Celebrating Chinese New Year with Hugh
by Hugh Chan

This year, we celebrate the Year of the Dragon with a two-week celebration.
Our celebrations begin the night before, on Chinese New Year Eve. On this night, everyone from the family travels home to gather for a reunion complete with a huge meal. My mother would have spent the day preparing the Chinese New Year Eve dinner and the food for the following day.
We would have dishes that symbolize good luck and fortune. A staple with almost all families is black moss, which translates in Chinese to Fat Choy which means Good Fortune, and Dried Oysters, which translates to Ho See meaning Good Deeds / Good News / Prosperity.
At the end of the night, the elders of the family will give us a Red Envelope to put under our pillows before our sleep. The Red Envelopes contain money, and putting them under our pillows before we sleep represents ending the year with Good Fortune.
The next day, my mom wakes up at 5am to start cooking all the food she prepared from the night before. Once the meal is ready and placed on the dining table in a big feast, we join together to light incense and burn papers to welcome the gods and ancestors to eat first.
The first meal of the day will be all vegetarian dishes including vermicelli noodles, mushrooms, black bean with tofu, cooked cabbage, and more.
Then anyone who is not married will go to the married members of the family to wish them good luck and share blessings. In return, they’ll receive a Red Envelope for Good Fortune, symbolizing starting the year with Good Fortune.
After the first meal, you can eat meat throughout the rest of the day. Dishes include white rice; a whole steamed chicken; roasted pig; stir fry vermicelli noodles with mushrooms, tofu, and black beans; and stir fry cauliflower.
Other traditions we uphold include not sweeping or taking out the garbage for five days, as it’s believed if you do so, you’re sweeping out good luck and wealth from your home. You also can’t use knives or scissors as it can lead to bad luck.
Elevate Your Wedding Experience: Creating Cozy Lounge Areas for Your Guests
One of the enduring trends we’ve noticed at events, and especially at weddings, is adding warm, inviting lounge areas. Beyond traditional seating arrangements, these cozy nooks offer a retreat for your guests, giving them a comfortable, beautiful space to relax, connect, and recharge.

1. Embrace the Space: We love open floor plans, and a unique way to add warmth and modernity is by incorporating open lounge spaces. Breaking up a large area with a cozy nook creates a warm and welcoming space for guests to unwind, share stories, and celebrate the event.
2. Casual Elegance: Whatever your wedding style, from informal garden parties to a more formal affair, lounge areas can help strike the perfect balance between casual and elegant. Couches and chairs can be found to match your style, with cushions and throws adding pops of color and warmth. Don’t forget to add some tables for guests to rest their drinks and plates.
3. Personalized Touches: Personal details, from framed photos to unique décor, infuse your love story into the spaces. Also consider placing your Guest Book to be signed in a lounge!
4. Small Living Room Vibes: Grouping seating around low tables creates a small living room setting, inviting connection and conversations – and a place to set down drinks and small plates.
5. Create Movement: Think of a lounge area as a station – guests will be encouraged to mix and mingle as they enjoy the different elements of your event, from food, to drink, to people.
6. Make Space For All Guests: Lounge areas can be especially important for guests who have accessibility needs as lounges provide a comfortable, beautiful space to rest and enjoy the company of others.
Including a lounge area into your wedding planning is a thoughtful way to enhance your guests’ overall experience and elevate your celebration. They’re easily customizable, and can add comfort, warmth, and increased connection for your guests.
For some inspiration, check out our gallery of some of our favorite (and guests’ favorite!) lounge areas.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK: OCTOBER 2023
By Great Performances
Explore Great Music, Art and More at Our Partner Venues This Month!
[AT] THE INTERSECTION
Friday, October 6th through Sunday, October 8th
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Tickets: start at $75
THE APOLLO’S FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS
CURATED BY TA-NEHISI COATES
From art, pop culture, politics and consumerism Black creatives are impacting the global consciousness like never before. Meet us [at] The Intersection for a weekend-long festival to explore the incredible range of Black innovation shaping our world. Curated by The Apollo’s Artist in Residence Ta-Nehisi Coates. Don’t miss this convening of artists, creatives, and thinkers at the center of Black creativity—where art and ideas come to life.
#ATTHEINTERSECTION

APOLLO MUSIC CAFE
Location: Apollo’s Soundstage
Tickets: $30 (Plus $10 food and beverage minimum)
Perfect for date night, or a night out with friends, the Apollo Music Café series has served as a launching pad for numerous artists including Grammy winners Tank & the Bangas, PJ Morton and Samara Joy showcasing their unique artistry in an intimate nightclub setting. The series features diverse performances across a myriad of genres (R&B, hip-hop, soul, jazz, latin, pop, funk and rock) and showcases artists drawn from the independent music scene who are making their mark in the industry.
rum.gold – October 6th at 10:00pm
R&B singer-songwriter rum.gold opens the Apollo Music Café with a mesmerizing set that bridges his U Street Washington D.C. home to the avenues of Harlem. With a genre-defying voice and heady mix of ambient soul, settle into this spellbinding night of acoustic music with rum.gold on our intimate soundstage.
Ali Caldwell – October 7th at 10:00pm
R&B Ali Caldwell has a voice that can both soothe and thrill, and has shared vocals alongside some of the most respected names in music including Usher and Christina Aguilera. Don’t miss Ali as she evokes the spirit of a “sanger’s room” and effortlessly lays out the blueprint of the Vocal Bible.
NOW OPEN: LEO CAFÉ
We are excited to open the new Leo Café!
Welcome to the Leo Café at Asia Society Museum, located at 725 Park Avenue in New York City.
The Leo Café features dishes representing the diversity of Asian cuisine, drawing from Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and more. The menu includes small plates, salads, noodle bowls and rice bowls, sandwiches, and sweets. Beverage service includes tea, coffee, and Sanzo Asian-inspired sparkling water.
With a mix of counter and table service, you can relax and enjoy a midday meal in the Asia Society’s airy and sky-lit Garden Court, among trees and flowering vines or take your meal to go.
The Leo Café is operated by Great Performances, crafting globally inspired menus using seasonal ingredients, including organic produce from Katchkie Farm in upstate New York.
EXHIBITION – MEIJI MODERN: FIFTY YEARS OF NEW JAPAN
October 3rd, 2023 through January 7th, 2024
Asia Society is proud to present Meiji Modern: Fifty Years of New Japan. This exhibition reevaluates a seminal era of turmoil, creativity, and transformation in Japan spanning the mid-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries.
Comprising over 80 works—including paintings, prints, photographs, sculptural works, and objects in various media, such as enamel, lacquer, embroidery, and textiles—this exhibition presents some of the finest examples of Meiji-period artworks in American collections, both public and private. Arranged around traditional Japanese motifs, such as the sea and nature, Buddhist deities, beauties, and mythical animals, Meiji Modern highlights these themes as they are transformed by the introduction of newly imported techniques, materials, and objects, surprising the viewer with works of technical virtuosity, unexpected scale, and sheer beauty.
BROKEN CHORD
Thursday, October 19th through Saturday, October 21st
Location: BAM Strong, Harvey Theater
Tickets: start at $35
Part of Next Wave 2023
Near the end of the 19th century, a group of South African singers embarked on a tour of the UK and the US under the stage name “The African (Native) Choir,” hoping to raise funds to build a school in the city of Kimberley. Though the tour was profitable (and even included an audience with Queen Victoria), proof of the Choir’s performances was thought forever lost—until glass plates of the singers emerged in 2014, 125 years later.
The internationally acclaimed South African dancer and choreographer Gregory Maqoma revisits this forgotten moment in history to cathartic and uplifting effect in his BAM debut. Combining dance, song, and storytelling, the piece vividly reimagines the tour using a chorus of 16 singers and a quartet of musicians, all led by Maqoma himself. As the choir confronts racism at every turn, Maqoma and co-creator Thuthuka Sibisi use prejudice as a creative engine for a theatrical experience that pulses with hard truths and infinite creativity.
CORPS EXTRÊMES
Friday, October 27th through Sunday, October 29th
Location: Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Tickets: start at $35
BAM and Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
Present
Chaillot – Théâtre national de la Danse
Choreography by Rachid Ouramdane
Part of Next Wave 2023
Choreographer Rachid Ouramdane comes to BAM for the first time with Corps extrêmes, his new gravity-defying piece of aerial dance. Athlete-performers traverse the stage together and alone, sometimes in ethereal white light, and sometimes while footage of death-defying outdoor activities is projected over them. As a study of the precipices of our world—both literal and figurative—this sweeping, meditative work invites us to find calmness in the space between earth and sky. It’s a piece of staggering scale and vision, a work of interior physicality seeking escape, miraculous for its ability to bring about a jolt of adrenaline and follow it up with an ebb of still quietude.
BROOKLYN TALKS: SPIKE LEE AND DELROY LINDO
Thursday, October 12th from 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Location: Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium, 3rd Floor
Tickets: for the in-person event are $50 and include after-hours access to Spike Lee: Creative Sources. Member tickets are $30.
Enter the world of Spike Lee in this intimate conversation between the influential filmmaker and one of his frequent collaborators, actor Delroy Lindo. Lindo has played prominent roles in four of Lee’s films: West Indian Archie in Malcolm X (1992), Woody Carmichael in Crooklyn (1994), Rodney Little in Clockers (1995), and Paul in Da 5 Bloods (2020), which earned him multiple awards for best actor.
The conversation celebrates the opening of Spike Lee: Creative Sources, offering a rare glimpse into objects from Lee’s personal collection. It is moderated by Ashley Clark, curatorial director at the Criterion Collection and author of Facing Blackness: Media and Minstrelsy in Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled” (2015).
JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: PHEEROAN AKLAFF’S NEW AFRICAN BREW
Sunday, October 22nd from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: This program is free; registration is encouraged. Reserve tickets to visit the galleries.
Swing by the Museum’s backyard Sculpture Garden for our Jazz in the Garden series, featuring performances by some of the city’s best musicians. In October, hear innovative drummer Pheeroan akLaff pay homage to our exhibition Africa Fashion on its closing day. akLaff’s New African Brew project takes inspiration from his time living and performing in West Africa and incorporates a range of musical styles.
Presented in partnership with Jazz Foundation of America.
CELEBRATE DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
Sunday, October 15th at 3:00pm
Tickets: Free!
Overview
For the third year in a row, Caramoor celebrates the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, with a lively, family-friendly afternoon of music and dance. Calpulli Mexican Dance Company returns with its passionate performers, colorful costuming, and cultural stories to our grounds for guests of all ages to enjoy, along with arts, crafts, and snacks.
Please bring a blanket or lawn chairs and enjoy the many festivities.
CAROLE J. BUFFORD
ROAR! Music of the Jazz Age
Cabaret in the Music Room | A Benefit Concert
Friday, October 20th at 8:00pm
Tickets: start at $75
Overview
Carole J. Bufford is a true sensation on the American vintage pop and cabaret scene, and it’s no wonder why. With her inimitable delivery and magnetic stage presence, this Broadway World Vocalist of the Year will transport you to a world of pure musical delight with her powerhouse vocals, captivating stories, and unforgettable renditions of classics from the Jazz Age songbook made famous by the likes of Sophie Tucker, Louis Armstrong, Al Jolson, Fats Waller, Bessie Smith, Helen Morgan, Ruth Etting, and more. Come join Carole as she travels back to a time when flappers, vamps and, sheiks were shimmying in gin joints as a whirl of great social and political change happened all around them.
