Hi everyone! The holidays are over but there is still lots of fun things to do here in NYC!
Take the kids and head out and enjoy F.A.M. (Family Art Magic) at Brooklyn Museum, Little Laffs at the Jalopy Theatre, Little Red Riding Hood at Puppetworks, Just Kidding: Beats, Rhymes, and Breaking at Symphony Space, Family Storytime at the Laundromat! at Clean Rite, Teddy Bear Tea at Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden, Camels and Kings: A Gift Giving Workshop at The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, A Charlie Brown Christmas at The Secret Theatre Long Island City, MOCACREATE: New Year, New Me at Museum of Chinese in America, The Magician’s Assistant at The Kraine Theater, Mulchfest in Prospect Park, Sunday Storytime: Go, Girls, Go! with Frances Gilbert at Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab, the 42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels at The New Victory Theater and the last day of Luminaries at Brookfield Place.
Don’t forget to check out the long running events like NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, the 18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal, Winter Zoo Wonderland at Prospect Park Zoo, Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society, Film Forum Jr. Matinee at the Film Forum, Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, GingerBread Lane at New York Hall of Science, Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History and the last weekend of Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo.
These are just some of the weekend events so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Enjoy the weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 3rd
Luminaries at Brookfield Place (Battery Park City)
Friday January 3rd 10a-8p (last day!) Free to attend. This mesmerizing installation and holiday tradition features a canopy of colorful lights emanating from hundreds of suspended lanterns. Luminaries was created by the LAB at Rockwell Group for Brookfield Place, inspired by the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, and community. LIGHT SHOWS (8am-10pm): Special light shows will be presented at the top of every hour, set to popular holiday songs by Michael Bublé, The Bird and The Bee, Tony Bennett, and featuring a new show featuring “Let it Snow” by Pentatonix! HOLIDAY WISHES (10am-8pm): The interactive exhibit includes three Wishing Stations located on the ground that will allow visitors to send a touch-activated wish to the canopy of lanterns above, activating a magical display of lights and colors. Brookfield Place will donate $1, up to $25,000, for every wish made during the holiday season to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Friday January 3rd 1030a & 1130a, Saturday-Sunday January 4th-5th 11a & 1p and additional performance at various times until February 23, 2020. See website for the full schedule. Tickets: $12 adult, $8 child. An original story and production from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Yet, Set, Snow! is the story of a young girl named Widget, and her friend, Twig, who encounter a yeti named Pascetti on the first snow day of the winter season. Pascetti, who lives on a mountain top nearby, dislikes the snow. Through songs and snow day activities, Pascetti discovers not only that snow can be fun but also the value of friendship.
42FT – A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels at The New Victory Theater
Friday January 3rd 7p, Saturday January 4th 2p & 7p, Sunday January 5th 12n & 5p (last weekend!). Tickets start $22. 1 hour and 45 minutes including one intermission. For everyone 5 and up. Behold! A man so strong he juggles trees! An acrobat so light she floats on air! With a brilliant blur of sequined stilts, feathered frocks and flashing circus stripes, the endlessly inventive Cirque Mechanics upends expectations in a dizzying, dazzling array of acts that have never before appeared on the New Victory stage. Bright with light, laughter and good cheer, this stunning spectacle is a high-flying hit for the holidays!
A Charlie Brown Christmas at The Secret Theatre Long Island City
Friday January 3rd 7p, Saturday January 4th 3p & 7p (last weekend!). Tickets: adults $22 advanced, $25 at door, child (ages 16 and under) $12.50 advance, $15 at door. Run Time: 45 minutes with nor intermission. Join Charlie Brown and his Peanuts gang in this heart-warming holiday musical as they dig past the commercialized gimmicks of presents and decorations to rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. Through a pageant and a spindly tree, Charlie Brown and friends bring the holiday spirit back to life. Based on the beloved animated TV special! Featuring the song Christmas Time is Here, the music of jazz artist Vince Guaraldi, and new original dance and song numbers.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday January 4th
Mulchfest in Prospect Park
Saturday January 4th & 11th 10a-2p. Free. Entrance—3rd Street, Entrance—Park Circle. Join Prospect Park Alliance on two consecutive Saturdays, January 4 and 11, for Mulchfest, an annual citywide event! Bring your holiday tree to Prospect Park to be transformed into environment-friendly mulch that you can take home for your own use. Please make sure to remove all decorations from the trees. Can’t make it out January 4 or 11? Now through January 11, the community is welcome to leave holiday trees along the Park perimeter fence near any drop off location. The trees will be collected by staff members and volunteers. Visit here for more info on citywide Mulchfest events.
Camels and Kings: A Gift Giving Workshop at The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine (West Harlem)
Saturday January 4th 10a-12n. $10 per child, with accompanying adult. Recommended for children ages 4 – 8 years old. Children and their families gather to explore the story surrounding the famous journey of the three wise men, celebrated around the world. The two-hour workshop begins with a story and then children make gift boxes, costumes, and sparkling crowns. Check in at Visitor Center upon arrival.
