Scat like Ella or improvise like Coltrane in an eight-week bilingual WeBop series for infants and children.

     Young ones will discover core concepts of jazz such as swing, blues, and improvisation, developing their imagination, creativity, and musicality while swinging to nursery rhymes in  Spanish and English. They will do it all with a live jazz band, thanks to help from Jazz@Lincoln Center.

     The 45-minute program is limited to 12 children. Please arrive on time: Latecomers are not guaranteed to find space.

     Free. Monday morning at 11 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Audubon Avenues. Through December 15.

     Whether you’re working on college applications or trying to figure out what career is best for you, the public library’s College and Career Pathways program is here to help.

     Get customized assistance, with any college- or career-related questions, from one of our trained Young Adult Librarians. Walk in or schedule a virtual one-on-one session today at calendly.com/nyplcollegeandcareer.

     Free. Monday afternoon starting at 3:30 at the Fort Washington branch of the NYPL, in Fort George on 179th Street between Audubon and St. Nicholas Avenues. On Mondays through December.

     Look, listen, sing, and have fun with storytime at the Met cloisters. The museum and Literacy INC shares tales through picture-book readings in English and Spanish connected to objects in the  Cloisters’ collection.

     Recommended for families with children ages 18 months to 6 years. Participants will receive a free book with onsite registration.

     Space is limited; first come, first served.
     Free with Museum admission; admission is pay as you wish for New York state residents, and free for children under 12 with an adult. Tuesday mornings at 11:30 at the museum in Fort Tryon Park.

     Pay what you can. Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Cornerstone Center in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue and 179th Street. Through December 16.

     Meet up for a special storytime with a focus on social and emotional learning at the library. The presenters will use stories and songs to teach healthy ways for kids to express their feelings.

     The 45-minute program is presented by a children's mental health specialist from the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center.  

     For children 5 years and under with caregiver. 

     Free. Wednesday morning at 11 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library, in Fort George on 179th Street between Audubon and St. Nicholas Avenues.

     Back from their visit to Massachusetts, Yeshiva stays in two for a two-game swing and they could use your help.

     The Macs (0-5) start by taking on hometown rivals, the NYU Violets (0-6) (Violets? Yeah, we didn’t know that either).

     Wednesday night at 8 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     The NYPL’s bookmobile provides access to the library’s riches.

      While it used to make a regular stop Uptown, the closest weekly visit is now in East Harlem.

      Of course, there are the branch libraries waiting for your visit. In Fort George you can visit the Fort Washington Branch, which re-opened last year after an extensive renovation.

      The hours are here, Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East River Plaza, on 117th Street and Pleasant Avenue.

     Lift your words off the page, and breathe life into them through rhythm, rhyme, and improvisation.

     In the Spoken Word workshop, everything you are is all that you need. Want to dance? Make your poetry move. Love to rap or write songs? Use your musical impulse. Your body, your voice, your beat — they are the story. 
     Guided by poets past and present, you’ll find inspiration in the words of Mahogany L. Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, Rudy Francisco, and many more. Presented by Uptown Stories.

     Pay what you can. Thursday afternoons from 4 to 6 at the Cornerstone Center in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue at 179th Street. Through December 11.

     Do you want to be wild and break out of the limitations that are always being set? Poetry is the answer.

     You’ll strap on our shoes, grab your pen, and head to the park for a poet’s adventure.

     Poetry is a way of seeing things outside the boxes they are always being put in. You’ll be rejuvenated by the nature of Fort Tryon Park and emboldened by the resilient neighborhood. Presented by Uptown Stories.

     Pay what you can. Friday afternoons from 4 to 6, meeting at the Hudson Cliffs/P.S. 187 school yard in Hudson Heights on Cabrini Boulevard just above 181st Street. Through December 19.

     If you can’t wait to turn the page, the writer has succeeded in telling you a great story.

     What does it take to develop characters, settings, dialogue, and plot elements that have you on the edge of your seat?

     The Elements of Fiction workshop answers those questions and more. The group will break down the parts of fiction writing each week and test out what we’ve learned with some on-the-spot writing. You’ll work with your peers, too — giving advice and feedback, while hearing what they have to say about your work. Presented by Uptown Stories.

     Pay what you can. Saturday mornings from 10 to noon, at the Cornerstone Center in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue and 179th Street. Through December 13.

     We welcome you to Snobby Poetry, should you be up for the challenge.