Continue the celebration with a festive post-concert reception.
ROY HARGROVE BIG BAND: HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROY!
Saturday, October 14th through Monday, October 16th
Tickets: start at $25
ABOUT THE SHOW
Dizzy’s Club continues its week-long celebration of the legendary Roy Hargrove. Trumpet player, composer, and beloved talent scout of the New York scene, he generously passed on his legacy to each new generation of artists. This week, the Roy Hargrove Big Band celebrates what would have been his birthday — and the magnitude of his contribution — by sharing his expression with new listeners and longtime fans. Always energetic, always swinging, the outfit’s repertoire includes Hargrove originals, standard tunes, and new music from current band members. Come celebrate a true champion of the music.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Willie Jones
Danton Boller
Saul Rubin
Freddie Hendrix
Wayne Tucker
Duane Eubanks
Camerahn Alforque
Jason Jackson
James Burton
Rashaan Salaam
Max Seigel
Bruce Williams
Mark Gross
Mike Lee
Keith Loftis
Jason Marshall
KENYA’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE
WITH AARON RIMBUI SWAHILI NATION
Wednesday, October 18th at 7:30pm and 9:30pm
Tickets: start at $20
ABOUT THE SHOW
New York-based Kenyan pianist, composer, and producer Aaron Rimbui presents Swahili Nation at Dizzy’s Club. With a career spanning over two decades, Rimbui has made significant contributions to the jazz scene in Africa and beyond. Known for his virtuosity and innovative style, he combines traditional jazz elements with Kenyan rhythms, creating a captivating and unique sound. Prepare for an unforgettable concert experience as Aaron Rimbui and Swahili Nation showcase their collective talent and the sheer joy of their music.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Aaron Rimbui, Piano/keyboards
Kanjii Mbugua, Vocals
Michael Olatuja, Bass
Lumanyano Mzi, Drums & Percussion
Yunie Mojica, Saxophone
CHARLES LLOYD AT 85
Friday, October 13th and Saturday, October 14th at 8:00pm
Location: Rose Theater
Tickets: start at $40.50
WHAT TO EXPECT
A spellbinding performance from NEA Jazz Master and saxophone legend Charles Lloyd.
On Friday, he performs with Sangam, featuring Zakir Hussain and Eric Harland.
On Saturday, a performance by Lloyd’s New Quartet featuring Harland, Jason Moran, and Reuben Rogers.
A free pre-concert lecture precedes each performance at 7pm.
Keep the party going after the show by taking your ticket stub to Dizzy’s Club for a complimentary cover to that evening’s Late Night Session at 11:15pm.
ABOUT THE CONCERT
NEA Jazz Master Charles Lloyd celebrates his 85th birthday at Rose Theater with two very special all-star bands. Friday evening he performs with Sangam, featuring iconic Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain and drummer Eric Harland, while on Saturday night Lloyd’s New Quartet takes the stage, featuring Harland, pianist Jason Moran, and bassist Reuben Rogers.
SHERMAN IRBY’S MUSINGS OF COSMIC STUFF
THE JLCO WITH WYNTON MARSALIS
Friday, October 27th and Saturday, October 28th at 8:00pm
Location: Rose Theater
Tickets: start at $40.50
WHAT TO EXPECT
Hosted by special guest Neil deGrasse Tyson featuring the JLCO with Wynton Marsalis.
An otherworldly suite of music from JLCO saxophonist Sherman Irby.
The jazz journey of a lifetime.
A free pre-concert lecture precedes each performance at 7pm.
Keep the party going after the show by taking your ticket stub to Dizzy’s Club for a complimentary cover to that evening’s Late Night Session at 11:15pm.
ABOUT THE CONCERT
Hosted and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, this world premiere of saxophonist and composer Sherman Irby’s newest work unveils its celestial inspiration, from supernova stars and black holes to the formations of galaxies and life itself.
FIRST FRIDAY
Friday, October 6th from 10:00am to 9:00pm
Tickets: Free all Day!
Join Poster House on the First Friday of every month for free admission and extended hours! Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, performance, or activity throughout the day. Every First Friday is different, offering unique opportunities to engage with rotating exhibitions and the permanent collection.
EDUCATORS HAPPY HOUR
Thursday, October 12th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Tickets: Free for Educators!
Poster House welcomes Pre-K through university educators to view the museum’s new exhibitions, Art Deco: Commercializing the Avant-Garde and We Tried to Warn You! Environmental Crisis Posters,1970–2020, and to learn more about our upcoming educational programming! Join us for a complimentary happy hour at the museum, and chat with the Education team about field trips, in-school residencies, teen programs, and CTLE-certified teacher professional development. Drop in anytime between 4pm and 6pm and raise a glass with your fellow educators!
This is a drop-in event for PreK–12 teachers, college/university professors, and Pre-K through university administrators. Advanced registration is required with a school email address; attendees can arrive anytime between 4pm and 6pm. Beer, wine, and light refreshments will be served, as well as a raffle for some Poster House swag.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S WEEKEND
October 7th through October 9th
Location: on the grounds
Tickets: free, with admission to the grounds
This weekend, celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, a holiday that honors Indigenous American peoples and recognizes their histories and cultures. In Glyndor Gallery, on Saturday, October 7, hear from exhibiting artists and a guest curator about art on view in the gallery, as they hold a conversation centered on envisioning our relationship to the land from an indigenous perspective. On Sunday, October 8, go on an indigenous themed birding walk. On both days, from 10AM to 1PM, make corn husk dolls at the Family Art Project and learn about the important role of corn in indigenous cultures.
This event series continues on October 7, 8 and 9, 2023.
DAY OF THE DEAD/DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS
Sunday, October 29th from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Location: Wave Hill House
Tickets: Free with admission to the grounds
Join us to celebrate our first annual Day of the Dead at Wave Hill. Enjoy live music with Son Pecadores and share in the cultural traditions of Veracruz, Mexico. Create nicho boxes honoring loved ones in a favorite Family Art Project, sample refreshing hibiscus iced tea, and craft giant paper flowers to take home as a keepsake of the day.
Súmese a nosotros para celebrar nuestra primera jornada anual del Día de los Muertos en Wave Hill. Disfrute de la música en vivo de Son Pecadores y comparta las tradiciones culturales de Veracruz, México. Cree un altar con cajas en honor a sus seres queridos como parte de uno de los proyectos favoritos de arte en familia, pruebe el refrescante té helado de hibisco y confeccione manualmente flores de papel gigantes para llevar a su casa como recuerdo de la jornada.
CITYPICKLE AT WOLLMAN RINK
April 7th through October 9th
As reported in the New York Times:
CityPickle is bringing the country’s fastest growing sport to Wollman Rink in Central Park! The rink will house 14 courts – the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast – with 196 hours of pickleball daily. Come play with us!
Whether you’re a pickleball pro or a newbie looking for a fun way to stay active this season, we’re welcoming all skill levels. Lessons, clinics, open play, leagues, and private events are also available. Grab a friend, grab a paddle, and meet us on the court!
CityPickle is proud to offer a professional playing experience with the court surface provided by Pickleball United USA, the official court partner for MLP and APP professional leagues and the nets provided by CD Pickleball Nets, the official net partner of the PPA and APP.
ICE SEASON RETURNS!
October 28th, 2023 through March, 15th, 2024
Wollman Rink NYC in iconic Central Park will open for ice skating daily from Saturday, October 28th, 2023 to March 15, 2024.
Don’t miss your chance to skate at Wollman Rink NYC, the perfect place to enjoy an iconic New York experience!
Tickets go on sale starting October 3rd!
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND THE BRONX: OCTOBER 2023
By Great Performances
Explore exciting community events around the Bronx this month.
THE BRONX VEGAN BAZAAR
Every Wednesday from 4:00pm to 9:00pm
August 23rd through December 27th
Wellness leaders and local vegans come together again to host at the Andrew Freedman Home in The Bronx.
The vegan food expo will feature more than 20 vegan vendors serving food, natural juices, delicious pastries, and just spreading wellness.
Our founding members consisted of a vegan chef, a seasoned food vendor, an award-winning event planner, a native Bronx DJ, community residents, and a common goal to spread wellness, food, and love to the Bronx.
With each experience our members grow along with the community.
38TH ANNUAL BRONX HALLOWEEN PARADE
Saturday, October 28th from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
The Bronx Community Board #2 proudly presents the Annual Bronx Halloween Day Parade.
This community-based event is heading into its 38th year and is a safe space for all children and adults to enjoy Halloween festivities. The parade, now deemed a city-wide event, has already been considered the second largest Halloween Parade in New York City.
After the parade, guests will gather at Bill Rainey Park to enjoy an artist showcase featuring surprise celebrity guests, politicians, marching bands, costume contests with cash prizes and distribution of candy for all!
New Parade Route:Southern Blvd. & Westchester Ave. heading South on Southern Blvd turning right onto Intervale Ave & concluding at Dawson St.
Join Us in on the fun!
FILM SCREENING: GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT
Thursday, October 5th at 7:00pm
Join us for a free screening of Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson (2023).
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the Sundance U.S. Documentary Competition, this beguiling documentary portrait follows poet and activist Nikki Giovanni as she approaches 80. The film explores Giovanni’s Afrofuturist-feminist philosophical outlook as well as her poignant relationship with her family, her political audacity, and her poetic eloquence, all knit together with a constant eye and ear for its subject’s own aesthetic verve. Looking back at a personal life and history cast in the long shadow of American racism, and forward to hopeful, possible futures, Giovanni acts as our guide and narrator, with refreshingly unorthodox filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson refraining from traditional chronologies or talking-head conventions. Going to Mars is fueled by constant intellectual engagement and radical imagination in the search for emotional and political fulfillment in a world of disenfranchisement. An HBO Documentary Films release.
This free film screening is in partnership with the 61st New York Film Festival. Free registration is required; walk-ins will be accommodated if capacity allows.
IN CONVERSATION: MICHAEL RICHARDS, NEW YORK, AND THE 1990S
Thursday, October 12th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Michael Richards was active in community and practice throughout the 1990s, a storied time in the New York City art world. Offering a personal portrait of Michael Richards and a chronology of his time in New York City, this dynamic conversation will animate Richards’s creative histories across The Bronx Museum, Bronx Council on the Arts, Longwood Arts Project, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Studio Museum in Harlem, REPOhistory artists’ collective, and more.
Panelists:
Nicole Awai, artist, Bronx Museum AIM Fellowship alum
Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Deputy Director Emerita of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and former Director of The Studio Museum in Harlem
Moukhtar Kocache, former Director of Programs and Services at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Betti-Sue Hertz, Director and Chief Curator, Wallach Art Gallery, Columbia University and former Director of Longwood Arts Project
This conversation will be moderated by Jakeya Caruthers, Assistant Professor, English and Africana Studies, Drexel University.
