By Tracy Zwick
There’s lots on tap in the neighborhood over the next few days, so … let’s weekend!
September 12th to 14th
Morningside Lights: Workshops begin Saturday, September 13th; times and locations at this link. Procession on Saturday, September 20th starting at 8 p.m.; free
You can join in the 14th annual “Morningside Lights,” a procession of hundreds of handmade lanterns that will float through Morningside Park to Columbia’s campus on the evening of September 20th! This year’s theme is “Timeframe 1965,” highlighting the images and ideas of that year. Everyone is welcome to sign up for a lantern-building workshop and help produce the lanterns that will light up the night next weekend. Workshops begin this Saturday and are free, but they fill up fast. All members of the community are also invited to join the parade of lanterns next weekend that begins in Morningside Park at West 116th Street
Sing-Along Screening of “Wicked”: Saturday, September 13th from 4 to 6 p.m.; The Center at West Park, 263 W. 86th St. Free, with donations welcomed
The Center at West Park, now in residence at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church, is hosting a free back-to-school screening of the untold story of Oz, a tale that’s had lives as a popular Broadway musical and, recently, as a blockbuster 2024 film starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. Reserve seats here.
Ballet Hispanico’s Annual Block Party: Sunday, September 14th from 12 to 4 p.m.; West 89th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues. Free
Celebrate Latina Family Day with free performances, flamenco and Latin social dance classes, live music and dancing, food trucks, kids’ activities and free tours of this storied neighborhood dance school and company. All ages and skill levels are welcome!
American Museum of Natural History’s Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; 200 Central Park West between West 81st and West 77th streets. Pay-what-you-wish for New York residents
The New Yorker’s Paige Williams, an UWSer herself, recently shouted out this absolute jewel of the neighborhood, making me want to revisit it. These galleries feature more than 5,000 specimens from 98 countries, and tell the story of how myriad mineral species arose on our planet. Williams highlighted the opals, which come in “gumdrop red and kitten-nose pink” as well as “oceanic greens and blues” that remind her of Mark Rothko’s canvases. There’s also a 9-foot-tall sparkling amethyst geode, a 9-pound garnet, and a 563-carat sapphire that’s estimated to be two billion years old. The halls are included with museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish for NY residents.
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Steuben Day Parade on September 20.
Fifth Avenue.
Bike event on September 21 – likely many bus detours.
meant next weekend 🙂
Great ideas! Also on Sunday: Ballet Hispánico’s annual Celebración Latina Block Party, 12-4 p.m., West 89th Street between Amsterdam & Columbus. A joyful, music-filled block of dance, sabor, and community, featuring outdoor stages, free performances and dance classes, surprise giveaways, food trucks, live music, family-friendly art activities, and more!
‘Join your local community on Sundays at 3pm to practice meditation out of doors in Central Park near the West 100th Street entrance. We practice mostly in the Buddhist tradition with both experienced practitioners and those new to meditation welcome. Freely offered to the community. RSVP to Kalyana.Mitta4747@gmail.com’