Hi everyone! The Lunar New Year is Saturday and there is so much to check out in NYC this weekend.
Take the kids and head out enjoy Winter Open House at at the Prospect Park YMCA and Park Slope Armory YMCA, Mil’s Trills 10th Anniversary Winter Bash! at ShapeShifter Lab, Perfectly Penguin by Wildlife Theater at Central Brooklyn Public Library, Lunar New Year at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Yeti, Set, Snow! Autism Friendly Show at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Concert at Theater for the New City, House Party: 2020 Visions at BRIC, 21st New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Winter Blast: A Family Day of Native Games at National Museum of the American Indian, Lunar New Year Celebration for Families at Queens Museum, TheaterWorks USA: Charlottes Web at On Stage at Kingsbourgh, Movies @ the Library: Mulan at Red Hook Brooklyn Public Library, Zhou Family Band at Flushing Town Hall, Toddler Time: Shake, Rattle, and Read! at Mulberry Street NY Public Library and Show Up, Kids! at Kraine Theater.
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, T. rex: The Ultimate Predator at American Museum of Natural History and the last few days of The Art of the Brick at New York Hall of Science.
There are even more events this weekend so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Have fantastic time this weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 24th
Yeti, Set, Snow! Autism Friendly Show at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Friday January 24 1030a & 1130a. Tickets: $12 adult, $8 child. Note: This show will have an ASL interpreter, reduced sound and the lights will be dimly kept on. 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.
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.
Movies @ the Library at Red Hook Brooklyn Public Library
Friday January 24th 4p. Free. This month to celebrate Lunar New Year, Red Hook Library will be showing Mulan. A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father. Rated G.
Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Concert at Theater for the New City
Fridays 8p, Saturdays 3p & 8p & Sundays 3p until February 2nd. Tickets: $15 general admission. Matinees are kids’ days: when children aged five to twelve accompanied by a ticket-bearing adult are admitted for $1.00 (adults $15). At the conclusion of these matinées, young audience members are welcome to the stage to be photographed with the dancers. Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue, will present its 45th annual Thunderbird American Dancers Dance Concert and Pow Wow from January 24 to February 2, 2020. There will be dances, stories and traditional music from Native Peoples of the Northeast, Southwest and Great Plains regions. The event has become a treasured New York tradition for celebrating our diversity by honoring the culture of our first Americans.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday January 25th
YMCA Winter Open House (multiple locations) [sponsored]
Saturday January 25th 11a-3p. Free. Don’t miss our Winter Open House at the Prospect Park YMCA and Park Slope Armory YMCA. Join us for class demos, family-friendly fun, informational sessions, tours, and so much more. Plus, learn about our NEW customizable family memberships. Learn why the Y is the place to this winter! See the Prospect Park YMCA schedule here & the Park Slope Armory YMCA schedule here.
Winter Blast: A Family Day of Native Games at National Museum of the American Indian (Battery Park City)
Saturday January 25th 11a-5p. Free. Meet Jeremy Red Eagle (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) and enjoy a day of family-friendly games that are fun and educational. Learn to play Hawaiian board games, Inuit yo-yos, ring and pin, Arctic high kick, hoop-throwing, and more.
21st New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival in Sara D. Roosevelt Park
Saturday January 25th 11a-330p. Free. Location: At the basketball court (at Grand Street between Forsyth Street and Chrystie Street). Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival! There will be live performances, including singing and dancing, and vendors.
House Party: 2020 Visions at BRIC (Fort Greene)
Saturday January 25th 12n-5p. Free with RSVP. RSVP here. Welcome to the future! During our 2020 Visions House Party, families come together to explore citizenship and envision the future that we want to see. Join us for futuristic art and media activities and exciting live performances. As always, stick around for our family dance party led by FamAJam! See the website for event schedule.
Perfectly Penguin by Wildlife Theater at Central Brooklyn Public Library
Saturday January 25th 1-2p. Free. Ever wonder what WE can do to protect the planet? Find out when Wildlife Theater takes participants into our oceans to explore cause & effect. They’ll learn how penguins & people have more in common than one might think, & how their behaviors are influenced by their environment. Next, they’ll find out exactly what happens to the trash left on the street, & how trash impacts animals in our most fragile ecosystem, the ocean. Finally join our performers as they learn how electricity can create pollution & what happens when the temperature around the world goes up, & what we can do to help!
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday January 26th
Mil’s Trills 10th Anniversary Winter Bash! at ShapeShifter Lab (Gowanus)
Sunday January 26th pre-show workshop 1030a/show 11a. Ticket: $10 in advance. $15 at the door. Family rate $45 day of show. Babes in arms free. Purchase tickets here. Experience the creative process like never before at Mil’s Trills’ 10th anniversary bonanza with a one-of-a-kind songwriting obstacle course integrating movement, music, and visual art led by founder Amelia Robinson, special guests, and YOU! NOTES: This is an all-ages show that is especially suitable for children 0 – 12. Stroller parking and refreshments available. Purchase tickets here.
