Tired from
a midnight screening of HP7 last
night? Us too! To perk you up, we dug around for a few ways that you and the
kids can keep the Potter magic alive this weekend. And for non-fans (who are
you?)—we even slipped in a couple of other family finds as well. —
On
Saturday, fly over to the Scholastic Store in SoHo for a Harry
Potter Movie Release Party. There will be magical trivia and arts &
crafts for mini Hermione Grangers, ages 6 and up. Remember to come dressed in
costume! On Saturday or Sunday, older Potter fans (ages 10 and up) should head
to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a Scavenger
Hunt. Parents and kids can team up and scour the Museum for art that resembles
characters and places from the Potter books and films.
Saturday is
also an extremely busy day for fests! Kick things off on Governor’s Island at
their City
of Water Day Festival. Enjoy water-themed games, the Waterfront Activity
Fair, food, live music, and face painting. Families can also hit the water in
boats and kayaks (for free!). Governor’s Island will also host Field
Day, a free event dedicated solely to new field sports and social games. Closer
to Queens? Celebrate Chinese heritage at NY
Hall of Science’s Dragon
Boat Family Day. Visitors can watch a traditional Chinese Lion Dance, race
on rowing machines, and check out 40- foot-long dragon boats.
In a music
mood? As part of Celebrate Brooklyn!, one of New York City’s longest running,
free outdoor performing arts festival, kids’ musician Dan
Zanes and the Brooklyn Youth Orchestra (featuring special guest Andrew
Bird), will take the stage. He will perform many of his greatest hits and tunes
from his soon-to-release album “Little Nut Tree,” which is a collaborative
project with Bird. This special Saturday performance will headline the series’
annual Ezra Jack Keats Family Concert and will showcase dancers from Bed Stuy
Veterans.
Kids can
put on their dancin’ shoes and get their groove on during the Midsummer
Night Swing program at Lincoln Center. Saturday’s free workshop will be
taught by Rodney Lopez, an instructor from Dancing Classrooms. Children can
dabble in dance genres such as ballroom dancing, tango, and swing.
In honor of
Jim Henson’s 75th birthday, the Museum of the Moving Image will debut
its new Jim
Henson’s Fantastic World exhibit on Saturday. Partake in puppetry
workshops, guided tours and more—all celebrating the genius of this iconic
television and film puppet innovator. There will also be more than 120
artifacts on display collected from Henson’s hit shows like The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street. Can’t come this weekend? Not to
worry, this baby will be around until January.
Looking for even more fun?
Click here for all of our weekend highlights.
Click here for the full
calendar of all family events happening this weekend and every day of the week.
And if you haven’t already, click here to
register for our free weekly newsletter which features our favorite events to
enjoy every weekend in the city and beyond.
