Hi everyone! Happy Hanukkah! I hope you are ready for another fun busy weekend here in NYC!
This weekend check out L.O.S. Hansel & Gretel! – Humperdinck’s Classic Fairytale, a Virtual Winter Holiday Celebration with the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library, The Brooklyn Nutcracker in the Jewel Box Live, Chanukah Festival at the Jewish Children’s Museum, Menorah Lighting at The Largest Menorah in Grand Army Plaza, The Morgan Library & Museum: Winter Family Fair, The Jewish Museum Virtual Art Workshop: Picture This! Dream Menorahs, Virtual Con Edison Family Days with Morris-Jumel Mansion, The Piper Theatre: The Yarn Barn, Astronomy: The Winter Sky in Fort Greene Park and Laurie Berkner’s Virtual Holiday Party! with Susie Lampert.
Don’t forget about running events like Luminaries in the Winter Garden, Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society Museum, Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo, Holiday Under the Stars at The Shops at Columbus Circle, Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History, Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park and the last weekend of Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks.
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 with the family!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday December 11th
Menorah Lighting at The Largest Menorah in Grand Army Plaza
Friday December 11th 330p, Saturday December 12th 7p & Sunday December 13th 530p, Monday-Thursday December 14th-17th 6p. Free. At the largest Menorah Lighting in Brooklyn every night with live music, hot latkes and gifts for the children. Due to Covid-19 Masks and Social Distancing are required.
The Brooklyn Nutcracker in the Jewel Box – LIVE! (Downtown Brooklyn)
Friday December 11th 530p & 630p, Saturday December 12th 630p & 730p, Sunday December 13th 430p, 530p & 630p. Performances are 20 minutes & free to the public. The Brooklyn Nutcracker in the Jewel Box offers audiences nine opportunities to experience the magic of this timeless production live, from outside Brooklyn Ballet’s home studio space, for the whole family to enjoy. The first of its kind, this production fuses ballet, hip-hop and an array of world dance genres to create a culturally inclusive production that celebrates dances and artists from around the globe. Location: Outside Brooklyn Ballet Storefront at 160 Schermerhorn Street.
The Piper Theatre: The Yarn Barn (virtual)
Friday December 11th 7p. A Zoom event. Join here. Check out the World Premiere of Piper’s New Original Musical, Yarn Barn. A veteran cast of Piper Theatre regulars present a wacky, tongue-in-cheek musical by John McEneny (Book) and Rob Parker, U.K. composer and lyricist. Yarn Barn is a comedic adventure about two orphans sent to live in a desolate town in Arizona only to discover a nefarious kidnapping plot at the new local crafts store.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday December 12th
L.O.S. Hansel & Gretel! – Humperdinck’s Classic Fairytale [sponsored]
The Little Orchestra Society’s 2020-2021 streamed season of L.O.S. KIDS continues on December 12th with “Hansel & Gretel! – Humperdinck’s Classic Fairytale.” Now in a new streamed format, the innovative L.O.S. concert series is a fantastic way to introduce kids (ages 3-10) to great composers and help them develop a love of orchestral music right in their own homes. This year’s programs are bringing to life a Halloween-themed concert, Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel, the music of Dvořák, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition for a new generation. Each program introduces the audience to composers as people, with selections from their most cherished works, ways in which their music is unforgettable, and fundamentals of music through audience participation. “Hansel & Gretel! – Humperdinck’s Classic Fairytale” is conducted by L.O.S. Associate Conductor Jane Kim. Each streamed concert features specially created videos and animations, performances by accomplished young soloists along with our professional orchestra, and an original script – all designed to enhance audience engagement with the orchestral music that is at the core of all L.O.S. performances. L.O.S. KIDS streamed concerts are available for the 2020-21 season with an L.O.S. Membership. Memberships begin at $199. For Membership details, visit littleorchestra.org/memberships
Virtual Winter Holiday Celebration with the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library
Saturday December 12th 11a-2p. Free. Registration is required. The Zoom links will sent out one (1) hour before the program begins. Register here. Join us for a winter holiday celebration over Zoom. All ages are welcome! 11a-12n Pop-up Card Craft: The Park Slope Librarians will teach you how to make pop-up cards! Supplies will be available for pick-up at the Park Slope Library from December 7th-11th. (Supplies needed: cardstock, scissors, gluesticks, and markers or crayons.) 12n-1p Suzi Shelton: Musical Roadtrip of Fun with Suzi Shelton. Come rock out with Suzi, a music and movement specialist, teacher, and family performer. 1-2p James Lazzarini, Magic of Amore: Amore delights audiences with his magic show, full of side-splitting comedy and audience participation.
