Hi everyone,
Chanukah starts tonight and there are lots of fun weekday events happening this week in NYC!
Take the kids and enjoy the Toddler & Baby Winter Formal at the Central Brooklyn Public Library, Holiday Party for Toddlers at Juguemos a Cantar, Taste of Tinkergarten in Fort Greene Park, Christmas Tree Lighting at Lady Moody Triangle, City Stomp Free Trial Class at STJME Lutheran Church, Madison Square Park Holiday Lighting Ceremony, Big Playdate at the Brooklyn Heights Public Library, Annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington Square Park, Rock with Adam! at the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library and Holiday Stories & Singalong at Greenlight Bookstore.
Also check out some ongoing holiday events like the The Lighting of The World’s Largest Menorah in Grand Army Plaza, Chanukah Art Festival and Olive Pressing Workshop at the Jewish Children’s Museum, 14th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal and The 3 Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre.
Check out the calendar for all the weekday events in Brooklyn & NYC! Also remember to like us on Facebook for last minute news and event reminders.
Happy Chanukah & have a great week!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday December 7th
City Stomp Free Trial Class at STJME Lutheran Church (South Slope)
Monday December 7th 10a. Free. City Stomp will have ONE trial class this month.
Please send an email to RSVP for trial classes at info@citystompmusic.com. You are welcome to try any remaining Wednesday Spoke the Hub in North Slope classes this term. The dates are Wednesday December 9th & 16th at 945a. Email to reserve a spot.
Taste of Tinkergarten in Fort Greene Park
Monday December 7th 10a-1115a. Free. For ages 18m-5y. Come join us for a sample of what Tinkergarten class is all about. You’ll get to experience the flow of a class and a sample of the fun learning activities we enjoy each week. Parents, join your child or send your child with another caregiver and learn more about the experience by email. See the website for more information on Tinkergarten classes and to register. There is also a class Monday in Cadman Plaza (South of Middagh Street) 3-415p. See the website here.
Toddler & Baby Winter Formal at the Central Brooklyn Public Library
Monday December 7th 1030a-1115a. Free. This event takes place in the Lobby of the Dweck Center, on the lower level of the library. You and your children aged 12 months to 5 years are cordially invited to the Youth Wing’s Winter Formal. Come for the party, stay for the dancing!
For more Monday events please click here!
Tuesday December 8th
Rock with Adam! at the Brooklyn Public Library (Park Slope)
Tuesdays 130-2p until December 15th. Free. Come rock out with Adam every Tuesday! Learn new songs and meet new friends. Best for children 18 months to 5 years and their caregivers. Tickets are required and will be given out one half hour before the program starts.
Holiday Party for Toddlers at Juguemos a Cantar (North Slope)
Tuesday December 8th 2-5p. $10 per visit per child/$2 per sibling (includes play space time). For 6m to 4y. Join our annual themed parties for toddlers! Themed Arts & Crafts! Snacks! Coffee & Cocoa! Sing Along with Tucker! Thursday there is a holiday party 9a-12n in South Slope. See website for the details.
Madison Square Park Holiday Lighting Ceremony (Flatiron)
Tuesday December 8th 10th 330p-530p. Free. Mad. Sq. Holiday, Madison Square Park Conservancy’s annual tree lighting ceremony returns to Madison Square Park on Tuesday.This year’s Mad. Sq. Holiday Tree decor is being designed by David Beahm Experiences and will feature beautiful and shimmery silver and gold decorations, echoing Mad. Sq. Art’s current sculptural exhibition, Fata Morgana, by artist Teresita Fernández. The countdown to the illumination of the Tree of Light begins at 4:45pm. This festive celebration will feature a variety of seasonal activities including a candy cane reindeer craft activity, a winter tree identification activity with Mad. Sq. Park’s Gardener Steph, and plenty of performances including Sing for Hope Youth Chorus, Finding Neverland the Musical, The New York Life Singers, and our returning favorite, kindie performer Audra Rox! Last but not least, Taste of Home‘s Gingerbread Blvd. is coming back to Madison Square Park to help set the Holiday mood. Neighborhood restaurants Hill Country Chicken and Almond will also be onsite serving delicious treats to the Holiday crowds.
For more fun Tuesday events click here!
Wednesday December 9th
Big Playdate at the Brooklyn Heights Public Library
Wednesday December 9th 1045a-1215p. Free. Ages 0-5. Come to the library for a playdate with the entire neighborhood! Enjoy crafts, activities and toys in the children’s room.
Breastfeeding Support Group at Gumbo (Boerum Hill)
Wednesdays 1230-230p. $20. Call to let us know you are coming. 718-855-7808. Breastfeeding Support Group with Certified Lactation Counselor, Bethany Nevin. Successful breastfeeding is often dependent on the support of others. Join our breastfeeding circle where you’ll gain that support and learn from the knowledge and experience of fellow nursing mothers. As moms who have breastfed their own children, Mollie and Bethany know firsthand that while breastfeeding is a normal and natural relationship between mother and child, it can sometimes come with unexpected challenges. Together we’ll explore these challenges as well as the joys of breastfeeding.
