Hi everyone! Fall is officially here and there are lots of virtual and outdoor events to enjoy this weekend.
This weekend check out The Yard on Governors Island, an Outdoor Botanical Drawing Workshop with Private Picassos at Old Stone House, Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks, Journey to the Stars and a Beach Scavenger Hunt in Brooklyn Bridge Park, The Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center Online, Greenlight Bookstore Story Time: Shirley Chisholm Is a Verb, Pop-Up Lefferts: Play and Go Kits in Prospect Park, September Sundays at Queens County Farm Museum, Brooklyn Public Library Virtual Storytimes, “New-York Historical Society Reading into History @ Home: “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate” and the reopening of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Don’t forget to check out the long running events like The Amazing Maize Maze® at Queens County Farm Museum, Biking, Boating + Splash Pad and Rollerskating at Lakeside in Prospect Park, the Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium and The Nature of Color Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History.
These are more events so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Happy Fall and enjoy the weekend with the family!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday September 25th
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Reopens
Friday September 25th 10a-5p. Hours will be Wednesday-Sunday 10a-5p. Purchase advanced timed tickets here. The following exhibits and amenities will be unavailable through October 9: Concorde, Growler Submarine and Exhibition, Gift Shop, Food Service, Guided Tours, Audio Tours, 3-D Films and Simulators. The vast majority of the 350,000 square foot Museum is available and accessible to visitors, including most exhibitions, the entire collection of aircraft on the flight and hangar decks, as well as the Space Shuttle Pavilion, which houses the space shuttle Enterprise.
Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Starting Friday September 25th at 4p and ongoing Wednesdays-Fridays at 4p and Saturdays-Sundays at 1230p & 230p until December 23rd. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each (suggested for ages 3 and up). Jack & the Beanstalk with an original song score adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola. Call for Reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com NO Same Day e-mail reservations please. Performances are @ 25% Capacity, Masks Required.
Journey to the Stars in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Friday September 25th 830-1030p. Free. This event is first come, first served. Gaze across the New York sky and all the wonders it holds. On select Friday nights in August and September, members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will set up hi-powered telescopes for stargazing sessions that are free and open to the public. Weather permitting. Note: There will be a socially-distanced queue to use the telescopes. We recommend arriving as early as possible. Participants must wear a face covering at all times. See the website for all the event details.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday September 26th
Outdoor Botanical Drawing Workshop with Private Picassos at Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Saturday September 26th 10-11a. $25/student with sanitized materials or $18/student if providing own supplies, email info@privatepicassos.com for an invoice for this option. Purchase tickets here. Join our friends from Private Picassos for this drawing workshop inspired by the grounds of the Old Stone House. Learn how to create your own botanical sketches! Traditional drawing techniques will be demonstrated by our teacher, followed by ample time for each student to find the subject that excites them for their own finished drawing.
The Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center Online
Saturdays September 26th 11a (last one!). Free. This season is online! You and your children may join us for live online All Andersen storytelling season Saturdays. You can watch here on HCAStoryCenter youtube or facebook. It will also be possible to see the live sessions at the same links after the live sessions have occurred. This week it is The Ugly Duckling’s Birthday Party with The Nightingale! Beauty abounds in Stories!
Greenlight Bookstore Story Time: Shirley Chisholm Is a Verb
Saturday September 26th 1130a. Free. For ages 3 to 8. Live via Zoom. Register here. Award-winning author Veronica Chambers and multi-displinary artist Rachelle Baker present a timely picture book biography about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman in Congress, who sought the Democratic nomination to be the president of the United States. Shirley Chisholm famously said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” This dynamic biography illuminates how Chisholm was a doer, an active and vocal participant in our nation’s democracy, and a force to be reckoned with. Now young readers will learn about her early years, her time in Congress, her presidential bid and how her actions left a lasting legacy that continues to uplift and instruct. Join Chambers and Baker for a powerful and inspirational story time!
The Yard on Governors Island
Saturdays September 26th & October 3rd 12n-4p. The Yard is free. Ferry tickets need to be reserved in advance and there are fees. See the website for the details. The Yard, NYC’s only adventure playground located on Governors Island will open to the public. Safety protocols will be different this year due to the current conditions. Timed slots will be available on a first-come first-served basis at the gate. Masks will be required. No more than 30 kids in the Yard and no children under 5. Waivers: Each child will need a separate waiver to participate in either adventure play or family play area. We recommend you fill out the waiver ONLINE HERE prior to your visit. Waivers are also available at the entrance of play:groundNYC and closed-toe shoes are required. See website for all the details.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday September 27th
Pop-Up Lefferts: Play and Go Kits in Prospect Park
Sunday September 27th 11a-4p. Free. See the website for all the details. Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Lefferts, which brings our favorite family activities enjoyed at Lefferts Historic House to locations around Prospect Park and surrounding neighborhoods while the museum undergoes a $2.5 million restoration funded by the New York City Council. Enjoy Play and Go Kits filled with historic games and toys, including a DIY nine-man morris game board and Mamantuhwin, a Native American (Lenape) dice game, which you can take home with you. There is also a wooden egg and spoon, and potato sacks, for races with your friends and family. A small library of children’s books can also be borrowed along with your kit. Kits can be borrowed on a first-come, first-served basis for up to 45 minutes, and will be sanitized between sessions. T
September Sundays at Queens County Farm Museum
Sundays 11a-2p & 2-5p. $15/children under 12 & $20/adults plus fees. These special event days have been created to provide farm-fresh entertainment! September Sundays Tickets include: The Amazing Maize Maze, Hayrides, Live music from New Orleans-inspired bluegrass band Mama Juke! Audience Crop Circles will help with social distancing. (Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs to social distance too.) Adopt-a-Worm composting program, crafts and tips at the Con Edison Ecology Booth. Enjoy Queens Farm’s Beer Garden sponsored by Bridge & Tunnel Brewery with local food vendors to fill hungry tummies. See what’s growing on at Queens Farm’s acclaimed Farmstand, featuring the season’s best produce fresh-picked from our fields plus a farmers market featuring New York State produce and goods.
