More than 600 Programs & Events, Featuring New Content and Expanded Favorites, Comprise Battery Park City’s Most Comprehensive Winter Offering Yet
Sessions Commemorating Black History Month, Women’s History Month, National Poetry Month, and more
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) today announced its Winter 2019 Program & Event Guide, detailing more than 600 public programs and events across Battery Park City from January to April. The full calendar of mostly-free, indoor and outdoor programs includes music, dance, art classes and exhibitions, workshops, games, festivals and much more. The Guide is available on BPCA’s website, with hardcopies to all mailing list subscribers arriving in mailboxes this week. Interested individuals can subscribe to the mailing list by visiting bpca.ny.gov/news/events/, by phone at (212) 267-9700, or at any BPCA program or event.
“From our expanded Tuesday Talks Series featuring a panel of women entrepreneurs and a Black History Month celebration to Family Workshops on Portuguese culture and music, to raptors – yes, raptors! – we’re thrilled to bring this unmatched mix of free activities to a neighborhood like no other,” said BPCA President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones. “Over the past year nearly 70,000 participants were drawn to more than 1,300 classes, programs, and events in BPC parks. As we begin 2019, we can’t wait to welcome even more friends to join us.”
“There’s nothing like ringing in the holiday season at Battery Park City, where families can enjoy the cooler weather over hot cocoa and iconic views of the Hudson River waterfront, take a thrilling cultural dance workshop, or learn about the moving history of our City at a local talk,” said Council Member Margaret S. Chin. “I urge everyone to take advantage of the diverse, affordable programs offered by Battery Park City Authority this winter, and wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season.”
The Winter 2019 Program & Event Guide features nearly 20 pages of illustrated program offerings organized by monthly event highlights as well as by those of interest to families, the very young, school-aged kids, adults, and seniors. The Guide also includes information about Battery Park City’s composting and tree recycling programs, a map of key neighborhood locations, restrooms, and art installations, as well as information about how to reserve various BPC event spaces.
Highlights of the Winter Program & Event Guide include—
• Festa Em Português. Continuing its cultural journey around the world, this winter BPCA features family workshops celebrating Portugese-speaking countries with exciting music and art at 6 River Terrace. Art projects (for ages 4+) begin at 4pm, with musical performances at 5:30 for each session.
ο Saturday, January 12, 4:00PM // Celebrating Portugal – Discover Portugal through a musical journey of lively, interactive, improvised piano with “I Will Play Your Soul” by multi-award winning pianist, composer and producer, Renato Diz. Create your own Lisbon-inspired azulejo tiles.
ο Saturday, February 2, 4:00PM // Celebrating Ginga Brasileira – Dancer/choreographers Quenia Ribeiro & Grupo Ribeiro celebrate Brazilian and Afro-Brazilian culture with live music, a dance workshop, and an art project inspired by the vibrancy of Rio’s Carnival.
ο Saturday, March 2, 4:00PM // Celebrating Cabo Verde – Embrace the rich culture of the islands of Cabo Verde with an acoustic performance by world-renowned singing sensation Fantcha. Make your own Cape Verdean style market basket.
• Tuesday Talks: Select Tuesdays, 6 River Terrace. BPCA’s popular lunchtime lecture series has been expanded to include after-work sessions, with featured talks this season on the gig economy and Black History Month.
ο January 15, 7:00PM // Women’s Werk – Dreamers, freelancers, and entrepreneurs are invited to an informative talk and meet-and-greet featuring a women’s panel of today’s gig economy pros.
ο February 5, 1:00PM // Game of Go – All ages are invited to celebrate the Lunar New Year learning the fun and challenging game of Go which originated in China over 4,000 years ago. Led by champion Go players from China Institute, this talk and hands-on workshop will guide participants through the history and general play of the game.