     If so, you’ll join a self-motivated, uber-supportive band of misfits who read, write, and share poems. They love words, rhyme (only when used sparely, thank you), observation, and Walt Whitman (obviously).

     Poetry is an illogical measuring device, filled with seemingly impossible comparisons and instructions; that is why we are called to write it. We are the liars who tell the truth. If this sounds like you, or if you’ve already taken a class with Jane LeCroy and want more, Snobby Poetry is the workshop for you. Presented by Uptown Stories.

     Pay what you can. Saturday afternoons from 1 to 3 at the Cornerstone Center in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue and 179th Street. Through December 20.

     Share ideas and enjoy hands-on gallery activities that bring medieval works of art to life, as inspired by the galleries of the Cloisters.

     The one-hour presentation is recommended for families with children ages 3 to 11 years. First-come, first-served.

     Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon at 2 in the main hall of the Cloisters Museum in Fort Tryon Park.

     Bundle up and join the Urban Park Rangers ’round the campfire. The crepuscular adventure starts with a twilight walk around the marsh before settling in for stories of all kinds, new and old.

     Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and take a thermos of hot cocoa.

     Free. Saturday evening at 5 in Inwood Hill Park. Meet at 218th Street and Indian Road.

     Yeshiva finishes its two-game home stand before getting on the road to Purchase.

     The first weekend home game of the season sees the Macs welcoming the Saint Joseph Blue Jays.

     Saturday night at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Follow the Urban Park Rangers through our jewel of a park for an expert introduction to the many species of living nature found Uptown. You’ll discover the plants and animals that inhabit the urban forest.

     To enhance your experience, take your own binoculars and field guide, and pack a bottle of water for this one-hour hike.

     Free. Sunday afternoon at 1 in Fort Tryon Park; meet at the entrance at Margaret Corbin Plaza in Hudson Heights.

     Like all New Yorkers, wildlife in the city loves to explore the parks, like this peregrine falcon near the Hudson River.

     Use the city’s wildlife calendar to learn about what’s happening with Uptown wildlife neighbors each month, and find parks where you might be able to better see them in action.

     Most of New York’s wildlife is not dangerous; however, maintaining a safe distance is the best way to protect your safety and the safety of your wild neighbors. If you see an injured animal, leave the animal where it is, give it some distance, and call 311.

     Can you find the flora and fauna in an Uptown park?

     The next time you’re exploring Isham Park, head to Bruce’s Garden. Then, click this link on your cell phone for clues to find the treasures in this prized patch of greenery.

      Isham Park is in Inwood, at 213 Park Terrace East (not West!) and is open every day.

     Where are you going?

     Use a compass rose to help you get there. A video from the Hispanic Society will show you how to make one with a potato, some paint and a few more household objects.

     You’ll also learn a bit about maps through the centuries and how explorers used them to travel to places they’d never seen.

     Here’s a way to make your next outing with the kids a little different.

     Print out a family scavenger hunt booklet and take a walk through Fort Tryon Park’s historic estate remnants.

     Find, draw, and map natural marvels and constructed treasures while you explore the path network that leads from Billings Lawn to the Palisades Overlook.

     The booklet is provided by the Fort Tryon Park Trust.

     Need something new for the kids to do?

     The Hispanic Society of America offers several coloring pages, each based on one of the most famous paintings in the museum’s collection. Recognize the Duchess of Alba? Download the pdf below.

      For adults, the society has posted several lectures here.

¿Necesita algo nuevo para que hagan los niños?
      La Hispanic Society of America ofrece varias páginas para colorear, cada una basada en una de las pinturas más famosas de la colección del museo. ¿Reconoces a la duquesa de Alba? Descargue el pdf a continuación.
       Para los adultos, la sociedad ha publicado varias conferencias aquí.

    Do some digging, then get in some riding with your BMX buds and ride the most progressive urban bike park in America, with the help of the New York City Mountain Bike Association.

     There will be light trail maintenance tasks for all ages in the morning. Every volunteer receives a free 20-minute clinic and, in the afternoon, a guided ride throughout the trails from 12:30 to 3. Even better, bikes and helmets are provided, so you don’t need your own.  

     Uptown is the home of the city's first mountain biking course, 3 miles of trails of varying difficulty and a free-ride trail that includes drops, steeps, and berms. The park also features a dirt jump park and pump track, making it a good place to develop different skills at all levels.

