Hi everyone! Wow! No more school after Friday so get ready for a busy and fun weekend to kick off the start of Summer break!
This weekend check out caribBEING Music: Steel Pan Day in Prospect Park, Journey to the Stars and Pollination Scavenger Hunt in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Summer Kickoff in Rockaway Beach, Michael Hearst In Concert: Unusual Creatures, Unconventional Vehicles & More at Old Stone House, Movies Under the Stars: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu in P.O. Reinaldo Salgado Playground, To-Go Picnic & Play! in Randall’s Island Park, Movies Under the Stars: Tom and Jerry in Cooper Park, National Pollinator Week BioBlitz in Madison Square Park, Silent Disco at Forest Park, Summer on the Hudson: Sun Gaze in Riverside Park South, Final Fridays on Myrtle Avenue, Porch Stomp on Governors Island, Oy Vey! Klezmer for Kids! at Museum of the Jewish Heritage and NYSoM Once Upon A Time in NYC at Bushwick Playground.
Also check out long running events like Camp Kids: Puppets, Crafts and Magic in Bryant Park, The Wizard of Oz at Puppetworks, The Nature of Color Exhibit and Worlds Beyond Earth at the American Museum of Natural History, Urban Farm Exploration Days! in Randall’s Island Park, Splash Pad in Prospect Park, Tall Ship Wavertree at South Street Seaport and Free Bike Mornings and The Yard – Adventure Playground on Governors Island.
The calendar is full of weekend events so check it out and go have fun. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Enjoy the first weekend of the Summer!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday June 25th
Final Fridays on Myrtle Avenue (Fort Greene/Clinton Hill)
Friday June 25th 5-9p and last Friday of the month until September 24th. Free. Stop by Myrtle Avenue to enjoy free live music, happy hour all night long on Myrtle Avenue businesses, interactive art installations, free demos at Myrtle Avenue businesses, outdoor projections, free games at Myrtle Avenue Plaza including cornhole, giant Jenga, and connect four, classic board, and table games, like dominos, chess, checkers & more. June 25th enjoy Latin Jazz by Benny Lopez Ensemble, Myrtle Avenue Plaza, 5-8p and Jazz Guitar, by Christ, 417 Myrtle Avenue (Sandbox Pack & Ship), 5-8p. See the website for all the event details.
To-Go Picnic & Play! in Randall’s Island Park
Friday June 25th 530-8p. Free. Location: East River Picnic Area. Bring a picnic and your family out for a socially distanced night of outdoor fun! We’ll pass out our art project kit and games as you enjoy an evening outside and watch the beautiful sunset!
Journey to the Stars in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Friday June 25th 8-10p and walk up only. Free. Location: Pier 3 Plaza. Come out and see the stars, planets, and the moon from Brooklyn Bridge Park! Gaze across the New York sky and all the wonders it holds. On select Friday nights starting in June through August, 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: This event is first come, first served. 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 details. Future events: July 16, July 23, August 20, August 27.
Movies Under the Stars: Pokémon: Detective Pikachu in P.O. Reinaldo Salgado Playground (Bedford-Stuyvesant)
Friday June 25th 830-11p. Free. Location: This event will take place on the basketball courts at Patchen Avenue and Madison Street. oin NYC Parks and New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for this free family film! This fantasy follows Tim (Justice Smith) as he partners with the wise-cracking super-sleuth Detective Pikachu to find his father. Rated PG Know Before You Go: You should come before 8:30 p.m. to get your spot for the movie. Please bring your own picnic blanket or chair. Food is OK, but no alcohol or smoking is permitted. All are welcome! See the website for Covid-19 protocols.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday June 26th
Pollination Scavenger Hunt in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday June 26th 11a-4p. Location: Pier 6. This event is free with advanced registration. Please register here. Celebrate National Pollinators week with us by participating in our Pier 6 pollinators scavenger hunt. You’ll be tasked to search for animals that help pollinate plants in the park and some of the flowers currently in bloom! There will be an opportunity to stop by a prize table at Pier 6 and share your completed hunt with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy.
Porch Stomp on Governors Island
Saturday June 26th 11a-5p. Free (fees for ferry). Location: Nolan Park. Set on the beautiful greenery of Governors Island, Porch Stomp invites dozens of folk bands, artists, and performing arts organizations to use the historic porches of Nolan Park as a space for performance and education, highlighting artistry ranging from traditional folk to old-time, blues, roots, bluegrass and Americana. Porch Stomp is a free, volunteer-run music celebration produced in association with Make Music New York, a not-for-profit that connects music makers, fans and the public spaces of New York City. Unlike typical music festivals, anyone can take part in Porch Stomp, and all events are free and open to the public. Now in its eighth year, Porch Stomp offers unique performance and educational opportunities, including concerts, workshops and open jams. Each “stage” or porch is curated and produced by an arts organization or local venue that supports traditional arts, and will represent a specific folk community in New York City. 2021 partners will include Cowgirl Seahorse, Sunny’s Bar, Live Muzic Mondayz, and more. Food and beverage vending will be provided by Cowgirl Seahorse. See the website for Covid-19 protocols. See the website for ferry information.
