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.

     Are you a junior or senior in high school and unsure about your next step? Ask one of the Young Adult Librarians for advice.

     They will be on hand in person to help answer your questions about careers, jobs, and college applications. Just drop in—registration isn’t required.

     Free. Monday afternoon at 3:30 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Audubon Avenues.

     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.

     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 starting this week from 4 to 6 at the Cornerstone Center in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue at 179th Street. No meeting on November 27. Through December 11.

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

     Learn the ins and outs of how to grow vegetables, flowers, culturally relevant crops, and more.

     On this volunteer gig, you can help the New York Restoration Project care for twenty raised beds, a three-bin compost systems, and its famous mushroom cultivation operation. The Riley-Levin Demonstration Garden includes peach trees, blueberry bushes, and strawberry patches. 

     Free. Friday morning from 10 to noon at Sherman Creek just off Tenth Avenue between Academy Street and Harlem River Drive.

     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. No meeting on November 28. 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. No meeting on November 29. Through December 13.

     Join two experienced cycling guides on a five-mile bike tour of WaHi. Riders of all experience levels are welcome to participate.

     Get your bike out of storage or rent one from Citibikes and get your helmet too.

     Free. Saturday morning at 11:30 in Fort George on Audubon Avenue at 185th Street. There’s also a ride for adults at 1:30. 

     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. No meeting on November 29. Through December 20.

     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 at 1 in Fort Tryon Park. On the second and last Saturdays of the month.

     A story of temptation, trust, and escape comes to life when the Prelude Opera and the Leadlights Ensemble join to present Hansel and Gretel, by Engelbert Humperdinck.

     The opera company performs specifically for kids, and children’s music is a core piece of the Leadlights’ repertoire. 

     $17.30; children, $12.10. Afternoon performances at 4:30 around Hudson Heights: Saturday at Our Saviour's Atonement Lutheran Church, and on Sunday at the Hebrew Tabernacle on Fort Washington Avenue at 185th Street. 
 

     Autumn garden maintenance is an important step to a successful growing season.

     Help the friends of Inwood Hill Park maintain the pollinator garden by preparing it for a dormant winter. You’ll also learn more about the ways pollinator species help plants flourish in our parks.

     Wear clothes to get dirty in.

     Free. Sunday afternoon at 1; meet at 218th Street and Indian Road.

     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.

     The NYPL’s bookmobile provides access to the library’s riches, but in Manhattan its service is temporarily suspended.

      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, and the library’s on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Audubon Avenues.

     If your child has a creative spirit, consider an audition for Jazzy Fairy Tales, the next production from Pied Piper Children’s Theatre.

     There will be two seperate casts and on the day of the audition, you will have the chance to choose which cast you prefer. One rehearses in Inwood, and the other in Hudson Heights.

     Performances are scheduled for the Inwood cast on Saturday, December 13, and for the Hudson Heights cast on Sunday, December 14.

     Auditions: Tuesday evening, October 28, from 5 to 7 at The Inwood Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, on Riverside Drive between Payson and Seaman Avenues.

 

     UP Theater’s variety show is back with this special Halloween installment. The evening includes ghost stories, music, and treats—so come in your costume!

     Free. Wednesday night, October 29, at 7 at Buunni Coffee in Inwood on Broadway between 207th and Isham Streets.

     Celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with a mysterious fantasy featuring astonishing acrobatics and unforgettable thrills in this family-friendly spectacle.

     Step into The Vampire Circus, a mesmerizing theatrical experience that fuses artistry, technology, and twisted acrobatics. It’s a world that pushes the boundaries of human performance with acrobatics performed by international artists with multidisciplinary skills in theater, dance, and gymnastics. 

     $49.50 to $86.90. Halloween night at 9 at the United Palace in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.

     Celebrate with the seniors as the end of the soccer season arrives.

     An Ivy battle marks 2025’s closing match between the Crimson and the Lions as Columbia hosts Harvard. The conference championship starts Friday with the semi-finals.

     Saturday afternoon, November 1, at 2 in Commisso stadium at the Baker Athletic Complex in Inwood on 218th Street. 

     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 museums admission. Saturday afternoon, November 1, at 2 in the main hall of the Cloisters Museum in Fort Tryon Park. On the first Saturday of the month through December.

     A birth, a death, and a marriage. Thornton Wilder’s classic drama tells the story of growth and change in Our Town.

      The Uptown troupe for kids, Pied Piper, presents the story with a cast of Uptown actors.

     $27.18; kids and seniors, $16.78. Saturday, November 1, at 4 and 7, and Sunday evening, November 2, at 5:30 at the Hebrew Tabernacle in Hudson Heights on Fort Washington Avenue at 185th Street. Also on November 8 and 9.

     The Inwood Pumpkin Pageant returns for its eleventh year.

     Take your carved jack o’ lantern to the festivities on the Day of the Dead, where they will be lit for a family-friendly community display.

     Vote for your favorite designs to see if they will win a coveted blue ribbon. For older kids, pumpkin smashing starts at 7:30, to prepare the rotting gourds for composting, keeping them out of the landfills.

     Free. Saturday evening, November 1, at 5 in Isham Park in Inwood at Isham Street and Seaman Avenue.

    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, November 8, 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.

     When you don’t give sports scholarships, how much does federal funding matter, anyway?

     Find out when Ivy rivals Harvard and Columbia battle for gridiron supremacy.

     Saturday night, November 8, in Wien Stadium at the Baker Athletic Complex in Inwood on 218th Street.

     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.

     In September, kids created their own carnival mask, in collaboration with Leadlights Ensemble and Word Up Community Bookshop.

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

     Free. Saturday afternoon, November 8, from 1 to 3 at the mansion on Jumel Terrace in Lower WaHi. On the second Saturday of the month.

     Celebrate with the seniors as the Lions close out the autumn season at home.

     For the final Uptown game this year, Columbia hosts Brown for an autumn gridiron classic.

     Saturday, November 15, at noon in Wien Stadium at the Baker Athletic Complex in Inwood on 218th 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, November 15, at 2 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Also on December 20.

     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 Music that Inspires Us.

     Best for children ages 1 through 10 and their families.

     $16.25. Saturday afternoon, November 15, 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.

     Share the joy of Nutcracker, the Christmas ballet for everyone. Tchaikovsky’s timeless score sets the stage for a family holiday.

     In this production, an international cast, whimsical puppetry and opulent costumes and sets from Europe will delight your senses.

     $47.30 to $211.20. Friday night, November 28, at 7:30 at the United Palace in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.

     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.

 

     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.

     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.

     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.

     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.