     Free. Saturday morning, December 13, from 10 to 3 in Fort George at the BMX trailhead in Highbridge Park, on Fort George Avenue, just northwest of the Buczek Ballfield. Monthly on the second Saturday.

     Let your kids explore life in colonial New York at Manhattan’s oldest remaining house, where the Morris-Jumel Mansion offers family-day programming with a fun, hands-on activity for children and their care-givers.

     Step back into the eighteenth century and learn about the history of pomanders. These citrus ornaments, traditionally made with oranges and cloves, filled homes with lovely scents and holiday spirit. In colonial times, making pomanders was a way to keep winter's chill at bay and bring warmth to gatherings.

     In addition to this hands-on activity, enjoy a special reading of A Visit from St. Nick, better known at ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, in Spanish at 1:30 and in English at 2:30.

     All materials will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. 

     Free. Saturday afternoon, December 13, from 1 to 3 in the colonial kitchen in the basement of the mansion; enter on the east side. On Jumel Terrace in Lower WaHi. On the second Saturday of the month.

     Join the Urban Park Rangers on a brisk nature walk in the late autumn to look for and learn about the flora and fauna that call Inwood Hill Park home. 

     Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and take a bottle of water on this one-hour hike.

     Free. Saturday afternoon, December 13, at 1. Meet at the park entrance at Seaman Avenue and Isham Street.

     Sketch from works of art in The Met Cloisters galleries and experiment with different drawing approaches. Build your skills with a teaching artist and share your works of art with other teens.

     Thinking of applying to an art high school or college? These classes are a great way to build a portfolio. For ages 12 to 18.

     Museum admission is free, with registration, for teens as part of this program. All experience levels welcome; all materials provided.

     Free with registration. Saturday afternoon, December 13, at 1 in Fort Tryon Park. On the second and last Saturdays of the month.

     A performance featuring Uptown kids, Jazzy Fairy Tales is the latest production from Pied Piper Children’s Theatre.

     With two complete casts, you can choose which actors to watch. Ticket prices and locations will be announced later.

     Inwood cast on Saturday afternoon, December 13, at 4 and 6.

     Hudson Heights cast on Sunday afternoon, December 14, at 4 and 6.

 

     It’s the last game before the holiday break for Yeshiva, and they’re spending it opening conference competition.

     The Macs host hometown rivals, the Manhattanville Valiants.

     Saturday night, December 13, at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Imerse yourself in the holiday season with Frank Capra’s beloved 1946 classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore.

     It’s more than a movie: The afternoon starts at 3:30 when the neighborhood joins to light up Plaza de Las Americas with the Community League of the Heights. There will aso be pre-show caroling by students from Statement Arts and a special introduction by Mary Owen, daughter of Donna Reed. 

     Movie: $12.72. Sunday evening, December 14, at 6 at the United Palace in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.

     Make your own ornaments at a holiday workshop with the artist Ysabel Abreu on hand to help.

     Following the workshop, join the drum procession to Ilka Tanya Payán Park, at 157th Street, for the community tree lighting ceremony. Music will be provided by Annette A. Aguilar’s Bean Bloco Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian Percussion Group.

     Free. Tuesday afternoon, December 16, at 3, with the drum procession and tree lighting at 5. At the Hispanic Society on Audubon Terrace, at Broadway and 155th Street.

     Get some stress out during a creative session of arts and crafts.

      It’s collage night, when you can repurpose old book materials, magazines, and more.

     Supplies & vibes will be provided. 

     Free. Thursday evening, December 18, at 6:30 at Recirculation in Lower WaHi at 876 Riverside Drive near 160th Street. Monthly on the third Thursday.

     The Muppets put their spin on the tale of the Christmas-hating miser who’s visited by spirits who foretell his future and share secrets from his past and present, which helps change his view on life.

     The Muppet Christmas Carol is a delight for the entire family. Christmas cookies and sweets, popcorn, beer, wine, and soda will be available.

     $12.31; children $6.98; VIP access, $28.29. Friday night, December 19, at 7 at Good Shepherd Church in Inwood at 620 Isham Street.

     Compartan sus ideas y disfruten participando en actividades en las salas para dar vida a las obras de arte medieval.

     Share ideas and enjoy hands-on gallery activities that bring medieval works of art to life.

     Presented in Spanish and English. Recommended for families with children ages 3 to 11 years. Presentado en español e inglés. Recomendado para familias con niños de 3 a 11 años.

     Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon, December 20, at 2 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.

     Winter is a prime season for stargazing. Step out on the eve of the solstice, when the cold air clears the night sky of clouds. 

     The Urban Park Rangers provide a telescope to take advance of the ideal conditions for seeing the stars, planets, and other celestial highlights.

     Dress for the weather.

     Free. Saturday evening, December 20, from 5 to 6:30 in Inwood Hill Park. Meet at 218th Street and Indian Hill Road.

     Peek at technique and learn through handling tools and materials how artists from centuries ago created their works of art.

     Stop by for hands-on demonstrations and conversations with conservators and curators to find out in this demonstration, which is connected to the exhibit Spectrum of Desire.

     Demonstrations repeat every 30 minutes. For visitors of all ages. 

     Free with museum admission. Sunday afternoon, December 21, from 1 to 4 in the Romanesque Hall of the Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park. Also on January 18.

     Lace up your spikes for high school racing at the U.S. Marine Corps Holiday Classic. Held on the world’s fastest indoor trak, the meet features dashes, relays, and hurdles. 

     Competitors: The only acceptable spikes allowed on the Armory track surface are ¼-inch pyramid spikes. No shoes with a three spike configuration are allowed. 

     $15–$35; students, $5, and children 42" and shorter enter free. Saturday, December 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Armory in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 168th Street.

     If you can identify a tree by its leaves, how can you identify it when it’s bare?

     Join the Urban Park Rangers for a winter walk around Manhattan’s only untouched forest to learn how to identify trees even after their leaves have fallen.

     Dress for the weather and take a bottle of water (or a thermos of hot cocoa) for the 90-minute trek.

     Free. Sunday afternoon, December 28, at 1 in Inwood Hill Park. Meet at 218th Street and Indian Road.

     It’s the fifth day of Christmas, time to give your true love five golden rings. According to PNC Bank, you’ll pay $1,649.90 for them, which is a striking 32 percent more than you would have paid just a year ago.

     Inflation, Fed rate cut expectations and a declining U.S. dollar are sending investors racing for gold and other precious metals. 

     If you were to buy everything in the song, you’d still pay more then the overall inflation rate this year. Even with its small basket of goods and services, the PNC Christmas Price Index grew 4.5 percent, reaching $51,476.12. Merry Christmas!

     Let your kids will experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. From stick bugs to snakes, they can meet the animals that calls Uptown their home.

     Let by the Urban Park Rangers. These are wild animals, so wear clothes that can get dirty.

     Free. Monday afternoon, December 29, from 1 to 2 in the Inwood Hill Park Nature Center, near 218th Street and Indian Road.

     With winter hiatus over, Skyline Conference competition resumes as Yeshiva cagers return to the court.

     The Macs host the Illinois University Titans.

     Monday night, December 29, at 7:30 (note the earlier tipoff) at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     The North Shore Invitational track meet sees prep runners from around the region competing on the world’s fastest indoor track.

     $15–$35; students, $5, and children 42" and shorter enter free. Tuesday, December 30, from 9 to 6 at the Armory in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 168th Street.

     Can you mine geese? It’s the sixth day of Christmas …

     When four misfits from Chuglass, Idaho, are pulled through a portal into a cubic world, they embark on a quest back to the real world with the help of an expert crafter named Steve.

     Jack Black is among the stars in A Minecraft Movie (2025), featured in this month’s Teen Center movietime.

     Free. Tuesday afternoon, December 30, at 3 at the Fort Washington brnach of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Audubon Avenues.

     Bundle up and join the Urban Park Rangers as they demonstrate a Native winter campsite. You can explore and enter the recently restored Lenape wigwam and enjoy an afternoon by a warm campfire. Kids will learn how to use a bow drill and other methods to start a fire.

     Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and take a thermos of hot cocoa.

     Free. Wednesday afternoon, December 31, from 1 to 2 in Inwood Hill Park. Meet at 218th Street and Indian Road.

     Let the winter season inspire your kids to create crafts from objects found in nature. Led by the Urban Park Rangers, the mini-workshop lets kids will experience nature in a hands-on and fun way.

     Wear clothes that can get a bit messy from art projects.

     Free. Saturday afternoon, January 2, from 1 to 2 at the Inwood Hill Park Nature Center near 218th Street and Indian Road.

     Prep runners try out for the Milrose Games at the trials on the world’s fastest indoor track.

