Weekend Planner: Fun Family Activities in NYC (October 17-19)

For even more weekend events, plus local family-friendly events and activities all week long, check out our full calendar!

HOT OFF THE BLOG!

Lois Lowry, the author of the bestselling The Giver quartet and Number the Stars, will be a special guest along with actor and director Sean Astin at Symphony Space’s Thalia Kids’ Book Club on Sunday, October 19. Check out our exclusive interview with Lowry here. Page-turner! 

Best-selling author and artist Hervé Tullet is coming to New York this weekend for events at the Guggenheim (Saturday) and at Brooklyn Public Library (Sunday). Check out our interview with Tullet, in which he discusses his whimsical sensibility, his creative process, and creating a dialogue between children and adult readers. Mix it up!

FRIDAY

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Enjoy live music at the Wave Hill Enchanted Weekend celebration! Photo via wavehill.org

Be amazed by Big Apple Circus’s all-new show, METAMORPHOSIS, featuring wonders from the Flying Trapeze to Quick-Change conjurors to contortionists! Even better, no one sits more than 50 feet from ringside at this two-hour-long show. (Through November 20) Clown around!

SATURDAY

Join Madison Square Park for its Fall Kids Fest, sponsored in part by New York Family. Enjoy face painting, storytelling, arts & crafts workshops, lawn games, live music from Songs for Seeds, and more. Little ones can also claim a pumpkin in the park’s pumpkin patch and dress in costume for the Halloween parade. (Saturday) Madison Square madness! 

Massive pumpkins–some weighing more than 1,800 pounds–will arrive at the New York Botanic Garden this weekend to be transformed by master carver Ray Villafane and his team. Enjoy daily Q&A sessions with the carvers, and tasty snacks provided by Whole Foods during Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend. (Saturday-Sunday) Super squash!

Enjoy the magic of autumn during this special Enchanted Weekend at Wave Hill. Create fairy houses and tiny wands with your little ones, and catch a special concert by the Metropolitan Four or hear some fairy tales at this enchanted seasonal celebration. (Saturday-Sunday) Frolic with fairies! 

The Museum of the Moving Image will honor master illustrator Chuck Jones at Chuck Jones Family Day. Visitors can participate in a scavenger hunt, animation activities and hands-on workshops led by teaching artists and screenings of Chuck Jones cartoons in the Redstone Theater throughout the day. Free cookies provided by Whimsy & Spice and Amy’s Bread. (Saturday) Get animated!

Join a dad and his young daughter as he tells the story of “The Snail and The Whale,” an action-packed, musical tale of a tiny snail with wanderlust, opening at the New Victory Theater this weekend. To see the world, the itchy-footed invertebrate hitches a ride on the tail of a giant humpback whale and forges an unlikely friendship. (Saturday-Sunday) It’s showtime! 

El Museo del Barrio’s free Super Sabato event celebrates the 3,000 year-old tradition of Dia de los Muertos. Get your face painted, enjoy the musical procession and concert from Pistolera, make some spooky crafts or visit the storytelling section! (Saturday) Time to party!

Hungry for some new flavors? Head over to South Street Seaport for the 5th annual Taste of the Seaport. More than 25 restaurants will be participating in this year’s fest including Ambrose Hall, Barbalu, The Capital Grille, Pita Press, and others. There will also be a Kid’s Zone featuring games, arts & crafts, face painting, and tennis and soccer clinics. Proceeds will benefit the Spruce Street School (P.S. 397) and the Peck Slip School (P.S. 343) (Saturday) Take a bite! 

SUNDAY

Have no fear pickle lovers! The Lower East Side’s annual Pickle Day is back this Sunday! All ages can show up for food, shopping, a home pickling contest, DJ lessons, pumpkin face painting, animal adoptions, and much more. Plus, of course, sampling the city’s best pickles. (Sunday) They’re dill-icious! 

Legendary children’s singer and songwriter Raffi will perform live in concert this Sunday at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College! Fans of all ages will be treated to favorites such as “Baby Beluga,” Down By The Bay,” and “Corner Grocery Store.” Recommended for families with children ages 2 and up. (Sunday) Clap along! 

The music of South Africa can be heard at Carnegie Hall when Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs on Sunday in a special family show. The Grammy Award-winning group will be singing their hits including “Music Knows No Boundaries” and the Nelson Mandela-inspired “Long Walk to Freedom.” (Sunday) Magical melodies! 

Join the Union Square Partnership and Fox5 NY for Modern Family’s Fall Day for all! This free, family-friendly Halloween event will include an interactive corn maze–over 60 feet long and 8 feet tall–and a pumpkin patch! As visitors work their way through the maze, they’ll be tested with “Modern Family” trivia and an augmented reality experience. Plus, there will be face painting and candy giveaways from Hershey! (Sunday) Family festivity!

