Hi everyone! August is almost here and it will be a fun month here in NYC so have fun this weekend with the family.
This weekend check out Citizen Science Fishing Clinics in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Piper Theatre Student Productions at Old Stone House, Movies Under the Stars: Captain Marvel in Cadman Plaza Park, Final Fridays on Myrtle Avenue, To-Go Picnic & Play! in Randall’s Island Park, Great Hudson River Fish Count! in Fort Washington Park, Intrepid Museum’s Movie Night: Top Gun, Sandcastle Contest in Rockaway Beach, Movies Under the Stars: Moana at Dry Dock Playground, River Project: Wetlab Look-Ins in Hudson River Park, All About Bats in Central Park, The World in the City: Garifuna sing-along with James Lovell on Governors Island, Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast and Concerts for Kids: Elena Moon Park & Friends at Restart Stages at Lincoln Center.
Also check out long running events like the Sand Celebration at Brookfield Place, New York Classical Theatre Presents King Lear in The Battery, Camp Kids: Puppets, Crafts and Magic in Bryant Park, 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, Free Bike Mornings and The Yard – Adventure Playground on Governors Island, Putting Green Mini Golf and the last weekend of The Wizard of Oz at Puppetworks.
These are just some of the weekend events so check calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Have a fabulous weekend with the family!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday July 30th
Final Fridays on Myrtle Avenue (Fort Greene/Clinton Hill)
Friday July 30th 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. Latin Jazz by Benny Lopez Ensemble, Myrtle Avenue Plaza, 5-8p and Jazz and Blues by Eric Frazier, Carlton Triangle, 5-8p. See the website for all the event details.
To-Go Picnic & Play! in Randall’s Island Park
Friday July 30th 530-8p. Free. Location: Field 39/30. Bring a picnic and your family out for a socially-distant night of outdoor fun! We’ll pass out art project kit and games as you enjoy an evening outside and watch the beautiful sunset!
Piper Theatre Student Productions at Old Stone House (Park Slope)
Friday-Saturday July 30th-31st 7p & 830p and also Saturday July 30th 3p. All performances are free and open to the public on the Turf behind the Old Stone House; post-show donations to support Piper Theatre are appreciated! Piper Theatre’s student productions feature young performers age 7-16. See the website for the performance information.
Intrepid Museum’s Movie Night: Top Gun (Midtown West)
Friday July 30th. Doors open at 7pm & close at 830p; movie begins at sunset. Seating is limited. Guests will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. Watch a movie on the ship’s flight deck, under the stars! Enjoy views of the Hudson River and city skyline! The Museum’s next free movie night is Friday, July 30, featuring the action-adventure classic Top Gun! Food and non-alcoholic drinks are welcome. Unvaccinated visitors are required to maintain social distancing and wear masks unless eating and drinking. What to know before you arrive: We recommend bringing blankets instead of chairs, as space is limited. See the website for all the details.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday July 31st
Great Hudson River Fish Count! in Fort Washington Park
Saturday July 31st 10a-12n. Free. Location: 172nd Street Beach. Pre-registration for the event is required. Management reserves the right to cap participation in accordance with current COVID-19 outdoor safety guidelines. The Great Hudson River Fish Count is an annual event sponsored by the DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Come visit organizations all along the Hudson River and New York Harbor work together at riverfront sites to collect, count, and catalog fish species. During the fish count, visitors can help collect fish using seine nets, minnow traps, or rods and reels! Participants may watch from shore or jump into available waterproof waders and help pull in the net.
Concerts for Kids: Elena Moon Park & Friends at Restart Stages at Lincoln Center (UWS)
Saturday July 31st 12n. Performance Length: Approximately 60 minutes, no intermission. Seats are available via the TodayTix Lottery. Enter for a chance to win a FREE pod (four seats) starting two weeks before the show. Entries close three days before a performance at 12:59 pm ET. Elena Moon Park and Friends celebrate folk and children’s music from all over the globe, with an emphasis on East and Southeast Asia, plus original songs, reinterpreted to mix various musical traditions, languages, styles, and stories. These tunes range from northern Japanese sea shanties to Tibetan jump rope rhymes, original energetic songs and lullabies in English, and Taiwanese train songs. The artists invite families and people of all ages to join them in singing in many languages, dancing, hand clapping, and joyously celebrating song, language and story together.
The World in the City: Garifuna sing-along with James Lovell on Governors Island
Saturday July 31st 2-3p. Free. Location: Nolan Park building 4a. A children’s program for all ages: Garifuna musician and language activist James Lovell, from Dangriga, Belize, will teach his language to children through song, rhythm and storytelling. The Garifuna people originated in the eastern Caribbean and are the descendants of Arawak, Carib and African peoples who co-existed on the island of Yurumein, what is today St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Garifuna is the only Arawak language of the Caribbean Islands that is still spoken by thousands on a daily basis and, over the last 50 years, it has become an important language of New York, too! Learn more about this unique culture, music and language in a fun interactive program that is sure to get you and your children moving and thinking.
