BRONX SCENE
Free holiday concert at Woodlawn Cemetery
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 68 ECEMBER 6-12, 2019 BTR
Rachel Kara Pérez featured in Holiday Concert with Bronx Arts Ensemble
at Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy Photos
Courtesy of Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy
Enjoy a special afternoon of
holiday music and cheer, in partnership
with the Bronx Arts Ensemble,
at Woodlawn Cemetery
at Jerome Avenue and Bainbridge
Avenue, on Sunday, December
15, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The Bronx Arts Ensemble
strings and guest singer Rachel
Kara Pérez present traditional
American and Puerto Rican holiday
music, with a few surprise favorites
written by Woodlawn composers.
Meet time is 3:15 p.m. at the-
Woolworth Chapel.
Participants need to pre-register
online at www.Woodlawn-
Tours.org.
For further information call
(718) 920-1469.
* * *
Join FIAME for its Annual
Booktalk on Thursday, December
12 at 5:30 p.m. at the Morris
Park Community Center, 1824
Bronxdale Avenue.
The featured author will be
Michael Virgintino, who wrote
Freedomland USA, The Defi nitive
History. Virgintino will be bringing
Freedomland memorabilia and
handouts. He will also be bringing
books to purchase and to sign;
a great idea for a Christmas gift.
Light refreshments will be served.
* * *
BAAD! The Bronx Academy
of Arts and Dance presents Los
Nutcrackers: A Christmas Carajo,
written by Charles Rice-González
and directed by Fernando Vieira.
This year marks the play’s 16th
year at BAAD!, and the second
time that Vieira helms the work.
The play interweaves two holiday
classics, The Nutcracker and A
Christmas Carol, to create a queer,
Latino play about a couple who go
on a psychedelic trip through their
lives one Christmas Eve.
The playdates are December
6, 7, 12, 13, 14, and 20 at 8 p.m.;
Saturday, December 14 at 3 p.m.
and the closing night show on Saturday,
December 21, is at 7 p.m.,
with a post-show party.
All performances are at
BAAD!, 2474 Westchester Avenue
in the Westchester Square
section. Tickets are $25 with discounts
offered for seniors and
students.
For tickets call (718) 918-2110
or visit www.BAADBronx.org.
BAAD!
* * *
Weekend events at the New
York Botanical Garden, 2900
Southern Boulevard, include:
The Holiday Train Show®,
through Sunday, January 26,
2020: The New York Botanical
Garden’s Holiday Train Show®
will showcase Central Park—
the most popular urban park in
America—in the 28th year of this
much-loved holiday event. Visitors
will be transported to a miniature
wonderland as model trains
zip through an enchanting display
of more than 175 New York landmarks,
each re-created from natural
materials such as birch bark,
lotus pods, acorns, and cinnamon
sticks.
Bar Car Nights, Novem ber
30, December 7, 14, 20, 21, 27,
and 28, January 3, 4, 11, and 18,
2020; 7 to 10:30 p.m.: All aboard
for adults-only nights at the Holiday
Train Show®! On these
nights exclusively for adults 21
and over, the wintry landscape
of NYBG sets the scene for festive
outdoor adventures, with an
afterdark viewing of the Holiday
Train Show® as the centerpiece.
Purchase a spiked hot chocolate
and grab a bite from the Bronx
Night Market Holiday Pop-up,
then set out to explore the night’s
offerings. Warm up around handcrafted
fi re pits and feel the joy of
the season with artistic ice carving,
festive performers, dueling
piano singalongs, and DJ sets curated
by Uptown Vinyl Supreme.
Non-members $38; garden members
$28 (adults 21 and over).
Holiday Lighting Ceremony:
Sunday, December 8, 2019; 4 to
5:15 p.m.: The annual tree and
menorah lighting ceremony kicks
off our Holiday Train Show® season
with the soaring voices of carolers
and special guests.
Evergreen Express: through
January 26, 2020; open daily: 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.; guided activities:
weekdays 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., Satrudays
and Sundays 10 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. In the Everett Children’s
Adventure Garden.
Hop aboard for train-inspired
fun in our Adventure Garden. Every
day, kids go full steam ahead!
Pretend to ride the rails, hike winter
trails to discover evergreen
trees and shrubs, and put on a
winter woodland puppet show.
Afternoons and weekends bring
even more fun with botanical
crafts and singalongs.
Everett Children’s Adventure
Garden All-Day Exploration: daily,
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., in the Everett
Children’s Adventure Garden.
Children of all ages can explore
the wonders of science and nature
in our outdoor 12-acre garden.
Climb the boulders and view
the landscape below from your
high perch, dash through Beth’s
Maze, and check out the cattails
and lily pads at Habitat Hub.
Sounds of the Season Performances,
Saturdays and Sundays,
December 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, and
31; 1, 2, and 3 p.m.: Carols, pop
hits, and instrumentals of the season
fi ll the air during special performances
by an eclectic lineup of
musicians.
Bird Walks: A Celebration of
Fall Migration, Saturdays through
December 14, 2019; 11 a.m. to
12:30 p.m.: Bring your binoculars
and walk the Garden grounds
with expert bird guide, Debbie
Becker. Tours introduce visitors
to the diverse bird species present
at NYBG during the late summer
and fall months, highlighting
plants that attract and sustain
them.