ο February 12, 7:00PM // Sugar, Water, Fire – Celebrate Black History Month with a performance piece featuring poet Lacresha Berry. Afterwards, Ms. Berry will be joined by Kamau Ware from Black Gotham Experience to discuss her work which responds to the stories told in BGX’s popular walking tours highlighting the impact of the African diaspora on Downtown NYC since 1625.
ο April 2, 1:00PM // A Taste of the Past (Part 1): European Ages of Exploration – This talk, led by BPC resident historian Fred J. Bivetto, covers a 1,000-year period of European exploration leading to discovery and colonization of the Americas, with special attention to Lower Manhattan up to the Revolutionary War.
ο April 9, 1:00PM // A Taste of the Past (Part 2): From the Birth of Our Nation to the New Downtown – This talk, again led by BPC resident Fred Bivetto, covers the events leading up to the birth of our nation, the struggles of our early years, right up to the development of what’s now being called “the New Downtown.”
• It’s Snowtime! (Dates, times & locations pending weather). You’ve asked for it, we deliver! Get out and play on snowy days by building a snowman or fort, taking a sled ride, and warming up with hot cocoa at select locations at BPC parks. Stay tuned for It’s Snowtime! forecasts on BPCA’s social media channels.
• 2019 Annual BPC Art Exhibition: Starts Sunday, January 27, 1:00PM @ 75 Battery Place with Opening Reception. View works by participants of all ages from Battery Park City Authority art programs. Art on view weekdays from January 28-March 30, 2:00-4:00PM.
• Wonder Women of Classical Music! – Sunday, March 10, 2:00pm, 6 River Terrace. Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra’s all-female ensemble celebrates Women’s History Month with a performance showcasing great classical and contemporary female composers. Led by KCO concertmaster Belinda Whitney, the all-star lineup will inspire with stories of how these stellar musicians followed their musical dreams. (Program is free but space is limited, so please register at registration@bpca.ny.gov or (212) 267-9700.)
• Raptors! – Saturday, March 30, 11:00am, 6 River Terrace. Volunteers for Wildlife is a nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Long Island’s wildlife and natural ecosystems. Meet live hawks, owls and falcons while learning about the many adaptations that make these animals some of the most skilled hunters on the planet. (Program is free but space is limited, so please register at registration@bpca.ny.gov or (212) 267-9700.)
• Jack Frost Games: Thursdays, March 7-April 18, 4-5PM, Rockefeller Park House. Shake off the winter blues and spring into action with preseason fun and games. Sessions will include outdoor warm-ups, relays, running and games. Shoes with treads and layered clothing highly recommended. (Free drop-off program for ages 6-10; registration required.)
BPCA also continues its valued partnerships with Battery Park City cultural institutions Poets House and the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust:
• The Rescue: A Live Film-Concerto – Thursday, March 14, 7:00PM, Museum of Jewish Heritage. The U.S. premiere of The Rescue: A Live Film-Concerto relays the remarkable story of Colonel José Arturo Castellanos as told by his grandsons. In 1942, Colonel Castellanos, the Salvadoran Consul General, led the movement to save European Jews during the Holocaust by creating and distributing more than 13,000 Salvadoran citizenship papers. Explore his story in a film accompanied by a live Latin chamber orchestra and followed by a conversation with the filmmakers, Alvaro and Boris Castellanos. (For ticket information contact: www.mjhnyc.org; reduced-fee tickets for Museum members and Battery Park City residents.)
• Poem in Your Pocket Read-In – Thursday, April 25, 6:00PM, Poets House. Celebrate National Poetry Month at Poets House. Bring a poem to read to others and enjoy refreshments. Learn about Poetry Path, a partnership between Poets House and the BPCA that celebrates poetry with signage in the Battery Park City’s parks. For more information visit poetshouse.org.
“People all over the country share poems on Poem in Your Pocket day, carrying a poem with them all day-long that they love, said Lee Briccetti, Executive Director of Poets House. “What better place to find poems for your journey than Poets House, our nation’s poetry library, right here in Battery Park City – poetry paradise.”
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