This weekend hosts some of the best events April has to offer! Start by attending festivals galore with Sakura Matsuri (the cherry blossom festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden), the Green Festival, and the Tribeca Family Festival and Street Fair. For a musical mixup, check out Natalie Merchant’s Family Concert at Carnegie Hall or the New York Philharmonic’s next round of Very Young People’s Concerts! Last but not least, an awesome exhibit on Rubik’s Cubes kicks off at the Liberty Science Center.
Saturday, April 26
Carnegie Hall Family Concert: Natalie Merchant
Stern Auditorium
3pm
Natalie Merchant is performing sweet, melodic songs from her concept album “Leave Your Sleep,” which translates nursery rhymes and lullabies from 19th- and 20th-century poets into beautiful refrains for children. Based off her daughter’s early childhood, Merchant’s concert presents a chamber orchestra and projected illustrations at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. From $10
Tribeca Family Festival and Street Fair
Greenwich Street (between Chambers Street and Hubert Street
10am-6pm
Mini media buffs get the chance to enjoy live Broadway performances, arts and crafts, videogames, film screenings, and more for free at this year’s Tribeca Family Festival and Street Fair! Other kid-friendly highlights include storytelling, animation, and sports, but be sure not to miss the family drive-in movie for all ages! This is a free event.
Saturday, April 26 & Sunday, April 27
Sakura Matsuri: Cherry Blossom Festival
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
10am-6pm
Enjoy the beauty of cherry blossoms and learn about Japanese culture at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this month. Their annual Sakura Matsuri (cherry blossom festival) is a weekend-long celebration featuring traditional and contemporary events and performances. Taiko drumming, samurai sword-fighting demonstrations, and origami workshops are just a few kid-friendly highlights from over 60 offerings. Children under 12, free; Adults $20.
Green Festival
Pier 94 (55th St. and West Side Highway)
10am-6pm
Learn how your family can live a healthier, more sustainable life. Green Festival offers something for everyone, with the widest selection of products and services to work green, play green and live green. You can shop for the best green products on the market enjoy vegan, vegetarian and organic foods, participate in hands-on demos and educational activities, and learn from inspirational speakers. In the Family Zone, enjoy a full day of entertainment for the entire family, like puppet shows and live music. Get your 50% discount today; Go to Greenfestivals.org/tickets, and use the Code NYFAM14.
Starting Saturday, April 26
Beyond Rubik’s Cube Exhibit
Liberty Science Center
Museum hours
Puzzle lovers rejoice! At the Liberty Science Center’s “Beyond Rubik’s Cube” exhibit, guests will take an in-depth peek at one of the world’s most popular toys. From seeing what makes Rubik’s Cube pieces twist without breaking, to studying original models from designer Ernö Rubik, to examining the largest ever assembled version of the puzzle, little ones will love what they’re learning! Free with museum admission
Starting Sunday, April 27
Very Young People’s Concerts: Percussion
Merkin Concert Hall
Various times
The New York Philharmonic is presenting its third show in the Very Young People’s Concerts series, where children can learn about the basics of instruments from Philharmonic musicians at the Merkin Concert Hall. This show focuses on percussion: the colors and textures of drums, gongs, shakers, and other beat-worthy equipment. From $22
