Ongoing First Saturdays: Home Depot Kids Workshops

Thanks to Nancy W. for sharing this great event!

BUILD. LEARN. CREATE.

Kids Workshops are FREE “How-To Clinics” designed for children ages 5–12. The workshops are offered on the first Saturday of each month between 9am and noon at all Home Depot stores. Some scheduled projects: June 6th - hardware sorter, July 4th - picnic caddy. 

The Home Depot’s Kids Workshops offer useful projects including the creation of toolboxes, fire trucks and mail organizers, as well as more educational projects, such as a window birdhouse, bughouse or Declaration of Independence frame kit. 

The workshops teach children do-it-yourself skills and tool safety, while at the same time helping to instill a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, this fun time allows for quality one-on-one time between adults and children. 

In addition to the newly constructed project kit, each child receives a kid-sized orange apron, similar to The Home Depot associates’ aprons, and an achievement pin.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Kids_Workshops&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&navFlow=3&searchRedirect=kid%20workshops&cm_sp=searchredirect-_-kids_workshop_lp-_-x-_-x&locStoreNum=932&marketID=15

6/9/09 31st Annual Museum Mile Festival

June 9th, Tuesday from 6pm–9pm, Rain or shine.

Subway: #6 to 77th Street; #4, 5, 6 to 86th Street
(212) 606-2296

http://www.museummilefestival.org/
Cost: Free
All ages

New York City has officially designated Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 104th Streets as “Museum Mile” because of the vast richness and diversity of the cultural institutions found there.

The second Tuesday of every June is the Annual Museum Mile Festival. In the past two decades, well over one million people have taken part in this annual celebration where Fifth Avenue closes to traffic and becomes a walker’s haven. Festival attendees can visit nine of New York City’s finest cultural institutions for FREE that evening, while also enjoying various street entertainers and free live music. See map: http://www.museummilefestival.org/events/

The museums along the mile are:

104th Street
El Museo del Barrio  (212) 831-7272
www.elmuseo.org

103rd Street
Museum of the City of New York  (212) 534-1672
www.mcny.org

94th Street
International Center of Photography

(212) 860-1777
www.icp.org

92nd Street
The Jewish Museum  (212) 423-3200
www.thejewishmuseum.org

91st Street
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution  (212) 849-8400
www.cooperhewitt.org

89th Street
National Academy of Design  (212) 369-4880
www.nationalacademy.org

88th Street
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  (212) 423-3500
www.guggenheim.org

83rd Street
Goethe Institut New York/

German Cultural Center  (212) 439-8700
www.goethe.de/newyork

82nd Street
The Metropolitan Museum of Art  (212) 535-7710
www.metmuseum.org

6/7/09 Egg Rolls & Egg Creams Festival @ Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue

Sunday, June 7th

from 12 noon–4pm

Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue

12 Eldridge Street, NYC (betw Canal & Division Streets)
Subway: F to East Broadway; B or D to Grand Street

Cost: Free

All ages

Come to the best block party in downtown—right where Chinatown and the Lower East Side meet. Celebrate the rich cultural traditions of the Jewish and Chinese communities. Klezmer music and Chinese opera, scribal art and calligraphy, Yiddish and Chinese lessons, folk arts and hands-on activities, tours of the Eldridge Street Synagogue and, of course, kosher egg rolls and egg creams! 
http://www.eldridgestreet.org/calendar-newyork-events.html

5/31/09 Guitarfest! @ Sony Wonder Technology Lab

Sunday, May 31, 2009 from 12 noon–4pm

Sony Wonder Technology Lab
Sony Plaza, 550 Madison Ave (at 56th St.), NYC

Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R to 59th St; E, V, to 5th Ave; F to 57th St. 

