5/2/09 Free Comic Book Day

Free Comic Book Day is the first Saturday in May (this year May 2nd) when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules. Go to this site to find a participating shop near you:

http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

    

    

More facts about Free Comic Book Day:

Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores. Brainstormed by retailer Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics in Concord CA in his “Big Picture” column in the August 2001 issue of Comics & Games Retailer magazine, it was started in 2002 and is coordinated by the industry’s single large distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors. The next event will be on May 2, 2009. 

Free Comic Book Day is scheduled on the first Saturday of May after the release of a major theatrical film adaptation (for example, 2009’s FCBD will be the day after the release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine) of a well known superhero property, in order to take advantage of the film’s heavy promotion and related press about the comic book medium. On Free Comic Book Day, participating comic book store retailers give away specially printed copies of free comic books, and some offer cheaper back issues and other items to anyone who visits their establishments. Retailers do not receive the issues for free; they pay 12-50 cents per copy for the comics they will give away for free. More info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Comic_Book_Day

4/29/09 The New Grand Central Library Opens Today!

Please join in and celebrate the opening of The New York Public Library’s Grand Central Branch on Wednesday, April 29th, 4:30 p.m. 

See the new library, meet the staff, and enjoy music, light refreshments and more! Everyone is welcome.

Grand Central Branch

135 East 46th Street (betw Lexington & Third Aves.), NYC 10017, (212) 621-0670,  e-mail: grand_central@nypl.org

Subway: 4, 5, 6, 7, S to Grand Central-42 St Station; walk four blocks north.

Bus: M101, M102, M103: north to Lexington & 47th St.; south to Third Ave. & 44th St.

Hours

Mon–Thurs: 8am – 7pm, Fri: 8am – 5pm

Sat: 10am – 5pm, Sun: closed

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Events Calendar

7/7/09 Tues. at 3pm Manga Drawing Workshop 

with Misako Rocks — for  Young Adults

7/21/09 Tues. at 3pm Manga Drawing Workshop 

with Misako Rocks — for  Young Adults

8/5/09 Wed. at 3pm Fierce and Fabulous Fashion

— for  Young Adults

8/11/09 Tues. at 3pm Manga Drawing Workshop

with Misako Rocks — for  Young Adults

8/19/09 Wed. at 3pm Fierce and Fabulous Fashion

— for  Young Adults

http://www.nypl.org/branch/local/man/gc.cfm

Mother’s Day Deals!

Mother’s Day is coming soon–May 10th, Sunday!  Here are a few interesting offers:

FOOD & WINE Magazine

Give FOOD & WINE for Mother’s Day: 2 subscriptions for the price of 1! Get  2 subscriptions (12 monthly issues) for $19.99. Free E-Card with subscription.

https://subs.timeinc.net/WI/wi_2for1moday.jhtml?experience_id=230194&source_id=9&_requestid=171098&_requestid=171098

GODIVA

Godiva takes up to 50% off select chocolates during its Chocolate Covered Sale. In all, 11 items are available, all at lowest-we've-seen prices. Shipping starts at $6.95 or get $5 shipping on orders of $40 or more via coupon code "LOVEMOM". 

Notables:

Godiva 5-piece Pumpkin Spice Truffles for $7

Godiva Milk Chocolate Cocoa Canister for $8.50

Godiva 9-Piece Cherry Cordials for $10

Godiva Milk Chocolate Cashews for $10

http://dealnews.com/Godiva-Chocolate-Covered-Sale-Up-to-50-off-select-chocolates/293442.html

Hallmark.com

Hallmark.com offers a free personalized 5x7" Folded Paper Mother's Day Card via coupon code "CARD4MOM". With free shipping, that's the best deal seen this year for a Mother's Day card. Order by May 1 to ensure delivery for Mother's Day. Deal ends May 4.
http://dealnews.com/Hallmark-coupon-Free-5-x7-Mothers-Day-Card/293479.html

Overstock.com 

Overstock.com offers 15 Mixed Tulips with Vase for $29.99 with free shipping. That's $5 off and the lowest total price found for this arrangement.

