Hi everyone! February is the shortest month of the year but it is a busy month with Black History celebrations, Lunar New Year, President’s Day and Valentine’s Day so get ready for a busy weekend here in NYC!
This weekend check out an Aerialists & Acrobats Showcase at CityPoint, Outdoor Skills: Fire Building in McCarren Park, Lunar New Year Celebration with Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, Black History Month Celebrates “Anansi, Aesop, and Friends” with Alexair Dreams Storytelling, Losar Family Day Online with Rubin Museum, How Animals Survive in Winter, FIAF: Animation First, Family Day: Virtual Lunar New Year with Asia Society, Happy Valentine’s Day to APEC’s Animals at Alley Pond Environmental Center, a a Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast and Architecture at Home: Building Materials with Center for Architecture.
Don’t forget about long running events like Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp at Puppetworks, Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society Museum, Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park, the Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium and the The Nature of Color Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.
There are more events this weekend so check the calendar to everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Enjoy the snow & have a fabulous weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday February 5th
Architecture at Home: Building Materials with Center for Architecture (virtual)
Friday February 5th at 11a and Wednesdays at 4p & Fridays 11a until February 12th. All programs are FREE and are open to at-home learners, families, and youth ages 5+. Register here. Learn more about architecture and design from the comfort of your own home with these free, live, online workshops led by Center for Architecture Educators. Each 45-minute session explores an architectural topic through virtual tours, interactive lessons and discussions, and gets kids started on a design project they can complete on their own with simple at-home materials. All Architecture at Home events require a device with internet connection and camera. February 5th: Building Materials ~ What are the different materials buildings are made of and where do they come from? Learn about the range of building materials available today and how our choice of materials impacts our environment. Make some texture rubbings to collect interesting building materials around your home, then use them to create a building collage of your own design. See the website for the materials needed and for the architectural topic next week.
FIAF: Animation First 2021 (virtual)
Starting online Friday February 5th daily until Monday February 15th. $20 Festival pass. FIAF’s annual Animation First Festival celebrates the enduring legacy and trailblazing innovation of French animation. Presented for the first time entirely online, the Festival’s fourth edition will reach a nationwide audience, from Friday, February 5 to Monday, February 15. Films are in French with English subtitles, and talks are in English. An affordable $20 pass provides full access to the entire eleven-day Festival. See the website for all the Festival details.
Black History Month Celebrates “Anansi, Aesop, and Friends” with Alexair Dreams Storytelling (virtual)
Friday February 5th 4-445p. Free. Are you ready to hear some hilarious stories about tricksters and clever animals? Enjoy entertaining stories about Anansi the spider, Aesop’s fables, and other African tales. There will be lots of singing, dancing, and storytelling as we celebrate African heritage! Watch live on the Queens Public Library Facebook page.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday February 6th
Happy Valentine’s Day to APEC’s Animals at Alley Pond Environmental Center
Saturday February 6th 10a. $18 per participant. Ages 2-3, with ONE adult. Register here. Celebrate your child’s love for animals at APEC! Toddlers will enjoy listening to an animal story and observing 3 animal guests close-up! We will also make a heart-shaped bird treat to take home and hang outside for birds in your neighborhood. Limited to 6 parent/child pairs. ONE adult per child. Masks must be worn by all adults and children for the entire program.
Family Day: Virtual Lunar New Year with Asia Society (virtual)
Saturday February 6th 1-3p. Celebrate the Year of the Ox! Asia Society rings in the New Year with performances and traditional craft activities inspired by Lunar New Year traditions across Asia. This year, we will celebrate together virtually. Please join us for a day of performances and arts and crafts inspired by Lunar New Year traditions across Asia. See the website for the schedule of events and the YouTube & Facebook links.
Lunar New Year Celebration with Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (virtual)
Saturday February 6th 1-2p. Free. RSVP here. The Brooklyn Lions Club is back again in their starring role! Join BKCM online this year as we celebrate the passing of a new lunar year. Join us by dressing-up in your best Lunar New Year outfits and sending us pictures to be part of our Costume Zoom Parade! Bring along your snacks as we share Chinese New Year food stories and interactive discussions with families on their Chinese New Year food experience. This year’s event will be hosted live by Yijia Bu! Featuring performances by… Chinese Book Garden Children’s Choir, Puppet Theater Performance from Chinese Theatre Works, A finale performance of the Lion Dance by Brooklyn Lion Club. Plus, riddles, crafts and more music!
Outdoor Skills: Fire Building in McCarren Park
Saturday February 6th 1-2p. Free. All programs are family-friendly but are recommended for ages 8 years and older. Our Urban Park Rangers are well-versed in outdoor lore. Learn tips and tricks that will enhance your knowledge of the natural world, and might just save your life. Please see website for Covid-19 protocols.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday February 7th
Aerialists & Acrobats Showcase at City Point (Downtown Brooklyn)
Sundays at 12n until February 28th. Free. Also check out rehearsals Mondays-Fridays 9a-1p & 6-9p & Sundays 10a-7p until February 28th. A CREATIVE RESIDENCY in BKLYN STUDIOS New York City Professional Circus Performers showcasing training and creative process as well as rehearsals of works-in-progress and show-ready acts. Artists will be inside BKLYN STUDIOS & viewers will be in the City Point main passageway. Masks & social distancing are required. See more information here.
Losar Family Day Online 2021 with Rubin Museum (virtual)
Sunday February 7th 1-4p. Free. Register here. Celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year observed throughout the Himalayas and all over the world, with an afternoon of family-friendly art making and fun inspired by the year of the Metal Ox. You’ll learn about traditional Losar celebrations and this year’s zodiac animal, the wise and determined Metal Ox. Join us virtually and make your own ox horns, paint with flour, construct prayer flags, and let your creativity go wild! See the website for schedule of events.
Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast
Sunday February 7th 2-4p. Free. Sign up here to receive the Zoom link 24 hours prior. South Street Seaport Museum’s monthly Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music continues – virtually. From our living rooms and kitchens, and even from the deck of Wavertree, join us for our round-robin of shared sea songs, featuring members of The New York Packet and friends. Listen in, lead or request a song, and belt out the choruses for your neighbors to hear. Hosted by singers from the New York Packet.
How Animals Survive in Winter (virtual)
Sunday February 7th 4-5p. Free. RSVP on Eventbrite to reserve a workshop spot and to be sent Zoom details. The Fort Tryon Park Trust presents an online workshop led by author, science teacher, and naturalist, Leslie Day. Wind down your weekend with us and learn how the fauna in Fort Tryon Park survive the colder months. Learn how the park’s 67 acres offer year-round habitat to abundant wildlife.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p ongoing until Sunday March 28th. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each (suggested for ages 3 and up). Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp from “1,001 Arabian Nights”. 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.
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.
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 are 10a-1p & 2-5p. Museum admission: $13 per person (children under 1 free). Purchase your advanced timed entry tickets online. Play Sessions are Saturdays & Sundays at are 10a-1p and 2-5p. The Museum is closed between 1pm-2pm for cleaning. ColorLab Workshops are one hour long and take place on weekends within Play Sessions. During the AM Play Session (10a-1p), your ColorLab Workshop takes place between 1145-1245p. During the PM Play Session (2-5p), your workshop takes place between 215p-315p. Before and after your workshop you are free to play in the exhibits during Play Session hours. See our ColorLab page for more information on art workshops. Masks required. See website for all the details.
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.
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.
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.