(212) 833-8100

Cost: Free

All ages

Kids can check out concerts by professional and emerging guitarists performing classical, jazz or rock music. Hands-on games, art workshops, book signings, raffles and other activities will also grab mini-musicians.

http://www.sonywondertechlab.com

5/30/09 Kids of New York Breakdancing Battle @ Fulton Center

Saturday, May 30th, 2009 11am–7pm

Fulton Center

119 Ninth Ave (between 17th and 18th Sts), NYC

Subway: A, C, E to 14th St; L to Eighth Ave

(347) 623-1391

Cost: Free

Martial arts and hip-hop enthusiast, Anthony Colon, started this biannual breakdancing festival for kids, featuring deejays, dance demos and, of course, b-boy battles. Check out the hot popping action, and enjoy free food and a special performance by the Shaolin Kungfu Monks. Must be between the ages of 5 and 21 to battle.

http://www.kidsofnewyork.org

6/6/09 the rhythm road | American Music Abroad: Free Jazz Concert Series @ Lincoln Center

We went to see Roseanna Vitro and The JazzIAmBand in April and we highly recommend this jazz series. Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola is a modern and intimate jazz lounge club with plenty of seating. The stage is set against windows with Central Park views. Acoustics in the club is great and every seat has a good view of the musicians. We arrived at the waiting area an hour before the performance and were close to the front of the line. Total waiting time was approx 30–40 min. [Tip: since tickets weren’t handed out, one member of your group could wait on line while others (kids!!!) could visit the mall for a short time (Border’s Books/Whole Foods/Cartoon Network art gallery) or sit near the windows overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. Just get back on line before the doors open.] There may be a limit on how many people can be in the club—it seems that latecomers were turned away if there wasn’t a seat available. Some people came in a bit later after a few people has listened and decided to leave. Drinks and sodas available at the bar. Surprisingly, no one smoked. Great jazz in a great location...don’t miss it!

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

54 COUNTRIES • 10 BANDS • 5 FREE CONCERTS

Join jazz music groups in a free concert series at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola to celebrate their international tours!

Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola

Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center

Broadway at 60th St., 5th floor, NYC  (This is actually inside the mall at 10 Columbus Circle. Go up to the 4th floor; then find “Jazz at Lincoln Center” entrance; take escalator up one flight.)

Seating is limited and issued upon a first come, first served basis. No reservations necessary. Doors open at 12:30pm.

6/6/09  Sat.

1pm Duende Quartet

3pm Eli Yamin Blues Band  (This group has a singer!)

Go to website for more info on each band and hear a sample of their music.

http://www.jalc.org/theroad/

6/6/09 Jazz for Young People: Who Is Benny Goodman?; 2nd Annual Time Out New York Kids Family Fest @ Lincoln Center

Saturday, June 6th, 1 & 3pm
Jazz at Lincoln Center—Rose Theater, Broadway at 60th Street, NYC

How did a young boy from Chicago’s Jewish ghetto become the King of Swing and the most popular bandleader in the country? The “licorice stick” (clarinet) is back in the limelight when the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with host and clarinetist Victor Goines and a team of fleet-footed lindy hoppers swing, swing, swing this classic American story.

In this one-hour narrated performance jazz fans of all ages will:

* Sing and clap the infectious grooves of drummer Gene Krupa
* Explore the great range of the clarinet
* Experience the power of swing through dance
* Learn how Goodman and his big band lifted the American spirit during the Great Depression
* Discover how jazz musicians helped pioneer the Civil Rights Movement
* Enjoy some of the greatest big band music ever played by one of the world's greatest big bands

Tickets: $12, $20, $28. All tickets subject to a $1.50 Facility Fee and are available at www.jalc.org, at the Frederick P. Rose Hall box office at 60th Street and Broadway, or by calling CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500.

http://jalc.org/concerts/details309.asp?EventID=1611

Don’t miss the 2nd Annual Time Out New York Kids Family Fest!

Mix and mingle with other families while you experience an array of interactive activities and devour a variety of tasty treats.

Atrium, 12pm–1pm & 2pm–3pm, Free

Time Out New York Kids is the official media partner of the Jazz for Young People Concert series.

