Photo by Miriam Quiñones
Editor’s Note: Check back for more updates as we add more events. For details of local civic, health, or other NON-arts & culture related events, check out our latest Neighborhood Notes listing.
Editor’s Pick
FL!P Circus brings its 2023 national tour, featuring “world-class talent” and Big Top family fun to the Mall at Bay Plaza in The Bronx from Friday, Oct. 27, to Sunday, Nov. 19. The show features an international cast (no animals) including the Bello Sisters – top 10 finalists on “America’s Got Talent.” They are 8th generation performers and their father is the headlining clown in the show. For more information, visit www.FlipCircus.com.
EVENTS
On Saturday, Nov. 11, a Veterans Grab ‘n Go Luncheon will be held at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center at 130 W Kingsbridge Road in Fordham Manor, hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Services, in honor of all who served. Music will be provided by the United States Air Force Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble.
The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show® runs from Nov. 17 to Jan. 15, 2024. The Holiday Train Show returns bigger than ever with more trains and an all-new, outdoor train display. Start on the lawn to capture your perfect holiday photos at our outdoor mountainscapes and then watch trains zip past nearly 200 iconic New York landmarks under the warmth of the Conservatory. After dark on select evenings, join for NYBG GLOW and discover the beauty of the garden’s landscape and historic buildings, illuminated across the grounds.
On three evenings, don’t miss the return of fan-favorite Bar Car Nights, 21-and-older evenings featuring the Holiday Train Show and curated
cocktails. These special evenings feature music, experiences, food, and more—making for the ultimate night out this season. NYBG is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458-5126. For more information, visit https://www.nybg.org/event/holiday-train-show/.
Bronx Community Board 7 is hosting a Veterans Day Commemoration event on Nov. 18, on Mosholu Parkway. See attached flier below for more details.
Flier courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7
Parkchester Library, 1985 Westchester Avenue, is hosting Creative Writing Classes each Tuesday in November from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. to celebrate National Novel Writing Month. Learn different writing styles, get helpful handouts and worksheets, enhance your writing skills, learn how to organize your story and more.
NYC Department of Veterans’ Service is screening a movie, Dear Sirs, on Nov. 16 at the James J. Peters’ VA Medical Center in Fordham Manor. See attached flier below for more details.
Flier courtesy of NYC Department of Veterans’ Services
“The Jewish Journey: America” will be screened on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. at Riverdale Presbyterian Church. See attached flier below for details.
Flier courtesy of Marianne Montero
A number of events are scheduled to mark the inaugural Veterans’ Month (November). See attached flier below for more details.
Flier courtesy of the event sponsors
Mosholu Teaching Forest will host a Tree Seed Community Planting event on Saturday, Nov. 11. See attached flier below for more information.
Flier courtesy of Mosholu Teaching Forest
The Office of the Bronx Borough President presents a Puerto Rican Heritage Month celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 5.30 p.m. See attached flier below for more details.
Flier courtesy of the Office of the Bronx Borough President
The 52nd Precinct Community Council Fellowship Breakfast will take place at Monroe College on Nov. 17. See attached flier below for more details.
Dr. Samuel Cruz of Fordham University’s Union Theological Seminary will host political activist, poet, and journalist Felipe Luciano at Fordham University’s Union Theological Seminary, James Chapel, located at 3041 Broadway in Manhattan, on Tuesday, Nov. 28, during a Book Launch to discuss his new memoir “Flesh & Spirit, Confessions of a Young Lord” (Fordham University Press 2023).
The evening will include distinguished panelists Jamal Joseph (Columbia University), Johanna Fernandez (Lehman College), Raymond Rivera (LAC), and Gary Dorrien (Union Theological Seminary) who will discuss Luciano’s publication and life’s work. The event is hosted by Union Theological Seminary’s Religion & Society Department and is co-sponsored by Fordham University Press and NYU’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
The New York Botanical Garden’s Beer Garden at the Leon Levy Visitor Center continues to have Craft Beers to purchase, as well as grab-and-go meals,snacks, and drinks at the Pine Tree Café at the same NYBG location. NYBG is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10458-5126.