All About Bats in Central Park
Saturday July 31st 7-8p. Free. Location: 81st Street and Central Park West. Bats are amazing and awe-inspiring animals, and they’re the only mammals who can fly! You’ve probably seen them flying around at dusk as they forage for insects and mosquitos. Join the Urban Park Rangers for an evening of fun-filled facts about these amazing mammals. See the website for Covid-19 protocols.
Movies Under the Stars: Moana at Dry Dock Playground (East Village)
Saturday July 31st 830-11p. Free. Join NYC Parks and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for a free film! Grab a blanket and come enjoy a movie in a neighborhood park or playground! This summer, NYC Parks will host family-friendly movie showings across the five boroughs. Movies begin at dusk. You should arrive before 8:30 p.m. to get your spot. Feel free to bring a blanket to sit on. This event is FREE and open to the public, but seating is limited. Reservations are not taken. Moana: In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana’s island, she answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the Demigod to set things right. 2016 Rated PG. See the website Covid-19 protocols.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday August 1st
River Project: Wetlab Look-Ins in Hudson River Park
Sundays 11a-3p until August 22nd. Free. Location: Pier 40. Location Details:When you arrive at Pier 40, take the south walkway all the way down and look out for the River Project Wetlab on your right-hand side. Our flow-through aquarium houses dozens of species of fish and invertebrates all caught within the park as part of an ongoing ecological survey. Park staff will be available for tours and questions during the duration of open hours. If you can’t make it to Pier 40, we will also be live streaming feeding and/or species spotlights each day on Facebook live @hudsonriverpark. Animals are released each season to ensure that their behaviors and life cycles are minimally impacted. Please make sure to bring a mask if you are attending in person.
Sandcastle Contest in Rockaway Beach
Sunday August 1st 1130a-2p. Free. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.; contest begins at noon. Location: Beach 117th Street. Show off your sand – sculpting prowess or admire others’ handiwork at this 24th annual contest. Win prizes for several age categories. BYO buckets and tools. No experience necessary.
Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast
Sunday August 1st 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.
Citizen Science Fishing Clinics in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Sunday August 1st 4-7p. Free. Advance registration required. Register here. All ages welcome, equipment provided on site. Take part in our citizen science Fishing Clinics and contribute to ecological surveys with marine biologists. The Conservancy’s rod and reel clinics are designed to introduce the public to the ecology and life of the East River, in order to foster conservation and environmental stewardship of our waterways. Working with expert anglers and a marine biologist, participants will learn the basics of line fishing, while contributing to an ecological survey — helping to monitor the health of our river. All organisms caught are cared for by professionals and safely returned back to the water.
Movies Under the Stars: Captain Marvel in Cadman Plaza Park
Sunday August 1st 845-11p. Free. Location: Brooklyn War Memorial. Join NYC Parks and New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for this free family film! Captain Marvel (PG-13) This 2019 superhero film follows Carol Danvers as she becomes Captain Marvel after Earth is caught in the center of a galactic conflict between two alien civilizations. See the website for Covid-19 protocols.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Sand Celebration at Brookfield Place (Battery Park City)
Daily until August 14th. Free. Celebrate beach season at Brookfield Place with the tallest sand castle in New York City. The Sand Celebration begins on July 23 with world-renowned, professional sand sculptor Matt Long crafting a sandcastle that will “shore-ly” delight visitors of all ages. The live sculpting process will continue through July 26, with the completed sculpture on view from July 27 – August 14. Pick up paper and crayons at the BFPL concierge, just inside at 230 Vesey Street, to draw the sandcastle! Tag your photos and drawings at @BFPLNY for the chance to be featured.
Putting Green Mini Golf (Williamsburg)
Mondays-Wednesday 12n-8p, Thursdays-Sundays 10a-8p. Admissions: $10 adults, $5 kids/seniors (Wednesdays before 5p & Saturdays before 1p $5 adults, $2 kids/seniors). All profits will be donated to local nonprofit organizations addressing climate change in NYC. PUTTING GREEN is an 18-hole mini golf course open to the public on the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This neighborhood pop-up is designed to showcase the problems and solutions for some of the most pressing climate change issues facing our planet. Each of the 18 holes has been designed by a community partner, including artists and designers, community and school groups, environmental advocacy organizations and public agencies. See website for all the details.
New York Classical Theatre Presents King Lear in The Battery (Lower Manhattan)
Friday-Sunday July 30th-August 1 7p and also Tuesday-Sunday August 3rd-8th. Tickets are free, although reservations are recommended due to limited audience capacity for safety protocols. Register in advance here. This summer in Brooklyn Commons Park, New York Classical Theatre, New York City’s all-free Off Broadway Equity theatre company, will return to live performance with a production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. NY Classical’s staging will feature the “happy ending” of Nahum Tate’s 1681 adaptation, which was popular in England for over 150 years until Shakespeare’s original tragic text was restored in 1838. In addition to the ending, several additional scenes from Tate’s version have been incorporated for NY Classical’s production. The Tate version of King Lear has not been performed in New York City in over 30 years.
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 1230p 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: 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. 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.
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!
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.