Beach Scavenger Hunt in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Sunday September 27th 11a-4p. Free. Explore the Park’s beaches and shorelines to complete this month’s outdoor and socially distanced nature challenge. To participate and receive the official scavenger hunt, please pre-register here and select a time slot. One ticket and one time slot per family please! We kindly request participants stick to their assigned time slots, in order to minimize crowding at the Park. There will be an opportunity to stop by a prize table at the back of the Environmental Education Center and share your completed hunt with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy! All are welcome to participate. See the website for all the rules.
New-York Historical Society Reading into History @ Home: “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate”
Sunday September 27th 2-3p. Free. For ages 9-12y. Register here. Conquer the great outdoors this summer with Calpurnia Virginia Tate! Join us in September to discuss Jacqueline Kelly’s award-winning novel, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. Just before her 12th birthday, Calpurnia Tate, or Callie Vee, isn’t quite ready to become a grown-up in her Texas town in 1899. Especially if it means doing housework instead of the scientific work she’s been doing with her grandfather. Join us to discuss the book, what it meant to be a woman at the turn of the 20th century, the beginnings of evolutionary biology, and women in science today.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
The Amazing Maize Maze® at Queens County Farm Museum
Fridays & Saturdays 11a-430p (last ticket sold at 430p) in September and Fridays-Sundays in October. Advance Tickets: $12; $8 (ages 4-11) (plus fees). Free for ages 3 & under. Purchase tickets here. Get lost in NYC’s only corn maze! The Amazing Maize Maze adventure begins with a Stalk Talk to prepare you for the 3-acre challenge of finding clues on your way to Victory Bridge where the full vista of Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ masterpiece is revealed. Maze entry will be staggered in order to maintain event capacity.
Brooklyn Public Library Vitural Storytimes
Daily usually at 11a & 2p. Free. Sometimes the storytimes are on the Brooklyn Public Library Family facebook page and other times they are on a specific branch facebook page. See the website for all the details.
Biking, Boating + Splash Pad in Prospect Park
Open daily. Hours: Boating + Biking: daily, 10a- 8p & Splash Pad (water play): daily, 10a-dusk. Splash pad is free see website for biking & boating rates. COVID-19 Update: Please note that starting Saturday, August 1, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside will be open daily for biking, boating and water play, with food and drink available for takeaway from the Bluestone Cafe. Please note that our water play feature, Splash Pad, is not regularly sanitized, and patrons are requested to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines posted on site, including adhering to mask wearing and social distancing protocols.
Rollerskating at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Daily 12n-6p until mid October. Pricing: $6 admission & $7 skate rentals on weekdays and $10 admission, $7 skate rentals on weekends (weekend pricing begins 4p Fridays). Roller Skating is BACK! COVID-19 safety guidelines will be followed, including mask-wearing and social distancing protocols. Skating will operate at reduced capacity. Come get moving with us at Lakeside! Lakeside’s outdoor roller skating rink provides fun for kids, tweens, and adults alike. Skate to a mix of pop hits while taking in views of Prospect Park Lake. Skate rentals are available in children and adult sizes. See website for all the details.
Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium (Coney Island)
Daily 10a-4p (park closes 5p) until October 31st. Admission included with ticket. All visitors must reserve a date-specific ticket in advance. Please check Know Before You Go for details. We have great news: The New York Aquarium is reopening on August 27! Buy tickets to see all of your favorite marine animals today and enjoy summer on Coney Island! Explore Spineless, our latest exhibit, and marvel and the jellies, octopus, and more. Come wave hello to Erie the sea lion and Murphy the Harbor Seal. Relax in Ocean Wonders: Sharks! and watch the rays, sharks, and turtles.
The Nature of Color Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Museum is open Wednesdays-Sundays with timed entry tickets are available 10a-4p (museum closes 530p). Exhibit is open until March 8, 2021. Select a General Admission + One or General Admission + All ticket, choose date and time of entry to the Museum, then select The Nature of Color. Reserve tickets here. Our world is awash in color. Color makes the world feel vibrant and alive. But that’s not all. Color helps us make sense of the world. It contains vast amounts of information—about the natural world, and the human world. Come and explore the world of color in this immersive exhibition.