Another beautiful weekend is in store for us. Sunny skies will shine down on the World Champion New York Yankees as they make their way down the Canyon of Heroes amid thousands of screaming fans. Join the fun and thank the team for an exciting baseball season and congratulate them on their 27th World Series Win. After the excitement of the morning, plan a lovely, quiet evening of ice skating in the heart of the city as the Rink at Bryant Park opens. If shopping is more your speed, the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park are open too. Get a head start on your shopping and pick up unique gifts for friends and families. There is plenty more to do this weekend. Take a look and start planning.
Friday, November 6
New York Yankees Parade 2009
New York City will throw a ticker tape parade Friday morning for the New York Yankees to celebrate their 27th World Series title. The victory parade will travel through the financial district’s Canyon of Heroes.
The parade will begin on Broadway at Battery Place at 11 a.m. and continue uptown along the Canyon of Heroes to Chambers Street. Then, a ceremony will be held at City Hall Plaza, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg will present the Bronx Bombers with the Keys to the City.
Legacy: The Preservation of Wilderness in New York City Parks
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Ave. (bet. 103rd and 104th Sts.)
If you’ve ever strolled through the lesser-travelled parts of Central Park, you have, no doubt, marveled at the wilderness that exists in the middle of Manhattan. Famed photographer Joel Meyerowitz, known for his loving images of New York City in all its glory, has spent three years taking pictures of the flora and fauna found in our urban parklands. This exhibition is part of a larger, ongoing program to visually record the diverse beauty in the parks throughout the five boroughs.
Grand Opening of the Pond at Bryant Park
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
The outdoor ice skating season has officially begun with the opening of the Pond in Bryant Park! To celebrate its grand opening, the Pond is hosting a free-to-the-public lunchtime event with skating performances, celebrity appearances, commentary from New York City officials, music, and additional entertainment. Bryant Park is between 42nd Street and 40th Street and 5th and 6th Avenue. Free. Call (212) 768-4242 for more information or visit www.thepondatbryantpark.com.
The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park
The annual holiday shops will both satisfy your shopping list and get you in the holiday spirit. More than 120 merchants fill the park through January 3, 2010. Mon.–Fri., 11am–8pm; Sat., 10am–9pm; Sun., 10am–6pm. Visit bryantpark.org for more information.
Ice Skating at The Pond at Bryant Park
Enjoy New York’s only free outdoor skating rink. Situated in beautiful Bryant Park, you will skate while surrounded by the awe-inspiring views of New York at night. Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue. Skating times are Su-Th 8am-10pm, Fri and Sat 8am-midnight. For more information visit www.thepondatbryantpark.com.
New York Comedy Festival
Pretty much every big name in comedy will grace a New York stage during the NYCF, from Artie Lange, Ricky Gervais and Tracy Morgan to Bill Maher, Patton Oswalt and Andy Samberg. Serious, professionally minded panels at the Paley Center (Keeping It Fresh: Television Writing in the Internet Age) share the schedule with over-the-top improv nights at UCB and large-scale shows like Dane Cook at Madison Square Garden. Visit nycomedyfestival.com for more information.
Gossip Girl Sites Tour
New York Palace Hotel; 455 Madison Ave. (bet. E. 50th and E. 51st Sts.)
Gossip Girls Blair and Serena aren’t in school together anymore, but they’re still the frenemies with the most flair; for those seeking to close the gap between reality and TV, On Location Tours’ Gossip Girl site tour brings you to more than 40 familiar spots from the show, with a tour guide dishing trivia and, dare we say, gossip, about the cast members and the making of the show. Chuck Bass wannabes welcome. Xoxo…
Cost is $40, Fri.and Sun., noon; Visit screentours.com for more information.
18th Century Tavern Nights
8:00 p.m.
Are you a lover of history with a curious palate? Experience an authentic 18th century dinner prepared on an open hearth, served on period tableware. Traditional recipes and 1770’s surroundings will enhance this unforgettable evening. $75.00 per person (Non-Members) $70.00 per person (Members). Prepaid reservations required. Dinner is served at the Queens Country Farm Museum (73-50 Little Neck Parkway). Call (718) 347-3276 for information and reservations.
Saturday, November 7
Kiku in the Japanese Autumn Garden at the New York Botanical Gardens
This marks the third and final year of the Botanical Garden’s elaborate presentation of kiku (Japanese for chrysanthemum). This exhibit closes on November 15, so make sure you don’t miss it.
Celebrate the ancient horticultural traditions and brilliant autumn color of chrysanthemums and Japanese garden plants. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Courtyards are transformed into a setting that evokes the designed landscape gardens of Kyoto, Japan. Scarlet Japanese maples glow against Japanese black pines, and golden bamboos flash against other emerald conifers. Undulating masses of ferns and perennials echo the complex topography that is a hallmark of Japan’s classic gardens, while beautifully handcrafted pavilions, known as uwaya, constructed of Douglas fir, bamboo, and reeds and evocative of Japanese garden gates and tea houses, showcase kiku meticulously trained into amazing floral sculptures.
