Hi everyone! January is ending in a few days and the Lunar New Year is Tuesday (no school for NYC public schools) and there are lots of events to enjoy this weekend!
This weekend check out a Chinese New Year Virtual Family Festival, Historic New York: Brooklyn and the American Revolution in Fort Greene Park, Virtual Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Tiger, Family Art Project: Sources of Winter Stillness at Wave Hill, Just Kidding Virtual: Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, Lunar New Year Celebration at the Staten Island Zoo, Virtual Little Movers! with NY Public Library, Virtual Lunar New Year Celebration: Bilingual Stories in English and Chinese, Opening: The Pool by Jen Lewin at Industry City, Lunar New Year Celebration in Socrates Sculpture Park, Birding: Bald Eagle Watch in Inwood Hill Park, Grab & Go: Lunar New Year at the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library, Discovery Hike: Winter Wildlife in Bayswater Park and Insect Exploration: Winter Insect Hunt in Conference House Park.
Also check out long running events like 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, Governors Island Winter Village Ice Skating Rink and opening weekend of Beauty & the Beast at Puppetworks.
These are just some of the weekend events so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for updates.
Stay safe and have fun!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 28th
Grab & Go: Lunar New Year at the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library
Friday January 28th 10a-6p. Free. Create something new and all your own! Get a Grab and Go Arts & Crafts kit* to take home and create! (While supplies last.) We are creating dragon puppets to celebrate Lunar New Year! *Kits may contain small parts that are not suitable for young children. Please supervise young children under 3 years with these materials. Note: there are Grab & Go events at many BPL branches so check the website to see all the locations.
Virtual Little Movers! with NY Public Library
Friday January 28th 1030-1130a. Free. Register here. Join us to hear stories, sing songs, and get those wiggles out as you help your active child build important early learning skills. Discover ways to promote early literacy at home and meet other caregivers in the neighborhood. Best for new walkers, toddlers/or children at this developmental stage. Note: This event will take place virtually via Google Meet.
Opening: The Pool by Jen Lewin at Industry City (Sunset Park)
Starting Friday January 28th 3-9p and will ongoing until Monday March 28th. Free. Location: Courtyard 1/2. Internationally recognized, Brooklyn-based creative, Jen Lewin has brought The Pool to Industry City. This traveling piece is an environment of giant, concentric circles created from more than 100 interactive circular pads. By entering the pool, you enter a world where play and collaborative movement create swirling effects of light and color. Imagine a giant canvas where you can paint and splash light collaboratively.
Lunar New Year Celebration: Bilingual Stories in English and Chinese (virtual)
Friday January 28th 330-4p. For ages 0-5. Free. Enjoy stories, rhymes, poetry of the Tang dynasty, three-character classics, songs and fun activities, in Chinese and English with Ms. Janice, early learning assistant at Flushing Library. Go to the website for information on how to join the virtual event.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday January 29th
Virtual Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Tiger
Saturday January 29th 10a-5p. Free. May art bring you good fortune! Celebrate the Year of the Tiger, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, with virtual performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages. All virtual activities are free, and no registration is required. All videos are prerecorded. Videos have captions in English, Simplified Chinese, Korean, and Spanish. See the website for all the event details.
Chinese New Year Family Festival (virtual)
Saturday January 29th 10a-12n. Free. Join China Institute for a free, interactive family festival with cartooning, art workshops, and storytime activities to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Experience an interactive cartooning workshop, a New Year read-aloud storytime, and a creative lantern art exercise to welcome and celebrate The Year of the Tiger. Register online here. See the website for all the event details and gather materials to experience their immersive, engaging, cultural activities! No previous Chinese language skills required.
Just Kidding: Thunderbird American Indian Dancers (virtual)
Saturday January 29th 11a. This is a free livestream event. Explore the culture and traditions of Indigenous Americans in this fascinating performance of dances, songs, and stories by Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. Sign up to receive event reminders and the link to watch.
Beauty & the Beast at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Starting January 29th Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until April 3rd (and Monday February 21st 1230p & 230p). Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each. Suggested for 3 and up. Beauty & the Beast, the French Fantasy with a “live” Beast adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola. 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.
Lunar New Year Celebration in Socrates Sculpture Park
Saturday January 29th 1230-4p. Socrates Sculpture Park is pleased to offer a family oriented celebration of Lunar New Year. Learn about the lunar cycle through a self guided scavenger hunt that invites visitors to explore the grounds and artwork of Socrates Sculpture Park. Enjoy hot tea using herbs that grow in the Socrates garden by a communal fire, and make your own tea blend to take home at a dry herb bar. The Noguchi Museum workshops are currently full. Please enjoy the Lunar scavenger hunts & hot tea, no registration required for these activities. See the website for all the event details.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday January 30th
Birding: Bald Eagle Watch in Inwood Hill Park
Sunday January 30th 10-1130a. Free. Location: Payson Park House. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots. Winter is a spectacular time for observing bald eagles in New York City parks. See if you can spot any on this adventure with our Urban Park Rangers. Bring your own binoculars.
Discovery Hike: Winter Wildlife in Bayswater Park
Sunday January 30th 10-11a. Free. Location: Beach 35th Street and Beach Channel Drive. Hundreds of animal species spend their winters in New York City parks. Learn how animals such as birds, squirrels, chipmunks and others survive the cold and the snow in this educational wildlife viewing adventure.
Insect Exploration: Winter Insect Hunt in Conference House Park (Staten Island)
Sunday January 30th 11a-1230p. Free. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore the park’s trails looking for signs of insects activity during the winter months. Search for nests, grubs, nymphs and egg casings of insects such as wasps, beetles, spotted lanternfly, mantids and more.
Lunar New Year Celebration at the Staten Island Zoo
Sunday January 30th 12n-3p. Free with Zoo admission. Purchase tickets here. We’re kicking off the Year of the Tiger with a Lunar New Year Celebration. Enjoy keeper talks, crafts, and meet our ambassador animals featuring animals of the lunar calendar.
Historic New York: Brooklyn and the American Revolution in Fort Greene Park
Sunday January 30th 1-230p. Free. Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center. Discover NYC’s storied past with our expert Urban Park Rangers as your guide to historical events, people, and communities that have shaped our city and Parks. Learn about the significance Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War, including the Battle of Brooklyn, Fort Putnam and the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Family Art Project: Sources of Winter Stillness at Wave Hill
Saturday-Sunday January 28th-29th 10a-1p. Free with admission. Admission: Adults $10, Students & Seniors 65+ $6, Children 6+ $4. Wave Hill Members – Free. Winter is a time of rest for many creatures, and a certain kind of magic can be experienced in the dormancy, hibernation, and stillness of this season. Document this elusive feeling by creating your own mobiles, using an assortment of found and natural objects.
Governors Island Winter Village Ice Skating Rink
Rink hours: Fridays 12n-5p, Saturdays-Sundays 10a-5p through February. Rink admission: $11, skate rental $8. Admission is free Fridays (walk up only). Purchase advance tickets here. 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.
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.
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: Fridays 2-8p, Saturdays-Sundays 12n-6p. 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.
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.