Hi everyone! The new year is about to start and there are lots to do this weekend in NYC!
This weekend check out Noon Year’s Eve Dance Party at Staten Island Children’s Museum, the 119th Annual Polar Bear Club Plunge, The Steadfast Tin Soldier with Nutcracker Sweets at Puppetworks, Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt in Sunset Park, First Day Hike at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, Vacation Week @ Home: Train Tales and Crafts with DiMenna’s Children’s History Museum, Kids Week: Build a Birdfeeder in Fort Greene Park, Family Sundays: Coloring Outside the Lions at Rubin Museum, Spider-Man: No Way Home at Skyline Drive-In, Holiday Puppetry Fun: Recreating Classic Puppet Scenes at Museum of the Moving Image and a Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast.
Also check out long running events like Light Shows at Luminaries at Brookfield Place, the Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History, Ice Skating at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park, “A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating the Grinch Who Stole Christmas at Museum of the Moving Image, Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society and Governors Island Winter Village & Ice Skating Rink.
Check the calendar to see everything going on this weekend and remember to check venue websites. Some are open January 1st and some are closed. Also like us on Facebook for updates.
Happy New Year and please wear your mask!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday December 31st
Noon Year’s Eve Dance Party at Staten Island Children’s Museum
Friday December 31st 1130a-1p. Free with Museum admission. Get your groove on for the new year. You are invited to a special Noon Year’s Eve Dance Party complete with party favors and a special countdown! Purchase tickets here.
Kids Week: Build a Birdfeeder in Fort Greene Park
Friday December 31st 1-2p. Free. Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center. Even when school’s out, our parks are still the city’s natural classroom! Bring your kids to parks throughout the city for Kids Week during Winter Recess. With programs led by our Urban Park Rangers, kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. Learn about winter birds in your neighborhood and what they like to eat. Build your very own bird feeder from recycled materials.
Vacation Week @ Home: Train Tales and Crafts with DiMenna’s Children’s History Museum (virtual)
Friday December 31st at 330p. Free. For ages 3-6y. Register here. Chugga-chugga choo-choo! Join us via Zoom this December school vacation week as we celebrate our annual Holiday Express exhibition with all things trains!
Governors Island Winter Village & Ice Skating Rink
Rink hours: Friday 12n-5p, Saturday-Sunday 10a-5p. Rink admission: $11, skate rental $8. The Governors Island Winter Village, in Colonels Row, features fun activities and winter vibes for visitors of all ages! The Village includes a 5,000-square-foot ice skating rink open Fridays-Sundays and daily attractions and activities including more than a dozen lawn games, fire pits, sled and bike rentals, twinkling holiday light displays and delicious cold-weather food and drinks. Note: Governors Island is open regular hours on Friday, December 31 and Saturday, January 1 (7am-6pm, with ferries running on a normal schedule). The Winter Village, including the rink and food vendors, will be open as scheduled on Friday, December 31 and Saturday, January 1.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday January 1st
119th Annual Polar Bear Club Plunge (Coney Island)
Saturday January 1st 10a registration opens. Taking place on January 1, 2022, unlike past years the plunge will be an open swim, the beach will open starting at 11am and allow you to swim at any point until 2pm on the world famous Coney Island Beach. All funds raised help support our local non-profits and community by supporting a variety of initiatives including free public programming, environmental and educational programming, quality of life issues and more. With your help, we can help ensure that Coney Island continues to thrive! Note: Registration tables are located at Stillwell Avenue & the Boardwalk
Holiday Puppetry Fun: Recreating Classic Puppet Scenes at Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria)
Saturday January 1st 1p. Free with Museum admission. No reservation necessary. In this media puppetry showcase, the Education Department’s puppeteer in residence, Brian Carson, will demonstrate the re-creation of classic scenes from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.
First Day Hike at Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve (Staten Island)
Saturday January 1st 1-330p. All ages welcome. Free! . Register here. Spend New Year’s Day the right way – in the woods! Our educators will lead you on a 2-mile hike on our trails and point out various wildlife. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Outdoor programs are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, call for updates. Please dress appropriately by wearing hiking boots or sneakers, a winter coat, a hat, and gloves.