5/30/09 Opening Day Family Festival + Manhattan Polo Classic @ Governors Island

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Governor’s Island, NYC

The Governors Island Ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building located adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry in Lower Manhattan. The ferry terminal is accessible as follows: 

By Subway: #1 to South Ferry Station, #4, 5 (weekdays) to Bowling Green, W (weekdays only), R (weekdays and weekends) to Whitehall St. Station; 

By Bus: M1 (weekdays only), M6, M9 and M15

Cost: Free

All ages

Opening Day Family Festival  12:00pm noon
Join us for arts and crafts, musical and theatrical performances for kids and more! Sponsored by the Governors Island Alliance.

Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic  3:00pm
The Manhattan Polo Classic returns to Governors Island for the second consecutive year. The polo match is open to Governors Island visitors free of charge.

http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/default.asp

Honoring Heroes on Memorial Day

And I’m proud to be an American,
    where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
    who gave that right to me.
—from Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA”

Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor and remember those men and women who lost their lives in military service to their country.

The holiday was formerly known as “Decoration Day,” and was started originally as a day to remember Union soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War, but was broadened later to remember those who lost their lives in service during World War I, and then in subsequent military wars, actions, or service.

Observances of the day include memorial services, parades, visiting military memorial sites or cemeteries, and flying the U.S. flag at half-staff.

Memorial Day online puzzles: The last one is quite challenging! (scale of difficulty: easy, med + hard)

http://www.usmemorialday.org/activities/stamp1/index.htm

http://www.usmemorialday.org/activities/stamps/index.htm

http://www.usmemorialday.org/activities/flag/index.htm

Photo: Thanks to kate.net

H1N1 Swine Flu Updates for NYC Schools

The lastest updates from the Department of Health and Department of Education about the H1N1 Influenza (“Swine Flu”) in New York City schools is available and translated into eight languages at:

http://schools.nyc.gov/default.htm

On the site, you can see:

*Letter from Chancellor Klein to Parents

*Most Current List of Schools Closed Due to Illness and Daily Attendance Rates
*Latest Information on H1N1 (Swine) Influenza

5/30/09-5/31/09 + 6/6/09-6/7/09 + 6/13/09-6/14/09 Queens Art Express

Queens Art Express is a multi-day multi-venue art extravaganza that will take place on three weekends in Spring 2009 (May 30 - June 14) in the City’s most diverse borough. Emphasizing each venue’s unique show and accessibility by environmentally-friendly transportation, Queens Art Express spans six days of exhibitions, performances, and special events clustered around the No. 7 train. For all ages. Cost: Free, but you make need to make reservations online.

About Queens Art Express:
http://queenscouncilarts.com/artexpress/?page_id=15

Events Calendar:
http://queenscouncilarts.com/artexpress/?page_id=88

There are loads of events in the calendar. These are just a few highlights:

Saturday, 5/30/09  6pm
Flushing CowParade: Artists at work in Open Art Studios. Exhibits, Rece$$ and Erasing Borders: Crossing Art: 136-20 38th Ave. 4th Floor, Flushing, NY 11354

Tour of artists at work in Open Art Studios. Also on view two exhibitions with curator-led tours. Rece$$ examines why the economy collapses. Erasing Borders features Indo-American artists.

Saturday, 6/6/09  2pm to 4pm
Bridging The Arts: A Celebration of  The 100th Anniversary of The Queensboro
Bridge
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center  (7 stop = 33rd st)  31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

To celebrate the anniversary of one of the main veins of NYC, the monumental Q-boro bridge, dance companies from two boroughs share the stage at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. Queens-based artists, choreographer Michiyo Tanaka and MAD About Dance perform original work while Manhattan’s Graham II recreate the Martha Graham classic, Dance In The Street.