Virtual Con Edison Family Days with Morris-Jumel Mansion
Saturday December 12th 1-2p. Free. Join the Morris-Jumel Mansion on the second Saturday of every month for ConEd sponsored Family Days. During COVID-19, all Family Days will be held online via Zoom. Visit MJM’s website to register for free and get your materials list. Step into another century as you explore the period rooms of Manhattan’s oldest house. Join Morris-Jumel Mansion Museum’s educators in the colonial kitchen to create hands-on arts and crafts, while learning about the historic origins and significance of the crafts you make! Draw connections between the past and present by comparing and contrasting colonial life, tools, and toys with your contemporary world. Grab-and-Go Activity Kits! are available Saturday 11a-5p at Morris-Jumel Mansion.
Astronomy: The Winter Sky in Fort Greene Park
Saturday December 12th 6-7p. Free. Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center. Our Urban Park Rangers will be your guides to the solar system, discussing the science, history, and folklore of the universe. Astronomy programs feature the use of telescopes and binoculars to observe specific astronomical events. Equipment will be adapted for safe viewing of the night sky. See website for details on Covid-19 protocols.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday December 13th
Chanukah Festival at the Jewish Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sunday December 13th 10a-130p & 2-530p. Purchase advanced timed entry tickets here. Free with Museum admission. Learn about olives and oil. Then decorate festive doughnuts! Donut Decorating at various times: Come decorate your very own Chanukah Donut with an exciting variety of icing and sprinkles! Olive Oil Workshop at various times: Pick, press, pour, and explore the art of olive oil making in a fun and interactive workshop. Duration: Approx 30 min. Goobi Play Space open during Museum hours: All builders welcome here! Use your creativity and enjoy thousands of colorful Goobi Juniors. See website for all the event details.
The Jewish Museum Virtual Art Workshop: Picture This! Dream Menorahs
Sunday December 13th 10-1045a. Register for Zoom link, one ticket per household. Free with RSVP. Zoom link will be sent with email confirmation. Join us for a virtual family tour and art-making experience inspired by our popular Picture This! series now designed as an at-home opportunity for families. Discover unique Hanukkah menorahs made with unexpected materials in a virtual tour with interactive activities, and create a folded sculptural menorah book with dreams and hopes for each night of the holiday. Explore your creativity through this intimate and multi-faceted program focusing on striking art in the Museum’s collection. See the website for the materials needed.
Laurie Berkner’s Virtual Holiday Party! with Susie Lampert
Sunday December 13th 12n & 5p. Tickets: $20 regular, $10 need based. Join Laurie Berkner and special guest Susie Lampert for an 80+min LIVE interactive, virtual performance for the whole family! Sing, dance, & play games through your device with Laurie as she performs holiday songs and fan favorites, interacts with you through the screen, & brings in a few surprises – from her house to yours! Your ticket to the Holiday party gives you access to BOTH shows (12p & 5pET) and helps the LBB team continue operations while we can’t tour! You can purchase a meet & greet also. See website for details and to purchase tickets. Group rates available, email katie@twotomatoes.com to inquire
The Morgan Library & Museum: Winter Family Fair (virtual)
Sunday December 13th 2-330p. Tickets: Free; limited availability, advance registration is required. Celebrate the holiday season with the Morgan’s annual display of the original manuscript of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. This year’s Winter Family Fair will take place online —enjoy an afternoon of object exploration, theatrical performance, and crafting. See the website for the schedule of events and to register.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Luminaries in the Winter Garden (Battery Park City)
Ongoing daily 8a-10p until January 3rd. Free. Brighten up the holidays with Brookfield Place! This season we’re keeping our annual Luminaries tradition alive with the interactive installation in the Winter Garden. Luminaries, designed by the LAB at Rockwell Group, is inspired by the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, and community. The installation features a canopy of colorful lights emanating from hundreds of lanterns suspended among the palms. Touchless wishing stations located on the ground allow visitors to send a motion-activated wish to the canopy of lanterns above, prompting a magical display of lights and colors. For each wish, Brookfield Place will donate $1, up to $25,000 to ROAR (Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants),which supports New York City restaurant employees facing unprecedented economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.At the top of every hour, visit the Winter Garden for a special Luminaries light show (8a -10p) featuring: Winter Wonderland by Michael Bublé, Silver Bells by Tony Bennett, Carol of the Bells by The Bird and The Bee, Let It Snow by Pentatonix. See the website for all the details.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society Museum (UWS)
Ongoing until February 21, 2021. Free with Museum admission. Purchase timed entry tickets here. Hours are Fridays 11a-8p, Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p. Friday 10-11a is for Members and age 65+ and immunocompromised. A magical wonderland awaits visitors with the return of this holiday tradition. Featuring toy trains, figurines, and miniature models from the renowned Jerni Collection, Holiday Express transports young and old alike to a bygone era. The installation includes a variety of toy train stations dating from the turn of the 19th century to the WWII era, showcasing the evolving designs of American and European toymakers. New to the display this year are Marklin’s Onion Dome Station and Grand Station (1904–08). Visitors are greeted by animations and fun facts about the toys on nearby screens, and kids will be delighted by a specially created bench inspired by a sleigh in New-York Historical’s collection.
