The power of art to make an emotional connection is on display every Sunday afternoon in Apartment 3F -- that's Marjorie Eliot's place, where she invites veteran musicians to play along.
     Famous and up-and-coming artists perform at Eliot’s weekly sessions and her free concerts are legendary among jazz aficionados.
      Free. Sunday afternoons at 4 at 555 Edgecombe Avenue, Apt. 3F.

     Every Saturday (weather permitting), Northern Manhattan Parks Inwood Astronomy Project offers free star and planet gazing in Inwood Hill Park. These free, family-friendly events aim to spread the joys of the evening sky, and help you to learn more about the nature of our Solar System and current happenings in Astronomy.
     Saturday nights from 8 to 10 on the ball fields near Seaman Avenue and Isham Street. A map is here.

     One of the few independent book stores in Upper Manhattan hosts a weekly event open to all. The American Folk Heritage Circle features storytellers from a wide array of backgrounds and traditions.
     Free. Tuesday nights at 7 in Sister's Uptown Bookstore, at 1942 Amsterdam Avenue (at 156th Street) in Lower WaHi.

     Join the conversation when Washington Heights Free Radio webcasts its weekly show from HQ on 163rd.
     On-line. Wednesdays starting at 3.

     The party for gay, alternative, and friendly uptowners is at Columbia Social.
     D.J. Maxx plays R&B, Hip Hop, Reggae, Latin & Caribbean on the last Wednesday night of each month. Go-go guys included.
     The third Wednesday night of each month at 8 at Columbia Social, 4009 Broadway (between 168th and 169th Streets) in Lower WaHi.

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     Make your neighborhood safer at 34th Precinct Community Council.
     If you have questions or concerns about neighborhood safety, who better to mention it to than the NYPD?
     Free; donations accepted. Wednesday night, February 15, at 7. The meeting locations vary; contact the council for this month's address.







     The Maccabees' final home game before the Skyline League's basketball tournament sees Purchase College visiting WaHi.
     Wednesday night, February 15, at 8 in the MSAC on the Yeshiva campus in Fort George.






     The Henry Wittenberg Wrestling Tournament is the highlight of the Yeshiva High School wrestling year.
      The annual face-off welcomes high school competitors from across the country for first-rate competition. The event is also an opportunity for young men to gather for community and celebration--and for high school students who might be interested in YU to get a sense of the campus and community.
     Thursday through Monday, February 16 to 20, at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva University's Wilf Campus in Fort George.








     Celebrate George Washington’s Birthday at the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
     Tour the rooms where he dined and slept, create a birthday card for Washington, try on colonial costumes and participate in a scavenger hunt.
     For all ages.
     Free. Saturday, February 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the mansion on Jumel Terrace in Lower WaHi.





     The libraries of the St. Thomas Church and its school in Leipzig (where Johann Sebastian Bach was music director from 1732–1750, and where Richard Wagner was baptized in 1813) house hundreds of musical compositions, both in Latin and in German, of Catholic and Protestant provenance.
     The five members of Amarcord, all graduates of the St. Thomas Church Choir, will perform selections of this rich collection from its pre- and post-Reformation history.
     Their program includes chant melodies from the 14th-century Thomas Graduale, polyphonic works from early Lutheran hymns and motets, and from the Geistliche Chormusik (1648) by Heinrich Schütz.
     $35. Sunday afternoon, February 19, at 3 in the Fuentidueña Chapel of The Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park.





     School is out! Take the kids to the park to enjoy a variety of nature programs.
Get outside and get excited! More info here.
     Free. Monday through Friday, February 20-24, starting at 11 a.m. in the Inwood Hill Nature Center at West 218th Street and Indian Road.




Tuesday, February 21st at 11am & 3pm and Saturday, February 25th at 1pm


      Learn about the great tradition of swing dancing and the diverse groups of people that developed, taught and performed in Harlem. Hosted by the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
      The program, in honor of Black History Month, will include a tour of the museum, a swing dance lesson and light refreshments will be served. Advanced registration is required. Call (212) 923 8008.
     Free. Tuesday, February 21, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the mansion on Jumel Terrace. Also on Saturday.





