Events great for kids, September 16–22

Monday

Mark Hispanic Heritage Month at a celebration hosted by the Manhattan comptroller, Scott Stringer.

Free. Monday evening at 6 at the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum on St. Nicholas Avenue.

Tuesday

Take your child outdoors for a few weeks of open-air playtime with large foam blocks, bean bag toss, arts and crafts, volleyball, and ping pong. Each session of this new program will begin with a trained playground associate leading a physical activity or a game.

At Pop-up Playtime, children have the potential to build and explore endless possibilities through fantasy and cooperative play.
All children must be accompanied by a caregiver at all times. Everyone is welcome, and you can r egister here for reminders.

Free. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 and Saturdays from 10 to 4 at the Fort Washington Terrace of Fort Washington Park, in Hudson Heights at the 190th Street “A” Train Station. Through October 12.

Row New York’s Row 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.

Wednesday

Pre-school kids 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 3 to 5 years old.

Free. Story time at Wednesday mornings at 10:30 at 11 at the Fort Washington branch of the public library in Fort George on 179th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue.

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 at 4 at the Fort Washington Branch of the public library on 179th Street in Fort George.

Friday

Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, newly crowned heavyweight champion Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago.

Creed II will be screened outdoors and is rated PG-13.

Grab a blanket or towel and fo enjoy a movie in the park. Glass bottles and alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

Free. Friday night at 7 in J. Hood Wright Park in Lower WaHi on Fort Washington Avenue at 175th Street.

Camp overnight in Manhattan's last remaining natural forest. You’ll hear the owls

The Urban Park Rangers lead the outing, maintaining the tradition of camping.

Space is limited and families are chosen by lottery. To enter your family in the lottery, visit nyc.gov/parks/rangers/register starting on Wednesday, September 11.

Free. Friday night at 7 until Saturday morning. The location will be shared with participants.

Saturday

     Introduce your child to yoga with Christina Shablak, a certified children's instructor. All children are welcome with a parent or caregiver.
     Please arrive early, and bring a towel or yoga mat. Register here.
     Be aware that the ground is sloped and there are uneven spots. Rain or wet ground cancels the event.

Free. Saturday morning at 9 on Abby’s Lawn in Fort Tryon Park. Through September 28.

Take your child outdoors for a few weeks of open-air playtime with large foam blocks, bean bag toss, arts and crafts, volleyball, and ping pong. Each session of this new program will begin with a trained playground associate leading a physical activity or a game.

At Pop-up Playtime, children have the potential to build and explore endless possibilities through fantasy and cooperative play.
All children must be accompanied by a caregiver at all times. Everyone is welcome, and you can r egister here for reminders.

Free. Saturdays from 10 to 4 and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 at the Fort Washington Terrace of Fort Washington Park, in Hudson Heights at the 190th Street “A” Train Station. Through October 12.

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.

Hudson River Community Sailing is offering sailing lessons for individuals and families. Complete the weekend course to earn the U.S. Sailing Certification.

$75. Saturdays and Sundays in September at 10:30, 1:30, and 4:30 at the Dyckman Marina in Inwood. Through October 13.

Crafts, games, kids’ activities and more await you at the sixth annual fall festival.

Cider pressing and art workshops are among the draws.

Saturday from 11 to 3:30 at the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum in Inwood on Broadway at 204th Street.

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.

Sunday

We all carry stories around with us, stories we want—no, 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, teens will take a look at the history of nonfiction stories in comics, and create their short, nonfiction comic from scratch. Come with ideas for a personal story or a cause to discuss in comics form.

The eight-session class is open to those aged 14 and up. Sign up here. Scholarships are available.

$75. Continuing on Sundays through October 24 at 1 at Word Up Community Bookshop in Lower WaHi on Amsterdam Avenue at 165th Street.

Events for Grown-Ups

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 on occasional Saturday mornings, probably 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.

Hear from the architectural historian and critic Paul Goldberger as he discusses the history of baseball through the stories of vibrant and ever-changing ballparks.

An investigation of New York City’s great stadiums will illuminate the city’s love affair with America’s favorite pastime. The program is held in conjunction with the exhibition Home Plate: A Celebration of the Polo Grounds. A book signing will follow the discussion.

$20; members, $15. Wednesday night, September 25, at 7 at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Lower WaHi in Roger Morris Park.

After a dark force conquers Canterlot, the Mane 6 embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship to save their homeland. My Little Pony is rated PG.

Take a blanket or towel and enjoy a movie in the park. Glass bottles and alcoholic beverages are prohibited, but views of the sky are there for the taking.