http://dealnews.com/15-Mixed-Tulips-with-Vase-for-30-free-shipping/293425.html

mothersdaysales.net

This site has tons of offers to check out:

http://www.mothersdaysales.net/shop/

5/28/09 AVANTANGO @ LaGuardia Performing Art Center

May 28th, Thursday at 8:00pm

LaGuardia Performing Art Center—Little Theatre

31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

(718) 482-7200

Presented in collaboration with Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concert Series—a program of the Weill Music Institute

Founded in 1994 by Argentine bassist Pablo Aslan, Avantango’s mission has been to explore and stretch the boundaries between tango and jazz. Incorporating the passion and intricacy of tango with the spontaneity and virtuosity of jazz, Avantango has delighted audiences throughout the United States with it’s unique sound. In this world class ensemble tango music and dance come together like never before, integrated into a singular experience where the art forms of Buenos Aires and New York fuse into an unforgettable whole.

Cost: Free
Reserve your seats: RSVP-LPAC@lagcc.cuny.edu

This posting and LaGuardia’s calendar of events:
http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/lpac/entire_season.aspx

Directions to LaGuardia Performing Art Center - Little Theatre: http://www.lagcc.cuny.edu/visit/

5/3/09 Hello Sweet Tooth Walking Tour

May 3rd, Sunday, 11am–1pm

“Hello Sweet Tooth” at Cupcake Cafe

545 Ninth Avenue (40–41 Streets), NYC 10036-6645
Cost: $5.00 donation

Free NYC Dessert Fest is a free monthly walking tour, centered solely on those succulent works of art: desserts. (Similar neighborhood walks on website are $20.) The purchases of any desserts are additional. 

To help support the good work of Food Bank NYC, a non-profit helping to feed the hungry, we ask for a $5.00 donation per person. 100% of all donations go to charity.

This is the 6th consecutive monthly tour of the city’s neighborhood sweet spots. This walk will explore Times Square where we’ll find incredible treats like vanilla cupcakes topped with mocha butter cream, sour cream apple walnut pie, German chocolate cupcakes with coconut-caramel-pecan icing, and chocolate truffles from France.

Meet the tour guide with the red ball cap saying Walking Tours Manhattan at Cupcake Café, 545 Ninth Avenue, between 40–41 Streets. Our second stop is Little Pie Company, then we’ll visit Magnolia Bakery, and our last stop will be La Maison du Chocolat. Tour lasts 2 hours. Walking distance is 1 mile.

Just show up, no reservations required.

http://www.walkingtoursmanhattan.com

More Frozen Treats! 4/30/09 Carvel Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Free Icebergs

http://www.carvel.com/

Carvel is offering guests a free eight ounce Iceberg,TM Carvel’s newest blended beverage, on April 30 from 3 pm until 7 pm; no strings attached to celebrate the brand’s 75th anniversary.

Seventy five years after Tom Carvel suffered a flat tire and set-up shop in Hartsdale, NY, the Carvel name is on over 500 locations across the nation and abroad. Following the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder, participating locations are celebrating the brand’s diamond anniversary with a new product giveaway.

“We want to show our appreciation for the significant role our guests have played in the success of our brand by giving them a free Carvel Iceberg to celebrate this exciting milestone,” explains Lori Peterson, vice president of marketing for Carvel.

Icebergs blend Carvel’s signature vanilla ice cream flavoring with Fanta Orange®, Barq’s® Root Beer or Coke-a-Cola® and ice topped with premium vanilla soft serve to create Carvel’s interpretation of the ice cream float. The newest member of Carvel’s blended beverage family joins favorites including Artic Blenders®, Carvelanches®, Thick Shakes and Malts.

“We thought an Iceberg giveaway was also a nice way to pay tribute to Tom Carvel,” explains Peterson. “We try to keep his spirit alive through continued product innovation, excellent customer service and creative event marketing.”

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-20-
2009/0005009317&EDATE=

4/29/09 “31 Cent Scoop Night” @ Baskin-Robbins

On Apr 29, Wed. from 5–10pm, Baskin-Robbins is celebrating its partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC)–which includes a $100,000 donation to its National Junior Firefighter Program–by offering 2.5 ounce scoops for 31 cents. Let’s hope it’s a sweltering night, although do you really need an excuse to eat ice cream? Limit three scoops per person. See site for a list of participating locations and more info.

http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Spotlight/31CentScoopNight.aspx

4/25/09 + 5/9/09 Meet the Animals @ Bronx Zoo

April 25th + May 9th, 

Saturdays
10:30am, 11:30am, 

2pm or 3pm
All ages.