Annual Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington Square Park
Wednesday December 9th 6-7p. Free. Location: The Washington Arch. Presented by the Washington Square Association: The Rob Susman Brass Quartet and children and grown-ups alike will sing holiday songs. The sparkling lights on the resplendent tree will be turned on to mark the beginning of festive winter evenings. Santa Claus himself has promised to appear and lead the children in the illumination countdown. The Washington Square Association provides complimentary songbooks.
For more fun Wednesday events click here!
Thursday December 10th
KidKirtan Chant Along at Lark Cafe (Flatbush/Prospect Park South)
Thursdays 915-10a. Drop-in. $5 suggested donation. KidKirtan is a spirited music and movement “chant along” fun for all ages. We’ll use our voices, instruments and dance in fun, energetic and expressive ways. Using a variety of music styles to enhance our experience, we will also explore rhythm, melody and vocal expression. One sound of the Harmonium and you’ll be hooked.
Holiday Stories & Singalong at Greenlight Bookstore (Fort Greene)
Thursday December 10th 4-530p. Free. Holiday Stories & Sing-Along for All Ages. Seasonal drinks and treats to follow. In what has become an annual tradition, Greenlight hosts a family holiday event in the middle of Chanukah and in anticipation of Christmas! We’re inviting our neighbors to celebrate with tasty cookies and cider, our annual reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and a community singalong for all ages. Join us to celebrate the season with your community at the bookstore.
Christmas Tree Lighting at Lady Moody Triangle (Gravesend)
Thursday December 10th 630-730p. Free. Join Senator Marty Golden for the lighting of the neighborhood Christmas tree. After the tree lighting, join Senator Golden for hot chocolate, caroling, and a special visit by Santa Claus who will bring gifts for the kids. Donations for Toys for Tots will be collected at the event.
For more fun Thursday events click here!
Ongoing
Olive Pressing Workshop at the Jewish Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Monday-Thursday Decemeber 7th-10th sessions: 1230p, 2p (also Sunday-Monday December 13th-14th). Free with Museum admission. Pick…press…pour…and explore the story of Chanukah! Learn about the ancient art of oil-pressing that has been around since temple times as well as other holiday traditions at this hands-on workshop. Participants will choose the best olives, extract the oil and finally light a Chanukah menorah using their hand-made wicks and freshly produced oil. Also check out the ongoing Chanukah Art Festival.
The Lighting of The World’s Largest Menorah (Grand Army Plaza)
Monday-Thursday December 7th-10th 6p. Free. Lighting happens until Sunday December 13th at various times. See website for schedule. The World’s Largest Menorah stands at a whopping 32 feet tall (the maximum allowed by Jewish law), and has been towering over Grand Army Plaza since 1985. The annual Menorah lighting ceremony is a must for Jews and non-Jews alike. Every night The celebration is accompanied with live music and hot latkes for all. Special gifts are distributed to every child. Making this a family celebration and a must on everyone’s calendar. With assistance from a Con Edison cherry-picker, Rabbi Shimon Hecht accompanies community leaders, philanthropists and special guests in lighting this humongous Menorah.
Shadow Box Theatre Presents: Little is Big at PS 3 The Bedford Village School (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Weekdays until Wednesday December 23rd. For individual tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door. Group: $8. For more info and reservations call 212-724-0677. Recommended for pre-K to 3rd grade. In an enchanted landscape beneath the sea, the little fish Spinny and his friends face up to a big bully of a fish – and find courage, tolerance, and the true meaning of friendship. Following the puppet show, the audience joins in an inspiring “Sing Out for Peace”.
The Brooklyn Nutcracker Sweet! at The Actors Fund Arts Center (Downtown Brooklyn)
Wednesday December 9th 730p (the Opening Wednesday Night performance includes dinner immediately following the show. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased here) Thursday-Friday December 10th-11th & Sunday December 13th 4p are sold out. Saturday December 730p. Tickets: $50. Purchase tickets here. Join us for an enchanting and innovative suite of Nutcracker dances for the whole family. Featuring amazing professional dancers, students from Brooklyn Ballet Youth Ensemble, and collaborations with design technologists Leila Ligougne & Nick Vermeer, and set designer Avram Finkelstein, The Sweet! is sure to delight Nutcracker lovers and novices alike. Seating for these shows is limited, so we recommend purchasing your tickets in advance!
Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Ongoing until Sunday January 9, 2016. Tuesday–Friday 930a–5p & Saturday & Sunday 10a–6p. Free with Museum admission. Museum closed on 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.
Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Ongoing until Monday January 18th. Various times and prices. See website for information. Advance reservations are strongly recommended as tickets do sell out. Purchase tickets here. NYC’s Favorite Train Show Is Bigger Than Ever! Enchanting model trains zip through a display of 150 landmarks, each re-created with bark, leaves, and other natural materials—all under the twinkling glow of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Marvel at G-scale locomotives humming along among familiar sights such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center—surprising at every turn—on nearly a half-mile of track. This year’s exhibition features 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, making room for dozens of new trains, bridges, and tracks; a captivating short film of the show’s behind-the-scenes magic; and a stunning multisensory finale of light and sound. Explore a winter wonderland across our 250 acres with special tours, musical performances, and activities for kids, plus take care of your gift list at NYBG Shop and stop for a bite at one of our exciting new dining venues. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind holiday outing!
14th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Ongoing 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.
The 3 Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Daily 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.
To see all the events click here for the calendar!