GARDENING TUESDAY AT THE FOODWAY!
Tuesday, October 17th from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Concrete Plant Park (1370 Westchester Ave, Bronx, NY)
Join the Bronx River Alliance select Tuesdays from 10a-12pm for stewardship activities such as litter removal, weeding, mulching, watering & planting at different gardens along the Bronx River!
On Tuesday, October 17th, we will be stewarding the Foodway at Concrete Plant Park. We will meet volunteers at Concrete Plant Park (1370 Westchester Ave) Bronx, NY
Please wear clothing appropriate for outdoor weather and gardening/cleaning activities. We also recommend bringing snacks and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated.
All gloves and tools needed will be provided by the Alliance.
FREE COMMUNITY PADDLING IN STARLIGHT PARK
Saturday, October 28th from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Location: Starlight Park
Join us on Saturday, October 28th, 2023, for a Free Community Paddle at Starlight Park from 11 AM to 3 PM. This is a great activity for beginners and families to join. Canoes will be available for partners and families, and kayaks will be available for solo paddlers.
BOO AT THE ZOO
Saturdays & Sundays
September 30th through October 29th
Our annual family-friendly Halloween tradition is back at the Bronx Zoo. Come dressed in your Halloween best and enjoy!
Activities Include:
- Spooky Stories to Ticket Your Spine (new!)
- Bones Tell a Story: Animal Skeletons (new!)
- Costume Parade
- Halloween Crafts
- Magic & Mind Reading
- Pumpkin Carving Demos
- Wildlife Theater: The Wildlife Witch’s Super Scary Halloween Show
PUMPKIN NIGHTS
Thursdays – Sundays, 6:00pm to 10:00pm
September 28th through October 29th
Bronx Zoo Pumpkin Nights, an ALL NEW nighttime family Halloween event, will take place on select evenings this fall! Follow an animal-themed illuminated jack o’lantern trail and learn about animal behavior after dark, plus enjoy games and treats.
Pumpkin Nights will feature gorgeous scenes of more than 5,000 illuminated pumpkins, together with atmospheric sounds and colored lights, to provide a festive family atmosphere as you follow a half-mile trail to holiday excitement right here in NYC.
NATURE’S WORKSHOP: NATURE CALLIGRAPHY
Sunday, October 1st from 11:00am to 12:30pm
Location: Crotona Nature Center in Crotona Park
Learn how nature influences the art of Chinese calligraphy and learn to write some words yourself. Learn the evolution of symbols representing the natural world. Give it a try using brush and paper to practice these symbols.
NATURE’S WORKSHOP: NATURAL DYES WORKSHOP
Sunday, October 15th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Crotona Nature Center in Crotona Park
Join the Urban Park Rangers for the Nature’s Workshop series. Each program in this series explores its topic in-depth and allows you to develop a skill, participate in a hands-on project, and indulge your curiosity. Get inspired by the changing seasons and let the colors of fall flow in your artwork. The Urban Park Rangers will provide the supplies, all you need to bring is your creativity.
FORDHAM PLAZA
BRONX NIGHT MARKET
Saturday, October 28th from 1:00pm to 7:00pm
Location: 1 Fordham Plaza
RSVP required
The Bronx’s renowned cuisine and culture festival is back for its 6th season, bringing with it an array of flavors and cultural experiences that represent the city’s diverse heritage. As a beloved event, it’s a must-attend festival for any food lover in the Bronx. With an average of 4k patrons per event, the festival gathers at the Fordham Plaza, providing an exciting and unique experience.
This year’s festival is even bigger and better, offering a curated selection of local Bronx and NYC-based food, beverage, arts & crafts, and packaged goods vendors. These vendors come together to provide an incredible culinary journey, showcasing a wide range of cultures and flavors.
FALL-O-WEEN
Now through October 29th
Location: at the Garden
Make NYBG your pumpkin headquarters this fall! The tricks and treats of the season come to life with plentiful pumpkins, gourds, and ghouls—and all sorts of fun-filled activities to celebrate this season of frights and foliage! Day or night, there’s something for everyone as we offer special weekends of pumpkin parades and pumpkin carving face-offs, as well as the return of our popular beer sampling weekend, Bales & Ales! Evening events give kids (and adults!) the chance to show off their Halloween costumes in New York City’s most beautiful landscape, while you can savor the flavors of the season with artisan demos, food and drink talks, and so much more as autumn in the Bronx brings vibrant color to your backyard.
While you’re here, don’t miss your opportunity to capture picture-perfect fall photos at the Reflecting Pool and on the adjacent lawn, where you’ll find hundreds of pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, sizes, and colors!
THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED: INTERACTIVE ART PROJECT
Now through October 22nd from 10:00am to 6:00pm
Location: 4th Floor Rotunda of LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Take a moment to reflect. What have you witnessed or felt during your visit today? The adjacent display shows the remains of extinct plants, and reminds us what has been lost and what should be remembered. We invite you to add your sketches, notes, and thoughts to an always-evolving collective artwork that will remain on view for the duration of the exhibition.
…things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…
extended through October 22nd
This summer, experience the seductive beauty of gardens through the eyes of celebrated contemporary artist Ebony G. Patterson. Known for her lavishly detailed mixed media installations, Patterson brings her signature style to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and NYBG’s landscape and galleries, in a major site-specific exhibition featuring breathtaking and provocative displays of art and nature.
Patterson’s work will captivate Garden visitors with the beauty of exotic flora and garden-inspired installations—from a monumental peacock sculpture to swarms of glitter-encrusted vultures. Inspired by her immersion in NYBG’s collections, Patterson’s work explores entanglements of race, gender and colonialism while inviting visitors to contemplate their own relationships with gardens and the natural world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the most exciting contemporary artists of our time transform one of the most stunning settings in New York City like never before. Ebony G. Patterson’s summer exhibition at NYBG is a must-see.
CITY OF FOREST DAY: HUNTER ISLAND HIKE
Saturday, October 14th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Section 2 Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park, Bronx
Celebrate City of Forest Day with NYC Parks! City of Forest Day is an annual day of activities across the city to raise awareness of the importance of the New York City urban forest. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we hike through one of these urban forests on Hunter Island!
THE HAUNTED ISLANDS OF ORCHARD BEACH
Saturday, October 28th from 5:00am to 6:30pm
Location: Orchard Beach Nature Center in Pelham Bay Park
The islands that surround Orchard Beach are shrouded in myth and legend. Join the Urban Park Rangers to find out what’s true and what’s myth when it comes to these historic places.
HIKE-TOBERFEST
Saturday, October 21st from 1:30pm to 6:30pm
Location: Van Cortlandt House Museum in Van Cortlandt Park
Broadway at West 246th Street, Bronx
Support the Park!
Hike-then-sip at VCPA’s Annual Hike-toberfest!
All registered hike participants will receive a VCPA Beanie!
All Hikes:
Are led by skilled guides;
Finish at approximately 4:00pm… please take note of start times;
Begin and end at the Van Cortlandt House Museum;
Require onsite check-in. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time for your hike.
Oktoberfest:
Held from 4:00 to 6:00pm
German food by Loreley Restaurant & Biergarten;
Local beer, Alternative Medicine Brewing Company, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company and more, served with in VCPA souvenir mug by our good friends from the Bronx Beer Hall;
Lloyd’s Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Yard games on the Van Cortlandt House Museum lawn;
Live music;
Raffle tickets will be sold at the event for the chance to win terrific prizes!
NATURE’S WORKSHOP: NATURAL CORDAGE MAKING AND WEAVING
Sunday, October 22nd from 11:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center in Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx
Each program in this series explores its topic in-depth and allows you to develop a skill, participate in a hands-on project, and indulge your curiosity. Learn how to make twine and baskets out of natural materials such as plants, bark and branches.
Did you know that Great Performances is headquartered in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx? We love being a part of the Bronx community, supporting other Bronx-based companies, and giving back to our community.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK: SEPTEMBER 2023
By Great Performances
Explore Great Music, Art and More at Our Partner Venues This Month!
AMATEUR NIGHT AUDITIONS
Saturday, September 9th at 9:00am to 5:00pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Amateur Night at the Apollo is looking for the best singers, dancers, comedians, rappers, spoken word artists, variety acts and musicians for 2024.
Adults aged 18+ who are chosen from the audition will have the chance to perform and compete for the grand prize of up to $20,000. Performers ages 5-17 can compete to be recognized as a “Child Star of Tomorrow” for an opportunity to win a prize of $5,000.
Live auditions will be held at the Apollo Theater located at 253 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027. Please arrive early. Only the first 200 acts will be seen.
AMATEUR NIGHT AT THE APOLLO
Every Tuesday at 7:30pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Tickets: start at $30
Known as one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, Amateur Night at the Apollo attracts performers and audiences from around the world in a classic talent competition that has launched the careers of countless legendary artists, from Ella Fitzgerald, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R, Machine Gun Kelly, Jazmine Sullivan and more.
Join the fun with the weekly classic competition that sheds light on the careers of a whole new roster of stars. Be a part of the notoriously “tough” audience in an interactive evening unlike any other and lend your voice to decide who will “Be Good or Be Gone!” to win the triumphant grand prize.
Amateur Night at the Apollo sponsored by Coca-Cola, is hosted by the comedian Capone. Each show begins with a festive pre-party featuring video and music by DJ Jess and Set It Off Man Greginald Spencer. Keep a lookout for C.P. Lacey, the resident Executioner who sweeps bad talent off the stage!
JLF NEW YORK
Presented in partnership with Teamwork Arts
Wednesday, September 13th from 4:00pm to 10:00pm
Tickets: $30 Nonmembers; $25 Seniors and Students; $20 Members (please contact membership for the discount code)
Celebrating books, ideas, and dialogue, the Jaipur Literature Festival — described as “the greatest literary show on Earth” — returns to New York, presenting a series of conversations and performances examining the human experience through the imaginations of some of the world’s leading authors, thinkers, and performers. Speakers include Shashi Tharoor, Manil Suri, Dominique Townsend, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa and Tenzin Dickie.
THE SEVENTH ANNUAL LAST GIRL AWARDS
Honoring grassroots activists fighting child sex trafficking
Saturday, September 30th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Save the date for the Seventh Annual Last Girl Awards, hosted in partnership with Apne Aap. This year’s event will highlight global grassroots constructive action to eradicate child sex trafficking, recognize individuals who have stood up for The Last Girl, and feature a keynote conversation with writers and activists.
Agenda:
4 PM: Workshop
6 PM: Performance, Panel Discussion, Awards Ceremony
7 PM: Reception
DAPPERQ PRESENTS MUSE
Thursday, September 7th from 6:00pm to 11:00pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: Non-member tickets are $16. Member tickets are $14. Tickets, including admission to Africa Fashion, are $25.
Digital queer style magazine dapperQ returns to present Muse, the eighth annual edition of the largest LGBTQIA+ fashion show during New York Fashion Week. Begin the night with a happy hour hosted by Henrietta Hudson, New York City’s longest-standing brick-and-mortar lesbian bar, and browse pop-up shops featuring some of the evening’s designers before the runway showcase. The presentation features new work from Hesta by Hester Sunshine, SUN SUN, DANITHREADS, LLESSUR NYC, FreeMen by Mickey, Kirrin Finch, Buckethead Productions, Guvanch NYC, and Soid Studios New York by José González. Hosted by Dev Doee.