In this exciting 30-minute long program, you and your family will meet and greet some Bronx Zoo animals up-close. From amazing alligators and fetching foxes to slithering snakes, our animals demonstrate how their adaptations help them to survive in the wild.

Cost: $10 (in addition to regular zoo admission)
Space is limited. For more info and to buy tickets online:
https://tickets.wcs.org/mainstore.asp?vid=5

Bronx Zoo
Fordham Road and the Bronx River Parkway,
Bronx, NY, 10460  (718) 367-1010
http://www.bronxzoo.com/

5/2/09 Tribeca Film Festival: Family Festival

We’ve gone to this annual street fair many times and us parents agree that this is the best family festival in NYC! It’s a half-mile long block party of kids activities—not vendors selling socks and jewelry. It’s organized well and the staff/sponsors are caring and patient. Note that it can get crowded with long lines in the afternoon. Every year there are activity tents where kids can do creative projects like clay sculptures or painting. There is an ESPN area with sports activities for the older kids. The stage performances are good: bands, dance troupes and local school groups. Several Tribeca restaurants set up tables in front of their places and sell lunch-sized portions of food. There are many corporate sponsors who have interactive booths and give out free promotional things as well. Don’t miss it!

*********************

Saturday, May 2, 2009
10:00am–6:00pm

Cost: Free

The Tribeca Family Festival once again invites you to the ultimate street fair and family celebration, in which a dazzling array of activities and performances unfold over a seven-block stretch of Greenwich Street from Hubert to Duane Street. Come meander through the heart of Tribeca as local schools, merchants, restaurants, and civic organizations join together for this all-day, family-friendly celebration.

Enjoy special performances on boulevard stages and throughout the neighborhood streets, along with surprise appearances by some of your favorite characters from movies, books, and television. The Festival Main Stage will feature professional acts of Broadway performers along with emerging talent from right here in Tribeca. Greenwich Street will be transformed into a grand promenade of tents, where local restaurants and merchants will offer Tribeca’s finest foods, refreshments, and merchandise.

Local schools will sponsor a variety of fundraising activities and there will be games, storytelling, puppet shows, face painting, free screenings, and much more.

Peruse the Scholastic Book Fair or fly a kite in the Kite Garden. It’s a great time to take to the streets of the neighborhood, so bring your friends and family and join us for a special day of fun at the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair.

Go to Tribeca Film Festival’s site for more info, maps and schedule of activities:

http://www.tribecafilm.com

For all of TFF’s kids events:

http://media.tribecafilm.com/documents/2009_TFF_backpackflyer.pdf

5/2/09 On A Wing Family Festival @ Central Park

12–3pm
Central Park, NYC
At Belvedere Castle 

(Mid-Park at 79th Street)

Free! All ages!
Rain or shine.

Bring your whole family to this afternoon of fun! Highlights include live performances, an original puppet show, craft activities, bird watching, and more. This program is part of the On A Wing series. On a Wing, co-presented by the Urban Park Rangers and the Central Park Conservancy, celebrates the intriguing lives of our winged friends who call Central Park home through special lectures and family events at Belvedere Castle. View the complete schedule of events:

http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/Calendar/1041841496?view=Detail&id=105582

No advance registration.
For more information, please call (212) 772-0210.
This event does not require an RSVP. Registered users can request event reminders.

5/16/09–6/6/09 Kids at the Armory: Free Art Workshops

In a Mega Art Installation by Ernesto Neto

Acclaimed contemporary artist Ernesto Neto’s largest and most complex installation to date will overtake Park Avenue Armory’s vast drill hall with an epic work to be touched and sensed by the viewer. On consecutive Saturdays, NYC’s most sought-after teaching artists will lead elementary school-aged children and their parents in art-making, storytelling, theater and dance through this immersive installation.

Park Avenue Armory is a newly launched organization whose mission is to revitalize one of America’s historic treasures as a dynamic alternative arts space unlike any other in New York.