Bronx Community Board 7 and Friends of Mosholu Parkland invite residents to the Annual Tree-Lighting Event on Dec. 7. See attached flier for details.
Flier courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7
Edible Academy Fresh from the Garden Tastings takes place at the New York Botanical Garden on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Get hands-on with healthy cooking using new recipes featuring plants grown in the Edible Academy. NYBG staff create family-friendly recipes using seasonal vegetables, fruits, and herbs, and kids and adults alike can learn how garden-to-table cooking is not only nutritious, but fun, too. While you’re exploring the Edible Academy, get hands on with the crops in the vegetable garden during Dig! Plant! Grow! each month. For more information, click here.
Some 8,500 veterans are buried at Woodlawn. In honor of Veterans Day, Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy invites the public to join Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, award-winning author of “World War I New York: A Guide to the City’s Enduring Ties to the Great War,” for a Walking Tour of the Gravesites and Memorials of the Veterans of the Great War who served a century ago. You will meet soldiers in the trenches, daring aviators who risked their lives in biplanes, a member of the Harlem Hellfighters, the most storied Black combat unit of World War I, and poor immigrants who served their new country with honor. Kevin will have copies of his book, which includes a chapter on Woodlawn heroes, for sale. For more information and to book tickets, visit https://www.woodlawn.org/conservancy/tours-events/.
Riverdale Meditation Cooperative hosts meditation sessions on Wednesdays at 505BX. See attached flier below for more details.
Flier courtesy of Riverdale Meditation Cooperative
On Tuesday, and Thursday-Sunday; a grounds access pass to the New York Botanical Garden is available for purchase by NYC residents only. Proof of residency is required and may only be purchased onsite. On Wednesdays, grounds admission is free to NYC residents all day and to all other visitors between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Grounds admission includes access to outdoor gardens and collections, including the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.
A number of citywide events highlighting Black Excellence can be found on eventbrite.
New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)’s Bronx Neighbors Program offers free Grounds-Only Admission to Bronx Residents Tuesday to Sunday and Monday federal holidays, offering the local community access to nature in their backyard, programs for the whole family, and more. Get your tickets online now, or learn more about other ways to receive your FREE Bronx Resident Grounds-Only admission ticket. Up to 6 tickets per transaction.
- 250 acres to explore year-round
- The largest surviving old-growth forest in New York City
- Two family gardens for hands-on exploration
- Free mobile guides with audio tours, videos, and special content!
Want to work with other writers? Commit to a writing schedule? Practice your craft through writing prompts? Receive and discuss information and tips on writing, reading, editing, and revising? Join the weekly meetings of the Kingsbridge Writing Circle, held online at the Kingsbridge Library every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon. Share your unpublished drafts in an intimate setting. Get and give feedback. Writers of all genres and styles are welcome to participate. The program is for those aged 18 and up. You must register to receive the Google Meet meeting code which will be emailed the day before. Register here.
“Picking Up the Pieces” is a wellness forum for the LGBTQ+ community, a safe space to have supportive, group discussions. The group meets on Mondays at 5 p.m. at 448 East 149th St (3rd Floor) Bronx, NY 10455, in conjunction with Destination Tomorrow and moderated by Yahaira Gonzalez.
Flier courtesy of Destination Tomorrow
INCLUDEnyc fosters positive futures and enhances the quality of life for young people with any disability from birth to age 26 and their families in New York City. The organization promotes access to educational, employment, and independent living opportunities for young people, and advocate with families for meaningful inclusion in the broader community. Share your experiences, struggles, and successes as parents of children with disabilities. For a list of upcoming workshops and events, both online and in person, click here.
