Hi everyone! There are lots of fun events to enjoy this weekend in NYC so go have fun!
This weekend check out Summer Streets in NYC, the Hindu Lamp Ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Celebrate the Caribbean at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Pickle Soup and Other Tales for the Curious at Museum of Jewish Heritage, Wild, Wacky and Whimsical with the Brooklyn Museum, Movies Under the Stars: LEGO DC: Shazam – Magic & Monsters at Herman Dolgon Playground, Nature Exploration: Plants and Pollinators in Marine Park, Movies Under the Stars: The Pursuit of Greatness at Commodore Barry Park, Queensboro Dance Festival’s Summer Sundays: Indian Dance with Antara Saha in Socrates Sculpture Park, Movies Under the Stars: Raya and the Last Dragon at Dyker Beach Park, Family Hike at Greenbelt Nature Center, Met Opera Summer Recital in Central Park and Movie Nights at the Garden: Wonder Woman 1984 at Queens Botanical Garden.
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 3 Wishes and 3 Little Lambs 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 wonderful time with the family this weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday August 6th
Wild, Wacky and Whimsical with the Brooklyn Museum (virtual)
Friday August 6th 930-1030a. Free. RSVP here. Brooklyn Museum Presents: Wild, Wacky and Whimsical: Explore how artists use their imagination, fun and different materials to create unique everyday objects. Start off by shaking off the stress of the week and loosen up on a Friday with mediation and mindfulness activities that will get you relaxed for the weekend! Then, explore art, design, and culture with the teen educators in the Museum Apprentice Program live from the Brooklyn Museum. These live virtual programs will explore different themes in connection to the world today, engage with the museum’s collection of art, and have you taking a closer look at the objects that surround you everyday with hands-on activities right at home.
Family Hike at Greenbelt Nature Center (Staten Island)
Friday August 6th 10a-12n. Free. Take a walk into our lush Greenbelt as we take in the sounds, sights, and smells of nature. We will explore one of our numerous blazed trails for birds, plants and insects. Wear sturdy shoes and bring water.
Movie Nights at the Garden: Wonder Woman 1984 at Queens Botanical Garden
Friday August 6th 730-1045p. Tickets: $15 adult non-member, $10 member, $12 child non-member, student, senior, individual with disabilities, $8 member, $50 non-member family of 4, $35 member family of 4 (free for children 3 and under). Purchase tickets here. Queens Botanical Garden’s first-ever Movie Nights series turns the urban oasis in Flushing into an outdoor cinema! Experience big screen magic with the beautiful backdrop of golden hour in the evening. In addition to enjoying seasonal, movie-themed food and refreshments and exclusive after-hours access to the Garden, participate in a hands-on craft activity or enjoy a live performance (varies based on featured film). Bring your friends, family, and a blanket or lawn chairs for this quintessential summer experience! A live taekwondo demonstration kicks off the night for this superhero movie at the Garden! Be inspired by a live taekwondo demonstration by Flushing-based East Taekwondo! Come by the “Amazonian Cafe” for snacks and drinks. Shop our patriotic red, white, and blue souvenirs!
Movies Under the Stars: The Pursuit of Greatness at Commodore Barry Park
Friday August 815-10p. Free. Join NYC Parks for Festival Friday with the Hip Hop Film Festival! The Pursuit of Greatness (PG-13) This award-winning documentary focuses on aspiring hip hop artist, Jon Rise as manages his financial situation, family and dream to become a famous rapper. Directed by Asri Bendacha, this inspiring film explores the hip hop industry in the digital era and finds that “fake it til you make it” takes on a whole new meaning.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday August 7th
Summer Streets in NYC
Saturdays August 7th & 14th 7a-1p. Free. NYC’s original seven miles of open streets returns for 2021! Summer Streets is a multi-day, annual car-free event held in August. This event takes place in Manhattan between the Brooklyn Bridge and Central Park. Nearly seven miles of NYC’s streets are open for people to play, run, walk, and bike along Park Avenue and its connecting streets. NYC DOT hosts free public art installations, performances and activities at four Rest Stops along the route. Partners may include city agencies, nonprofit organizations, performers and visual artists. Activities promote fitness and outdoor recreation. See the website for all the event details.
Celebrate the Caribbean at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Saturday August 7th 10a-1p & 2-5p. Tickets: $13 per person, $12 grandparents (child under 1 free). Purchase timed entry tickets here. Join us in celebrating Caribbean history and cultures through dance with CarNYval Dancers, music with the Sesame Flyers, food, and more! Guests can enjoy art-making with our friends at West Indian Day Carnival Association, face painting, and animal discovery all day long.