Just Kidding: Beats, Rhymes, and Breaking at Symphony Space (UWS)
Saturday January 4th 11a & 2p. Ticket: $14 member, $17 non-members. From head spins to windmills, and from 6-step to the trusty pop and lock, prepare the kids for a unique program of jaw-dropping break dance action from Manzana City Crew, a collective of artists based in New York City. Kids will join company members onstage to try out their own moves in an engaging and fast-moving atmosphere of fun.
MOCACREATE: New Year, New Me at Museum of Chinese in America (SoHo)
Saturday January 4th 2-5p. Free with Museum admission! Imagine yourself a year later at the end of 2020. Do you look different? Has anything in your life changed? Do you own something new? Have you done something that you’ve never done before? Make a 2-D or 3-D self-portrait that represents the “new you”!
The Magician’s Assistant at The Kraine Theater (East Village)
Saturday January 4th 230p and various Saturdays/times until June 20th. See website for schedule. Tickets: $5 Kids / $15 Adults. Running time: 50 minutes. Doors open 20 minutes before showtime. The magician is sick in bed but the show must go on! Enter, “The Magician’s Assistant,” who blunders onstage and has to entertain the crowd, without knowing how to perform any magic tricks. This adult friendly physical comedy for kids 3-10 is about the transformative power of believing in yourself and asking for help. Creator, performer, and clown Mélissa Smith switches characters with expert comedic flare, finding a delicate balance between chaos and control, vulnerability and confidence. “The Magician’s Assistant” encourages empathy, laughter, and eating your veggies! Note: The Kraine Theater is not wheelchair accessible.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday January 5th
Sunday Storytime: Go, Girls, Go! with Frances Gilbert at Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab (Park Slope)
Sunday January 5th 1030-11a. Free. Come along for a rollicking ride in this picture book celebration of vehicles that puts girls in the driver’s seat! Girls can race…and girls can fly. Girls can rocket way up high! Frances Gilbert joins us in the Storytelling Lab for our first Storytime of 2020! Don’t miss it!
Little Laffs at the Jalopy Theatre (Carroll Gardens/Red Hook)
Sunday January 5th 11a. Tickets: $5 Kids, $10 Adults (includes a Bloody Mary or Mimosa), $25 Family. Little Laffs, “Big Fun for Little Ones” is a monthly variety show for kids ages 3-9, that mixes juggling, balloon art, music, comedy, and more. Join us at the Fabulous Jalopy Theatre in Carroll Gardens/Red Hook, Brooklyn for an afternoon full of Little Laffs! Host: Twistin’ Todd
F.A.M. (Family Art Magic) Winter 2020 at Brooklyn Museum (Crown Heights)
Sundays January 5th-February 9th 11a–1230p or 130–3p (no class January 19th). $29 for a single day, $22 members and includes Museum general admission for one child and up to two adults. Semester registration is also available. See website for details. The magic word is collaboration: explore together to discover the world through art, play fun gallery games, and create your own masterpieces in the studio. Whether sketching stone creatures in our Sculpture Garden or hunting for ancient materials in our Egyptian galleries, together you and your child will unlock the magic of your imagination. In our winter classes, we’ll spend time with exhibitions—such as Jacques-Louis David Meets Kehinde Wiley—that consider what it means to be an active member of our communities. We’ll create our own sculptures and portraits, then work together to make an art installation. Purchase tickets here.
Teddy Bear Tea at Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden (UES)
Sunday January 5th 1-3p. Tickets: $10 for general admission for adults and children. Advance tickets required. Purchase tickets here. Bring teddy (or your doll), meet hotel proprietor, Mrs. Woodhull, and go back in time for a typical day in the 1830s. Play with the Woodhull son’s toys and help with chores in the kitchen. Afterwards enjoy fruit tea and cookies with your furry friend. Designed for our youngest Museum visitors and their families but all ages welcome.
Family Storytime at the Laundromat! at Clean Rite (Ocean Hill)
Sundays 2-4p until March 8th. Free. Location: Clean Rite at 1760 Eastern Parkway. Laundromats aren’t just for washing clothes. You can talk, read, sing, write, and play here too! Come join a BPL children’s librarian who will lead story time and fun literacy activities for the whole family to enjoy. Text Brownsville to 274448 for laundry storytime notifications, local event information, and tips to help your child learn! Las lavanderías no son solo para lavar la ropa. ¡Pueden hablar, leer, cantar, escribir y jugar aquí también! Acompáñenos en nuestra biblioteca local donde habrá horas de lectura y actividades divertidas de lectura para el disfrute de toda la familia. ¡Escriba Brownsville y mande un mensaje a 27448 para notificación de la hora de cuentos en la lavandería, información de eventos locales, y consejos para ayudar a su niño a aprender!