Lunar New Year at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sunday January 26th 11a-5p. Free with Museum admission. Join Brooklyn Children’s Museum as we usher in the Year of the Rat! Parade throughout the Museum with the Chinatown Young Lions and learn about the festival of Lunar New Year with Brooklyn-based author Michele Wong McSween as she reads her new book Gordon & Li Li: Celebrate Chinese New Year.
Lunar New Year Celebration for Families at Queens Museum
Sunday January 26th 1-3p. Free with Museum admission. Join us for our annual Lunar New Year Celebration for Families! This year is celebrating the year of the Rat with folk dances, Lion Dance, and traditional arts & crafts. For the sixth year in a row, the New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC) brings its signature program to the Queens Museum. This event will showcase an hour long performance program featuring professional artists and students of NYCCC’s School of the Arts, as well as a hands on Chinese Calligraphy workshop for kids and adults. See the website for the schedule of events.
TheaterWorks USA: Charlottes Web at On Stage at Kingsbourgh
Sunday January 26th 2p. Tickets: $13. Recommended for Ages 4 & Up. Charlotte’s Web is based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hatches a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman. Spinning the words “Some Pig” in her web, Charlotte weaves a “miracle” which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig but also ensures his place on the farm forever! This treasured tale, featuring madcap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship. Meet the Cast After the Show!
Zhou Family Band at Flushing Town Hall
Sunday January 26th 2p. Tickets: $18/$12 FTH & WMI Members & Students/FREE for Teens. Co-presented with World Music Institute, Zhou Family Band plays traditional wind and percussion music which accompany birth and death celebrations of the people of Central-Eastern China for more than 600 years. Coming from Lingbi, Anhui Province, part of the Central Plains area which formed the cradle of Chinese civilization, the Zhou family have been musicians for seven generations, and are bearers of a tradition that represents the finest of Chinese folk music – Bolin Laba, a national intangible cultural heritage of China as declared by the Chinese government.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Show Up, Kids! at Kraine Theater (East Village) [sponsored]
Ongoing Saturdays-Sundays at 1130a until February 9th. All tickets $15. Following capacity crowds and rave reviews from NYC to Hollywood, Peter Michael Marino’s “Show Up, Kids!” returns to The Kraine Theater for nine performances from January 18-February 9. This interactive, semi-improvised family show for kids 3-10 years old puts a wildly comedic, theatrical twist on the traditional kids’ show. When the main attraction doesn’t show up, Pete enlists the help of the kids to provide prompts and control everything from plot to props, characters to costumes, and settings to sound in a one-of-a-kind, 55-minute laughfest.
Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until April 5th. 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.
The Art of the Brick at New York Hall of Science
Daily through January 26th. General hours ~ Monday–Friday: 930a-5p and Saturday–Sunday: 10a-6p. Entry to the exhibition costs $7 per person, plus NYSCI admission. Experience The Art of the Brick, the world’s largest display of LEGO® art! Artist Nathan Sawaya created more than 100 pieces for this exhibition using only LEGO bricks. The collection features original pieces, as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces. More than one million LEGO bricks were used to create Sawaya’s sculptures. See the website for all the event details.
Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Saturday January 25th 11a & 1p & Sunday January 25th 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.
The Industry City Ice Rink (Sunset Park)
Wednesdays-Thursdays 4-8p, Fridays 11a-8p, Saturdays 10a-8p and Sundays 10a-5p. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $6 for kids 12 and under, with skate rentals costing $9. Tickets can be purchased on site at IC Ice Rink in courtyard 5/6. The Industry City Ice Rink opens November 30 and welcomes guests to join for an iconic winter experience every Wednesday to Sunday with ice skating theme parties on Fridays + Saturdays. The rink is outside and uncovered, so dress appropriately for an enjoyable and comfortable skate. If you come at a popular time and there’s a line, there are plenty of other activities to fill your time while you wait. Pop into our game room, browse + shop The Makers Guild, hang by the fire pit or grab a drink inside any of our brewers and distillers. See website for all the details.
T. rex: The Ultimate Predator at American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Daily 10a-545p until August 9th 2020. Timed entry only. Gallery 3, third floor. General Admission + One tickets: Adult $28 / Child (2-12) $16.50 / Senior & Student $22.50. Free for members. How did T. rex evolve to become the most fearsome carnivore of the Mesozoic? T. rex: The Ultimate Predator will introduce you to the entire tyrannosaur superfamily and reveal the amazing story of the most iconic dinosaur in the world through stunning life-sized models, fossils and casts, engaging interactives, and an immersive multiplayer virtual reality experience developed exclusively for this exhibition. Warning: you may never think of T. rex the same way again.
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.
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 25th-25th The Wiz