Schedule:
6–8 pm Sip and shop with Henrietta Hudson
8:15–9:15 pm Runway show
9:15–11 pm Music by M.O.
dapperQ is sponsored by Meow Wolf.
JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: WILLIE MARTINEZ AND HIS LATIN JAZZ COLLECTIVE
Sunday, September 24th from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: This program is free; registration is encouraged. Reserve tickets to visit the galleries.
Swing by the Museum’s backyard Sculpture Garden for our Jazz in the Garden series, featuring performances by some of the city’s best musicians. In September, hear Willie Martinez and his Latin Jazz Collective, which blends Afro Caribbean rhythms with the harmonic vocabulary and improvisational spirit of jazz. Martinez, a percussionist and vocalist, holds a long-running monthly show at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe with his band La Familia. He was named “New Yorker of the Week” by NY1 for his weekly outdoor concerts that enlivened his Brooklyn neighborhood throughout the pandemic.
Presented in partnership with Jazz Foundation of America.
EMMET COHEN TRIO
with special guest Lucy Yeghizaryan
Presented in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Friday, September 29th at 8:00pm
Tickets: Start at $29.50
Overview
Get ready for a riveting evening of musical brilliance with the multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer, Emmet Cohen, who has been described by All About Jazz as: “Thirty years old and one of the finest piano players to emerge in decades …” With his nimble touch on the keys, and his incredibly talented trio alongside him, Cohen effortlessly weaves together intricate melodies and harmonies, taking you on a journey through the rich tapestry of jazz. Live From Emmet’s Place, a weekly livestream that he created during the pandemic, has received millions of views worldwide. Joining him will be one of today’s most intriguing up-and-comers — American-Armenian jazz vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan.
BILLY HARPER QUINTET
Friday, September 8th through Sunday, September 10th
Tickets: start at $25
ABOUT THE SHOW
Billy Harper is a rare gift. At 80, the saxophonist, composer, and electrifying band leader continues to mesmerize New York audiences and listeners across the world with a fiery warmth and the truly melodic vocabulary he’s developed and refined in service of spontaneity and musicality. Harper’s storied career includes pivotal associations with Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, and Max Roach, and his current quintet features creative improvisers whose collective artistry is at once thoughtful and expressive. Expect a spirited set of hard swinging tunes, lyrical ballads, and plenty of fun for every listener.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Billy Harper, tenor saxophone
Freddie Hendrix, trumpet
Francesca Tanksley, piano
Ben Young, bass
Aaron Scott, drums
BEN ALLISON QUARTET
Thursday, September 28th through Saturday, September 30th
Tickets: start at $25
ABOUT THE SHOW
Ben Allison continues his outward expansion as a bassist, composer, and producer with his latest lineup, which includes two masters of modern guitar: Chico Pinheiro and Steve Cardenas. Together with increasingly sought drummer Allan Mednard providing rhythmic and textural propulsion, the group crafts a lyrical and cinematic sound, engaging discerning listeners and first-time club goers alike. The quartet issued their acclaimed debut Moments Inside in November 2021.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Ben Allison, bass
Steve Cardenas, guitar
Chico Pinheiro, guitar
Allan Mednard, drums
EXHIBITIONS
Where Time Runs Backwards
by Daniel Shieh, With Chia-Lun Chang and Arleene Correa Valencia
Upper Gallery at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
Presented by Allies in Arts
Lower Gallery at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
there is nothing you can think that is not the moon
by Rhonda Weppler and Trevor Mahovsky
The Café at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
ALLIES IN ARTS PRESENTS MICRODOSES
Saturday, September 16th from 2:00pm to 7:00pm
Join Allies in Arts and LMCC on Saturday, September 16 from 2-7pm for a full day of artist talks, performances, readings, and a special DJ set to celebrate the exhibition ANTI•VENOM. Each of the programs featured offers a microdose toward collective healing.
ANTI•VENOM is curated by Sophia Wallace and Drew Denny of Allies in Arts.
Allies in Arts is a trans and queer led 501c3 non profit organization dedicated to supporting artists of all mediums who identify as women, BIPOC and LGBTQQIA2S+ through exhibitions, screenings, grants, and fairly paid commissions. Allies in Arts also houses Transanta, a trans led mutual aid project that supports trans youth through the holiday season. In 2023, Allies in Arts is launching our first ever educational program, the Transanta writing workshop, in which a class from the 4,000 trans youth who have participated in Transanta thus far will be given college level writing instruction, given an opportunity to read their work aloud at the Hammer Museum, and have their work published in our first book.
FIRST FRIDAY
Friday, September 1st from 10:00am to 9:00pm
Tickets: Free all Day!
Join Poster House on the First Friday of every month for free admission and extended hours! Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, performance, or activity throughout the day. Every First Friday is different, offering unique opportunities to engage with rotating exhibitions and the permanent collection. This month, Poster House’s CMYK Council is taking over to bring a fun and educational lineup of activities all day long!
FALL ARTS OPENING DAY
Sunday, September 17th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Glyndor Gallery
Tickets: free, with admission to the grounds
Join us for the opening of two new exhibitions in Glyndor Gallery this fall, including Light from Water: Heidi Howard and Esteban Cabeza de Baca with Liz Phillips, and new site-specific exhibitions in the Sunroom Project Space. Light from Water features new collaborative works by Heidi Howard and Esteban Cabeza de Baca, as well as Cabeza de Baca’s layered landscape paintings, Howard’s self-portraits that incorporate plant life, natural settings and a sound-responsive sculpture by Liz Phillips. Many of the works on view were created at Wave Hill and inspired by the views and vegetation growing in the Aquatic Garden. Opening in the Sunroom Project Space are site-specific installations by New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellows Max Sarmiento and Jill Cohen-Nuñez.
2023 GARDENERS’ PARTY
Thursday, September 21st from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: Great Lawn; Rain Site: Wave Hill House
Tickets: Ticket levels vary. Early access to the Gardeners’ Party Plant Sale at 5:00PM is available for Garden Champion ticket levels.
Join us for an evening to celebrate the art of gardening and to honor Margaret Roach. Margaret is a champion of Wave Hill, having served as both a member of our Board of Directors and as Chair of the Friends of Horticulture Committee. Her passions are closely aligned with Wave Hill’s mission—to train a new generation of high-caliber, environmentally conscientious horticulturists, and help them hone a keen plant person’s palette. With her popular New York Times column and A Way to Garden podcast, Margaret provides a platform for many varied and informed voices, educating audiences from novice to nuanced expert.
We hope you will join us as we honor Margaret and her unwavering commitment to horticulture at this gourd-eous event. By purchasing tickets or donating, you help care for Wave Hill’s world-class garden and train the next generation of horticulturalists through the John Nally Intern Program. You make a big difference to Wave Hill!
CITYPICKLE AT WOLLMAN RINK
April 7th through October 9th
As reported in the New York Times:
CityPickle is bringing the country’s fastest growing sport to Wollman Rink in Central Park! The rink will house 14 courts – the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast – with 196 hours of pickleball daily. Come play with us!
Whether you’re a pickleball pro or a newbie looking for a fun way to stay active this season, we’re welcoming all skill levels. Lessons, clinics, open play, leagues, and private events are also available. Grab a friend, grab a paddle, and meet us on the court!
CityPickle is proud to offer a professional playing experience with the court surface provided by Pickleball United USA, the official court partner for MLP and APP professional leagues and the nets provided by CD Pickleball Nets, the official net partner of the PPA and APP.
NEW YORK CARES PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT 2023
Saturday, September 23rd from 10:00am to 1:00pm
Adult and Family teams of two are invited to join New York Cares for our first annual Pickleball Tournament on Saturday, September 23 from 10:00am-1:00pm at CityPickle in Central Park! Two brackets are available. Register to play as an Adult Team, or a Family Team (minimum age is 12) of two. Great for pickleball enthusiasts and beginners alike!
By participating, you enable New York Cares to continue to deploy over 20,000 volunteers across the five boroughs, serving over 83,000 New Yorkers, 12.9 million meals, 365 days a year.
VEGAN NIGHT MARKET
Every Tuesday through the summer
Get ready to taste the best of plant-based cuisine at NYC’s first-ever Vegan Night Market!
Starting June 6th, Wollman Rink will host the weekly series, from MHG Events, featuring the city’s top vegan vendors, live music, and rotating food and product tastings until October 10th. Every Tuesday from 4-10pm!
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just curious about the lifestyle, there’s something for everyone at the Vegan Night Market.
Come for the food, stay for the fun, and leave feeling inspired to make positive changes in your life and the world around you. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to celebrate all things vegan in the heart of the city!
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND THE BRONX: SEPTEMBER 2023
By Great Performances
Explore exciting community events around the Bronx this month.
SUMMER UNDER THE STARS GALA
Thursday, September 7th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers
Celebrate the children of the Bronx, inspirational honorees and the fun of summer! Join us on September 7, 2023 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers for an incredible evening in support of Bronx Children’s Museum.
EMCEE:
Samara Osae-Asare
EVENT CO-CHAIRS:
Sunny Hostin and Sonia Manzano
EVENT COMMITTEE (in formation):
Arlene Bascom, Rafael Collado, Kate Green, Hope Harley,
April Horton, Lee Michel and Paul Ramirez
OPENING RECEPTION MICHAEL RICHARDS: ARE YOU DOWN?
September 8th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Join us to celebrate the opening of the exhibition Michael Richards: Are You Down? This event will include light refreshments and music provided by Uptown Vinyl Supreme.
RSVP is not required to attend.
INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP DAY
Saturday, September 16th from 9:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Soundview Park (Morrison ave & Lafayette ave)
Join the Bronx River Alliance for one of our biggest cleanup events of the year, International Coastal Cleanup Day! Volunteers throughout the U.S. and more than 100 countries come together each year to participate in a cleanup event near them on this day of environmental stewardship.
Volunteers will check in at 9:00 AM at the entrance of Soundview near the intersection of Lafayette Ave and Morrison Ave. We’ll break up into teams and head to the Soundview Park shoreline (at the mouth of the Bronx River) together for the cleanup. All cleanup materials needed, such as grabbers, gloves, and bags will be supplied. We’ll also be recording the type and quantity of trash we pick up, using data sheets.
At the end of the event we’ll have prizes for the volunteers with the “Most Trash Collected” and “Strangest Trash Collected”! And bring a reusable water bottle to be entered into a raffle drawing!
ENVIRONMENTAL CAREER PANEL: PIZZA PARTY – RENEWABLE ENERGY
Thursday, September 21st from 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Location: 1490 Sheridan Boulevard, Bronx NY 10459
Interested in learning about green careers? Come join our EELS interns and real environmental professionals to learn what it’s really like to work in the field! Enjoy free pizza, free soda, and make new friends.