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Little Red Riding Hood at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturday-Sunday January 4th-5th 1230p & 230p. Suggested for 3 and up. Admission for a Child is $10, an Adult $11. Reservations are suggested: 718-965-3391 or e-mail us: puppetworks@twcmetrobiz.com (NO same day e-mail reservations). Charles Perrault’s Folk Tale adapted for hand puppets by Michel Thomas.
18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Ongoing until February 23rd 2020. Free. Hours: Monday–Friday 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 11a–6p. Closed for special events and major holidays. Every holiday season, the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery plays host to a city within a city with the display of a miniature electric railroad running over, through, and beneath some of New York’s most magnificent landmarks. Celebrating its 18th year of operation, this beloved annual holiday exhibit features model trains traveling along a 34’ long, two-level, “O” gauge model train layout. This year’s exhibit is set against a mural designed by cartoonist Julia Wertz. Departing from a miniature replica of Grand Central Terminal, the Transit Museum’s collection of Lionel trains including Metro-North, Polar Express, and vintage subway train sets will dazzle the eyes of children and adults alike as they make their way past New York landmarks and on to the North Pole!
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
Friday-Saturday January 3rd-4th 5-10p & Sunday January 5th 5-9p (last weekend!). Tickets: $22.95 for children 3-12y, $29.95 for adult. Discount available for WCS members. See website for details. Discover the holiday season at the Bronx Zoo. Animal lanterns, animated sculptures, and colorful designs will light your way throughout the park. Enjoy a magical night that’s greener than ever thanks to LED technology. There will also be roaming carolers, ice carving, a holiday train, costumed characters ad seasonal food & souvenirs. See the website for all the details.
Winter Zoo Wonderland at Prospect Park Zoo
Saturdays-Sundays 11a-3p. Free with Zoo admission. Every weekend in January, explore Prospect Park Zoo’s wintery outdoor trail, warm up in their indoor exhibits, and discover the special adaptations animals have to survive in the cold. You’ll be toasty warm at the Zoo as you find out who at the zoo loves the cold…and who doesn’t. Post your “Zoo Year” resolutions for a better planet on the Zoo’s special wall and on social media to inspire others.
NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island)
Hours: Wednesdays-Thursdays 5-930p. Fridays-Sundays 5-1030p until January 12th. Tickets: $25 general admission, $17 youth ticket (ages 3-12y), $20 Senior/Military/Student. After our success last year, the NYC Winter Lantern Festival is back to transform Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden into a whimsical world of light. There will be over 1,000 lanterns on display, sculpted into magnificent figures of luminescent art. Bring your whole family to revel in eight acres of lights, live cultural shows, interactive exhibits, and more. For those of you who attended last year’s event, prepare yourself for a completely fresh, new, and unique display! Purchase tickets here.
Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society (UWS)
Ongoing until February 23rd 2020. Museum hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10a-6p, Friday 10a-8p, Saturday 10a-6p & Sunday 11a-5p. Free with Museum admission. Holiday Express returns to New-York Historical this holiday season, reimagined to celebrate the 100th birthday of Busytown author and illustrator Richard Scarry. The installation showcases artwork and graphics of Scarry’s characters (like Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm!) from publisher Penguin Random House alongside Jerni Collection toys. Children and adults can also experience dynamic displays exploring the workings of the railroad, the services it provides, and the jobs required to keep people and goods moving.
GingerBread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Daily until January 12th 2020. Hours are Monday-Friday 930a-5p & Saturday-Sunday 10a-6p. Free with Museum admission. GingerBread Lane is the record-holder of the Guinness World Records for largest gingerbread village. In order to be eligible for the title, every element of the gingerbread display must be edible, and the display must imitate a village with houses, shops and town services such as a firehouse and police station. Creator Jon Lovitch will again try to break his own record with this year’s GingerBread Lane. This year’s GingerBread Lane includes a number of storefronts with quirky names: Eleven Pipers Piping – Piping Hot Soup, My Two Front Teeth General Dentistry, Visions of Sugar Plums Eye Glasses, and Letters to Santa – GingerBread Lane’s Post Office. Also check out the The Art of the Brick exhibit.
Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
On display 10a-545p until January 12th. Free with Museum admission. Visit the American Museum of Natural History this holiday season to see one of New York’s most beloved displays, the Origami Holiday Tree—an annual tradition for more than 40 years. The theme of this year’s 13-foot tree is T. rex and Friends: History in the Making, with models inspired by the Museum’s special exhibition T. rex: The Ultimate Predator, which celebrates the most famous dinosaur species that was first discovered, named, and exhibited to the public by the Museum. Feeling crafty? Volunteers from OrigamiUSA will be on hand at the Museum to teach paper folding to visitors of all ages. Also check out the T. rex: The Ultimate Predator exhibit.
Film Forum Jr. Matinee at the Film Forum (Lower East Side)
Saturdays-Sundays at 11a until March 15th. ALL TICKETS $9. Advance tickets on sale at the box office and online. Most programs appropriate for ages 5 and up. Classics For Kids and Their Families! January 4th-5th Buster Keaton’s BATTLING BUTLER