Hi everyone
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is this Monday and it is hard to believe there is a long weekend here already!
If you are in NYC there are lots of fun events to take the kids to. Check out some events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Youth Dreamers at the Central Brooklyn Public Library, 30th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Prospect Park, Living History Days: MLK, Jr. Weekend at DiMenna Children’s History Museum and a Screening of “Our Friend, Martin” and other special MLK events at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
Also happening this weekend is Spellbound Theater: Book Of Hours at The Old Stone House, Metro Measure at New York Transit Museum, Opening Day: The Titanosaur at the American Museum of Natural History, Astrograss for Kids at the Jalopy Theatre, The Joshua Show and BAM Percussion at Symphony Space, LC Kids Storytime: Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants at David Rubenstein Atrium, Theatreworks USA Presents: Seussical at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, RRPH: Beatles for Kids at Brooklyn Bowl, Sunday Art Discoveries: Focus on Photography at The Jewish Museum, a Japanese Play Date at The Stomping Ground, Legend Has It at BAM and Free Family Days at The Wyckoff House Museum.
There are more events on the calendar so check it out to see everything happening in Brooklyn & NYC over the long weekend! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook for last minute events and news!
Happy long weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 15th
Opening Day: The Titanosaur at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Friday January 15th 10a-545p and on display until January 19th, 2020. Tickets: Free for Members or with Museum admission. Location: Wallach Orientation Center, fourth floor. The Museum is adding another must-see exhibit to its world-famous Fossil Halls: a cast of a 122-foot-long dinosaur. This species is so new that it has not yet been formally named by the paleontologists who discovered it. Paleontologists suggest this dinosaur, a giant herbivore that belongs to a group known as titanosaurs, weighed in at around 70 tons. The species lived in the forests of today’s Patagonia about 100 to 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, and is one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered. The new, much larger occupant will graze the gallery’s approximately 19-foot-high ceilings, and its 122-foot-length is just a bit too long for its new home. Instead, its neck and head will extend out towards the elevator banks, welcoming visitors to the “dinosaur” floor.
Japanese Play Date at The Stomping Ground (Crown Heights)
Fridays 1030a-1230p. Free for members / $5 non-members. This weekly play date is open to all families, including those who speak Japanese as their first language. We will begin each group with playtime followed by snack time and circle time, including story time and songs sung in Japanese. Please bring your own lunch/snacks. The Play Date moves to 1130a-130p starting Friday January 22nd.
Movies @ the Library: Toy Story 3 at Brooklyn Public Library (Greenpoint)
Friday January 15th 330-5p. Free. With their beloved Andy preparing to leave for college, Wood, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and the rest of the toys find themselves headed for the attic but mistakenly wind up on the curb with the trash.Woody’s quick thinking saves the gang, but all but Woody end up being donated to a day-care center. Unfortunately, the uncontrollable kids do not play nice, so Woody and the gang make plans for a great escape.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Craft at the Flatbush Brooklyn Public Library
Friday January 15th 4-5p. Free. Make a Peace Dove in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday on January 15. We’ll share a book about Dr. King and everyone can write a Freedom Poem.
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday January 16th
Spellbound Theater: Book Of Hours at The Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Saturday January 16th 10a & 1115a. Tickets: $12/child, $15/adult. Ideal for ages 1-5. A larger-than-life book leads children through familiar daily events using favorite nursery rhymes and songs to tell the story, as well as surprising treasures, puppets, and discoveries. This interactive storytelling performance blends familiar stories together in unexpected ways with a giant pop-up book that reveals things for children to touch, feel, and do. Purchase tickets here.
Free Family Days at The Wyckoff House Museum (East Flatbush)
Saturday January 16th 11a-3p. Free. Touch, tour, explore! Farmhouse family days are free and open to families with children of all ages. The activities are best suited for kids ages 4 through 10. Drop in anytime between 11 a.m, and 3 p.m. to explore New York City’s oldest house together. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. History comes alive as you explore a new theme in the garden or historic farmhouse each month. Educators assist you and your family to explore what life was like in rural Brooklyn and investigate clues to the past. Touch old artifacts, examine the historic architecture, and get to know one of Brooklyn’s first families, the Wyckoffs. Come back each month to try out new hands-on or seasonal activities such as seed planting, candle making, or butter churning. Family Days are generally scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month. See the website for future dates.