Come to “Kid Row” on the Upper East Side for the second annual Octoberfest celebration! This afternoon of fall fun will feature face painting, glitter tattoos, mini-manis, a DJ for dancing and karaoke, refreshments, multi-sport activities for children, free art projects, raffles, and more! (Plus some discounts at local businesses!) (Sunday) Rockin’ on Kid Row! 

 

 

Relevant Directory Listings

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British Swim School

<p>The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.  British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School’s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!</p>

KTBYTE

<div><strong>Computer Science Coding Classes for Children </strong></div> <div> </div> <p>Ages 8 - 18</p> <p>Enroll today for a FREE Trial and our Summer and School Year Course Offerings!</p> <p>Differentiated and Individualized Learning with our Caring and Knowledgeable Staff!</p> <p>Offer YOUR child the competitive advantage of learning a new language and also using STEM to learn and have fun! </p> <p> </p> <div> <div id="m_3428097911001171987ktbyte-vision"> <p><strong>The KTBYTE vision</strong></p> <p>At KTBYTE, our vision is to make a high-quality Computer Science (CS) education accessible to students globally while also making CS exciting and engaging for them!</p> </div> <div id="m_3428097911001171987diffsimilar"> <p><strong>The KTBYTE Difference</strong></p> <p>KTBYTE offers a progressive Computer Science curriculum for students ages 8-18 years old. Classes range from introductory JavaBlocks™ programming to college-level courses. KTBYTE offers classes that stand out from the standard Core Curriculum for high-school students, with unique programs such as USACO prep courses, Generative Art and Design courses, and even Machine Learning courses. Our instructors are dedicated, nurturing and passionate about what they do and committed to ensuring that KTBYTE students are exposed to an unparalleled, dynamic, educational and engaging CS learning experience! Register today for a <a href="https://www.ktbyte.com/freetrial" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ktbyte.com/freetrial&source=gmail&ust=1622725037124000&usg=AFQjCNED2R673ZzKakJOtaGSycFpwW73uw">Free Trial</a> and experience the KTBYTE Difference!</p> </div> <div id="m_3428097911001171987aluminiaccomp"> <p><strong>KTBYTE Alumni Accomplishments</strong></p> <p>KTBYTE alums consistently outperform their peers in terms of their academic accomplishments. KTBYTE students ace their AP CS courses and exams and are also incredibly successful through the competitive college admissions process. KTBYTE students have been accepted to numerous Ivy League and competitive colleges and universities including but not limited to Brown, Carnegie Mellon, UChicago, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, UPenn, Princeton, Tufts, Yale, and many more!</p> </div> <div id="m_3428097911001171987shorttermbenef"> <p><strong>What Makes the KTBYTE Course Experience Unique?</strong></p> <p>At KTBYTE, all of our instructors are highly qualified and experienced, educational professionals who differentiate learning and offer KTBYTE students a multitude of opportunities for individualized instruction by spending hours each week preparing for each specialty class that they teach in order to offer a dynamic, engaging and fun educational course interaction for every KTBYTE student. Through our Virtual Machines, our instructors are able to see exactly what is on your child’s screen throughout every class, and as such are easily able to assist your child through any obstacle that may arise. At KTBYTE, our nurturing, knowledgeable and caring teaching staff anticipate and identify when a student may be struggling with a problem even before the student decides to ask a question about it.</p> </div> <div id="m_3428097911001171987whoareinstructors"> <p><strong>What Sets the KTBYTE Teaching Team Apart?</strong></p> <p>KTBYTE instructors are college and post-college working professionals with extensive backgrounds in computer science. At the highest level, our artificial intelligence classes are taught by a graduate sutdent in AI. Each of our teaching professionals is passionate about igniting a love for learning in your child by presenting Computer Science concepts in practical ways which offer the student the opportunity to see Computer Science at work in recognizable applications from daily life. Every class, regardless of level will be individualized and differentiated to ensure your child’s success!</p> </div> </div>

Brooklyn Music School

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For over a century, we at The Brooklyn Music School have strived to make the joy of music, dance and performance accessible to everyone no matter their age, background, or financial status.</span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to offering affordable in-person and online private and group music lessons, dance classes, after-school programs, and community outreach, we also provide space for </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brooklyn and NYC artists to perform in our 250-seat Spanish-style theatre. Come by for a night of live music, or join us for a class!</span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit BrooklynMusicSchool.org to learn more, register for classes, or view our calendar for upcoming events. </span></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b378613-7fff-f89d-3c88-fe6beaabeb55"></span></p>