     Explore illustration with the Winter Art Drawing course.
     It has been said that art takes nature as its model. The beauty of nature has inspired many great Americans to create artistic masterpieces. From the wildlife portraits of John James Audubon to the stunning black and white
photography of Ansel Adams, nature has been a muse to artists for centuries.
     The Urban Park Ranger Art and Photography programs allow you to interpret the natural would through artistic expression, while learning about the
local environment.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, February 25, at 1 in Inwood Hill Nature Center near West 218th Street and Indian Road.

 






      Learn about the great tradition of swing dancing and the diverse groups of people that developed, taught and performed in Harlem. Hosted by the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
      The program, in honor of Black History Month, will include a tour of the museum, a swing dance lesson and light refreshments will be served. Advanced registration is required. Call (212) 923 8008.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, February 25, at 1 at the mansion on Jumel Terrace.









     If the bridges of Manhattan bring out the romantic in you, you're in the majority. If they bring your hiking boots out of the closet, get over to the GWB Bus Station for the hike of your life.
     The Great Manhattan Bridge Walk is the best-known of the Shorewalkers' urban hikes. Start at the GWB and end at the Brooklyn Bridge. The group will walk for about 12 hours and cross over all of the bridges its hikers can walk over from Manhattan Island. 
     The entire route will be 27+ miles of walking, plus two or three bus/subway rides. Bring water, sandwiches, snacks, and Metro Card.  Moderately paced, plus there may be a “fast group” for those who want to walk faster and farther. 
     Details: Walt Wright at (917) 783-6540.
     Free. Saturday morning, February 25, at 9 at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, on the east side of the main floor near the restrooms, in Hudson Heights. Heavy rain or a blizzard cancels the event.







     Ice-age glaciers, Native Americans, Dutch traders, British Redcoats, and the Underground Railroad have all left their mark on New York City. Their stories can be found in the names of our streets, our architecture, and our parks.
     Urban Park Rangers specialize in interpretation of historic turning points, both natural and man-made, in our city’s long history. Native American culture
is celebrated in this walking tour of Inwood Hill Park.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, February 25, at 1; meet in the Inwood Hill Nature Center, West 218th Street and Indian Road.






     The Shakespeare Saturdays Sign-Up is for all actors - all are welcome! There are no auditions for this event, and the audience is ready for (almost) anything.
     Aspiring performers arrive at The Inwood Library to sign up to perform any Shakespearean scene, monologue, sonnet, etc. of their choice. It's a perfect opportunity to test out a new monologue in front of an audience or to practice a polished monologue before an important audition.
     No actor gets more than six minutes on stage, so you know it will move quickly. The only requirements are: 1st, it all has to be Shakespearean, and 2nd- no fight choreography.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, February 25, at the Inwood branch of the New York Public Library at 4790 Broadway.







     Hiking is the ultimate way to enjoy the outdoors and reduce stress. Regardless of the intensity level, it is a great way to burn calories and stay fit.
     The city's Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City and places often off limits to the general public. On
this hike, you may explore nature, discover our City’s rich history and diverse culture, or just unplug from the world to clear your head.
     For all hiking programs, the Rangers recommend wearing comfortable shoes or boots, and packing water and a light snack.
     Free. Sunday morning, February 26, at 11; meet in the Inwood Hill Nature Center, West 218th Street and Indian Road.







     Jazz violinist Sara Caswell brings her confidant style to Hudson Heights, along with guitar and bass.
     Writing in Jazz Review, Bill Falconer says, "Caswell is stellar and subtle with a technique that is formidable without being showy. She can also swing like mad. What a gift for improvisation!"
     Admission includes post concert reception with the artists. Cash bar.
     $12. Sunday evening, February 26, at 5 in The Lounge of Hudson View Gardens on 183rd Street at Pinehurst Avenue.





