Events great for kids, March 18–24
Monday
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 U.S. and Canada gather at Yeshiva for four days of top-level competition and community-wide celebration.
The tourney concludes Monday with the finals in the gym of the Wilf-Stern Athletic Center in Fort George on Amsterdam Avenue and 186th Street.
Need some help with homework or a place to log in? Maybe a chance to spend time out of the house with your friends?
Drop by the Y’s computer lab, open to any 14 to 24 years old who lives, works, or goes to school in WaHi.
Free. Monday through Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, in Fort George on Nagle Avenue between Broadway and Ellwood Street.
Wednesday
Give your kids the antidote to cabin fever at a morning filled with non-stop action and hip-shaking music.
The Rock Show is best for kids up to 8 years old with a parent or caregiver.
Free. Wednesday morning at 10:30 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue.
Does your child love books? Enjoy creative writing? Have an unlimited imagination?
Uptown Stories offers after-school workshops led by professional writers and master teachers. Students ages 8 to 16 learn the craft of writing, engage their imaginations and join an exciting, supportive community.
Workshops meet for ten weeks and conclude with a celebratory reading open to family and friends. A list is here.
Pay-what-you-can tuition. Various days and times at Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue at 189th Street.
Toddlers and their parents or caregivers can enjoy interactive stories, action songs, fingerplays and spend time with other growing kids in the neighborhood at the branch library.
For children from 18 months to 3 years old.
Free. Wednesday mornings at 9:30 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue.
The International Center for Photography will show teens how to use Fuji Instax cameras and make instant photographs.
Kids will get in groups to focus on a theme. Each student walks away with two images.
For students ages 13 to 18 years old.
Free. Wednesday afternoon at 4 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Amsterdam Avenues.
Video games, laptops, music, film, arts & crafts … science, book discussions, and more await teens at this weekly meet-up.
Different things to do: every week, something new.
Free. Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 5:30 at the Fort Washington Branch of the public library on 179th Street in Fort George.
Thursday
In Jazz Power Youth Master classes, led by master teachers Eli Yamin (music) and Mickey Davidson (dance/theatre), students ages 10—17 will be led through a voice and body warmup, and will learn song and movement.
Students who successfully complete at least one Jazz Power Master Class are eligible to apply for a full scholarship for a 12-week Jazz Power Youth training program, which runs April through June.
Free. Thursday evening from 4 to 7:30 at the United Palace Theater in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.
Friday
This spring, join Sonomi Kobayashi for weekly art workshops for children ages 6 to 13 years old.
Sonomi is a Japanese artist who makes her home in New York. She is interested in science, nature, and spirituality. She studied sculpture and printmaking at the Art Students’ League of New York.
Free. Friday afternoons from 3:30 to 5 at the J. Hood Wright Park Recreation Center in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 175th Street. Through June 21.
Saturday
Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean you can’t be active. New York Road Runners hosts a weekly race open to all participants. The finish line is open until the last person is done, on a course of about 2.5 miles.
Arrive 15 minutes before the start of the run and to leave their valuables at home – bag check is not provided. No need to do anything before the run, just show up. Open to all ages, experience levels, walkers, strollers, dogs.
Free. Saturday mornings at 9 in Inwood Hill Park at the intersection of Isham Streat and Seaman Avenue.
Take your kids to a community book shop to hear their favorite stories read out loud by experienced, trained readers. Just like their teachers in the classroom, but with new faces and new friends.
Free. Saturday mornings at 11 at the Word Up Community Book Shop/Librería Comunitaria, in Lower WaHi on Amsterdam Avenue at 165th Street.
Join the Urban Park Rangers to discover the hidden parkland of the area formerly known as Manahatta.
This excursion into history will focus on Northern Manhattan and Sherman Creek, courtesy of the Rangers, who specialize in interpreting historic turning points, both natural and man-made, in the island’s long history.
Free. Saturday afternoon at 1; meet in Fort George at the Fort George Playground in Highbridge Park (near the northernmost point of Fort George Avenue) before proceeding to Sherman Creek.
A little kindness goes a long way.
Follow the ideals of the Rev. Fred Rogers, who created Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, in the 2018 documetary Won’t You Be My Neighbor.
The screening is recommended for teens and adults.
Free. Saturday afternoon at 2 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Amsterdam Avenues.
Come celebrate the publication of Uptown Stories’ 10th anthology from the group’s Summer 2018 session.
Authors can pick up their free copies, sign autographs, and everyone can purchase previous volumes.
Free. Saturday afternoon from 3 to 4 at the Uptown Community Book Shop in Lower WaHi on Amsterdam Avenue at 165th Street.