Saturday, 6/6,/09  4pm
Multiformity

Green Space (7 stop = Queensboro plaza) 37-24 24th St. #301, Long Island City, NY 11101

Dance performance with a mix of Polish, Balkan, Spanish, Japanese, and African influences.
http://www.greenspacestudio.org/
http://www.danceentropy.org/

Saturday, 6/6/09  8pm
Mexican Folklore: Debut of an all-female Mariachi band.
Thalia Spanish Theatre (7 stop = 40th Street)  4117 Greenpoint Ave, Sunnyside, NY 11104

Yloy Ybarra’s Ballet Fiesta Mexicana and the debut of an all-female Mariachi band.

Sunday, 6/7/09  1pm to 4:30pm
MetLife First Sundays for Families — Summer Solstice: A Day in the Park
Queens Museum of Art  (7 stop = Willet’s Point/Shea Stadium)  NYC Building, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY 11368

Dayan Silva will mark the season with a puppet show that will highlight the best of traditional summer activities. Following the show will be a puppet making workshop where participants can create their own summer-themed puppet. The day will culminate in a picnic right outside our doors in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and feature customary summer food and activities.

Saturday, 6/13/09  1pm to 5pm
Corona Plaza (7 stop = 103rd ST Corona Plaza), Queens, NY 111368

Corona Diversity Festival

Join the Queens Museum of Art and Corona Action Network for an afternoon of music and folkloric dance that showcases the diversity of the neighborhood. Featured performers include Juarez Show Mariachi, Blue Pipa Trio, and Charlie Cajeres Salsa Ensemble. Plus grab a complimentary copy of the Healthy Taste of Corona cookbook featuring recipes from neighborhood restaurants and organizations, and then take advantage of special discounts at local ethnic eateries.

Saturday, 6/13/09  2pm to 5pm
Langston Hughes Library  (7 stop = 103rd Street)  100-01 Northern Boulevard, Corona, NY 11368

“Men of Distinction,”  A capella group -gospel, soul and doo-wop, “Quake USA” a Caribbean folk choir

Sunday, 6/14/09
Noguchi Museum  (7 stop = Vernon Blvd./Jackson Ave)  32-37 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, NY 11106
From Plaster to Stone: Isamu Noguchi — Plaster maquettes as models for larger stone or metal works. On view until August 30, 2009

Beginning in the 1940s, Isamu Noguchi began using small paper models as an aid in creating his larger biomorphic sculptures. Noguchi continued this practice for the rest of his career, using plaster maquettes to envision larger stone or metal works, often including penciled instructions on them to guide different technical effects. In this small exhibition created in conjunction with The Noguchi Museum’s Education Department, a selection of Noguchi’s maquettes is presented with photographs and finished sculptures to illustrate both Noguchi’s faithfulness to his original ideas and his flexibility in response to the unpredictable nature of stone.

Noguchi ReINstalled
On View at the Noguchi Museum, June 17, 2009 – October 24, 2010
To formally commemorate the reopening of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in its completely renovated state, the Museum will present Noguchi ReINstalled. While the Museum’s first floor galleries and indoor/outdoor space have remained relatively unchanged, this exhibition will mark the first time the Permanent Collection will be on view in its entirety since the spring of 2002. Through consultation of the Museum’s vast photographic archives, every effort will be made to present the collection as close to Noguchi’s original intentions as possible. By June 17, a number of objects loaned to exhibitions abroad will also be returned to their intended configuration in the Museum’s galleries and garden. A number of recent acquisitions to the Museum’s collections, including a recently fabricated model reproducing Noguchi’s ambitious design for the five-acre site at the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden in Jerusalem from 1960  1965 will also be on view.
http://www.noguchi.org/

Sunday, 6/14/09  7pm
Gantry Plaza State Park  (7 stop = Vernon Blvd./Jackson Ave)  474 48th Ave, Long Island City, NY 11109

Live at the Gantries: Kick-off concert presented by Queens Theatre in the Park

5/31/09 6th Annual Mamapalooza Outdoor Extravaganza; Yoga-Thon @ Riverside Park South