BOO AT THE ZOO
Saturdays & Sundays
September 30th through October 29th
Our annual family-friendly Halloween tradition is back at the Bronx Zoo. Come dressed in your Halloween best and enjoy!
Activities Include:
- Spooky Stories to Ticket Your Spine (new!)
- Bones Tell a Story: Animal Skeletons (new!)
- Costume Parade
- Halloween Crafts
- Magic & Mind Reading
- Pumpkin Carving Demos
- Wildlife Theater: The Wildlife Witch’s Super Scary Halloween Show
PUMPKIN NIGHTS
Thursdays – Sundays, 6:00pm to 10:00pm
September 28th through October 29th
Bronx Zoo Pumpkin Nights, an ALL NEW nighttime family Halloween event, will take place on select evenings this fall! Follow an animal-themed illuminated jack o’lantern trail and learn about animal behavior after dark, plus enjoy games and treats.
Pumpkin Nights will feature gorgeous scenes of more than 5,000 illuminated pumpkins, together with atmospheric sounds and colored lights, to provide a festive family atmosphere as you follow a half-mile trail to holiday excitement right here in NYC.
OUT TO BIRD! FALL MIGRATION BIRD WALK
Sunday, September 3rd from 10:00am to 11:00am
Location: Crotona Nature Center in Crotona Park
Birding is a fun and all-inclusive activity for all to enjoy and experience. Join the Urban Park Rangers as we explore the park in search of some Fall migratory birds featuring the colors of the LGBTQ+ pride flag, among others.
NATURE’S WORKSHOP: NATURAL DYES WORKSHOP
Sunday, September 24th from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Location: Crotona Nature Center in Crotona Park
The art of tie dying has been used since the earliest century in Asia from dying silk and hemp. Join the Urban Park Rangers in making and using natural dyes from berries, fruits, and roots.
FORDHAM PLAZA
BRONX NIGHT MARKET
9/30, 10/28
Location: 1 Fordham Plaza
RSVP required
The Bronx’s renowned cuisine and culture festival is back for its 6th season, bringing with it an array of flavors and cultural experiences that represent the city’s diverse heritage. As a beloved event, it’s a must-attend festival for any food lover in the Bronx. With an average of 4k patrons per event, the festival gathers at the Fordham Plaza, providing an exciting and unique experience.
This year’s festival is even bigger and better, offering a curated selection of local Bronx and NYC-based food, beverage, arts & crafts, and packaged goods vendors. These vendors come together to provide an incredible culinary journey, showcasing a wide range of cultures and flavors.
THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED: INTERACTIVE ART PROJECT
Now through October 22nd from 10:00am to 6:00pm
Location: 4th Floor Rotunda of LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Take a moment to reflect. What have you witnessed or felt during your visit today? The adjacent display shows the remains of extinct plants, and reminds us what has been lost and what should be remembered. We invite you to add your sketches, notes, and thoughts to an always-evolving collective artwork that will remain on view for the duration of the exhibition.
…things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…
extended through October 22nd
This summer, experience the seductive beauty of gardens through the eyes of celebrated contemporary artist Ebony G. Patterson. Known for her lavishly detailed mixed media installations, Patterson brings her signature style to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and NYBG’s landscape and galleries, in a major site-specific exhibition featuring breathtaking and provocative displays of art and nature.
Patterson’s work will captivate Garden visitors with the beauty of exotic flora and garden-inspired installations—from a monumental peacock sculpture to swarms of glitter-encrusted vultures. Inspired by her immersion in NYBG’s collections, Patterson’s work explores entanglements of race, gender and colonialism while inviting visitors to contemplate their own relationships with gardens and the natural world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the most exciting contemporary artists of our time transform one of the most stunning settings in New York City like never before. Ebony G. Patterson’s summer exhibition at NYBG is a must-see.
NOCTURNAL CREATURES AND WILDLIFE HIKE
Saturday, September 2nd from 8:00pm to 9:30pm
Location: Pelham Bay Nature Center in Pelham Bay Park
Join the Urban Park Rangers for an exploration of nighttime insects and other nocturnal forest creatures. We will explore the trails of Pelham Bay Park under the cover of darkness and will also be setting up a moth attracting sheet.
BIRDING: FALL MIGRATION
Saturday, September 30th from 11:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Orchard Beach Nature Center in Pelham Bay Park
Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see spring migratory birds. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Please bring your own binoculars.
HONORING OUR AFRICAN ANCESTORS
Saturday, September 9th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Enslaved Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park
Batá Drummers will dedicate an Oro for Égun ceremony at the Enslaved African & Kingsbridge Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park.
Master Batá Drummer Anthony Carrillo, Awo Juan Usera, and Awo Xavier Rivera will play the sacred Batá drums and dedicate an Oro for Égun ceremony to the ancestors who are buried in the Enslaved African & Kingsbridge Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park. Egún is the Yoruba word for ancestors and it refers to the collective spirit of all ancestors, emphasizing the interconnectedness between the ancestors and their living descendants.
Following the Égun ceremony, we will continue to honor and celebrate the ancestors with a Bombazo led by Juan Usera and the Sambuco Tribe with interactive drumming and dancing. Featured music in the Bombazo is Bomba, the most representative music and dance form of all African-derived cultural expressions in Puerto Rican folklore and one of the oldest Black cultural practices with connections to other Caribbean nations. Bomba also connects Puerto Ricans and people of Puerto Rican heritage to our ancestors and it is played to celebrate our departed.
This event is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
WOODLAWN FAMILY FUN DAY
Saturday, September 23rd from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Indian Field, East 233rd Street and Jerome Avenue in Van Cortlandt Park
Join Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and the Women of Woodlawn for family fun activities in Indian Field.
Activities will include:
– Divi Roxx Kids
– Confetti Face Painters
– Woodlawn Family Walks
– Nature Crafts
– And much more!
Special thank you to our partners:
– Council Member Eric Dinowitz
– NYC Parks
– Women of Woodlawn
Did you know that Great Performances is headquartered in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx? We love being a part of the Bronx community, supporting other Bronx-based companies, and giving back to our community.
IN HIS WORDS: GARY BEDIGAN TAKES ON A NEW ROLE AT GREAT PERFORMANCES
By Great Performances
We love celebrating at Great Performances, and and most of all, we love celebrating people. It’s one of our core values that helps support our mission to Unleash Joy through Genuine Hospitality.
One of the ways we support our people is by allowing them the chance to grow and develop within the organization, including moving to different departments. We have a lot of success stories about how people have moved from one department to another. Today, we’re sharing Gary Bedigan’s story and how he moved from operations and living in the “venue world” to sales and living in the events side of Great Performances.
Gary Bedigan joined Great Performances in 2011, working throughout the venues on the operations side at Great Performances before joining the sales team. We interviewed him to hear his story and insights on growing at Great Performances.
After 10 years with other organizations in the industry, I joined Great Performances in 2011 as the Venue Manager at BAM. It connected my passion for the arts and hospitality into one role. During the first two years, we made some impactful changes to our operations and how we put forward services at BAM. My interaction with different departments internally at Great Performances and externally through our client and vendors expanded my skills and scope. I remember sitting with Mindy Birnbaum (Chief Legal Officer at GP) for hours reviewing contracts and handbooks and felt like I was getting a junior law degree, but the skills I learned have proven invaluable many times over the years.
Fast forward 11 years later, I was proud to be part of multiple openings, structural changes, bids for new business, unique partnerships, and finding the balance of operating as a for-profit company within the walls of our nonprofit partners.
Why did you choose to change roles within GP?
During Covid, I was fortunate to stay on board at GP in a modified role planning reopenings, going after new business, and staying engaged with our cultural partners. Like so many of us, Covid gave me time to think about what’s next – was I happy with what I was doing? Was I challenged? Could I continue to grow? Was I in the right place for me, GP, and the clients I served? I got curious.
I began to explore opportunities within and outside of GP. As the pandemic eased and we worked our way through the reopenings of multiple venues and cultural partners, I realized that so much had changed within the world in a short time period. It reinforced my belief that it was the right time for me to make a move.
Tell us about the process?
First and foremost, I was reminded that communication is key. Being open to talking to colleagues, leaders, and friends inside and outside GP was critical. Each person had a unique perspective and insight on how we grow as individuals.
Through my conversations, I felt drawn towards the sales side of the business as a way to complement the operational skills I had developed during my time working on the venue side of Great Performances. I worked closely with my manager and with the head of sales to structure a transition that would support my previous role while allowing me to take on the new role with minimal disruption.
How does one pack up a life and mindset gained through one side of the company and move to the “one night stand” side of the company? Through collaboration with colleagues and trusted partners. While it wasn’t necessarily easy, it was made easier by the support across all parts of the organization – truly a testament to our core values.
What’s it like being on the Sales Team?
I could not be prouder of the work this team does. I knew that coming on board, I would be the junior member. After years of being a senior member on the venue team, it was a strange and humbling experience. However, the level of support and collaboration among the team has been incredible, and the excitement I felt was refreshing. Additionally, the fast pace of events and the amount of work, detail, craftsmanship, and time that goes into each event is like nothing I have ever seen. Working in the venue world, we saw a sliver of what would happen for an event at our venues. Seeing these events take shape from the sales and event side of GP is incredible.
You’ve been on the sales team for almost a year now – can you describe your year?
When Shaun, now Chief Revenue Officer, and I were reflecting that it had been a year since I joined his team, he asked me how I felt (apparently, tired was not the word he wanted to hear). I could honestly say that while it has been tiring at times, it’s mostly been incredibly exciting and energizing.
In the year that I’ve been on the sales team, I’ve managed more than 200 events with more than 31,000 guests. Some highlights include the Oceans, Food, and Finance Dinner, which we’ll be doing again in September; a multi-day holiday event for Brookfield Properties; Representative Jeffries’ 2023 inauguration, the VALRHONA 100th Anniversary Celebration, and most recently, the Hot Bread Kitchen Fête for 15.
Any closing thoughts for us?
None of this would have been possible without my event producer, Kevin Jaeger, who makes me look much better than I am; and the support of my colleagues, the leadership team at GP, and all of our partners.
My move from one department to another gave talented team members the opportunity to grow, expand, and share their skill sets. The move was bittersweet to say the least – I loved what I did with the venues and was sad to go, but seeing colleagues including Pia Tedesco, Cesar Parra, and Taina Alves take on new challenges was so exciting to watch.
It’s also been exciting to join the ranks of Mark Jackson, former cater waiter, and Vicky Traegler, venue catering manager, join the sales team (or “the dark side”).
And finally, I encourage everyone who’s curious about what’s next for them to explore both internal and external opportunities. Speak with your colleagues, speak with HR, and check out some departments that you’re curious about. Most importantly, keep challenging yourself.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK: AUGUST 2023
By Great Performances
Explore Great Music, Art and More at Our Partner Venues This Month!
TONTON PAL AND BINGUINI BAKHAGA
Saturday, August 5th at 8:00pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Tickets: start at $120.90
The event is a concert featuring Tonton Pal and Biguini Bagaga from Mali, West Africa.
