Free Family Events This Weekend! (August 10-12)

The 28th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival will take place this weekend in Flushing Meadows Corona Park! Photo by Alan Lee via Flickr.

Have an amazing weekend without opening your wallet! For even more activity inspiration, check out our Weekend Planner.

Friday, August 10

“Ghostbusters”
Flight deck opens: 7pm
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
All Ages
Visit the Intrepid’s flight deck to view a screening of 1984’s Ghostbusters. Rated PG, this Bill Murray cult classic will begin at approximately 8:30pm. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

“West Side Story” Reimagined
7:30pm
Damrosch Park
All Ages
Enjoy Leonard Bernstein’s score to West Side Story fused with jazz, lyric opera, and modern dance in a revolutionized version of the Broadway classic during West Side Story Reimagined. Seating will be take place on a first-come, first-served basis. Gates open at 6:30pm.

Beginning Saturday, August 11

37th Annual Battery Dance Festival
7-9pm
Wagner Park
All Ages
Get those happy feet movin’ with the 37th annual Battery Dance Festival. New York’s longest-running free public dance festival features a range of dancers from emerging to professional, as well as an even wider scope of genres. Dancers and choreographers from as far afield as Asia, South Africa, and the Caribbean will spin and sashay through Battery Park City as they give a series of free outdoor performances for all ages. A ticketed reception will be held at Pace University on Saturday following the closing performance. Runs through Saturday, August 18.

Saturday, August 11

Mostly Mozart Festival: “In the Name of the Earth”
3pm
Central Park
All Ages
Experience an immersive, outdoor musical performance during the world premiere of John Luther Adams’ “In the Name of the Earth.” The rain location for this event will be the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.

Saturday, August 11-Sunday, August 12

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival
9am-5pm
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
All Ages
This year marks the 28th anniversary of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in NYC! Dragon boats are traditional Chinese boats that are powered by a crew of approximately 20 people. Typically, a drummer leads the team as the drumbeat helps the crew synchronize their strokes. Watch a multitude of different dragon boat races and traditional music and dance performances from around the world during this annual cultural Chinese event. This event will take place rain or shine.

BAMkids

BAMkids presents adventurous art and ideas for young audiences, igniting the imaginations of creative kids ages 3&mdash;11 with a fun and engaging lineup of workshops, movie matinees, and live performances from around the world.

Monster Mini Golf

Upon entering Monster Mini Golf, all perceptions of traditional mini golf will be spirited away by the indoor, 18-hole, monster-theme, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course! The locations in <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/deerpark/">Deer Park</a>, and <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/gardencity/">Garden City, NY</a> invite guests to experience a host of family-oriented fun activities. Whether visiting for the first time or the one hundredth, mini golfers feel the excitement and adventure of playing mini golf amidst spooktacular monsters and custom, glow-in-the-dark, hand-painted artwork. While testing their skill on the fairways, lively music flows over the course from the unique &ldquo;WEIRD Radio&rdquo; station&rdquo; and an interactive DJ entertains golfers with contests, awarding cool prizes for the wackiest reasons. While the course is challenging enough for adults, it is also quite playable for children. Monster Mini Golf is open year-round and frightfully fun for the entire family. In addition to miniature golf and thrilling arcade and redemption games, the locations offer additional attractions. <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/deerpark/">Monster Mini Golf in Deer Park, NY</a> offers a Laser Maze and a Virtual Reality experience. The Garden City location offers a Laser Maze, Bowling, and a Virtual Reality Experience. Two very posh, private party rooms are also available and are perfect for any event. Monster Mini Golf looks forward to making it a monstrous success. Monster Mini Golf is indoors, ensuring that the event will always take place, regardless of the weather. It is a climate-controlled, affordable source of family entertainment. For more details please visit <a href="http://monsterminigolf.com">monsterminigolf.com</a> or find them on Facebook.

Adventuring Portal

<a name="m_-1473885667065203258__Hlk72147528"></a>Adventuring Portal runs Dungeons and Dragons (D&amp;D) games for kids.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We have created a safe online space for tweens and teens to learn and play D&amp;D. Our D&amp;D Summer Camp session are a one-week experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Monday &ndash; Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each day will be 3 hours of gaming (with 2 breaks build in).&nbsp;&nbsp;15 total gaming hours for $180.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have played with us before, you are entitled to 10% off.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Need your kids, nieces or nephews, grand kids or neighbor&rsquo;s kids to be occupied for a bit so you can get work done &amp; take care of your to-do list? Maybe your tween or teen is still a bit isolated and craves connection with their peers? Whether your teen/tween has played D&amp;D before or is brand-new to the experience, this safe space brings players together to have fun and solve problems as a team in ways few other online opportunities do. All our games focus on experiential learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our players leave knowing all the basic game play as well as experiencing: teamwork, bravery, compassion, generosity, negotiation, improvisation, gamer etiquette, strategy, critical thinking, problem solving, cartography and probability - all through online D&amp;D adventuring! We are an inclusive organization and welcome gamers who are LGBTQIA+ and those on any spectrum.&nbsp; All girls&rsquo; groups available.&nbsp; I am a parent, a certified elementary school and middle school math teacher and last summer in the midst of the mess started&nbsp;Adventuring Portal, an&nbsp;online Dungeons &amp; Dragons&nbsp;business&nbsp;for kids. There are so many benefits to playing D&amp;D and I hope you will consider us as a great way for your child to safely socialize, grow as people and have a great time.