 

     Children ages 5 through 18 may audition for River of Birds, a bilingual musical about the environment, with performances scheduled over two weekends in mid-June. Produced by the Pied Piper Children's Theatre.
     Tuesday evenings, February 28 and March 6, at 5 at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming Street, Inwood.








     What would you do if you found yourself lost in the woods? Do you know how to build your own shelter, or start a fire without matches? What would you eat and where would you find water?
     The Urban Park Rangers are skilled in the techniques of wilderness survival and emergency preparedness. On this family friendly program you will learn tips and tricks that will enhance your knowledge of the natural world, and might just save your life.
     Ages 8 and up. Dress appropriately for the weather.
     Saturday afternoon, March 3; meet at the Inwood Hill Nature Center, near West 218th and Indian Road.






     The cantata Drei schöne Dinge sind, composed by J. S. Bach’s mentor Dietrich Buxtehude, celebrates three beautiful things: friendship, brotherhood, and marital bliss.
     This program augments Buxtehude’s homage with a variety of duets, arias, and instrumental works extolling these same virtues by Bach, Buxtehude, Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, Johann Philipp Krieger, and other distinguished German musicans of the era.
     Repast Baroque Ensemble brings together an extended family of accomplished Baroque performers for this special program in an intimate and acoustically outstanding hall.
     $35. Saturday night, March 3, at 8 at the American Academy of Arts & Letters on Audubon Terrace, 156th Street at Broadway, in Audubon Park.

     In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) invites artists to submit their work for "Women in the Heights - intersections," an exhibition featuring the work of women artists of northern Manhattan.
     For more information, visit NoMAA.
     Free. Saturday, March 8, to April 30 at the Intersessions Gallery at the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, 178 Bennett Avenue, in Hudson Heights.

     Track fanatics won't miss it for the world. The New Balance Indoor Nationals brings scholastic competitors from across the country to run on the world's fastest indoor track. Several U.S. records were set here at last year's meet, so the same is likely to happen this year.
     $20 to $30 a day, or $50 to $75 for a pass to all three days. Friday through Sunday, March 9 through 11, at the Armory, on Broadway at 168th Street in Lower WaHi.






     Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate, a take on The Taming of the Shrew, will feature Upper Manhattanites in this production by the Pied Piper Children's Theatre.
     Thursdays through Sundays, March 9 through 11 and 16 through 18, at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming Street, in Inwood. Curtain times will be announced later.






     Georgia O’Keeffe is one of the most recognized female artists of twentieth-century America.
     In honor of women's history month, the Morris-Jumel Mansion features a presentation on the time O'Keeffe spent in Hawaii, and how she connected with a local girl, in an encounter that affected both women for the rest of their lives. The lecture will be led by independent scholar Maria Ausherman.
     Advanced registration is required. Call (212) 923 8008.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, March 10, from 2 to 3:30 at the mansion on Jumel Terrace in Lower WaHi.







     An all-vocal concert, but not a straight-ahead take on the form from this bunch. Bob Windbiel will debut a new series of "cabaret-art" songs based on texts by James Tate and Kenneth Koch. Filling out the bill are Jerome Kitzke and his highly unique approach to vocal writing, and Jed Distler, with his dramatic music settings with spoken word.
     Free. Sunday afternoon, March 11, at 5 at Our Saviour's Atonement church on Bennett Avenue and 189th Street in Hudson Heights.





     A highlight of the Yeshiva University year, the annual Red Sarachek tournament is the country's most prestigious tournament for Jewish high school basketball teams. Each year, hundreds of student-athletes and their fans from schools across the United States and Canada gather at Yeshiva University for four days of top-level competition and community-wide celebration.
     In addition to being an exciting event, the tournament is a great opportunity to visit and learn about YU.
     Wednesday through Monday, March 21 to 26, on Yesvhiva's Wilf Campus in Fort George.