Biophilia: Sharing Our #plantlove,
through the end of January
2020, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Discover
the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s
permanent collections anew—
palms, cycads, Monstera, ferns,
cacti, and so many more—through
the lens of the curators and gardeners
who care for them. Explore
their love for plants and the
stories they reveal about nature,
adaptation, and human culture.
A World of Plants, ongoing, 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.: A showcase of the
Garden’s living collections featuring
lush tropical rain forests, cactus
fi lled deserts, aquatic and carnivorous
plants, and much more.
Thain Forest Tour, Saturday,
November 30, 11 a.m.: Meet at the
Refl ecting Pool at the Leon Levy
Visitor Center: Experience the
beauty of the Garden’s 50-acre
Forest on this one-hour walking
tour with a Tour Guide. You’ll learn
facts about the trees, history, geology,
and ecology of this original,
uncut woodland.
Fruits & Berries Tour: Saturday,
November 30, 12:30 and 4
p.m.: Meet at the Refl ecting Pool
at the Leon Levy Visitor Center:
There’s plenty to explore in our
gardens and collections—even
in cold weather! Join one of our
Guides for this walking tour highlighting
fruits and berries from our
trees and shrubs.
Holiday Landmarks Tour, Sunday,
December 1, Time TBD:
Meet at the Refl ecting Pool at the
Leon Levy Visitor Center: Meet at
the Refl ecting Pool for a fascinating
overview of the Garden’s history
and its importance as a vital
New York City cultural destination
since 1891. With an expert guide,
explore the Tulip Tree Allee, the
Fountain of Life, and the Library.
The tour concludes at the Garden’s
“must-see” destination—the
Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
* * *
The City Island Library will
offer the following programs:
Circle Time: Children from
birth to 3 years old and their caregivers
can enjoy stories, songs,
and fi nger plays while spending
time with other toddlers. Limit of
15 children with their caregivers.
Craft included. Every Tuesday
from 11 to 11:45 a.m.
Play-Doh Time: Have fun exploring
sensory dough as well as
making your own creations with
Playdough by kneading, rolling
and molding it! Ages 2 to 5. Playdough
does contain wheat products.
Every Thursday at 11 a.m.
Read & Play: Children from
birth to 3 years old and caregivers
can take part in wonderful stories,
discover amazing toys, and
meet new friends in this fun, informal
program. Limit of 15 children
with their caregivers. Every Friday
from 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Craft-A-Way: Drop in and participate
in creating projects related
to a theme or holiday. Ages
2 to 5. Friday, December 13, at
11:30 a.m.
How Mindfulness can Positively
Impact My Music: Students
will undergo a series of four Mindfulness
Techniques that they will
do before they start on a 4 step
Music Project based on the concept
of “Expression”. Students will
walk away from this experience
with strategies for achieving wellbeing
in their daily lives and new
approaches to fi nding creative
inspiration within music making.
For ages 13 to 18. Wednesday,
December 18, 3 p.m.
Books and Bites: Every week,
come together to read the selected
book while enjoying some
snacks! We will be reading The
Bridge Home. Thursdays, December
5, 12, and 19 at 4 p.m.
After School Lounge: Hang
out in the teen zone to catch up
on homework, read, and relax.
Monday through Thursday from 3
to 4:30 p.m.
Teen Unwind: Celebrate the
end of the week every Friday at 3
p.m. This month’s activities are:
December 6t, Lego Freebuild;
December 13, Wii and Board
Games; December 20, Card Making
Craze; and December 27, Wii
and Board Games
Scrapbooking Fun: Come get
crafty at the City Island Library!
Regardless of your experience
level, please join us and glue,
tape, cut, stamp, string, embellish,
and decorate your way to a
beautiful keepsake or a thoughtful
gift. The keys are self-expression
and, of course, fun! Thursday, December
5t, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Mensa Mondays: Doing puzzles
has been linked to improved
memory, better problem-solving
skills, and even lower stress levels.
Let us help you work off those
Monday blues by providing you
with riddles, crosswords, word
searches, and number puzzles
to train your brain! Every Monday
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
City Island Scrabble Club: If
you’re looking for some friendly
competition, then join our Scrabble
Club! Come in and fl ex your
vocabulary muscles. Note: Limited
to 12 participants, registration
required. Thursday, December 12
and 26 at 1 p.m.
City Island Book Club: Call or
stop by the branch for more information.
Monday, December 2 and
16 at 5 p.m.
The Island Writers: This is a
group for all who are interested
in writing either professionally or
personally. Regardless of your experience
level, we’re here to help
one another along in the journey
of self-expression and creativity.
All are welcome. Every Tuesday
at 1 p.m.
One-on-One: Computer, Tablet,
and Resume Instruction: Stop
in, or call to make an appointment
for one hour of personalized
instruction that addresses
your questions and concerns. No
computer? No problem! We have
computers available for instructional
use. Registration required.
Saturday Afternoon Movies:
Feature movie titles, varying in
length, at 1 p.m. December 7, On
The Basis of Sex; December 14,
Mary Poppins Returns; December
21, Five Feet Apart; and December
28, A Dog’s Journey.
Some programs require advance
registration, which can be
done in person or by phone. All
programs are free.
/www.Woodlawn-
/www.Woodlawn-Tours.org
/www.BAADBronx.org
/www.Woodlawn-Tours.org
/Tours.org
/www.BAADBronx.org