A symphony orchestra performs the most beloved music and songs from Metal Gear with the most memorable moments from the video game projected on a giant, 50-foot screen.
More than 70 musicians on stage and the singer Donna Burke bring the game to life.
$44 to $119. Saturday night at 8 at the United Palace Theatre in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.
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.
This week’s sky updates come from StarDate.
Saturday nights from 8 to 10 on the ball fields near Seaman Avenue and Isham Street in Inwood. A map is here.
Sunday
Special needs children can discover the fantastic beasts hiding inside the Cloisters.
This workshop for children ages 5 to 17 with learning or developmental disabilities and accompanying friends and family members includes a gallery tour and art activity.
Reservations are required. Call (212) 650-2010 or send a message to access@metmuseum.org.
Free. Sunday at noon and 2 at the museum in Fort Tryon Park.
Follow the yellow brick road at this year's Wizard of Oz-inspired No Place Like Home Purim Carnival for an array of engaging family activities.
Purim is both a time when we celebrate and when we give to those in need. Based on the story of the Jews in ancient Persia, Purim exemplifies the meaning of coming together and embracing those around us (learn more about the history of the holiday here).
Through the variety of crafts and games, join the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow on their quest for courage, kindness, and curiosity. And as Dorothy said, "There's no place like home," so you can donate items which are needed by Siena House, a shelter in the Bronx that provides transitional housing for women with young children who are awaiting a more permanent home.
$10; two and younger, free; discounts for purchases made before Wednesday. Sunday from noon to 3 at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood in Fort George at 54 Nagle Avenue.
We all carry stories around with us, stories we need other people to hear. Because they can be made by one person, without expensive equipment or advanced skills, ’zines, comics and graphic novels have a long history of being a fertile venue for frank, revelatory storytelling.
In this class, kids 14 and older will take a look at the history of nonfiction stories in comics, and create our short, nonfiction comic from scratch. Come to class with ideas for a personal story — either a personal narrative you would like to capture in comics form, or a cause you would like to discuss in comics form.
Scholarships are available. Email the instructor, Ellen Lindner, at ellenlindner@gmail.com, to register.
$75. Sunday afternoons through April 21 from 1 to 3 at the Word Up Community Book Shop in Lower WaHi on Amsterdam Avenue at 165th Street.
Planning ahead
Led by professional ride leaders and master trailbuilders, orientation day lets bike readers learn what it takes to build and
ride the most progressive urban bike park in America, in Highbridge Park.
Participants earn their turns through the valuable experience of volunteering and riding. There will be light trail maintenance tasks for all ages in the morning, followed by
free guided rides for all volunteers, including use of bikes and protective gear, after lunch.
Be sure to take a snack, water, sunscreen, bug repellant, and sturdy shoes or boots.
Free. The series will resume in the spring, likely on the second Saturday mornings of the month from 10 to 3. Meet in the Fort George portion of Highbridge Park at the terrain park trailhead, located 200 feet southeast of 131 Fort George Avenue.
With warm weather on its way, getting outdoors to play will be easier.
If you’re into tennis, it’s time to renew your permit — or get a new one — to play on the city’s courts in Fort Washington Park. Starting Monday you’ll need a reservation to start a match, and to get a reservation you’ll need a permit. Here’s where to sign up.
$10 for those 18 and younger; $20 for those 62 and older; $90 for those 19–61 with IDNYC, and $100 for everyone else.
Reservations required starting Monday, April 1.
Urban forests like Cabrini Woods in Fort Tryon Park are critical links for migratory birds during their arduous thousand-mile journey along the Atlantic Flyway.
Join Gabriel Willow, expert naturalist, to learn about birds that visit Fort Tryon—including the warblers, vireos, thrushes, and others, and why they stop here on their way back to breeding grounds in northern forests in Canada, upstate New York, and New England.
Take binoculars and water and wear comfortable shoes. Space is limited, so registration is required.
Free. Saturday morning, March 30, at 10; meet at the Heather Garden entrace to the park, in Hudson Heights at Margaret Corbin Circle.
Strap on your boots, pack some jerky, and meet at the trailhead for the Urban Park Rangers’ super hike.
This moderate trek through Manhattan’s only untouched forest will last two hours and is open only by lottery. Click here to enter your name for a chance to win,
Free. Saturday morning, March 30, in Inwood Hill Park at a location disclosed to the drawing winners.
Dogs in the middle ages were housepets, like today, but they were just as likely to help their best friends with hunting, above, and with other tasks too.
Find examples of how dogs helped their owners in this special tour.
Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon, March 30, at noon and 2 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.