     Mike Fitelson has photographed Northern Manhattan for nearly 15 years. He has always envisioned photography as a means to help foster a sense of community.
     At the Morris-Jumel Mansion, Fitelson will share work from his past projects, “Northern Manhattan as Muse” and “Setting,” and discuss how he continues to push the uses of photography to heighten our understanding of Washington Heights and Inwood.
     Audience members will be asked to participate in a photography project. Pre-paid advanced registration is required. Call (212) 923 8008.
     $5, members free. Saturday afternoon, March 24, from 2 to 4 at the mansion on Jumel Terrace in Lower WaHi.








     The Collins Cup is up for grabs at Columbia's only New York regatta of the season. Rutgers is the challenger.
     Saturday, March 24, at a time to be announced later on the Harlem River. 






     Blue Heron, a Boston-based group under the direction of Scott Metcalfe, makes its debut at The Cloisters with music from the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and from the Burgundian scriptorium of his daughter, Marguerite of Austria.
     The program includes sacred music by such Renaissance masters as Josquin des Pres, Ludwig Senfl, and Heinrich Isaac from the Liber selectarum cantionum, published in 1520 and containing some of the choicest pieces from the Emperor's chapel. Also included are settings by Josquin and Jean Mouton of Dido's Lament, the final words uttered by the tragic queen of Carthage.
     The twelve singers of the ensemble will be accompanied by a cornetto and a sackbut.
     $35. Sunday afternoon, March 25, at 1 and 3 in the Fuentidueña Chapel of The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.






     Upper Manhattan teens join with the People’s Theatre Project and Seven Stories Institute for the culminating performance of their VOICES/VOCES program.
     Meeting at the Morris-Jumel Mansion, the participants study the role of youth throughout history in the struggle for justice and work together to create their own theatrical protest piece on their role as youth and artists in Northern Manhattan today.
     Advanced registration is required. Call (212) 923 8008.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, March 31, from 2 to 4 at the mansion on Jumel Terrace in Lower WaHi.












     Pomerium reprises its exploration of the great Renaissance choral music of Passiontide and Easter, with Renaissance motets of the Passion and resurrection.
     The program proceeds from Palm Sunday to Easter Day with an emphasis on music for Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
     Stylistically, the progression leads from chant to its elaborations by Guillaume Dufay and Senfl. The austerity of the Crucifixion gives way to the splendid celebration of the Resurrection, culminating in glorious motets by Orlande de Lassus, Claudio Monteverdi, Carlo Gesualdo, and William Byrd.
     $35. Saturday afternoon, April 7, at 1 and 3 in the Fuentidueña Chapel at The Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park.






     MOSA continues its collaboration with Ensemble ACJW and Carnegie Hall's Neighborhood Concert Series.
     The spring concert features Perle's Critical Moments 2, the Woodwind Quintet
by Francaix, and Brahms' Quintet for Clarinet and Strings.
     Free. Sunday afternoon, April 15, at 5 at Our Saviour's Atonement church on Bennett Avenue and 189th Street in Hudson Heights.







     Place your bid for art works and services by Uptown artists. Every bid helps support our mission to cultivate, support and promote the works of artists and arts organizations in Northern Manhattan.
     The on-line auction is organized by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance. More information here.
     Auction opens at midnight on Wednesday morning, April 18, and concludes on April 28.






     Shakespeare Saturdays Shorts is a new opportunity for writers to present readings of their short plays that reflect their inspiration from The Bard's works. Audiences may see new works that incorporate Elizabethan language ... or perhaps they'll see a favorite Shakespeare character in an entirely new plot ... a prequel or sequel could be written to a Shakespeare classic - the sky's the limit.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, April 21, at 1 at the Inwood branch of the New York Public Libraryat 4790 Broadway.