Sunday, May 31, 2009, 12pm – 5pm

Riverside Park South – Pier I

(70th Street at the Hudson River), NYC

Cost: Free

All ages

Moms Rock! Celebrate mothers and the people who love them at our annual music and art filled afternoon featuring mom bands Swingset Mamas, AudraRox and Moey’s Music Party, Gymboree Play Tent, arts & crafts, eco-environmental information, food, fun, and more! See schedule: 

http://www.mamapalooza.com/newyorkcity.html

Special Yoga-Thon pre-event at 11am.

http://www.riversideparkfund.org/calendar

5/24/09 Meet Olivia at Gap’s Family Fest @ Gap Midtown East

Sunday, May 24th noon–2pm

Gap, 680 Fifth Ave at 54th St, NYC, (212) 977-7023

Subway: E to Fifth Ave/53rd St.

Cost: Free

Drop by babyGap for a day of games, activities and a special appearance by Olivia, the lovable piglet from Ian Falconer’s hit children’s books. And if you’re in the market to spend, shoppers who drop $50 or more will receive a free gift. All ages.

5/31/09 Spring Family Day @ The Guggenheim Museum

May 31, Sunday from 2pm - 5pm

Take advantage of substantial savings and bring your family to explore the exhibitions “A Year with Children 2009: Selected Works from Learning Through Art” and “Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward.” Art projects, musical performances and storytelling sessions related to the collections will take place throughout the day.

Tickets: $15 per family; includes admission for 2 adults and up to 4 children; $5 for each additional participant

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave (at 89th St), NYC
Subway: #4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
(212) 423-3500

http://www.guggenheim.org

Ongoing Saturday + Sundays: Kayaking on the Hudson @ Riverside Park

Every Saturday and Sunday from 

May 16 - October 11, 10am - 5pm

Weather permitting. Daily weather status: (646) 613-0740

Riverside Park’s 72nd Street Launch (at the Hudson River), NYC

Cost: Free

Join the Downtown Boathouse for 20-minute instructional paddles, and explore the Hudson River first hand. Participants are required to wear a bathing suit, or shorts and a t-shirt, and you must know how to swim. Downtown Boathouse volunteers will supply life jackets, kayaks, paddles, and tips on paddling.

See Downtown Boathouse’s rules and regulations:

http://downtownboathouse.org/

http://www.riversideparkfund.org/calendar/?c=Summer-on-the-Hudson

5/15/09–5/29/09 Grand Re-Opening Special at Origins @ Grand Central

Get $15 off any skincare purchase at Origins through May 29th for the Grand Re-Opening event in the Grand Central’s Lexington Passage.

Go to website below and print out webpage to redeem at the new Origins Grand Central location to enjoy this great offer. (Right across the corridor from the original location). (212) 808-4141

*Offer Valid 5/15/09-5/29/09 at Origins Grand Central only (not valid at Origins Department Store locations or Origins.com). Offer available only on full price merchandise and gift sets (does not include Gift Cards, sales tax or shipping charges). Limit one per customer. May not be combined with any other offer. Not redeemable for cash, credit or balance of purchase. 

http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/go/mallEvents.cfm?eventID=2145362815

5/18/09–5/24/09 Grand Central Market: Grill Week

The Grand Central Market will host Grill Week from May 18th to 24th to celebrate Memorial Day.

Special savings from New York’s finest food sellers:

Corrado Bread & Pastry - 10% off all brownies & blondies

Ceriello Fine Foods - buy 2 filet mignon kabobs; get 1 free

Dishes at Home - 10% off grilled vegetables & chicken with min. purchase of 1 lb.

