Hi everyone! The week flew by and there is so much to do this weekend here in NYC!
This weekend head out and enjoy Spellbound Theatre: A Book of Hours at Old Stone House, Rolie Polie Guacamole at Jalopy Theatre, Family Workshop: Present Bodies at BRIC, City Stomp New Years Concert at ShapeShifter Lab, Mayers Consulting All-Ages Music Showcase at DROM, Free Books: Brooklyn Book Bodega at Brooklyn Navy Yard, Free Friday Nights at Museum of the Moving Image, Penguins Are Cool at Greenbelt Nature Center, Kitty in the City: A Sound Along at Jamaica Bay Brooklyn Public Library, Hopalong Andrew Singalong at Treasure Trunk Theatre, Toddler Time: Shake, Rattle, and Read! at Mulberry Street NY Public Library, Drop in on Design: Letterpress Printing at Cooper Hewitt and Living History: Meet the She-Merchants at DiMenna Children’s History Museum.
Don’t forget to check out the long running events like Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks, 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 NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden.
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.
Have a fabulous weekend with the family!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 10th
Toddler Time: Shake, Rattle, and Read! at Mulberry Street NY Public Library (NoLita)
Fridays 1030a in January. Free. Join us to hear stories, sing songs, and get those wiggles out as you help your active children build important early learning skills. Discover ways to promote early literacy at home and meet other caregivers in the neighborhood. Suggested for babies, toddlers and their caregivers.
Kitty in the City: A Sound Along at Jamaica Bay Brooklyn Public Library
Friday January 10th 12n-1p. Free. For ages 3-6y. In this interactive puppet show from Urban Stages, audiences will meet Missy, a New York City kitty who loves to explore and play, but while exploring her neighborhood one day, she loses her way! With the help of her fellow city-dwellers, and using the sounds and rhythms of the city, Missy finally finds her way home. Full of original music and interactive fun! Play will take place with all audience members sitting in a circle together.
Hopalong Andrew Singalong at Treasure Trunk Theatre (Cobble Hill/Brooklyn Heights)
Fridays 4p. $20/child. A lovely space! A former NYC Urban Park Ranger, Hopalong Andrew celebrates both the value of nature and the richness of city life — the energy, diversity, and sense of possibility — with the fun-loving “can-do” spirit of the American West. Whether you like the cowboy life or the city life you’ll enjoy his fun-filled shows of vintage music, humor, and lasso tricks.
Free Friday Nights at Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria)
Every Friday 4-8p, the Museum is pleased to offer free gallery admission. Visitors during Free Friday Nights will be able to experience the Museum’s popular ongoing exhibitions: The Jim Henson Exhibition—devoted to creative genius and legacy of Jim Henson, best known as the creator of the Muppets—and Behind the Screen, the Museum’s dynamic core exhibition that explores how film, television, and digital media is made, marketed, and shown. Check here for a list of current exhibitions. For snacks and refreshments, visit the Museum’s Café and find a souvenir in the Museum shop!
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday January 11th
Mulchfest in Prospect Park
Saturday January 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.
Drop in on Design: Letterpress Printing at Cooper Hewitt (UES)
Saturday January 11th 11a-1230p & 130-3p. Free, Non-Ticketed Event. This is a beginner workshop, no prior experience in design required to participate. This program is suitable for adults and children ages 5 and up. In this workshop, participants will work with wood type and hand brayer inking to print a letterpress poster on a vintage Vandercook proof press.
Penguins Are Cool at Greenbelt Nature Center (Staten Island)
Saturday January 11th 11a-12n. $5/ Greenbelt Conservancy member $3. For ages 4-7 with a chaperone. Learn about penguins, then make a cool pom-pom penguin companion to take home. Afterward, join us for a popular penguin movie.
Family Workshop: Present Bodies at BRIC (Fort Greene)
Saturday January 11th 11a-2p. Free with RSVP. RSVP here. In our first Family Workshop of 2020, families can engage in hands-on activities directly inspired by the exhibition Present Bodies: Papermaking at Dieu Donné. Families can participate in two hands-on activities related to the works on view. Explore bookmaking and paper quilling to create your own creative responses to the show, and explore the gallery through a scavenger hunt.