Summer Kickoff in Rockaway Beach
Saturday June 28th 11a-2p. Free. Location: Beach 108th Street Roller Rink. School’s out for the summer! Join us for amily fun with games, Parks’ Playmobile, arts and crafts, refreshments, and music entertainment. Also check out Meet NYC’s Piping Plovers 1-3p at Beach 17th Street and Boardwalk.
NYSoM Once Upon A Time in NYC at Bushwick Playground [sponsored]
Saturday June 26th 2-6p. Free. Register here. Come See your favorite Sci Fi Characters and Fairy Tale Princesses! NYSoM presents Once Upon A Time in NYC, A Science Fiction& Fairytale festival celebrating the best in fantasy fiction throughout the ages. NYSoM Once Upon A Time in NYC will feature the following: See your favorite fairytale characters from the most beloved fairytales including Snow White, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, Aladdin and also make your own Royal House. See your favorite sci fi characters from Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and much more. Star Wars Jedi Academy- become a full fledged Jedi by participating in NYSoM Jedi Academy and learning the ways of the force. But beware of the darkside. Also Make Your Own Lightsaber!
Michael Hearst In Concert: Unusual Creatures, Unconventional Vehicles & More at Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Saturday June 26th 4-5p. Free. Michael Hearst and his band present Unusual Creatures, Extraordinary People, Curious Constructions, and Unconventional Vehicles. The performance draws from Michael Hearst’s highly-successful series of books, albums, and PBS series. It is an unusually-geeky musical presentation of some of the most bizarre animals that roam the planet, odd and daring characters, strange structures, and vehicles as loopy as ostrich-drawn wagons. Featuring Allyssa Lamb: accordion/vocals, Dylan Thurston: drums, Taylor Bergren-Chrisman: bass, Ben Holmes: trumpet, and Michael Hearst: guitar, claviola, theremin, vocals.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday June 27th
caribBEING Music: Steel Pan Day in Prospect Park
Sunday June 27th 1-3p. Free. Location: Boathouse. Celebrate National Caribbean-American Heritage Month in Prospect Park with caribBEING and Prospect Park Alliance. Brooklyn’s Backyard will be home to a month of workshops, live music, culinary arts and other special events. Enjoy Caribbean music, dance, food, wellness and much more during this cultural celebration for Brooklynites of all ages. All participating artists and practitioners are based in Little Caribbean NYC, and hail from Haiti, Trinidad, Panama and Puerto Rico.
Oy Vey! Klezmer for Kids! at Museum of the Jewish Heritage (Battery Park City/virtual)
Sunday June 27th 1p. Sruli and Lisa’s Family Band features internationally known Klezmer personalities Sruli Dresdner and Lisa Mayer, their son Zach Mayer, and 12-year-old twins Johnny and Charlie. The family plays violin, accordion, clarinet, percussion, saxophone, and a bunch of wackier instruments—and they sing and dance and tell Jewish jokes. Join the Museum for “Oy Vey! Klezmer for Kids!,” an afternoon with Sruli and Lisa’s Family Band intended for kids of all ages and their families. You’ll hear all kinds of Jewish music: Klezmer, Hasidic, Israeli, and Nigunim (wordless melodies), some old and some new. You’ll sing, shout, clap, dance, laugh, and—oy vey!—you’ll have a good time. This program will be held live in the Museum’s Edmond J. Safra Hall. To attend the program in person (limited capacity), register here. To attend the program from home by watching the livestream, register here. Both in person and virtual attendance are free, but a $10 suggested donation helps enable us to present programs like this one.
Summer on the Hudson: Sun Gaze in Riverside Park South (UWS)
Sunday June 27th 1-4p and the last Sunday of every month between until 9/26/2021. Pre-registration for the event is required. Please register online. The Amateur Astronomers Association returns to Pier I with solar telescopes specifically designed to safely look at the sun and see sunspots and prominences under a summer sky. See the website for information on Covid-19 protocols.
Silent Disco at Forest Park
Sunday June 27th 5-9p. Free> Location: Victory Field is a sports complex and the event will be located on the asphalt field on Woodhaven Boulevard between Myrtle Avenue and Forest Park Drive. Join us for a FREE Silent Disco Dance Party at Forest Park, sponsored by Council Member Robert Holden and the Forest Park Trust, Inc. This family-friendly party has music for everyone to enjoy. Our three channels will be playing your favorite songs, from Top 40, to throwbacks, to Motown and funk!