La experiencia medieval: Talleres bilingües y educativos para la familia.
Join in guided tours and art activities led in Spanish and English. For families with children ages 3–11.
Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon, March 30, at 1 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Also on April 27 and May 25.
He’s big, he’s green an he’s ugly. Shrek! The Musical features kids from Lower WaHi to Inwood.
$20; students, seniors and groups, $15. Saturdays, March 30 through April 13, at 3 and 8, and Sundays, March 31 through April 14, at 4 at Holy Trinity Church in Inwood at 20 Cumming Street (at Seaman Avenue).
Have you noticed all the outdoor paintings of birds around Lower WaHi? Ever wonder why?
Here’s a hint: they’re around the Audubon Park neighborhood, whose namesake is John James Audubon, the country’s earliest observer of birds.
Go bird-watching for birds that won’t fly away on a two-hour walking tour of the Audubon bird murals on security gates and buildings between 155th and 165th Streets, featuring stories of the artists. Sign up here.
$30. Sunday morning, March 31, at 10, meeting in Trinity Cemetery at Audubon’s grave in Lower WaHi.
Kids can join artist Patrick Perry in creating whimsical birdhouses just in time for spring.
Participants will use a variety of springtime templates in conjunction with oil pastel to decorate each house. This free art workshop is for children ages 5 to 12.
Space is limited and registration is required.
Free. Sunday afternoon, March 31, at 2 at the Payson Center in Inwood Hill Park near Dyckman and Henshaw Streets.
Have the chops to cook? Sign up for Uptown’s own Master Chef: Cook For Your Cause contest.
This kickoff event is a cooking competition with teams going head to head, and the winners will get up to $400 to donate to a cause of their choice.
Sign up as an individual or as part of a group, but sign up by Sunday at ywashhts.org/masterchef. Open to teens ages 13 to 16.
Free. The competition starts on Sunday afternoon, March 31, at 3:30 at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood in Fort George at 54 Nagle Avenue.
The Washington Heights Music Fest in collaboration with W.H.A.M. hosts a monthly open mic for artists, poets, singers, writers and performers. Refreshments will be provided.
All ages are welcome, so the acts should be appropriate for everyone.
The first monthly musical open mic will be followed by session on the first Friday of the month. Hosted by Jason Rosario.
$5. Friday night, April 5, from 6 to 9 at the Word Up Community Book Shop in Lower WaHi on Amsterdam Avenue at 165th Street. On the first Friday of the month.
You expect sacred objects in the Cloisters, but what about secular items, such as these playing cards?
Get a special tour of them with Nancy Wu, a museum educator.
Free with museum admission. Saturday, April 6, at noon and 2 in the museum in Fort Tryon Park.
Auditions for A Festival of Folk Tales are open to Uptown children. Performances are set for June 8 through 15.
Monday and Tuesday evenings, April 8 and 9, from 5 to 7:30 at Holy Trinity Church in Inwood at 20 Cumming Street (at Seaman Avenue).
The three-acre Heather Garden is the site of an annual rite of spring: the Shearing of the Heather by members of the Northeast Heather Society and Heather Garden staff.
Led by a bagpiper, a community parade through the garden delights children, who are invited to take an instrument with them (adults are, too). Throughout the morning you will learn why Fort Tryon Park has the largest heath and heather collection in the northeast, and how to propagate your own heathers with clippings from the shearing.
Free. Saturday morning, April 13, from 10:30 to noon in the Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park, near the entrance at Margaret Corbin Circle in Hudson Heights.
Family Day at the Morris-Jumel Mansion offers arts, crafts and sometimes even snacks to kids and their parents who want to learn a little more about life when New York was a Colonial outpost of the British empire.
Free with museum admission. Saturday morning, April 13, starting at 11 at the mansion in Lower WaHi on Jumel Terrace. Also on June 8.
Join your neighbors for this year’s Easter Celebration, when the Easter Bunny will greet everyone while you participate in the egg hunt.
You will also find arts & crafts activities, traditional games, and much more. Take the whole family — and a basket!
Free. Saturday, April 13, from 11 to 2 at the Highbridge Recreation Center in Lower WaHi in Highbridge Park near Amsterdam Avenue and 173rd Street.
Back by popular demand, Chant UP with Gaura Vani has become a monthly world-music experience of kirtan.
Join in a celebration of the ancient, mystical tradition of mantra music. Elevate your spirit and cultivate community through this joyous and sacred sound.
Working with either partners or alone, teens will create miniature busts using fire or self-hardening clay.
Facial studies will help students with the formation and placement of features. For kids ages 13 to 18 years old.
