Upper West Fest

Amid the music, lectures, theater and other pastimes comprising the second annual 23-day Upper West Fest at colorful, diverse sites from 60th to 120th Street are a host of events just for kids and families.

Saturday, April 28
Kick-Off Block Party, 12 pm to 2 pm at 80th Street between Broadway and West End Avenue. FREE! Watch artists perform including salsa dancers from Ballet Hispanico and the New York Teen Theater in excerpts from High School Musical. Sing along and enjoy the fun.

Sunday, April 29
Wellness Fair: Smart Moves/Healthy Lifestyles, 10 am to 5 pm
Health experts and fun programs teach kids about nutrition, exercise and stress reduction. Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 West 83rd Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues
Program is free with museum admission; free for Children’s Museum members and kids under age one.
Tickets: $9; SR $6

High School Musical, 12 pm
The New York Teen Theater performs Disney’s smash hit.
The JCC in Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street
Tickets: $10

Tuesday, May 1
Virtual Universe: Out of This Galaxy, 6:30 pm
Take a trip through space to the farthest known galaxies and quasars inside the Hayden Planetarium’s Digital Universe, the world’s most comprehensive, 3-D atlas of the cosmos. Discover where earth fits among the billions of galaxies surrounding the Milky Way while adventuring through the universe via virtual reality.
Hayden Planetarium/American Museum of Natural History.
81st street between Columbus and Central Park West
Tickets: $12; M/ST/SR $10

Saturday, May 5
Piecing It Together: A Mosaic Workshop, 10 am to 12 pm
Piece together tiles and found object mosaics in a workshop full of color and shapes after exploring the Cathedral’s wonderful mosaics with an educator.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street
Tickets: $10; ST/SR $8; Children $5

Hang Up Your Koinobori Flag, 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm & 4 pm
Honor Children’s Day as Japanese families do, by making a carp-shaped flag (Koinoburi) to celebrate children’s health and happiness. Ages 5 and up.
All exhibitions and programs are free with museum admission.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
212 West 83rd Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues
Tickets: $9; SR $6; FREE for members and kids under age one.

Cinco de Mayo Dance Celebration, 1 pm to 5:30 pm
Drop by Ballet Hispanico’s spacious studios from 1 pm to 3 pm to glimpse the array of classes offered for all ages, ranging from Spanish dance to ballet and contemporary. From 3 to 3:30 pm watch the School’s professional dance ensembles perform. Free Latin dance lessons at 3:30 pm prepare everyone for a Latin Dance party to show off new moves.
Ballet Hispanico
167 West 89th Street
FREE

Sunday, May 6
Hanji Trays, 11 am & 12 pm
Learn about traditional Korean paper crafts and hanji (mulberry paper); then make your own decorative tray. Ages 5 and up. All exhibitions and programs are free with museum admission.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 West 83rd Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues
Tickets: $9; SR $6; FREE for members and kids under age one.

Author Yangsoon Choi- Reading from Behind the Mask, 3 pm & 4 pm
The author will read from her new book which combines American and Korean folk tales. Afterwards, inspired by the rich tradition of Korean masks, make your own mask with plaster, gauze and paint. Ages 5 and up. All exhibitions and programs are free with museum admission.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 West 83rd Street, between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues
Tickets $9; SR $6; FREE for members and kids under age one.

Saturday, May 19
Medieval Arts Family Workshop, 10 am to 12 pm
Hands-on fun for the whole family. In the Cathedral’s signature workshop, families carve a block of limestone, create illuminated letters, design gargoyles, weave and more! Ages 4 and up.
The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street
Tickets: $10; ST/SR $8; CH $5

Sunday, May 20
4th Annual Mamapalooza Outdoor Extravaganza, 12 pm to 5 pm
The moms who rock are back, celebrating mothers and the people who love them, at this annual music and arts festival featuring mom bands, performances, crafts, workshops, food and fun for all ages.
Summer on the Hudson @ Riverside Park South
Pier I at 70th Street
FREE

Ongoing Exhibits and/or Multiple Dates

Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Hands-on Exhibit: PlayWorks
Tuesdays-Sundays, 10 am to 5 pm
See the extraordinary in the ordinary and encourage your child’s natural and robust capacity to learn in this immersive exhibition for those from birth to four years old.
Tickets: $9; SR $6
FREE! Members and children under one year old

Hands-on Exhibit: Dora the Explorer
Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 am to 5 pm
Explore with Dora! Slide from Boots’s Treehouse, explore the Rainforest, help Diego care for animals and join the fiesta at Dora’s House. Sponsored by Nickelodeon.
Tickets: $9; SR $6
FREE! Members and children under one year old

Hands-on Exhibit: City Splash Outdoor Water Play
Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 am to 4 pm (weather permitting)
Splash down in the Sussman Environmental Center and experience the physical properties of water as you splash, pour, float and play!
Tickets: $9; SR $6
FREE! Members and children under one year old

R&R at The JCC in Manhattan
Saturdays, 2 to 5 pm
Programs include artists, films, music, contemplation, learning, family activities, and food. Come in from the ordinary and experience our free gift to the community.
FREE!