Free. Thursday night, September 26, at 7 on the Peninsula in Inwood Hill Park.

Literacy Inc. and the New York Public Libary team up for a bilingual story session open to all.

After the reading an activity for the whole family will keep kids entertained.

Free. Friday afternoon, September 27, at 3 at the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum in Inwood on Broadway at 204th Street.

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 bring to life the customs and spirit of the middle ages, transforming a slice of Upper Manhattan into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Visitors are greeted by period music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters. The day concludes with a joust among four knights on horseback.

Free. A Sunday, September 29, from 11:30 to 6 in Fort Tryon Park.

Does your child love books? Enjoy creative writing? Have an unlimited imagination?

Uptown Stories offers 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. Resuming Wednesday, October 2, and then on various days and times at Our Saviour’s Atonement Lutheran Church in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avenue at 189th Street.

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, October 4, 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.

People en Español Festival regresa a Nueva York. Únete a tus celebridades y artistas favoritos durante dos días inolvidables de música, danza, paneles, autógrafos, actividades para toda la familia y mucho más.

Aunque no se necesitan boletos para asistir, puedes reservar con antelación y así garantizar tu entrada, ¡pues la capacidad es limitada!

Gratis. 5 y 6 de Octubre de 9:30 a.m. a 5:30 p.m. los dos dias en el Armory Track de Baja WaHi en Fort Washington Avenue y Calle 168.

Children with learning or developmental disabilities will enjoy a program of passageways: Discovering Portals.

Family members and the children’s accompanying friends may join in the gallery tour and art activity.

For ages 5 to 17. Reservations are required. Contact (212) 650-2010 or access@metmuseum.org.

Free. Saturday morning, October 5, at 11 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.

For those 18 and older: Free. Saturday afternoon at 2.

Celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse with readings of the eponymous children’s book, fishing clinics, live music, food and art vendors, Urban Park Ranger presentations, and activities for all ages.

Tours of the lighthouse are available but on a first-come, first-served basis. The 30-foot climb to the top is popular, so get in line early.

Free. Saturday, October 5, from noon to 4 on Jeffrey’s Hood in Fort Washington Park; enter from north of Lafayette Plaza on Riverside Drive in Hudson Heights.

After a second smashing year, Sukkahwood is pleased once again to invite artists and designers to re-imagine a Sukkah and to be part of the Sukkahwood outdoor exhibition of temporary dwelling installations.

The exhibit's values of inclusion are universal and seek to bring together people from all walks of life. Sukkahwood is about re-thinking an essential Jewish tradition through unique and out-of-the-box thinking, using materials with a focus on sustainability and affordability, and connecting with the outdoors.

Sunday, October 6, at noon in Inwood Hill Park.

A cache of jeweled rings, brooches, and coins—the precious possessions of a Jewish family of medieval Alsace—was hidden in the fourteenth century in the wall of a house in Colmar, France.

Discovered in 1863 and on view at The Met Cloisters, the Colmar Treasure revives the memory of a once-thriving Jewish community that was scapegoated and put to death when the Plague struck the region with devastating ferocity in 1348–49.

A generous loan of the Musée de Cluny, Paris, the Colmar Treasure is on display alongside select works from The Met Cloisters and little-known Judaica from collections in the United States and France.

Jennifer Ball, associate professor of art history at Brooklyn College, will lead you on a tour of the exhibit. Presented with the exhibition The Colmar Treasure: A Medieval Jewish Legacy.

Free with museum admission. Sunday, October 6, at noon at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Monthly on the first Sunday. The exhibit runs through January 12.

When a planned collaboration for the city’s biggest Broadway opening is sidelined by romance, dance carries the lovers away.

High Strung Free Dance opens October 11, but this special advance screening features the star, Julia Doherty, in a live performance with others in the cast and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Monday night, October 7, at 7:30 at the United Palace Theatre in Lower WaHi on Broadway at 175th Street.

Wear blue and you can’t go wrong as you enjoy the festivities and special promotions on Northern Manhattan Neighbors Appreciation Day.

You don’t have to be a Lion to enjoy college football, especially when Columbia hosts the Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State.

Saturday afternoon, October 12, at 1 at Wien Stadium at the Baker Athletic Complex in Inwood on 218th Street.

Halloween is approaching, so why not take an early chance to have some ghoulish fun in the neighborhood?

Celebrate the season’s spooky spirit with chilling arts and crafts activities guaranteed to thrill all families.

Sunday, October 13, at 11 at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Jumel Terrace.

The Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra’s presents Robert Schumann’s 2nd Symphony, Angélica Negron’s “What Keeps Me Awake,” and a new violin concerto by Chris Whittaker.