Movies Under the Stars: Tom and Jerry in Cooper Park
Sunday June 27th 815-11p. Free. Join NYC Parks and New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for this free family film! Based on the iconic cartoon characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, this live-action/computer-animated slapstick comedy centers on the legendary rivalry when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of the wedding of the century, forcing the desperate event planner (Chloë Grace Moretz) to hire Tom to get rid of him. As mayhem ensues, the escalating cat-and-mouse battle soon threatens to destroy her career, the wedding, and possibly the hotel itself. Rated PG. Please refer to the NY State Department of Health’s website for updates and CDC’s guidance on large gatherings in regards to COVID-19 restrictions.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Splash Pad in Prospect Park
Ongoing 10a-7p until September 6th. Free. Location: LeFrak Center at Lakeside. The Splash Pad, named Best of New York by New York Magazine, is Prospect Park’s largest water play area, with 47 water spray jets covering 16,000 square feet to provide hours of warm-weather fun. Open free to the public for children 12 years of age and under in season.
The Wizard of Oz at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Ongoing Fridays 4p and Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until August 1st. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each. Suggested for 3 and up. The Wizard of Oz, L Frank Baum’s American classic with an original song score adapted for marionettes by Nicolas Coppola. Call for reservations(recommended, due to the 35% capacity): 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com. Masks required to protect the unvaccinated (especially children).
Camp Kids: Puppets, Crafts and Magic in Bryant Park
Saturdays-Sundays 12n-230p until August 22nd (none 7/4). Free. Location: Upper Terrace near the William Cullen Bryant monument. Join Bryant Park for a fun filled afternoons with music, magic, puppet shows, and science projects, plus arts and crafts between shows! 12n puppet show, 1p arts & crafts & 130p music. Go to the website to see information on the performers.
National Pollinator Week BioBlitz in Madison Square Park
Friday-Sunday June 25th-27th 9a. Tours will begin at The Fountain. Register here. This month, we celebrate the pollinators of Madison Square Park. Discover the bees, bats, birds, and butterflies that work hard to keep the park’s gardens healthy and vibrant. Join expert-led tours for a BioBlitz on Friday, June 25 through Sunday, June 27 at 9 AM to search the park high and low for pollinators. Together, we will make observations of these species and their habitats using the free iNaturalist app. Each finding will help protect the pollinators that keep Madison Square Park green.
Tall Ship Wavertree at South Street Seaport
Open Friday-Sundays 11a-5p through October 2021. The permanently-moored 1885 tall ship Wavertree will be open to the public for FREE with timed entry, from at Pier 16 (Fulton and South Streets). Visits will be self-guided along a set route and will include access to the main deck and quarter deck. Learn how people worked and lived aboard a 19th century cargo sailing vessel, from the captain to the ship’s officers, cooks, and crew. Then visit the cargo hold and stand atop the viewing platform where you can take in the massive main cargo area.The Museum will allow no more than 150 guests on board the ship at any time to encourage social distancing from different households. All guests above the age of 2 will be required to wear a face covering at all times aboard Wavertree and at the Museum’s pop-up gift shop. Reserve tickets here.
The Carousel in Prospect Park
Thursdays-Sundays 12n-5p. Tickets are $2.50 or book of 5 for $11.50. The Prospect Park Carousel + Pony Express Snack Bar open on April 29! COVID-19 Update: The Prospect Park Carousel is open with COVID-19 protocols in place, including social distancing, enhanced cleaning and reduced capacity on the ride. Tickets are first come, first served.
Free Bike Mornings on Governors Island
Mondays-Fridays 10a-12n. Free. Blazing Saddles offers bikes, surreys, pedal cars, scooters and more for rental. Free Bike Mornings allow visitors to borrow a bike from Blazing Saddles for free for up to one hour every weekday between 10 AM and noon. Come visit Blazing Saddles at the north end of Colonels Row and bike the Island! This year you need a reservation for the ferry. See the website for all the details.
The Yard – Adventure Playground on Governors Island
Saturdays-Sundays 12n-4p. Free. Welcome back to The Yard, New York City’s only adventure playground! The Yard offers free weekend play with Covid safety protocols in place. The Yard is a kids-only space recommended for young people ages 6 to 18, stewarded by trained playworkers. The Yard supplies young people with loose parts materials for building, exploring, imagining and destroying. Rules and more information: No more than 35 children at a time will be allowed in The Yard. Children must be over 5 years old. Masks are required. Shoes: Closed-toe shoes are required. play:groundNYC has a limited selection of loaner shoes on site. See the website for the waiver.
Urban Farm Exploration Days! in Randall’s Island Park
Saturdays-Sundays 10a-4p until October 17th. Free. Explore the Randall’s Island Urban Farm’s variety of crops, rice paddies, fragrant herbs, and meet the chickens too! All ages welcome!
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 August 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. Worlds Beyond Earth at the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater is now open with limited seating to maintain health and safety. See all the details here.