LC Kids Storytime: Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants at David Rubenstein Atrium (UWS)
Saturday January 16th 11a. Free. For ages: 3-6y. For a part story hour, part sing-a-long, the author and musician Eric Litwin (author of the first four Pete the Cat books) stops by the David Rubenstein Atrium with a guitar, harmonicas, and the second book in his new series The Nuts called Sing and Dance in Your Polka Dot Pants. Starring young Hazel Nut and her super-hip, disco-dancing grandma, the story—and Litwin’s performance of it—will bring delight to audiences young and old. LC Kids members ($125+) get priority seating at Storytime at the Atrium events. RSVP at LCKids@LincolnCenter.org.
Just Kidding: The Joshua Show at Symphony Space (UWS)
Saturday January 16th 11a & 2p. Recommended for ages 5+. Expected Run Time is 60 minutes. Tickets: $15; Members $13. The Joshua Show evokes the feeling of joy in audiences of all ages by teaching valuable lessons about celebrating our differences, finding joy in everyday life, and respecting honest feelings. It’s about friendship, confidence, and the value of being yourself. Mr. Nicholas, a sock puppet and Joshua’s soulmate, makes an unnerving self-discovery that causes him to spiral down a path of loneliness and hopeless despair. How do you cheer up when life gets you down? Find out in this whimsical production featuring multiple styles of puppetry, live music, physical comedy, and tap dancing!
Events for Youth & Families: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Youth Dreamers at the Central Brooklyn Public Library
Saturday January 16th 1-2p. Free. Location: Dweck Center. Celebrate Dr. King’s legacy with readings and performances by young musicians, including the Noel Pointer Foundation, and poets.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday January 17th
Astrograss for KIDS at the Jalopy Theatre (Carroll Gardens/Red Hook)
Sunday January 17th. Show starts at 11a. $5 for kids, $10 for adults, $25 for families, kids under 2 are free.
ASTROGRASS FOR KIDS gets kids and their parents dancing together, with a unique blend of bluegrass music and down-home humor. Astrograss concerts feature sing-a-longs, dance contests, and high-energy fiddle hoedowns. Their original songs cover topics like spelling, whether Pluto is a planet, bedtime and the many neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Working on the success of a brand new CD, “Let Me Stay Up All Night”.
RRPH: Beatles for Kids at Brooklyn Bowl (Williamsburg)
Sunday January 17th doors at 11a & show 1115-1215p. Admission: $10 per person (child or adult). Children under one are free. Each workshop is 60 minutes long and is specifically designed for children 7 and under, but all members of the family are welcome to this family show. The Rock and Roll Playhouse is thrilled to present Rock and Roll for Kids, a children’s music workshop series, Sunday mornings at Brooklyn Bowl. RRPH Curriculum Director Devlin Goldberg will lead the workshops, along with different guest artists each week. The Rock and Roll for Kids series is designed to keep children moving, playing and singing while simultaneously reaching developmental milestones and listening to classic tunes. Adults will love the cool selection of genres and popular music hits through the decades, and all are encouraged to participate. Theme January 17th: Beatles for Kids featuring Ramblin’ Dan – “Roll over Beethoven,” it’s time to “Twist and Shout” and “Come Together” in our “Octopus’s Garden.” See the website for other workshop themes.
Just Kidding: BAM Percussion at Symphony Space (UWS)
Sunday January 17th 11a & 2p. Expected Run Time is 60 minutes. Tickets: $15; Members $13. Mix slapstick comedy with explosive, over-the-top percussion action and you’ve just seen a BAM Percussion show! From beginning to end, you’ll be electrified by the performers’ powerful rhythmic abilities and deliriously funny sketches. The characters, who look like they walked straight out of a cartoon, speak a unique language: BAMspeech, spoken only by them, but understood by everyone from 3 to 83. Not to be missed!
Theatreworks USA Presents: Seussical at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (UES)
Sunday January 17th 11a. Tickets: $25. Recommended for grades K – 5. “Oh, the thinks you can think” when Dr. Seuss’s best-loved stories collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper! Adapted from the Broadway version, this adaptation especially for young audiences features thirteen actors and enhanced production values. Seussical is TheatreworksUSA’ biggest show ever! The Cat in the Hat is the host and emcee (and all-around mischief-maker) in this romp through the Seuss classics. When the sweet, good-natured elephant Horton hears a small cry for help coming from a small speck of dust, he promises to rescue and guard it because “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”
Sunday Art Discoveries: Focus on Photography at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Sunday January 17th 1130a-1230p. For ages 4-10y. Free with Museum Admission. Engage with works of art through exciting activities and gallery tours that focus on themes related to our special exhibitions each month. This month’s tour will explore Power of Pictures: Early Soviet Photography, Early Soviet Film and Masterpieces & Curiosities: Alfred Stieglitz’s The Steerage.