Followed by a post-concert reception for friends of the orchestra.

Young listeners are free!
$5 ($7 at the door); kids 17 and under free. Friday night, October 18, at 7 at the George Washington Educational Campus in Fort George at 549 Audubon Avenue, and Saturday afternoon, October 19, at 3 at the Fort Washington Collegiate Church in Hudson Heights on 181st Street at Col. Robt. McGaw Place.

Here’s your chance to see inside of the Fort Tryon Park Cottage.

The 1908 structure flanking the Heather Garden was originally the gatehouse of the C. K. G Billings Estate and has retained its charm over its many uses in the last 110 years.

There is limited space and the 30-minute tours will be first-come, first-served. The last tour begins at 3:30.

Free. Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20, from noon to 4 in the Heather Garden in Hudson Heights at Margaret Corbin Circle.

Hispanic Heritage is the theme for hands-on gallery activities that bring medieval works of art to life. For families with children ages 3–11.

Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon, October 19, at 1 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.

Mark Halloween with a mid-autumn s’mores get-together with Uptowners at the Riverside-Inwood Neighborhood Garden.

Graham crackers and other essentials are provided. Your costumes are optional but encouraged.

Saturday afternoon, October 26, at 2 at the RING garden in Inwood at the confluence of Riverside Drive, Broadway and Dyckman Street.

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.

The Pumpkin Pageant returns for its sixth year to Isham Park for another spooky display of Halloween artistry.

Take your carved jack o’ lanterns to the park the evening after Halloween for a grand community event. Families marvel at the hundreds of illuminated pumpkins lining the park paths and vote for their favorite designs.

After the event the pumpkins are recycled for composting, saving them from the landfill. All sizes and designs are welcome.

Free. All Soul’s Day afternoon starting at 5 in Inwood in Isham Park.

Heroes and Heroines is the theme for hands-on gallery activities that bring medieval works of art to life. For families with children ages 3–11.

Free with museum admission. Saturday afternoon, November 2, at 1 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Also on November 16.

Vienna meets the Islands when the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra performs WaHi native Valerie Coleman’s “Afro-Cuban Concerto,” and then presents Mozart’s timeless Clarinet Quintet.

Closing the program is Arnold Schoenberg’s revolutionary Chamber Symphony, which launched his expressionist style and sparked the creation of the second Viennese School of composers.

After the Saturday performance you can join the the musicians for a reception featuring local food and a group salsa dance lesson.

There’s no cost for young listeners!

$5 (at the door, $7); kids 17 and under free. Friday night, November 15, at 8 at Our Savior’s Atonement Lutheran Church in Hudson Heights on Bennett Avene at 189th Street, and Saturday afternoon, November 16, at 3 at the Fort Washington Collegian Church in Hudson Heights on 181st Street at Col. Robt. McGaw Place.

Know anyone who likes to draw?

Help your kids get inspired by artists and original works of art when they experience the Met Cloisters collection through creative drawing challenges in the galleries.

The drop-in drawing session is open to visitors of all ages. Artist-led demonstrations repeat every 30 min. Ask at the admission desk for location.

Free with museum admission. Saturday, November 23, from noon to 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, November 23, at 1 at the Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.

Get your teens involved in a program promoting health & wellness, education, employment readiness, and creativity.

Once you’ve signed them up, your kids can attend Uptown Hub programs at the Y. For those 14–24 years old who live, work, or go to school in Washington Heights or Inwood.

Not sure if it’s for your family? Visit during program hours to learn more, or to contact Karina with questions at kmunoz@ywashhts.org or (212) 569-6200, x239.

Free. Monday through Thursday nights from December 3 through June from 6 to 9 at the YM & YWHA of Inwood and Washington Heights in Fort George at Nagle Avenue.

The Crossing returns to The Met for a presentation of David Lang's haunting seasonal favorite, The Little Match Girl Passion, this year paired with a new work by composer Edie Hill., whose most recent composition for choir was named a “masterpiece” by the Chicago Tribune. Not to be outdone, The Crossing has several Grammy awards on the ensemble’s shelves.

$65; children (6–16), $1. Sunday afternoon, December 21, at 12:30 and 3:30 at the Cloisters 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.

Celebrate Alexander Hamilton's birthday!

You don’t need Broadway tickets for this party, marking a Founding Father’s 262nd birthday (or 264th—no one’s really certain).

Families will get to participate in fun activities including cupcake decorating.

Free with museum admission. Sunday, January 12, at noon at the Morris-Jumel Mansion in Roger Morris Park.