Kiku in the Japanese Autumn Garden beckons visitors to indulge in fall’s fleeting beauty. The combination of maples, ranging from scarlet to electric orange, and pink, yellow, and white chrysanthemums in spectacular flower transport viewers to the magnificent autumn gardens of Japan. Enjoy crafts, music and gardening demonstrations as part of the exhibit. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Visit nybg.org for more information.
18th Annual Quilt Show: Sewing the Threads of New York
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sewing the Threads of New York: The 400 Year Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s Voyage draws inspiration from Hudson’s journey across the sea, the river valley landscape, and from the people the voyagers encountered along the river. The Annual Quilt Show takes place at Prospect Park: Lefferts Historic House (Flatbush Avenue at Empire Boulevard). Call ?(718) 789-2822?f or more information.
Quilt Show Workshop 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
Learn how to make your own quilt. As part of the Annual Quilt Show, kids see how this traditional American craft can be part of a modern life. Free.
Rock Out at the Brooklyn Museums Target First Saturdays
At the Brooklyn Museum’s Target First Saturdays, thousands of visitors enjoy free programs of art and entertainment each month from 5 to 11 p.m. All evening long, the Museum Café serves a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, and beverages, and a cash bar offers wine and beer. Parking is a flat rate of $4 starting at 5 p.m. All other Saturdays, the Museum closes at 6 p.m.
Please note that due to limited capacities, some Target First Saturday programs require tickets. Ticket lines often form 30 minutes before ticket distribution at the Visitor Center located in the Rubin Lobby. Members may pick up tickets from the Membership Desk beginning at 2 p.m. while supplies last.
www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php
Here is the Program:
Music 5–8:15 p.m.
Indie rock show organizer Todd Patrick (aka Todd P.) presents emerging indie rock talent from the Brooklyn scene: the psychedelic soul of Grass Widow, the Columbia-meets-Brooklyn sounds of The Beets, and the minimalist punk of Crystal Stilts. Photographers are invited to shoot photos to post on the Museum’s Flickr group. Renowned photographer Bob Gruen will blog about some of his favorites.
Discussion 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Gail Buckland, guest curator of Who Shot Rock and Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present, introduces and moderates a discussion with photographers Bob Gruen and Justin Borucki, both included in the exhibition, about their involvement in the rock photography scene. A book signing follows. Free tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.
Performance 6–6:20 p.m.
Jen DeNike, whose work is featured in Reflections on the Electric Mirror: New Feminist Video, presents Twirl, a performance that erupts into a spectacle with a baton twirler and the Weehawken High School Marching Band. This event is part of Performa 09.
Film 7 p.m.
Purple Rain (Albert Magnoli, 1984, 111 min., R). Prince stars as “The Kid,” a talented yet struggling young musician trying to keep his band and his romance with singer Apollonia together, in this beloved film written to showcase Prince’s musical talents. Free tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.
Curator Talk 7:30 p.m.
Gail Buckland, guest curator of Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present, speaks about the exhibition and the history of rock-and-roll photography. A book signing follows. This event is Sign Language–interpreted. Free tickets are available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.
Target First Saturdays Book Club 9–10 p.m.
Author Bill German discusses his new memoir, Under Their Thumb: How a Nice Boy from Brooklyn Got Mixed Up with the Rolling Stones (and Lived to Tell About It). The book is available for purchase from the Museum Shop.
Dance Party 9–11 p.m.
Dress as your favorite rock star or just come as you are as DJ Evil Dee spins a funky rock dance party highlighting artists featured in Who Shot Rock & Roll, including Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Chuck Berry, and Jay-Z.
Performance 9:30–10:30 p.m.
Terence Koh, whose work is featured in the Museum’s collection, presents a special performance, Saaqiou, that blends vocals, rock, and synthesized music with a light and media installation. This event is part of Performa 09.
Sunday November 8
The Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats
3pm Springer Concert Hall; Tickets: $10, 12, 15
Back by popular demand! This multifaceted and multicultural production features dazzling acrobatic displays, formidable feats of daring and balance, explosive kung fu, brilliant costumes, and hilarious Chinese comedy. These daring maneuvers and death-defying acrobatic acts will have you at the edge of your seat!
Located at the heart of the 204-acre campus of the College of Staten Island (CSI), a four-year senior college of The City University of New York (CUNY), the Center for the Arts (CFA) is one of the leading, state-of-the-art, performing arts centers in Staten Island.
New York Comedy Festival; Andy Samberg and Friends
Pretty much every big name in comedy will grace a New York stage during the NYCF, from Artie Lange, Ricky Gervais and Tracy Morgan to Bill Maher, Patton Oswalt and Andy Samberg. Serious, professionally minded panels at the Paley Center (Keeping It Fresh: Television Writing in the Internet Age) share the schedule with over-the-top improv nights at UCB and large-scale shows like Dane Cook at Madison Square Garden. Visit nycomedyfestival.com for more information. Tonight’s show with Andy Samberg and Friends is held at Town Hall at 8pm. We wonder what friends will show up.