The 3 Wishes and 3 Little Lambs at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Starting Saturday August 7th and Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until August 22nd also Fridays August 13th & 20th 1230p. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each. Suggested for 2 and up. The 3 Wishes a double-feature with 3 Little Lambs (a reimagining of The 3 Little Pigs) adapted for Hand Puppets by Nicolas Coppola. Call for reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com. Masks required to protect the unvaccinated (especially children).
Hindu Lamp Ceremony in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday August 7th 4-730p. This event is free and open to the public. Walk up only. No advanced registration required. The Conservancy’s 9th annual Hindu Lamp Ceremony returns to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Dance artist and educator Aeilushi Mistry will bring peace and harmony to the community as she performs the traditional Hindu Aarti ceremony at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pebble Beach. The Aarti ceremony is traditionally performed each morning and evening along India’s rivers, in order to convey gratitude to mother river, reflect on community, and remember loved ones. This year’s ceremony is especially important as we honor the loss many have experienced in the past year of COVID-19. Please join us as we decorate palm leaf lamps and release them along the East River to make prayers and pay our respects to loved ones. Guest artists will also present their work at this event.
Movies Under the Stars: Raya and the Last Dragon at Dyker Beach Park
Saturday August 7th 815-1015p. Free. Location: This event will be held on the lawns near the Comfort Station, adjacent to Independence Avenue and Bay 8th Street. Join NYC Parks and New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for this free family film! Raya and the Last Dragon: This Disney exciting, animated adventure follows a young warrior princess who sets out to find a missing dragon and gain her help in seeking parts of a gem that would banish the evil Druun from the land and reunite the tribes. This wonderful fantasy film is written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim and stars the voices of Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Thalia Lucille Soong, and Alan Tudyk. Rated PG.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday August 8th
Nature Exploration: Plants and Pollinators in Marine Park
Sunday August 8th 11a-12n. Free. Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center. Our Nature Exploration program focuses on unique wildlife viewing opportunities during particular seasons. Join the Urban Park Rangers as they explore the ways pollinators help to beautify this park and the ways the park helps to strengthen the pollinators. See the website for Covid-19 protocol information.
Queensboro Dance Festival’s Summer Sundays: Indian Dance with Antara Saha in Socrates Sculpture Park
Sunday August 8th 11a-12n. Free. No RSVP or pre-registration required. The Queensboro Dance Festival presents Summer Sundays at Socrates, a family-friendly class series led by various Queens-based dance groups. Learn classical Indian dance’s beauty and expressiveness of arm and hand movements, as well as rhythmic steps and storytelling with teacher Antara Saha.
Pickle Soup and Other Tales for the Curious at Museum of Jewish Heritage (Battery Park City)
Sunday August 8th 1p. This program, intended for kids of all ages and their families, 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. Join the Museum for “Pickle Soup and Other Tales for the Curious” by puppeteer and eccentric hostess Jenny Romaine, with Jewish time wheel technician Elana June Margolis and friends. Pickle Soup is a puppet show for those of us who are serious about fun. “What time is this sandwich,” you ask? What time is this place? Seek no more, the secrets of time and salt will be revealed in Pickle Soup! Come ready to play, and to co-create a “Jewish time machine” with everyone who shows up.
Met Opera Summer Recital in Central Park
Sunday August 8th 5-830p. All free performances will be open to the public, first come, first served, with limited capacity, and will continue to follow CDC recommendations. Visit here for more information. One of New York’s iconic cultural institutions, the Metropolitan Opera returns to Central Park for its 12th year of SummerStage concerts with a performance on August 8. Met stars Leah Hawkins, Paul Appleby, and Will Liverman present an enchanting program of arias and duets from some of opera’s most beloved works, accompanied by Bryan Wagorn on piano. This performance will be livestreamed on SummerStageAnywhere.org.
Movies Under the Stars: LEGO DC: Shazam – Magic & Monsters at Herman Dolgon Playground (Gravesend)
Sunday August 8th 815-945p. Free. Join NYC Parks and New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for this free family film! LEGO DC: Shazam – Magic & Monsters: This computer-animated action-adventure follows Billy Batson, a young orphan who turns into the caped superhero Shazam and became a member of the Justice League. Know Before You Go: You should come arrive 815p 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 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 August 6th-8th 7p. 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.
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 December 5, 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.