For more Sunday events please click here!
Monday January 18th
30th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (Fort Greene)
Monday January 18th 1030a. Free. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-seated basis starting at 8am in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House lobby.
BAM presents the 30th annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., New York City’s largest public celebration of the great civil rights leader. This year’s main event features a keynote address by prominent intellectual, professor, author, and radio host Michael Eric Dyson, with musical performances by Kimberly Nichole and The Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Prospect Park
Monday January 18th 12n-4p. Free. Join the Prospect Park Alliance for family-friendly programming on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Lefferts Historic House and the Prospect Park Audubon Center. Nature Exploration at Prospect Park Audubon Center, 12–4p. Bundle up and find out what your favorite Park animals are doing this winter. Join Alliance naturalists to discover the winter survival strategies of animals that live in Prospect Park. Enjoy nature games, science activities, bird watching, and more!ed donation. Get out and get moving in the Lefferts yard! The whole family can participate in potato sack races, spoon races, stilts, and other old fashioned games. Blooming Naturalist 1–2 pm: So you think you are a Naturalist? Find out at the Audubon Center by learning how to identify birds and use binoculars and field guides. Participants can even create their own tube of lip balm and an Official Blooming Naturalist button. Great Backyard Bird Count, 2–3 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in this fun, nation-wide Citizen Science project. Each checklist submitted helps researchers learn more about the health of birds and how to best protect them! Animal Encounter, 3–4 pm: Curious as to how “Snappy” the turtle got her name? Join Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection and even assist in an actual feeding. Freedom Songs and Stories with Tammy Hall at Lefferts Historic House, 2p & 3p ($3 suggested donation). A masterful storyteller, Tammy Hall weaves together diverse tales from around the world to create a rich experience for all.
Screening of “Our Friend, Martin” at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Monday 12n-1p. Free with Museum admission. This animated film incorporates authentic historical footage of Dr. King as two students travel through time to learn about the Civil Rights movement. There will also be special programs and performances all weekend-long honoring Dr. King! See the website for all the details.
MLK, Jr. Weekend Special Storytime with Calvin Alexander Ramsey at DiMenna Children’s History Museum (UWS)
Monday January 18th at 2p. Free with Museum admission. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Listen to author Calvin Alexander Ramsey read his story of a girl named Ruth, who helps her family navigate the Jim Crow South using the Negro Motorist’s Green Book (published in 1936 by Harlem postman Victor Hugo Green). This book advised African America travelers which southern towns were and were not safe, and which hotels, restaurants, and businesses would serve them. After the reading, the author will answer audience questions in the Barbara K. Lipman Children’s Library and sign books in our Museum Store! In the meantime, chart a course and view digitized Green Books courtesy of the New York Public Library’s interactive website.
For more Monday events please click here!
All Weekend
Legend Has It at BAM (Fort Greene)
Saturday-Sunday January 16th-17th 2p. For ages 8+. Tickets start at $10. Run time: 90 minutes. There is evil on the loose in the fantasy realm of Jarð and it’s up to a rollicking troupe of adventurers—and one lucky newcomer—to save the world. This spellbinding interactive performance offers an audience member the chance to be the hero in a fantastic journey and help shape the plot as it develops.
Celebrate Dr. King Weekend! at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Saturday-Monday January 16th-18th 10a-5p. Free with Museum admission. This three day-long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day explores peace, empathy, and togetherness. Join us for special programs and performances all weekend-long honoring Dr. King. See the website for details on the events at BCM over the 3 day weekend!
Living History Days: MLK, Jr. Weekend at DiMenna Children’s History Museum (UWS)
Saturday-Monday, January 16–18th from 11a–4p. Free with Museum admission. Rally around the 26th United States Colored Troops at the New-York Historical Society all weekend! Find out what it was like to fight for racial equality during the American Civil War 150 before the Civil Rights Movement! Get a close-up look at their clothing, gear, and training to decide for yourself if you would have been ready for battle!
Metro Measure at New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Saturday-Sundays until January 24th 130-215p. Free with Museum admission. For ages 5+. How many people can squeeze into a subway car? Is a subway station as long as a football feild? Can a giraffe fit in a subway station? Take to our Platform level with tools and measuring instruments in hand to make numerical discoveries about subway cars and stations.
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.
For a full calendar of events please click here!