     Competitors: The only acceptable spikes allowed on the Armory track surface are ¼-inch pyramid spikes. No shoes with a three spike configuration are allowed. 

     $15–$35; students, $5, and children 42" and shorter enter free. Wednesday, January 7, from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Armory in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 168th Street.

     Take the whole family to meet the instruments at a petting zoo, when even the youngest listeners can get up close and personal with their favorite instruments before seeing them come alive onstage.

     The Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra invites their curiosity before performing an enchanting family concert.

     Narrator Sarah Ziegler will guide you through musical selections from the evening concert, The People Who Inspire Us.

     Best for children ages 1 through 10 and their families.

     $16.25. Saturday afternoon, January 10, with the petting zoo beginning at 2:45 and the concert at 3. At Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue at 179th Street.

     Yeshiva’s cagers are back from a suburban road trip for big-city basketball.

     The Macs host the Mount Saint Mary Knights. 

     Saturday night, January 10, at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Back from Connecticut, Yeshiva starts a two-game homestand.

     The Macs start by welcoming the Purchase College Panthers.

     Saturday night, January 14, at 8 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     The Mayor’s Cup is awarded to the fastest prep team competing on the world’s fastest indoor track. 

     Competitors: The only acceptable spikes allowed on the Armory track surface are ¼-inch pyramid spikes. No shoes with a three spike configuration are allowed. 

     High school students can attend the the HBCU Showcase College Fair free with a student ID. 

     $15–$35; students, $5, and children 42" and shorter enter free. Saturday, January 17, from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Armory in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 168th Street.

     The second game in this homestand sees Yeshiva in action before heading Upstate.

     The Macs host the Bears of St. Joseph’s University Brooklyn.

     Saturday night, January 17, at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Yeshiva is fresh off a trip Upstate.

     This weekend the Mac welcome the Farmingdale State College Rams.

     Saturday night, January 24, at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Yeshiva was on Long Island Wednesday but now they’re back at home in another Skyline Conference matchup.

     The Macs host the Mariners of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

     Saturday night, January 31, at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     The 2025–26 season is winding down for Yeshiva, so take the chance to cheer them to the end.

     The Macs welcome the University of Mount Saint Vincent Dolphins in the final mid-week matchup.

     Tuesday night, February 10, at 8 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Say goodbye to Yeshiva’s seniors as the season comes to its close at home.

     The farewell Uptown matchup sees Yeshiva host the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons.

     Saturday night, Febrary 14, at 8:30 at the Max Stern Athletic Center on Yeshiva’s Fort George campus on Amsterdam Avenue at 185th Street.

     Is your teen interested in the sciences? Maybe she’s thinking about a career in medicine?

     If so, consider the Lang Youth Medical Program at the Columbia Medical Center. It’s a free opportunity to expose high school students to the science of medicine and aims to inspire teens to achieve their college aspirations through hands-on learning and mentorship.

     It’s open only to students in WaHi who attend a Community School District 6 school. The program meets on seventeen Saturdays through the year and during the entire month of July. Find out more here.

     The deadline for the next session is in March.

     Take the whole family to meet the instruments at a petting zoo, when even the youngest listeners can get up close and personal with their favorite instruments before seeing them come alive onstage.

     The Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra invites their curiosity before performing an enchanting family concert.

     Narrator Sarah Ziegler will guide you through musical selections from the evening concert, The Places That Inspire Us.

     Best for children ages 1 through 10 and their families.

     $16.25. Saturday afternoon, April 18, with the petting zoo beginning at 2:45 and the concert at 3. At Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue at 179th Street.

     This performance invites kids to move and sing along with Elmo and his friends as they dance, stretch, and play along to songs  including “Sunny Days,” “Elmo’s Got the Moves,” and “Letter of the Day.” Everything from yoga to cartwheeling will be on display.

     $41.80 to $79.20. Saturday afternoon, June 6, at 2 at the United Palace in Lower WaHi, on Broadway at 175th Street.

     The annual Drums Along the Hudson began in 2002 as a traditional Pow Wow to celebrate Native American heritage and culture, and also to commemorate the Lenape people who first inhabited Inwood Hill Park, or Shorakkopoch (“edge of the water”).

     This 2025 celebration featured the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers, Kalpulli Huehuethlatholi Aztec Dancers, drummers from around the world, international food, and crafts.
     Free. Usually on the first Sunday in June from 11 to 6 in Inwood Hill Park at Indian Road and 218th Street.