Free. Wednesday afternoon, April 17, at 4 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street between St. Nicholas and Audubon Avenues.
Join in a day filled with activities to prepare you for Easter Holiday.
Arts & crafts, an egg on the spoon race, sack race, and the grand event: an Easter Egg Hunt. Take bags with you and get ready to have fun.
Free. Friday afternoon, April 19, from 3:30 to 6 in J. Hood Wright Park in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 175th Street.
Share ideas and enjoy hands-on gallery activities that bring medieval works of art to life. This month's theme is Capturing an Image.
For families with children ages 3–11.
Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon, April 20, at 2 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Also on May 4: Musical Met.
Take part in a morning of music-making and discovery.
Students in kindergarten through 5th grade are the honored guests for an interactive adventure to tame The Mighty Cacophonous Orchestrasauras and learn what makes the orchestra such an amazing creature.
Tickets available in January.
Saturday morning, April 27, at 11 at Fort Washington Collegiate Church in Hudson Heights on 181st Street at Col. Robt. McGaw Place.
Making good after he had to postpone his autumn concert, Christian Nodal, the Mexican mariachi songwriter, performs Uptown.
$70 to $660. Saturday night, April 27, at 7 at the United Palace Theatre in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.
Celebrate Earth Day by being a great park steward—give back to the park by volunteering with the Friends’ Committee of the Fort Tryon Park Trust and NYC Parks at a Beautification Day.
Plants, tools, and gloves will be provided. Wear long pants and sturdy shoes and take a drink and a snack.
Groups of more than five must register by emailing info@forttryonparktrust.org by April 15. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Free. Sunday, April 28, from 10 to 2 with sign-in at the Margaret Corbin Circle Entrance to the Heather Garden in Hudson Heights.
Have fun with friends and neighbors at Open Mic Night, sponsored by Pied Piper Children’s Theatre. (Previously billed as Dance Night.)
All acts are family-friendly.
With the troupe’s moving to a new home, this will be the final open mic in Holy Trinity Church.
Saturday night, May 4, at 7 at the church in Inwood at 20 Cumming Street (at Seaman Avenue).
With a cast led by the incomparable Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has tickled sweet tooths for generations since its initial release in 1971.
Family Day at the Morris-Jumel Mansion offers arts, crafts and sometimes even snacks to kids and their parents who want to learn a little more about life when New York was a Colonial outpost of the British empire.
Free with museum admission. Saturday morning, May 11, starting at 11 at the mansion in Lower WaHi on Jumel Terrace.
Can you believe it’s been twenty years already?
Help the Pied Piper Children’s Theatre celebreate the milstone at a gala event.
Details to come. Saturday night, May 18, at 6.
The Latin pop lengends Yuri & Pandora visit Lower WaHi for what promises to be a spectacular concert.
$70 to $193. Friday night, May 24, at 7 at the United Palace Theatre on Broadway at 175th Street.
It’s called the Heights, so take a look at Manhattan’s highest point from sea level, on the Hudson River, with the Inwood Canoe Club.
Six of the club’s members have competed in the Olympics on the U.S. rowing team, but you can be a land-lubbing amateur and still have fun. Drop by one of the club’s summer open houses to try out a kayak on your own. Save yourself some time and sign the waiver, on this page, before you leave home.
Sunday mornings at 9:30 to 11:15 from May 26 through September in Inwood where Dyckman Street meets the Hudson; turn left at the marina gate.
The Scandia Symphony returns to the Heights for its annual summer concerts al fresco.
Music from Scandinavian composers is the highlight of the series, with other regions represented too over the three afternoons.
Free. Sunday afternoon, June 2, at 2 on the Billings Lawn in Fort Tryon Park; enter from Margaret Corbin Circle in Hudson Heights. Through June 16.
Family Day at the Morris-Jumel Mansion offers arts, crafts and sometimes even snacks to kids and their parents who want to learn a little more about life when New York was a Colonial outpost of the British empire.
Free with museum admission. Saturday morning, June 8, at 11 at the mansion in Lower WaHi on Jumel Terrace.
Take in the lessons from A Festival of Folk Tales, directed the Actors’ Society.
Saturday, June 8, at 3 and 7, and Sunday, June 9, at 4 at Holy Trinity Church in Inwood at 20 Cumming Street (at Seaman Avenue). Also on June 15 and 16.
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 Shorakapok (“edge of the water”).
The event features dancers and drummers from around the world, combining Native American
heritage, culture and art with the diversity of New York City. Activities include a Tree of Peace planting, international cuisine, Native American storytelling, a Pow Wow and crafts.