Family Arts Day: Saturday 5/16/09

Arts Workshops 11am–1pm

Ernesto Neto Artist Talk 1pm–2pm

Arts Workshop 2pm–4pm

Saturday Arts Workshops:

5/23/09, 5/30/09, 6/6/09 11am–1pm

You must register for these workshops. Space is limited so sign up early to guarantee your spot! For more info and to register, go to:

http://www.armoryonpark.org/index.php/education/kids/

643 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065

Installation made possible by: Rockefeller Foundation NYC Cultural Innovation Fund, with additional support from Booth Ferris Foundation, G-Star Raw, The Lauder Foundation/Leonard and Evelyn Lauder Fund, and Kenneth Kuchin. Special thanks to the Consulate General of Brazil in New York.

4/22/09 Celebrate Earth Day Today!

The Nature Conservancy
Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been using science and partnerships to preserve the plants, animal and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.

Get involved online and learn something new about the fascinating world around us. Watch videos and slideshows from exotic locations around the globe. Send free ecards to friends. Test your knowledge with an animal quiz. Or go on a multimedia adventure as you discover the places the Nature Conservancy is working hard to protect.

http://www.nature.org/

Send a Message to Your Friends

Celebrate the beauty of our natural world and send a free Earth Day ecard to friends and family who care about protecting our planet. Every ecard features an image submitted by Conservancy members to our annual photo contest. When you choose to send a free nature image e-card, you’ll share your love of nature and save paper.

http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ecard_landing

(Photo is downloadable as wallpaper for your desktop. Photo caption: Waterfall, Aberdare National Park, Kenya © Josh Knights/TNC)

FamilyFun: Special Mother’s Day Offer

We love FamilyFun magazine!  It’s full of seasonal activities, parenting articles, games and easy-to-do crafts for the whole family.  Their website, though not as extensive as the magazine, is great as well: http://familyfun.go.com/

In celebration of Mother’s Day (May 10th), FamilyFun is offering this special: Give 4 of your favorite friends a year (10 issues) of FamilyFun magazine for $20 — that’s just $5 each! It’s a great way to introduce your best friend, your neighbor, or your child’s teacher to FamilyFun!

To subscribe:

https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/G4/FAF/4friends_template_mod.jsp?cds_page_id=46144&cds_mag_code=FAF&id=1239772886719&lsid=91050021267035922&vid=1&cds_response_key=I9FGMDF

4/26/09 NYC Grows Garden Festival

On April 26, Sun., The New 

York City Department 

of Parks & Recreation 

hosts a festival during which 

vistors can take part in 

activities and demonstrations 

that promote gardening.

Time: 11:00am – 3:00pm
Ages: All Ages
Cost: Free

Union Square Park – South Plaza
14th Street and Broadway, New York, NY 10003

http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/upcoming_events/events_search.php?id=165723

4/26/09 Thinking in Sounds: An Experience in Music Making

On April 26, Sun., The Speaking in Rhythms Percussion Ensemble, which got its start at East Harlem’s Central Park East II elementary school and now performs all over the city, puts on a show at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle. 

http://speakinginrhythms.org/bomba.html

Time: 2:30pm

Ages: All Ages
Cost: Free

Barnes & Noble/Cafe
1972 Broadway (at 66th Street), New York, NY 10023

212.595.6859

4/25/09 Kids Comic Con

On April 25th, Saturday, kids and their parents are invited to meet their favorite comic book artists from DC, Marvel, Archie, Scooby-Doo, Nickelodeon, and more, and participate in workshops on the campus of Bronx Community College. Admission for kids ages 17 and under is free! A complete schedule of events is available online.
718.601.0371

http://www.kidscomiccon.com

Ages: 6–19

Time: 10am – 6pm
Cost: Adults $5; Children (17 & under) free

Bronx Community College
2155 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10453

Directions to campus: 

http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/directions/directions.htm

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In honor of the one-day-only event, Time Out Kids is giving away a super prize package to one lucky kid under the age of 18. Parents, enter now and your child could win: 

• Three VIP passes to the convention 
• A meet-and-greet with Scott Gimple, the creator of Disney’s popular animated series Fillmore!
• A portrait, drawn by Archie artist Dan Parent
• And a role in an Archie & Friends comic book

That’s right: The winning kid’s likeness will appear in an upcoming issue of the stalwart series, drawn by Dan Parent and written by Kids Comic Con founder Alex Simmons.

http://www3.timeoutny.com/newyork/kids/static_content/surveys/index.php?surveyid=1970