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
Select dates through January 10th 3-8p. Tickets are required and must be reserved in advance. Tickets start at $22.95. Purchase tickets here. Join us for five animal lantern safaris, ice-carving demonstrations, holiday treats, costumed characters, wildlife theater, stilt walkers, and more! Join us for a global safari in lights featuring illuminated animals from all over the world. Our five lantern safaris, spread out throughout the park each showcase a different wildlife region and will lead you on a fun, safe, and leisurely tour of the attractions. See the website for all the event details.
Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
On exhibit until January 10th (except 12/25). Location: Grand Gallery, first floor. Free with Museum admission. Museum is open Wednesdays-Sundays with timed entry tickets are available 10a-4p (museum closes 530p). 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 Cranes and Colors, featuring 1,000 brilliantly colored origami cranes, presented as symbols of peace and good wishes as New York continues to endure the many challenges posed by COVID-19, and drawing inspiration from The Nature of Color special exhibition, which explores the role and power of color in the natural world.The tree—which is the 49th Origami Tree, continuing a Museum tradition started in the 1970s—also features hundreds of other models relating to the Museum’s exhibitions, collections and icons.
Holiday Under the Stars at The Shops at Columbus Circle (UWS)
Daily 4-7p until December 24th. Free. Location: Ground Floor. Holiday Under the Stars, the largest specialty crafted exhibit of illuminated color mixing in the world featuring twelve 14-foot stars that hang from the ceiling of the 150-foot Great Room overlooking iconic Central Park perform daily from 4:00pm until 7:00pm (every half hour). The free, indoor colorful spectacle with stunning views of Central Park is an ideal destination during the cold, shorter days of winter. The destination also will offer extended shopping hours.
Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park
Skating hours daily 8a-10p until March 7th. Admission is free. Skating rental vary by day. Reservations must be made in advance. See website for all the information on skating & the shops. Bryant Park is Manhattan’s winter wonderland. Enjoy New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink, the Holiday Shops, and rinkside eats and drinks at The Lodge Deck.
Indoor Exhibits Open at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Museum hours Saturdays-Sundays 10a-7p. Museum admission: $13 per person (children under 1 free). BCM is delighted to have the indoor exhibits open. Make sure you don’t miss a minute of fun by ordering your tickets online in advance and reserving a timed ticket. There are two types of tickets to BCM: Play Session tickets and ColorLab Session tickets. Play Sessions are Saturdays & Sundays at 10a, 1230p, 3p or 5p (90-minute session). Come play in our exhibits! BCM favorite exhibits including Totally Tots, World Brooklyn, Neighborhood Nature, Collections Central and The Nest are open for exploration. For more information on BCM’s exhibits, check out our Permanent Exhibits page. Artmaking in ColorLab are Saturdays & Sundays at 1030a, 130p & 330p. Every weekend, BCM hosts artmaking workshops featuring a muse artist and family art projects inspired by their work. Families attending the 1030a & 1p ColorLab sessions may come up to 30 minutes in advance to play in BCM’s exhibits, and visitors attending the 3p session may stay up to 30 minutes after their workshop. Space is limited to ensure that families can spread out in our art studio. See our ColorLab page for more information on art workshops. Masks required. See website for all the details.
Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Ongoing Wednesdays-Fridays at 4p and Saturdays-Sundays at 1230p & 230p until December 13th. 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.
Brooklyn Public Library Vitural Storytimes
Daily usually at 11a & 2p (none 11/26). 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.
Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium (Coney Island)
Daily 10a-330p (park closes 430p) until March 2021. 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.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan at Home
CMOM is now open Wednesday-Sunday 10a-5p. CMOM at Home is still ongoing. Activities are sent in a daily email newsletter. CMOM can still be a part of your day through videos, sing-a-longs, games and so much more for you to do together with your family at home! Sign up for emails here. From slime-making, dance parties and being transported to Japan with a recipe for sushi, to making animal puppets from recycled materials around the house, creating a bedtime routine and storytimes, “CMOM at Home” is sure to delight. Each day of the week will feature a different theme: Magical Monday, Move & Grove Tuesday, Our World Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, Feel Good Friday, Storytime Saturday and Surprise Sunday.