TALLER MUJER COMPLETA FOR ALL
Saturday, August 26th at 6:00pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Tickets: start at $117
PRESENTED BY SOY LA PROTA SHOP
Taller Mujer Completa is a yearly inspirational panel catered but not limited to women. World known panelists will each have a presentation based on their expertise. The main panelist and creator of Mujer Completa is Orquidea De Leon also known as @orquiss La Prota in all her platforms with a following of over 1 million. Here are some of the subjects which Mujer Completa covers: Finances, relationship management, wellness and health, mental health, how to start and maintain a business, social media presence, beauty, parenting, etc.
BOOK TALK | EAT THE BUDDHA: BEING TIBETAN IN 21ST CENTURY CHINA
A conversation with award-winning author Barbara Demick
Tuesday, August 8th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Tickets: $15 Nonmembers; $8 (please contact membership for the discount code)
Award-winning journalist Barbara Demick’s most recent book, Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town reveals what it is really like to be a Tibetan in the twenty-first century China, striving to preserve one’s unique cultural, religious, and linguistic identity against the policies of a seemingly unstoppable superpower, including forced assimilation of Tibetan children at state-run residential schools.
Join us for a conversation with the author and Asia Society’s Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia awardee Barbara Demick. She will be in conversation with Philipp Ivanov, Asia Society’s Chief Programming Officer. The Q&A session will be followed by book signing.
FIRST SATURDAY: CELEBRATING CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY
Saturday, August 5th, all day
Kick off the countdown to Labor Day and celebrate the global influence of the Caribbean diaspora!
This program is free; registration is required and includes Museum general admission. Tickets are released on a rolling basis. Sign up for the Brooklyn Museum newsletter to be notified of the next release.
DRAG AND DRAW
Thursday, August 17th from 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: $35 and include after-hours admission to It’s Pablo-matic, your own Brooklyn Museum tote, and a complimentary drink. Member tickets are $25.
Sip and sketch in our backyard Sculpture Garden this summer with a monthly series of life drawing classes. Drink and Draw is open to all levels and accompanied by a refreshing beverage and musical vibes by local DJs.
In August, sketch from live models and enjoy after-hours access to our special exhibition Africa Fashion. Experiment with materials in this casual class led by teaching artist Mellasenah Nicole Edwards while listening to vibes by DJ InO.
JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: RONNIE BURRAGE’S HOLOGRAPHIC PRINCIPLE
Sunday, August 27th from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: This program is free; registration is encouraged. Reserve tickets to visit the galleries.
Swing by the Museum’s backyard Sculpture Garden for performances by some of the city’s best musicians, and enjoy a range of creative styles incorporating blues, jazz, and international sounds. Presented in partnership with Jazz Foundation of America.
In August, catch St. Louis–born drummer, percussionist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator Ronnie Burrage, who draws from jazz, funk, and soul. Burrage performed with Duke Ellington at the age of nine and later collaborated with many acts that informed his style, including the Oliver Sain Band, Defunkt, and the Burrage Band. His current group, Holographic Principle, performs Burrage’s own compositions and imaginatively reworked standards.
MICHAEL OLATUJA: LAGOS PEPPER SOUP
Concert on the Lawn
Wednesday, August 16th at 7:00pm
Tickets: Adults $39 / Children $19
Just like the pepper soup from his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, Michael Olatuja’s most recent album Lagos Pepper Soup is packed with a rich array of tantalizing flavors. The composer, bandleader, and bassist blends the sounds of Lagos, London (his birthplace), and New York (his current home) into what he describes as a “cinematic Afrobeat.” Join him and his band for a high-energy evening of hard-hitting Afrobeat, jazz, and fun. Yeah, we know, it’s August … but it’s never too hot out for a soup this good!
NEAL FRANCIS
Presented in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Concert on the Lawn
Friday, August 18th at 7:00pm
Tickets: Adults $39 / Children $19
Overview
Cap off Caramoor’s summer season with singer-songwriter Neal Francis who, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, “is making piano rock cool again.” Enjoy a picnic and chill out on our lawn while he performs songs from his new album, In Plain Sight, which he wrote over the course of a tumultuous year spent living in a possibly haunted church in Chicago. The evening sky above Friends Field will become even more enchanted and vast as the backdrop for such endlessly absorbing kaleidoscopic sounds.
CELEBRATING MULGREW MILLER: WINGSPAN REUNION
Thursday, August 10th through Saturday, August 12th
Tickets: start at $25
ABOUT THE SHOW
Bandmates of iconic pianist and composer Mulgrew Miller commemorate what would have been his 67th birthday weekend, for their first reunion since his untimely passing in 2013. This hard swinging and celebratory event presents a reincarnation of Wingspan, one of Miller’s final bands, featuring Steve Nelson (who also celebrates a birthday on opening night), Steve Wilson, Duane Eubanks, and Rodney Green, with guests Danny Grissett and Nat Reeves. The artists freshly interpret repertoire from 2002 Wingspan album The Sequel. Says Nelson, “it is with great joy that I anticipate this reunion.”
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Steve Nelson, vibraphone
Steve Wilson, alto saxophone
Duane Eubanks, trumpet
with
Danny Grissett, piano
Nat Reeves, bass
Carl Allen, drums
JOHN BEASLEY & MAGNUS LINDGREN LEAD BIRD LIVES
FEAT. STUTTGART’S SWR BIG BAND
Thursday, August 24th through Sunday, August 27th
Tickets: start at $25
ABOUT THE SHOW
Trailblazing soloist and iconic architect of the music’s tradition, Charlie Parker became one of the first bebop artists to perform with a jazz orchestra. To celebrate what would have been his 103rd birthday, Stuttgart’s SWR Big Band brings Bird Lives to Dizzy’s Club. Earning a 2023 Grammy Award and three nominations, SWR Big Band presents a complete reimagining of Bird’s vital repertoire from acclaimed recording Bird Lives which features arrangements from co-conductors John Beasley and Magnus Lindgren. Lush and lyrical, endlessly swinging — these selections also serve as vessels for creative improvising from Miguel Zenón and more surprise guests. Don’t miss this energetic and textural event.
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Magnus Lindgren, director, tenor saxophone, flute John Beasley, piano/keyboard
Klaus Grafas, alto saxophone
Matthias Erlewein, alto saxophone
Jörg Kaufmann, tenor saxophone
Andi Maile, tenor saxophone
Pierre Paquette, baritone saxophone
Nemanja Jovanovic, trumpet
Felice Civitareale, trumpet
Karl Farrent, trumpet
Martin Auer, trumpet
Rudolf Reindl, trumpet
Marc Godfroid, trombone
Juergen Neudert, trombone
Ian Cumming, trombone
Georg Maus, trombone
Frank Kuruc, guitar
Christian Diener, bass
Guido Jöris, drums
with special guests
TBA, tenor saxophone (8/24)
Chris Potter, tenor saxophone (8/25-8/27)
EXHIBITIONS
Where Time Runs Backwards
by Daniel Shieh, With Chia-Lun Chang and Arleene Correa Valencia
Upper Gallery at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
Presented by Allies in Arts
Lower Gallery at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
there is nothing you can think that is not the moon
by Rhonda Weppler and Trevor Mahovsky
The Café at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
THE TAKE CARE SERIES
The Take Care Series offers audiences of all ages an opportunity to actively engage in performances, workshops, talks, and other interactive events that embrace ideas of caretaking. This series of free public programs aims to find artfulness in the everyday by exploring creative practices and community projects that emphasize care for ourselves, our communities, and our planet.
Through performance, workshops, talks, and Open Studios with our artists-in-residence and partnerships with local arts and cultural organizations, we explore creative practices and different ways to care for ourselves, our communities, and our planet and world around us. Past partners have included Little Sun, The Climate Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Earth Celebrations, the poet Asiya Wadud, and many others.
Earth Matter, Make an Herbarium: Plants Can Live Forever
Saturday, August 12th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Meet 12 farmers who have captured the ephemeral nature, from seed to flower (or vegetable), of common, everyday plants. Experience 12 collages of preserved specimens, from roots to shoots, and then learn to make your own flower press to take home. You can create a library of plants and flowers (herbarium) that will delight you forever.
FIRST FRIDAY
Friday, August 4th from 10:00am to 9:00pm
Tickets: Free all Day!
Join Poster House on the First Friday of every month for free admission and extended hours! Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, performance, or activity throughout the day. Every First Friday is different, offering unique opportunities to engage with rotating exhibitions and the permanent collection.
RADICAL SIPS: AN EVENING OF BLACK PANTHER-INSPIRED COCKTAILS
Thursday, August 10th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Tickets: $45 General / $35 Members
Did you know that the Black Panther Party had their very own cocktail? Panther Piss was the official drink of the BPP and would often make appearances at newspaper distribution events, community gatherings, and other important meetings. Taking note from the Party, Poster House is pleased to welcome DC-based restaurateur Andra “AJ” Johnson for an evening of cocktails inspired by Black Power to Black People: Branding the Black Panther Party. Enjoy three different cocktails developed by this expert mixologist, paired with an exclusive tour of the powerful exhibition led by Curator Es-pranza Humphrey! Come for the cocktails, stay for the posters!
PERFORMANCE:
PALOMA MCGREGOR: BUILDING A BETTER FISHTRAP / A’WE DEH YA
Sunday, August 6th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Tickets: free, with admission to the grounds
Paloma McGregor’s latest iteration of Building a Better Fishtrap is commissioned by Wave Hill as part of the exhibition This Place We Once Remembered. In the inter-disciplinary performance A’we deh ya—a Crucian phrase translating to “All of us are here”— the artist explores her father’s vanishing fishing tradition through the activation of a choreographic call-and-response between body and place, colony and the United States mainland, art and activism. Having left St. Croix, her birthplace, decades ago, McGregor uses performance and collaboration as inquiry-based research and asks: “What do you take with you? Leave behind? Return to reclaim?” Building a Better Fishtrap has been performed at venues across New York City, including at the BronxAcademy of Arts and Dance, Brooklyn Arts Exchange in Red Hook and along the Bronx River. Through these various iterations, McGregor has developed a “Fishtrap Method,” a way of developing communal collaborations through movement. In the same way that her father’s resourcefulness allowed him to transform the industrial materials available to him into long-lasting fish traps, McGregor collaborates with and draws from the people, traditions and spaces that are available to build long-standing collaborations and impactful performances.
DROP-IN CANDLE-MAKING WORKSHOP
Saturday, August 12th from 11:00am to 2:00pm
Location: Wave Hill House (Armor Hall)
Tickets: $15 materials fee per kit
Drop by Armor Hall and try your hand at creating rolled beeswax candles with Instructor Olivia Kalin to to take home and enjoy. Materials fee collected upon entry to workshop; each kit includes enough supplies to make several candles. Appropriate for adults and children 5 and up with an adult companion. Space is limited—you may be asked to wait if all workspaces are full. Bees, Butterflies and Blooms Weekend event.
COOKING DEMO: A TASTE OF HONEY
Sunday, August 13th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Location: Wave Hill House
Tickets: Free, with admission to the grounds
Honey is a sweet liquid produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. Discover fascinating facts about honey and compare the complex tastes of honey with a Wave Hill beekeeper and Chef Nick Acosta of Great Performances, Wave Hill’s exclusive caterer. Sample delicious recipes using local honey and take home recipes designed to take advantage of honey harvest season.