Spider-Man: No Way Home at Skyline Drive-In (Greenpoint)
Saturday January 1st 515p. Tickets: $55 for a car with up to 7 people. Gates open 1 hour before start. Get cozy in your car, or take out the folding chairs and sit under the stars. Spider-Man: No Way Home PG-13. Run time 2 hr 28 minutes. With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed, our friendly neighborhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange, the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man. Purchase tickets here and read the FAQ for all the details.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday January 2nd
The Steadfast Tin Soldier with Nutcracker Sweets at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Sunday January 2nd 1230p & 230p (last performance!). Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each. Suggested for ages 2 and up. The Steadfast Tin Soldier, Andersen’s Toy Story with Nutcracker Sweets. Tchaikovsky’s ‘Land of Sweets’ dances (non-religious) adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola. Call for reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com. New York City requires you to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Puppetworks. Those 12 years of age and older must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Masks are required.
Family Sundays: Coloring Outside the Lions at Rubin Museum (Chelsea)
Sundays in January 1-3p. Ages 3 and older with accompanying adults. Pre-registration is required for either the 1p or 2p time slots. The program is free for you and your family, and each ticket comes with free access to the Museum galleries. Family Sundays are back in person! Bring your family to the Rubin Museum for an afternoon of creativity and self-exploration in our new space, the Mandala Lab, that both kids and their grown-ups will enjoy. Each month we explore a new theme, with an art-making activity centered around that theme. A Museum educator will do a brief demonstration of the project, teach the art-making techniques, and let you explore ways to make the project your own. January Family Sundays: Coloring Outside the Lions ~ How do you feel when someone else gets something you want? Angry that you can no longer have it? Sad that you will not get what you want? Many of these tricky emotions contribute to the feeling of envy. Learn how to manage these emotions by contributing to a group art project and explore how envy might motivate you to be a team player.
Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt in Sunset Park
Sunday January 2nd 1-2p. Free. Location: Sunset Park Playground. This guided hike through Sunset Park will challenge your photography skills as you work to complete a photo scavenger hunt. Bring your own digital camera or smartphone
Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast
Sunday January 2nd 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.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Light Shows at Luminaries at the Winter Garden (Battery Park City)
Daily 8a-10p until January 2nd. Free. The mesmerizing display of colorful lanterns returns to Brookfield Place with a new experience called Maestro on weekends (see website for details) that allows you to conduct the canopy! Conceived and created by the LAB at Rockwell Group, Luminaries is a holiday ritual inspired by the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, community and light. View a special light show at the top of every hour, set to the following holiday songs: Winter Wonderland by Michael Bublé, Silver Bells by Tony Bennett, Carol of the Bells by The Bird and The Bee and Let It Snow by Pentatonix. Holiday wishing runs 10a-8p. Illuminate your holiday wish by sending a motion-activated wish into the glowing lanterns above. For each wish made and interaction with Maestro, Brookfield Place will donate $1 up to $25,000 to City Harvest.
The Rink at Brooklyn Commons (Downtown Brooklyn)
Daily until February 27th. Hours: Monday-Thursday 2-8p, Friday 2-9p, Saturday 10a-9p & Sunday 10a-7p. $15 public skating admission, $5 skate rental. Situated in Brooklyn Commons Park, residents, families, professionals and tourists alike can enjoy a festive winter skating experience in Downtown Brooklyn! The Rink features an outdoor skating rink and offers daily public skating as well as upscale ice skating programs for men, women, and children.
Sharks at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Museum hours Wednesday-Sunday 10a-530p. Included in General Admission+One. See website for all the details.The new exhibition Sharks features dozens of life-sized models ranging from 33 feet to 5.5 inches long, fossils from the Museum’s collections, touch-free interactive exhibits that challenge visitors to hunt like a hammerhead, and more for visitors of all ages. Older than dinosaurs—and more threatened than threatening—sharks are spectacular, surprising, and often misunderstood. Discover the incredible diversity of this ancient and fascinating group of fishes. Note: In accordance with the New York City vaccine requirement, you must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the Museum.
