket prices. Grab your Mickey ears and get ready for the ultimate Disney experience at Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt comes to Brooklyn from November 10 – November 15! Be charmed by a cast of over 50, with Mouse-ter of Ceremonies Mickey Mouse, sweetheart Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Disney Princesses including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Ariel, Snow White and Tiana. Relive the magic of Disney’s Frozen with Anna, Elsa and the hilarious Olaf as they discover that true love is the greatest magic of all. Sing-along to over 30 unforgettable songs including “Let It Go,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and “Hakuna Matata.” Exciting moments from Disney Pixar’s Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Disney’s The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and more will leave the whole family with memories to last a lifetime. Show off your moves at the Disney Magic of Healthy Living dance-along pre-show inspired by the Disney Healthy Living commitment as the celebration of the century skates into your hometown!
Subway Smarts: Signals at the New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Saturday-Sunday November 14th-15th 130-215p. Free with admission. For ages 4+. Discover the language of red, yellow and green lights and how subway trains communicate- become a signals expert! Play and learn with subway signals from the Museum’s collection and experiment with subway signal communication as we create our own signal lanterns.
Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Starting Saturday November 14th until Sunday January 9, 2016. Tuesday–Friday 930a–5p & Saturday & Sunday 10a–6p. Free with Museum admission. Museum closed on Thanksgiving Day & Christmas Day. Marvel at homemade gingerbread houses made entirely of edible gingerbread, royal icing and candy. The houses are drafted, designed, baked, planned, built and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. GingerBread Lane has won the Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread village for 2013 and 2014 and will compete for its third consecutive Guinness World Record this year. Lovitch’s creation will again contend for this year’s Guinness World Record. The all-new 2015 version of GingerBread Lane will cover 500 square feet and will have more than 1,050 houses and structures including a double-decker carousel reminiscent of one on the Coney Island boardwalk in days past and the S.C. Kringle & Co. Department Store which hearkens back to Gimbels department store in the early 1900s. GingerBread Lane 2015 will also have new twists like The Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Shoppe, The EveryDay’s Thanksgiving Café, a second train (for the first time), and a 10-square-foot candy factory you can see inside of as you climb the stairs to view GingerBread Lane. While the exhibition’s layout and composition change yearly, GingerBread Lane always includes Eggnog Bay, Gum Drop Row, Peppermint Central Park, Candy Cane Place and Toffee Boulevard. As a grand finale, Lovitch will give away all houses on January 10.
14th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Starting Saturday November 14th until February 21st. M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p. Free. Location: NY Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store Shuttle Passage. Presented annually by the New York Transit Museum, this popular model railroad exhibition features Metro-North, New York Central, and subway trains departing from a miniature Grand Central Terminal on a 34’-long, two-level “O” gauge layout. The Museum’s store and booth at the Holiday Fair also offer great gifts for your holiday shopping. Transit gifts are available online at www.nytransitmuseumstore.com.
Cuba Vibra! at the New Victory Theater
Friday November 13th 7p and also Saturday November 14th 2p & 7p and Sunday November 15th 12n & 5p. See website for future weekend times. For ages 6+. Tickets start at $15. Performance: 95 minutes including one intermission. It’s a hot Havana night when Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba brings the heat in an irresistible fusion of ballet, flamenco, cha-cha, rumba, conga, bolero and salsa. With superior synchronicity, 18 dancers fill the stage with flavorful finesse as they seamlessly dance in lockstep to the Afro-Cuban beats and vocal virtuosity of an on-stage big band. Celebrating Cuban music and dance from the ’50s to today, boisterous Latin rhythms electrify the air in CUBA VIBRA!
The 3 Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Ongoing until Wednesday December 30th. Showtimes are Monday – Friday 1030a & 12n with additional shows Wednesdays at 230p and Saturday and Sunday at 1p. Tickets are $7/children and $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! Purchase tickets here.
Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center
Ongoing until January 10th at various times. Tickets start at $25. For more information please see the website. Big Apple Circus returns to the Big Top at Lincoln Center for the company’s 38th season with the World Premiere of its all-new show, The Grand Tour! The Grand Tour transports audiences to the Roaring 1920s, the advent of the modern travel era, when the most adventuresome began to tour the world in ships, planes, trains, and automobiles. With every seat less than 50 feet from the stage, audiences will be awed by the world-class entertainers as they perform breathtaking acts from the four corners of the globe. Clowns, jugglers, acrobats, and aerialists from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America appear with ponies, puppies and more; the troupe sets off on their own whirlwind adventure, accompanied by the live, seven-piece Big Apple Circus Band at each of more than 100 performances.
Spellbound Theater: “Before We Grew” for children on the Autism Spectrum at The Old Stone House
Sunday November 15th at 930a & 1045a. Tickets: $30/Family. Performances for families with children on the Autism Spectrum (all ages welcome). Travel back in time with Spellbound Theatre. “Before We Grew” is a gentle and beautiful show that explores the Brooklyn of the past in a multi-sensory story that is designed to engage young children at a variety of developmental levels. “Before We Grew” was specifically designed for families with children on the Autism Spectrum and is engaging for all children 2-5 and special needs audiences of all ages. There are also performances for the general public Saturdays November 14th 930 & 1045a. See website for more information.
Canstruction: 23rd Annual NYC Competition at Brookfield Place (Battery Park)
Ongoing 10a-6p until Monday November 16th. Free. Location: 250 Vesey Street. Canstruction® is an extraordinary annual design competition and the most unique food charity in the world. Teams of architects, engineers, contractors, and the students they mentor compete to build large-scale structures made entirely from full cans of food. The imaginative sculptures are then on view to the public until they are dismantled and donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need. Admission is free, but visitors are asked to bring a can of high quality food to the exhibition’s collection station.
Paper Quilting at the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park
Saturdays & Sundays until November 29th 1-3p. $3 suggested donation. The Prospect Park Alliance and the Brooklyn Quilters Guild present their annual show for display in the month of November. While you are here make your own paper quilt collage to take home or add it to our community patchwork.
Fall 2015 Ready, Set, Kindergarten! at various Brooklyn Public Library branches
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays until November 22nd at various times. Free. See the flyer for more information on the 30 locations and times. In this special six session series, families will enjoy stories and activities designed to encourage the development of early learning skills. Exploring literacy, science, and math through music, stories, and play will help you and your child get ready for school!
Wildlife Weekends at the Queens County Farm Museum
Saturday-Sunday until November 15th 11a-4p. Admission: $9 per person. Free with Farm Membership. Have fun learning about interesting critters at this pay-one-price event! Admission includes Birds-of-Prey Show, Frogs, Bugs, & Animal Show, hayrides, pony rides (80 lb. rider limit), and animal feeding.
Beauty & the Beast at PuppetWorks (Park Slope)
Saturday & Sundays ongoing until December 20th 1230p & 230p. For ages 4+. Admission for a Child is $9, an Adult $10. No credit cards accepted. Reservations are suggested: 718-965-3391 (current day or advance reservations) or e-mail us: puppetworks@twcmetrobiz.com (NO same day e-mail reservations). Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve’s French Fantasy with a “live” Beast. Adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola.
For a full calendar of events please click here!