The event has attracted a growing audience, numbering from 400 in the first year to over 8,000 in recent
years.
Free. A Sunday in June in Inwood Hill Park at Indian Road and 218th Street.
Row New York has taught summer rowing camps to rising 7th graders through high school students, beginners and competitors alike.
Our two and three-week camps are designed for beginners and novices. Coaches focus on the fundamentals of the sport and building a foundation for rowing in the future. Rowing camps are a great way to spend time outdoors, discover an exciting new sport, and make friends, all in the heart of WaHi.
Three camps are offered:
June 17–28, Monday through Friday mornings from 9 to noon. $1,500.
July 8–25, Monday through Thursday mornings from 9 to noon. $1,600.
August 5–22, Monday through Thursday mornings from 9 to noon. $1,600.
At the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse in Sherman Creek.
Disney’s cross-over role-playing game Kingdom Hearts is the inspiration for an symphonic performance of the series’ music when the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra visits Uptown on its world tour.
$133 and up. Saturday night, June 29, at 8 at the United Palace Theatre in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.
After the intensity of the summer workshop, seniors are ready for their recital.
Free. Saturday, June 29, at a time to be announced later in the Parish House of Holy Trinity Church in Inwood at 20 Cumming Street (at Seaman Avenue).
Family Day at the Morris-Jumel Mansion offers arts, crafts and sometimes even snacks to kids and their parents who want to learn a little more about life when New York was a Colonial outpost of the British empire.
Free with museum admission. Saturday morning, July 13, at 11 at the mansion in Lower WaHi on Jumel Terrace. Monthly on the second Saturday.
Little Lions Camp is Columbia’s kid-centered, fun-based day camp with the focus on keeping kids physically and creatively active.
Programming features an ever-changing combination of classic P.E. games, backyard favorites, sports, arts and crafts, and special surprises to keep kids happy, active, and engaged.
A highly trained, eclectic staff who utilizes physical education teachers, athletes, camp veterans, creative types and child care specialists, ensures that games are always changing and that counselors can tailor programming to fit children’s needs and likes.
The camps run one week at a time. For kids ages 6 to 12. After care and swim lessons are available too.
$485 (discount of $25 if registered by May 1). Monday through Friday, August 5 through 9, is Superhero Week; August 12 through 15 is Game Show Week. At the Baker Athletic Complex in Inwood on 281th Street.
Come swim the mighty Hudson!
The Spuyten Duyvil 10K is an event hosted by New York Open Water. It starts at Yonkers and finishes in Inwood, with the current assisting the intrepid souls through tumultuous and storied Spuyten Duyvil, where the Harlem River meets the Hudson.
The route, which actually covers 6.5 miles despite the name, offers scenic views of Yonkers, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyval Bridge, and the George Washington Bridge.
Sign up here. If you’re a land lubber, you can watch the finish in Uptown.
A Sunday in September, with the course’s end at La Marina in Inwood where Dyckman Street meets the Hudson.
Row New York’s eRow Program is a nine-month-long adventure that teaches students in 7th through 12th grades to be dynamic rowers, entrepreneurs, and community members.
The idea is to use the skills that rowing instills—discipline and teamwork—to build strength and confidence. The curriculum pairs rowing with an entrepreneurship program which will culminate in participants’ developing an actionable business plan, which they will present in a Shark Tank-style competition.
Row New York will deliver a rigorous and engaging learning experience, both from a fitness as well as an academic perspective. It meets three times per week for a total of nine hours: two days of rowing and workshops/speakers (an hour and a half each), and one full day of entrepreneurship training (3 hours).
The program starts in September and meets three days a week through June. More information is available from Denise Aquino at daquino@rownewyork.org.
The Medieval Festival is the most famous event in the Heights, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the neighborhood.
Lords, ladies, knights and commoners converge in Fort Tryon Park in the area around the Cloisters.
Free. A Sunday in late September from 11:30 to 6 in Fort Tryon Park.
The scariest—and silliest—dogs of Uptown turn out for the Fort Dog Halloween contest and parade.
Prizes go to costumes in a variety of categories.
A Sunday morning in late October at Sir Williams’ Dog Run in Fort Tryon Park.
What if you bought for your true love everything mentioned in a famous carol? The CPI — Christmas Price Index — has your answer.
In 2018 the price of the gifts mentioned in The Twelve Days of Christmas increased only 1.2 percent over 2017 prices, despite the surge in cost of geese-a-laying (up 8.3 percent), which were offset by a drop in gold rings (down 9.1 percent).
Total cost: $34,094.93.
Prices for drummers and golden rings go up and down. Here’s where to find the prices for 2018.
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