     Shakespeare's Macbeth is the spring production of the Pied Piper Children's Theatre, featuring both children and adults.
     Thursdays through Sundays, April 27 through 29 and May 4 through 6, at the Holy Trinity Churst, 20 Cumming Street, in Inwood. Curtain times will be announced later.







     The Shakespeare Saturdays Sign-Up is for all actors - all are welcome! There are no auditions for this event, and the audience is ready for (almost) anything.
     Aspiring performers arrive at The Inwood Library to sign up to perform any Shakespearean scene, monologue, sonnet, etc. of their choice. It's a perfect opportunity to test out a new monologue in front of an audience or to practice a polished monologue before an important audition.
     No actor gets more than six minutes on stage, so you know it will move quickly. The only requirements are: 1st, it all has to be Shakespearean, and 2nd- no fight choreography.
     Free. Saturday afternoon, May 21, at the Inwood branch of the New York Public Library at 4790 Broadway.

 












     The final concert of the season in MOSA's its collaboration with Ensemble ACJW and Carnegie Hall's Neighborhood Concert Series features romanticists.
     On the program are Nonet for wind quintet, violin, viola, cello and double bass, by Martinu, Ravel's Chanson Madé Casses, and Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire.
          Free. Sunday afternoon, June 3, at 5 at Our Saviour's Atonement church on Bennett Avenue and 189th Street in Hudson Heights.





     This year's Inwood Shakespeare Festival features a romantic pastoral tale in a romantic pastoral vale. William Shakespeare's As You Like It takes place outdoors, so bring a blanket, a picnic basket and a bottle of wine.
      Directed by Ted Minos.

      Free. Wednesday through Saturday nights, June 6 through 23, at 7:30 on the Inwood Hill Park Peninsula.

     River of Birds, a bilingual musical about the environment, features Upper Manhattan children. Produced by Pied Piper Children's Theatre.

     Saturdays and Sundays, June 9, 10, 16 and 17, at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming Street, in Inwood. Curtain times will be announced later.

     Open registration for musical theater classes at Pied Piper Children's Theatre gives everyone a chance to participate in this workshop featuring choreography, singing and acting. For children ages 5 through 12.

     The workshop runs July 2 through 28.
     Sunday afternoon, June 24, at 4:30 at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming Street, in Inwood.

    

     There's more to the Inwood Shakespeare Festival than the Bard.

     Opera in the Park presents Don Pasquale, the comic masterpiece of Gaetano Donizetti. Director by Gina Crusco, and featuring the Underworld Productions Opera Ensemble.

     Free. Wednesday through Saturday nights, June 27 through 30, at 7:30 on the Inwood Hill Park Peninsula.

      Musical theater classes at Pied Piper Children's Theatre give everyone a chance to learn about choreography, singing and acting. For children ages 5 through 12.
     Opening Monday, July 2, and concluding Saturday, July 28, at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming Street, in Inwood.

      Before Frankenstein there was The Golem: Heart of Light, Mind of Darkness, a tale of mysticism, hope, humor and horror.
      This production of the Inwood Shakespeare Festival was written and directed by Ted Minos with staging based on the legends of the Kabbalah.
      Free. Wednesday through Saturday nights, July 18 through August 4, at 7:30 on the Inwood Park Peninsula.

      Listen, relax, delight your ears and excite your imagination with the Inwood Shakespeare Fest's Animal Tales of Wisdom.

     Brer Rabbit & The Wolves Party with Bill Gordh on Banjo & How Brer Raccoon Outsmarted the Frogs. Also, The Tortoise & The Hare - music & adaptation by John and Katerina Falcone.
     Featuring the Moose Hall Chamber Ensemble. Musical Director Gilbert Dejean.
     Free. Monday night, July 30, at 7 on the Inwood Park Peninsula.

      The culmination of a five-week program, the Summer Showcase of the Pied Piper Children's Theatre workshop features acting, singing, scene & monologue study, musical theatre interpretation, dance, and stage combat.

      Sunday, August 5, at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming Street, in Inwood at a time to be announced later.