CITYPICKLE AT WOLLMAN RINK
April 7th through October 9th
As reported in the New York Times:
CityPickle is bringing the country’s fastest growing sport to Wollman Rink in Central Park! The rink will house 14 courts – the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast – with 196 hours of pickleball daily. Come play with us!
Whether you’re a pickleball pro or a newbie looking for a fun way to stay active this season, we’re welcoming all skill levels. Lessons, clinics, open play, leagues, and private events are also available. Grab a friend, grab a paddle, and meet us on the court!
CityPickle is proud to offer a professional playing experience with the court surface provided by Pickleball United USA, the official court partner for MLP and APP professional leagues and the nets provided by CD Pickleball Nets, the official net partner of the PPA and APP.
VEGAN NIGHT MARKET
Every Tuesday through the summer
Get ready to taste the best of plant-based cuisine at NYC’s first-ever Vegan Night Market!
Starting June 6th, Wollman Rink will host the weekly series, from MHG Events, featuring the city’s top vegan vendors, live music, and rotating food and product tastings until October 10th. Every Tuesday from 4-10pm!
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just curious about the lifestyle, there’s something for everyone at the Vegan Night Market.
Come for the food, stay for the fun, and leave feeling inspired to make positive changes in your life and the world around you. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to celebrate all things vegan in the heart of the city!
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND THE BRONX: AUGUST 2023
By Great Performances
Explore exciting community events around the Bronx this month.
ON EXHIBIT: DIANNE SMITH: TWO TURNTABLES & A MICROPHONEREAD
July 7th though August 20th
One two, one two…Party people in the place to be…Let me hear you say, hey, ho…
When you hear these lyrics at a hip-hop party you know it’s about to be a good time filled with music, dancing, joy, and community. Dianne Smith’s exhibition Two Turntables & a Microphone celebrates Black joy and expressions of identity that hip-hop has fostered through its community-building power. Hip-hop parties during the 1970s, created with virtually nothing more than two turntables and a microphone, have played a large role in the lives of Bronx youth, especially in the early days of hip-hop. Through these gatherings Bronx-native Smith, like many others, found a space filled with creativity, freedom, hope, and love. With this year marking the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Smith celebrates this milestone by paying homage to hip-hop’s Bronx roots and its role in empowering communities across the world through a large-scale and site-specific interdisciplinary installation.
OLD-SCHOOL CHAT & JAM!
Friday, August 4th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Dust off your boomboxes. Shine your gold chains. Lace up your Adidas. We’re keeping it old-school to celebrate the new exhibition Dianne Smith: Two Turntables & a Microphone and the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
Before the party gets started join us from 6–6:45 PM for an engaging conversation about the communal and creative elements of hip-hop and the Bronx with Smith and hip-hop legends: Easy A. D. (The Cold Crush Brothers), Sparky D and Pete Nice (3rd Bass). Moderated by guest curator, Souleo.
Afterward, the party officially gets started with DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell spinning old-school tunes.
Old-school hip-hop attire and dance moves are not required, but are highly encouraged.
BRONX RIVER WATER & WOODLANDS FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 5th from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Location: Burke Avenue Bridge
Come celebrate the Bronx River with us! On Saturday, August 5th, join us in the Bronx River Forest at Burke Avenue Bridge for an exploration of the Bronx River’s beautiful biodiversity. Become an ecologist for a day and learn about the major parts of this amazing urban ecosystem: the water, soil, plants, and of course the wonderful wildlife that calls this river home. Some activities include:
- Bird watching
- Plant ID tour
- Wildlife showcase and investigation
- Hands-on science demos
- Free community soil testing
- Nature scavenger hunt
- Arts and crafts station
- and more!
This event is free and open to all ages. We hope to see you there!
TEXTILE TALES
Every Saturday through August 19th from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Location: Burke Avenue Bridge in Bronx Forest
Join textile artists from the New School in this FREE series centered around community storytelling through textile making. Learn about natural dyes, basketry, embroidery, and crochet! Supplies and materials provided. No registration is needed!
SUMMER CAMP AT THE BRONX ZOO
All Summer!
Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 3:00pm
Bronx Zoo is WILD about camp! Our summer camp allows campers to explore our 265-acre zoo and learn about animals and nature like never before! Campers will be engaged all week with fun activities, exhibit explorations and animal encounters.
NATURE PUPPET SHOW
Sunday, August 6th from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Location: Crotona Nature Center in Crotona Park
The Urban Park Rangers welcome you for some nature themed puppet shows! Learn more about animals that can be found in our local parks.
IT’S MY PARK AT CROTONA PARK
Friday, August 11th from 10:00am to 1:00pm
Location: Clinton Playground in Crotona Park
This It’s My Park season, volunteer with Future Star Productions: Performing Arts & Youth Enhancement Program to remove litter and paint park benches at Clinton Playground located within Crotona Park. We look forward to cleaning up the park with you!
FORDHAM PLAZA
BRONX NIGHT MARKET
7/29, 8/26, 9/30, 10/28
Location: 1 Fordham Plaza
RSVP required
The Bronx’s renowned cuisine and culture festival is back for its 6th season, bringing with it an array of flavors and cultural experiences that represent the city’s diverse heritage. As a beloved event, it’s a must-attend festival for any food lover in the Bronx. With an average of 4k patrons per event, the festival gathers at the Fordham Plaza, providing an exciting and unique experience.
This year’s festival is even bigger and better, offering a curated selection of local Bronx and NYC-based food, beverage, arts & crafts, and packaged goods vendors. These vendors come together to provide an incredible culinary journey, showcasing a wide range of cultures and flavors.
THINGS TO BE REMEMBERED: INTERACTIVE ART PROJECT
Now through October 22nd from 10:00am to 6:00pm
Location: 4th Floor Rotunda of LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Take a moment to reflect. What have you witnessed or felt during your visit today? The adjacent display shows the remains of extinct plants, and reminds us what has been lost and what should be remembered. We invite you to add your sketches, notes, and thoughts to an always-evolving collective artwork that will remain on view for the duration of the exhibition.
…things come to thrive…in the shedding…in the molting…
extended through October 22nd
This summer, experience the seductive beauty of gardens through the eyes of celebrated contemporary artist Ebony G. Patterson. Known for her lavishly detailed mixed media installations, Patterson brings her signature style to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and NYBG’s landscape and galleries, in a major site-specific exhibition featuring breathtaking and provocative displays of art and nature.
Patterson’s work will captivate Garden visitors with the beauty of exotic flora and garden-inspired installations—from a monumental peacock sculpture to swarms of glitter-encrusted vultures. Inspired by her immersion in NYBG’s collections, Patterson’s work explores entanglements of race, gender and colonialism while inviting visitors to contemplate their own relationships with gardens and the natural world.
Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the most exciting contemporary artists of our time transform one of the most stunning settings in New York City like never before. Ebony G. Patterson’s summer exhibition at NYBG is a must-see.
FAMILY CAMPING: BRONX
Friday, August 18th, 7:00pm to Saturday, August 19th, 8:00am
Location: Section 2 Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park
We camp to create lasting memories, connect with the natural world, and bond with our families. The Urban Park Rangers celebrate the tradition of camping and we look forward to welcoming your family. Families are chosen by lottery. Lottery registration opens on Wednesday August 9th.
SEINING AND SHORE EXPLORATION
Sunday, August 27th from 11:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Section 2 Orchard Beach
Explore the shore of Orchard Beach and get ready to get your hands wet; seining program participants don waders and use large nets to catch fish and other marine life. All equipment is provided; this program is recommended for ages 8 years and older.
STARLIGHT CINEMA: OUTER SPACE
Every Tuesday, starting July 11th through August 8th
Location: Van Cortlandt Park Parade Ground
- 7:00pm: Music of 1956, 1968, 1977, 2014
- 7:30pm: Movie-themed Crafts
- 8:30’ish pm: Movies Begin at Last Light
July 11: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
July 18: Planet of the Apes (1968)
July 25: Star Wars (1977)
August 1: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
August 8: Story Ave (2023) * Presented by Rooftop Films. Meet Bronx born filmmaker Aristotle Torres! *
WATER CHESTNUT WEDNESDAYS: VOLUNTEER IN VAN CORTLANDT PARK
July 12th through August 9th
Every Wednesday from 3:30pm to 5:30pm
Location: Van Cortlandt Golf House in Van Cortlandt Park
Join the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance for Water Chestnut Wednesdays as we work together to maintain the health of Hester and Miro’s Mill Pond. Water chestnuts are an invasive aquatic species that, if left unchecked, can disrupt the local ecosystem.
Throughout the summer, we’ll meet every Wednesday from 9 am – 12 pm at the Van Cortlandt Park Golf Clubhouse. From there, we’ll head out to the pond with waders and gloves, getting in the water to tackle this invasive plant’s spread.
No previous experience is required, and we will provide all necessary equipment. Bring your adventurous spirit, plenty of water, a hat, and an extra pair of socks. Make sure to RSVP as spaces are limited – we are taking the first 30 respondents for each Wednesday.
This is a great opportunity to get your feet wet (literally!) in conservation work, learn more about your local ecosystem, and make a positive impact on your park. We look forward to seeing you there!
Did you know that Great Performances is headquartered in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the Bronx? We love being a part of the Bronx community, supporting other Bronx-based companies, and giving back to our community.
EXCITING EVENTS AROUND NEW YORK: JULY 2023
By Great Performances
Explore Great Music, Art and More at Our Partner Venues This Month!
HARLEM HONORS
Saturday, July 15th at 7:00pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Tickets: start at $93
A red carpet, black-tie affair, honoring the most influential and successful individuals impacting the community and beyond.
BOWERY PRESENTS KILLER MIKE:
THE HIGH & HOLY TOUR
Thursday, July 20th at 8:00pm
Location: Apollo’s Historic Theater
Tickets: start at $51
Killer Mike and the Midnight Revival bring the High & Holy Tour to The Apollo on July 20! As Killer Mike’s first major solo outing since touring in support of his 2012 album, the show will feature a full performance of Killer Mike’s new album, MICHAEL, in addition to classic hits from R.A.P Music, PLEDGE, and more.
CHINAFILE PRESENTS: THE FUTURE OF DISSENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF CHINA
A discussion with authors Liao Yiwu and Ian Johnson
Wednesday, July 12th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Tickets: $15 Nonmembers; $8 Students and Seniors; Free for Members
Please join us for a discussion with internationally acclaimed Chinese author Liao Yiwu, co-hosted by PEN America. A reporter, novelist, poet, and musician, Liao is best known for The Corpse Walker, his 2008 collection of interviews with laborers, migrants, and other people living at the margins of China’s economic boom, and for For a Song and a Hundred Songs, a memoir of the prison term he served for his writings about the Tiananmen protests. Since 2011, he has lived in exile in Berlin.
In conversation with the Council on Foreign Relations’ Ian Johnson, Liao will discuss the role of political dissent in exile, the use of fiction as a means for grappling with history, as well as his recent novels Wuhan, about the outbreak of COVID-19, and Love in the Times of Mao Zedong, set during the Cultural Revolution, and his documentary film on the construction of a Taiwanese memorial to Nobel Peace Prize-winning dissident Liu Xiaobo.