IC Ice Rink at Industry City
Hours: Thursdays 4-8p, Fridays 12n-8p, Saturdays 11a-8p & Sundays 11a-6p. Tickets: $12 per person, with skate rentals costing $10 per person. Purchase tickets here. Courtyard 5/6. IC Ice Rink welcomes all to come for an iconic winter experience. The rink is uncovered and outside, so dress appropriately for an enjoyable and comfortable skate.
Ice Skating at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Hours for covered rink: Monday-Thursday 9a-430p, Friday 9a-7p, Saturday 1-9p, Sunday 1-430p. Open air rink hours: 9a-7p, Friday-Saturday 9a-9p & Sunday 9a-7p. Admission rates: $8 weekday per person, $12 weekend per person. Reserve your desired 90-minute skate session for access to one of our two available ice rinks online now and guarantee your ice time. Skate rentals are available at an additional cost or feel free to bring your own skates. Purchase online today as capacity is limited. To help our young skaters, helpful Skate Aids are available and can be rented in advance or on the day of your visit, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reserve open air rink tickets here and covered rink tickets here.
“A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating the Grinch Who Stole Christmas at Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria)
Ongoing until February 27th. Museum hours: 12n-6p through January 2nd. Included with Museum admission. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a made-for-television short by legendary animation director Chuck Jones, based on the 1957 book by Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss). First aired by CBS in 1966, this 24-minute animated story of a grouchy curmudgeon who tries to ruin Christmas has become an enduring holiday classic. The sketches, animation cels, and backgrounds on exhibit—40 selections from the extensive private collection of Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa—illustrate Jones’s approach to adapting Geisel’s story for the screen. In contrast to the book’s black, white, and red palette, Jones unleashed a riotous array of vivid colors to depict the story’s settings and characters. The film showcases Jones’s unparalleled character animation and comic timing, creating an utterly believable, villainous—but ultimately redeemed—Grinch that became the standard for all subsequent adaptations. See the website for information on Covid 19 protocols.
Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
On exhibit until January 17th. 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). The Origami Holiday Tree returns to view November 24, 2021 (closed 12/25). The theme of this year’s 13-foot tree is Gems of the Museum, featuring 50 specially created gold-colored models in recognition of the “golden anniversary” 50th Origami Tree and this Museum tradition, which started in the 1970s. Among the more than 1,000 origami pieces decorating the tree will be models of dazzling specimens from the new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals, “jaw-some” pieces inspired by the new special exhibition Sharks, and those depicting iconic Museum exhibits like the Blue Whale, Titanosaur, and Tyrannosaurus rex. In accordance with the New York City vaccine requirement, you must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the Museum. See the website for all the information.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society (UWS)
On exhibit until February 27th. Museum hours: Wednesdays-Thursdays 11a-5p, Fridays 11a-8p and Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p. Free with Museum admission. This year Holiday Express goes to the amusement park! Joining a selection of toy trains, figurines, and miniature models from the renowned Jerni Collection, this year’s festive display includes never-before-seen toy rides. Visitors can marvel at a miniature Ferris wheel, carousel, blimp ride, and roller coaster.The carnival toys on display recall the colossal machines that have fascinated and delighted the American public for decades, like the Ferris wheel, which was introduced in the U.S. at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, and early American roller coasters, like the ones introduced at Coney Island in 1884. New York’s favorite amusement ground was also the site of one of the United States’ first carousels, a musical merry-go-round appointed with colorful mechanical horses. The display also includes a variety of toy train stations dating from the turn of the 20th century to the World War II era, showcasing the evolving designs of American and European toymakers. As part of New York City’s Key to NYC program, all visitors to New York City museums ages 12 and over are required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. For more details, go to the FAQ page. Note: the Museum will close 3p on 12/31 and be closed 1/1.
Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park
Open daily until March 6th. Hours: Monday-Thursday 8a-10p, Friday-Sunday and holidays 8a-1130p. Winter Village at 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 by Prime Video. Reserve timed entry tickets here.