Greenwich Produce - whole watermelon, special price $10

Koglin German Hams - buy 5 assorted BBQ delicacies, get 1 lb. macaroni salad free

Li-Lac Chocolate - “All American Smores Bars” special price $21/lb. (reg. $25)

Murray’s Cheese - Halloumi, a firm cheese for grilling, special price $6.99 (reg. $8.99)

Murray’s Real Salami - Farmer’s Diner hot dogs $6.99/pk  (reg. $8.99), Niman Ranch St. Louis ribs $12.99/lb (new product, sale price)

Oren’s Daily Roast - 10% off Oren’s Memorial Day Hostess Gift Bag, now $25.00

Penzey’s Spices - Grill & Broil Gift Boxes ($20.99–$88.69)

Pescatore Seafood Co. - buy 2 swordfish kabobs, get 1 free

Zaro’s Bakery - new chocolate, banana & coconut cream pies, special price ($4.95 tarts & $10.95 pies)

http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/go/mallEvents.cfm?eventID=2145362696

5/23/09 Memorial Day Weekend: Water Taxi Beach Opens @ South Street Seaport

Secrets about Water Taxi Beach (S. St. Seaport location):

*300 tons of shipped-in sand

*Mini-gold course: plants taken from reforestation project in the Rockaways

*Approximately 3,000 ping-pong balls for table tennis

*Furniture from the Red Hook Real World

*Weekly Saturday Night Fever party with Studio 54 DJ Nicky Siano

*Five electric palm trees, 10 to 28 feet hight. About 3/4 mile of LED lights on each.

*Fish tacos!

*Come winter: sand, mini-golf course, etc. strored at Brooklyn Navy Yard

We’ve been to Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City, Queens, and are looking forward to its 2 new locations, at South Street Seaport and Govenor’s Island. Although the L.I.C. menu was limited and service was somewhat slow, our kids love playing in the sand, dancing to the fun music and the food was ok, so it was worth the trip. Tip: leave your Jimmy Choo sandals or sneakers at home and wear flip flops. Admission is free.

THIRD (AND FINAL) BEACH TO HIT NY HARBOR FOR SUMMER ‘09: WATER TAXI BEACH/SOUTH STREET SEAPORT

Harbor Experience Companies (HEC), recently formed by New York Water Taxi after the acquisition of Circle Line Downtown, will open a third Water Taxi Beach along the New York City waterfront this summer at South Street Seaport. Building upon the popularity of Water Taxi Beach/Long Island City and the much anticipated Water Taxi Beach/Governors Island, slated to open July 4, 2009, Water Taxi Beach/South Street Seaport will open on Memorial Day weekend on the north side of Pier 17 with spectacular views of the Brooklyn Bridge. No swimming allowed.

This Beach will cater to families in search of reasonably priced food and outdoor entertainment, without leaving town. This 18,000 square foot venue will feature the signature sandy beach where people can relax and take in the views of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge. Food and beverage will be available at a fish shack that will serve fish and chips, steamers, clams, and daily specials. Recreational opportunities will include a 9-hole miniature golf course, ping pong tables and skeeball with chances to win prizes like free rides aboard the thrill boat Shark and New York Water Taxi.

The only Beach in the HEC portfolio that is accessible by foot, bike, car, mass transit and of course New York Water Taxi, Water Taxi Beach/South Street Seaport will provide a new outdoor destination for lower Manhattan residents and will also host birthday parties, family celebrations and corporate events. There will be music at the Beach on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and an evening shuttle connecting Fulton Ferry Landing in Downtown Brooklyn with the two new Water Taxi Beaches at South Street Seaport and Governors Island giving New Yorkers access to a variety of waterfront destinations. Tom Fox, president of HEC said “Lower Manhattan is increasingly a family oriented neighborhood and Water Taxi Beach/South Street Seaport will be an exciting new venue New Yorkers can take their family and friends to for some relaxation on the waterfront. We hope that linking South Street, Governors Island and Fulton Ferry Landing with waterborne transport on weekend evenings will help make the waterfront a more popular recreational amenity.”

Updates on WTB/SSS can be found at www.harborexperience.com beginning in May.

MUSIC SCHEDULE:

The Beach in SSS (South Street Seaport), has it’s preview opening on May 23rd with DJ legend Nicky Siano

The SSS line up will be:
Sunday May 24 - Victor Franco plays a Top 40’s Mash Up
Monday May 25 - all day and all night, Nicodemus and Nappy G

Other weekends:
Every Friday - Melting Pot Global
Every Saturday - Nicky Siano (excluding Aug 29)