FIRST SATURDAY: AFRICA FASHION
Saturday, July 1st, all day
This program is free; registration is required and includes Museum general admission.
Celebrate the opening of Africa Fashion and the installation Sakimatwemtwe: A Century of Reflection on the Arts of Africa, which marks the hundredth anniversary of our watershed exhibition of African artworks. July’s First Saturday features a glamorous lineup of fashion, music, dance, film, shopping, and conversation that honors African heritage.
DRAG AND DRAW
Thursday, July 20th from 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: $35 and include after-hours admission to It’s Pablo-matic, your own Brooklyn Museum tote, and a complimentary drink. Member tickets are $25.
Sip and sketch in our backyard Sculpture Garden this summer with a monthly series of life drawing classes. Drink and Draw is open to all levels and accompanied by a refreshing beverage and musical vibes by local DJs.
In July, sketch from live models and enjoy after-hours access to our special exhibition It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby. Experiment with materials in this casual class led by teaching artist Mellasenah Nicole Edwards while listening to a DJ set by Amber Valentine.
JAZZ IN THE GARDEN: BERTHA HOPE QUINTET
Sunday, July 23rd from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: Steinberg Family Sculpture Garden, 1st Floor
Tickets: This program is free; registration is encouraged. Reserve tickets to visit the galleries.
Swing by the Museum’s backyard Sculpture Garden for performances by some of the city’s best musicians, and enjoy a range of creative styles incorporating blues, jazz, and international sounds. Presented in partnership with Jazz Foundation of America.
In July, hear one of jazz’s living legends, Bertha Hope, perform with her quintet. Hope—a pianist, composer, educator, and bandleader—has toured globally with such artists as Nat Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, and Eddie Henderson. This year, she celebrates the songbook of her late husband, the pianist and composer Elmo Hope.
DAKHABRAKHA
Concert on the Lawn
Friday, July 14th at 8:00pm
Tickets: Adults $59 / Children $29
With roots in Ukrainian folklore and music filtered through modern rhythms and instruments based in punk, cabaret, rock, and hip-hop, DakhaBrakha is an award-winning ensemble from Kyiv with an astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range. They will bring their thunderous and theatrical energy to our Friends Field stage for an evening of “ethno-chaos” and national pride.
Artists
Marko Halanevych, vocals, goblet drum, tabla, didgeridoo, harmonica, accordion, cajón, jaw harp
Olena Tsybulska, vocals, percussion
Iryna Kovalenko, vocals, djembe, flute, buhay, piano, ukulele, zgaleyka, accordion
Nina Garenetska, vocals, cello
JAZZ FESTIVAL
Presented in Collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Saturday, July 22nd at 12:30pm
Tickets: start at $49
Overview
Caramoor’s Jazz Festival is back! This highly anticipated annual event of the summer is filled with the many facets of the jazz genre performed by phenomenal talent, amid lush gardens and distinctive venues throughout Caramoor’s expansive grounds. Bring the family for the day, and treat yourself to the headlining evening performance — three-time Grammy Award-winner and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Cécile McLorin Salvant, a singer with, as the late Jessye Norman described her, “a voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings.”
Evening Headliner
Cécile McLorin Salvant
Daytime Artists
Anthony Hervey Quintet
Christie Dashiell
New Jazz Underground featuring Abdias Armenteros, Sebastian Rios, and TJ Reddick
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy Big Bands with special guests
Edmar Castañeda Quartet
and many more to be announced!
VICTOR GOINES & FRIENDS: SWINGIN’ STORIES
Thursday, July 13th through Sunday, July 16th
Tickets: start at $20
ABOUT THE SHOW
The sounds of Madam Walker strutting down the street, Dorothy Parker raising a glass, and Cicely Tyson whispering to Miles Davis are all part of The Woodlawn Suite, Victor Goines’ 13-movement work celebrating the lives of New Yorkers now at rest within the historic Woodlawn Cemetery. Commissioned by the Woodlawn Conservancy to create a modern memorial, the saxophonist and composer created these biographical sketches that link listeners to the lives of those who impacted the music’s culture. Join his ensemble of creative voices and be part of The Woodlawn Suite’s live recording at Dizzy’s Club. A longtime member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and former director of the Jazz Studies program at Northwestern University, Goines serves as president and CEO of Jazz St. Louis.
JAZZ MESSENGERS LEGACY BAND
Tuesday, July 25th and Wednesday, July 26th
Tickets: start at $20
ABOUT THE SHOW
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers had one of the most transformative impacts on live and recorded music, becoming a true incubator and creative platform for young artists. The Messengers Legacy Band celebrates and evolves the drummer, band leader, and stylistic architect’s expansive influence — and his fierce commitment to bandstand mentorship. Don’t miss this immersive swinging experience!
PERFORMANCE LINEUP
Don Braden, saxophone
Valery Ponomarev, trumpet
Robin Eubanks, trombone
Mamiko Watanbe, piano
Lonnie Plaxico, bass
TBD, drums
EXHIBITIONS
Where Time Runs Backwards
by Daniel Shieh, With Chia-Lun Chang and Arleene Correa Valencia
Upper Gallery at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
Presented by Allies in Arts
Lower Gallery at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
there is nothing you can think that is not the moon
by Rhonda Weppler and Trevor Mahovsky
The Café at The Arts Center at Governors Island
____
THE TAKE CARE SERIES
The Take Care Series offers audiences of all ages an opportunity to actively engage in performances, workshops, talks, and other interactive events that embrace ideas of caretaking. This series of free public programs aims to find artfulness in the everyday by exploring creative practices and community projects that emphasize care for ourselves, our communities, and our planet.
Through performance, workshops, talks, and Open Studios with our artists-in-residence and partnerships with local arts and cultural organizations, we explore creative practices and different ways to care for ourselves, our communities, and our planet and world around us. Past partners have included Little Sun, The Climate Museum, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Earth Celebrations, the poet Asiya Wadud, and many others.
Paul Deo, Self Actualisation Portraits Workshop
Saturday, July 15th from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Paul Deo’s “Self Actualization Portrait painting” classes are fun, calm, safe places where students relax their conscious minds while painting. Visitors are invited to open their subconscious mind to the knowledge of the infinite universe releases past trauma, while accepting and developing our divine purpose and destinies. Painting yourself surrounded by your visions becomes your personal positive affirmation toward the goals you WILL manifest.
Open Studios with Arts Center Artists-in-Residence
Saturday, July 15th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Connect with LMCC’s Arts Center artists-in-residence at Open Studios! Visit artists in their studios, where they will share works-in-progress as well as offer hands-on and engaging activities for attendees.
FIRST FRIDAY
Friday, July 7th from 10:00am to 9:00pm
Tickets: Free all Day!
Join Poster House on the First Friday of every month for free admission and extended hours! Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, performance, or activity throughout the day. Every First Friday is different, offering unique opportunities to engage with rotating exhibitions and the permanent collection. This July, celebrate Disability Pride Month at Poster House with any of our disability centered offerings!
COMRADE SISTERS PANEL & BOOK SIGNING
Friday, July 21st from 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Tickets: free!
The role of women in the Black Panther Party has historically gone unacknowledged. It’s estimated that six out of ten Panther Party members were women. While regularly making headlines agitating, protesting, and organizing, these remarkable women were also building communities and enacting social justice, providing food, housing, education, healthcare, and more to the people. Comrade Sisters is their story.
Join women of the New York Chapter of the Black Panther Party, Yasmeen Majid, Claudia Chesson-Williams, and Lauryn Williams Jackson, and Comrade Sisters co-author and photographer, Stephen Shames, in conversation about their Black Panther Party experiences and life after the BPP. Book signing to follow.
THE COMEUPPANCE
Tuesday, May 16th through Sunday, July 9th
Tickets: start at $49
WORLD PREMIERE
Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
Directed by Eric Ting
In Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ world premiere of The Comeuppance, the latest from “one of this country’s most original and illuminating writers” (The New York Times), a self-proclaimed “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group” reconvenes for the first time in years to pregame for their twentieth high school reunion. They refamiliarize themselves with new versions of old selves over drinks, other substances, and a not-so-innocent truth-telling game. From the start, Death looms over and speaks through them, describing their disquieting and darkly comedic fates. The Comeuppance marks Jacobs-Jenkins’ prolific decade as a Signature Premiere Resident playwright.
The Comeuppance takes the place of Jacobs-Jenkins’ previously-announced Grass.
JULY 4TH: WAVE HILL IS OPEN!
Tuesday, July 4th from 10:00am to 5:30pm
Tickets: free, with admission to the grounds
Spend Independence Day at Wave Hill! Bring friends and loved ones to tour the grounds, have a bite at the Cafe, and take in the sights.
SUNSET WEDNESDAYS
Wednesdays through July
Tickets: $15/adults; $10/students/seniors; $6/children 6-18; FREE/members and children under 6.
Named by Time Out as one of the top “10 under-the-radar cultural experiences in NYC,” this annual summer favorite is back, bringing four exceptional performances each Wednesday evening in July.
COOKING DEMO: SUMMERY HERBAL BEVERAGES AND BAKED GOODS
Sunday, July 16th from 11:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Wave Hill House
Tickets: Free, with admission to the grounds
Peppermint, basil, lemon verbena and more—many herbs taste as good as they smell! Enjoy a taste of summer with some delicious, sweet drinks and baked goods made with fragrant herbs harvested at their peak. Chef Nick Acosta of Wave Hill exclusive caterer Great Performances demonstrates some favorite summer recipes while Wave Hill’s Director of Public Programs Laurel Rimmer shares tips for selecting and growing the herbs featured in the recipes.
CITYPICKLE AT WOLLMAN RINK
April 7th through October 9th
As reported in the New York Times:
CityPickle is bringing the country’s fastest growing sport to Wollman Rink in Central Park! The rink will house 14 courts – the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast – with 196 hours of pickleball daily. Come play with us!
Whether you’re a pickleball pro or a newbie looking for a fun way to stay active this season, we’re welcoming all skill levels. Lessons, clinics, open play, leagues, and private events are also available. Grab a friend, grab a paddle, and meet us on the court!
CityPickle is proud to offer a professional playing experience with the court surface provided by Pickleball United USA, the official court partner for MLP and APP professional leagues and the nets provided by CD Pickleball Nets, the official net partner of the PPA and APP.
VEGAN NIGHT MARKET
Every Tuesday through the summer
Get ready to taste the best of plant-based cuisine at NYC’s first-ever Vegan Night Market!
Starting June 6th, Wollman Rink will host the weekly series, from MHG Events, featuring the city’s top vegan vendors, live music, and rotating food and product tastings until October 10th. Every Tuesday from 4-10pm!
Whether you’re a seasoned vegan or just curious about the lifestyle, there’s something for everyone at the Vegan Night Market.
Come for the food, stay for the fun, and leave feeling inspired to make positive changes in your life and the world around you. Take advantage of this exciting opportunity to celebrate all things vegan in the heart of the city!