Living History: Meet the She-Merchants at DiMenna Children’s History Museum (UWS)
Saturday January 11th 12n-4p. Free with Museum admission. For all ages. Who were the she-merchants? They were the pioneering woman who worked in business and trade in 18-century New York. Explore their unique stories and discover the goods and artifacts they imported, exported, and sold in their shops with Historical Interpreters who bring their world to life.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday January 12th
Spellbound Theatre: A Book of Hours at Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Sunday January 12th 10a & 1130a with art activities followed by a performance at 1020a & 1150a, respectively. Individual Ticket: $22, Family Package (3 people): $49. 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.
Rolie Polie Guacamole at Jalopy Theatre (Red Hook)
Sunday January 12th 11a. Tickets: $5 kids, $10 adults, $25 family ticket (4 people). Rolie Polie Guacamole lays claim to being the one of the hardest working bands in kids’ music, and that just might be true. They’ve released six albums and played well over 2,000 shows nationwide since hitting the boards with their first performance in 2007.
Mayers Consulting All-Ages Music Showcase at DROM (East Village)
Sunday January 12th 12n-4p. TICKETS: $5 in advance with the code FAMILY/ $10 at the door. Purchase tickets here. The most joyful event during APAP weekend is BACK! Please join us again for an afternoon of fun for the whole family at the Mayers Consulting All-Ages Music Showcase. Experience 8 of our fantastic acts performing at our 3rd annual event. Stay for as little or as long as the kids can last – it’s going to be a total blast of quality family friendly music! New to our roster this year is Americana artist Josh Lovelace (of NEEDTOBREATHE), plus we have 2019 Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari & the Jazz Cats, a new show from 3x Grammy nominees The Pop Ups and 2x Grammy nominee Gustafer Yellowgold will be performing with a full band. Additionally Billy Kelly will be sharing some of his fresh stand up material that is going to be featured in the Audible Original ‘This Is A Family Show’ coming this spring and Lard Dog & the Band of Shy will be premiering new music from their upcoming album releasing in March. Plus performances from Grammy Nominee Falu’S Bazaar and Michael and the Rockness Monsters. See the website for performance schedule.
Free Books: Brooklyn Book Bodega at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Sunday January 12th 12n-3p. Location: Building 77 Lobby. Free books for 0-18 year olds. Did you know that having more books in your home is linked to future success and better life outcomes? Brooklyn Book Bodega’s mission is to increase the number of 100+ book homes in Brooklyn with the belief that every child deserves to own the books they want to read and enjoy. Free activities and programming starting at 1:00 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. with Ruth Chan, Thyra Heder, and Christopher Silas Neal.
City Stomp New Years Concert at ShapeShifter Lab (Gowanus)
Sunday January 12th 3-5p. Tickets: $15. Tickets @door are $20; Online ticket sales close 2 hours prior to show. Children under 2: free. Purchase tickets here. City Stomp incorporates fun original songs about growing up in NYC with updated versions of traditional folk songs from other world cultures. City Stomp takes kid’s music to a new level with songs that parents not only can tolerate, but actually LIKE to listen to. Parents everywhere have said that City Stomp albums are some of the few kids albums that they are happy to play for their kids. Some even said (in confidence) that they listen to the albums when their kids aren’t even there.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until April 5th and also MLK Jr Day January 20th 1230p & 230p. For 3y+. Admission for a Child is $10, an Adult $11. 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). Lewis Carroll’s English Adventure with an original song score. Adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola & Adam Kilgour.
Cartography at The New Victory Theater
Friday January 10th 7p, Saturdays 2p & 7p Sundays 3p until January 19th. Tickets start at $17. For everyone 10+. Running Time: 60 minutes with no intermission. Inflatable rafts on the Mediterranean. Dark holds of cargo trucks. Family photos hidden carefully in a backpack. Hear the stories of young refugees when CARTOGRAPHY asks what part we play in the lives of young people who set out into the unsure waters of their futures. In this multimedia theatrical work, witness a world alive with movement and migration as the effects of climate change, war and poverty give shape to where we have come from and where we are going.
Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Friday January 10th 1030a & 1130a, Saturday January 11th 11a & 1p and Sunday January 12th 1p 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.
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!
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 11th-12th Billy Wilder’s SOME LIKE IT HOT