For those interested in English for Speakers of Other Languages classes, BronxWorks are accepting students. Contact program coordinator, Cheyla Perez, at cperezduran@bronxworks.org or (718) 508 3112 for more information.
Norwood Community Library, a mobile library, arranges pop-up library booths around The Bronx and also has a permanent library box located in front of the Keeper’s House at 3440 Reservoir Oval East, Bronx, NY 10467. For more details, check out our previous story on the group. The library also meets regularly as a book club.
ART
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, located at 1 Bowling Green in lower Manhattan, celebrates Native American Heritage Month (Nov. 1–30) with events honoring American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian veterans. Visitors can celebrate the diversity and contributions of these Native cultures with a variety of free public events in Washington, D.C., New York City, and online. Programs include festivals, performances, talks and family activities. All events are free unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu.
Michael Richards: Are You Down? is the first Bronx Museum retrospective of Michael Richards’s visionary artworks, exhibiting the sculptures, drawings, installations, and video work he created during a prolific decade between 1990 and 2001. The exhibit is showing until Jan. 7, 2024. Of Jamaican and Costa Rican lineage, Richards was born in Brooklyn in 1963, and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Integral to a generation of Black artists emerging in the 1990s, Richards’s artwork gestures toward both repression and reprieve from social injustices and the simultaneous possibilities of uplift and downfall, often in the context of the historic and ongoing oppression of Black people. The curators of the exhibit are Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin and the museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse, The Bronx, NY 10456.
Flight and aviation were central themes for Richards as an exploration of freedom and escape, ascendance and descent. These themes are especially evident in Richards’s engagement with the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, Greek mythology, Christianity, and African and African American folklore. Centering his own experience, Richards used his body to cast the figures for his sculptures, which often appear as pilots, saints, or both. For more information, visit the Bronx Museum website. You can also call (718) 681 6000 or email info@bronxmuseum.org.
Join Mosholu Library, located at 285 East 205th Street in Norwood, for its Adults Arts & Crafts program and make some homemade decorations and gifts on Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. No registration is required and anyone over 18 can join.
Former Norwood News editor, Jordan Moss, has three art pieces showing in a members’ show at the Blue Door Art Center in Yonkers. More details can be found here.
DANCE
Dance in Woodlawn Playground and learn free Ballroom and Latin dancing on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. See attached flier for more details.
Flier courtesy of the event sponsors
Dance in Henry Hudson Park on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and learn free Ballroom and Latin Dancing. See attached flier for more details.
Flier courtesy of the sponsors
MUSIC
The Ultimate Concert Mambo Diablo takes place at Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, located at 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx, on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m. Enjoy a night of Latin music brilliance! A spectacular lineup of world-class musicians and singers perform with The Mambo Legends Orchestra. Ronnie Puente and Tito Puente, Jr. honor their father. Lucrecia sings Celia Cruz. Yolanda Duke sings La Lupe. Jeremy Bosch sings Vicentico Valdés, Santos Colón & more. Guest Artists include Humberto Rámirez, Carlos Henríquez, Jimmy Delgado, Louis Bauzó and more! Call (718) 518-4455 for more information.
Flier courtesy of Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468, presents an ABBA Tribute Show “Arrival from Sweden” on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. According to the Center’s representatives, “Arrival from Sweden” is one of the world’s most popular and best-selling ABBA tribute bands. “Hailed as the closest you will ever get to ABBA, the show masters the Nordic band’s spirit with sensational vocals, breathtaking arrangements, and incredible costumes,” they said. Tickets can also be purchased online at https://www.lehmancenter.org/events/abba-tribute.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, The Bronx, has advised that TITO PUENTE CENTENNIAL, a tribute to the 100-year legacy of Tito Puente, originally scheduled for Saturday, May 20, at 8 p.m. has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 2, 2024.
As the “King of Latin Music”, Tito Puente created over 200 compositions and produced more than 100 albums in the span of five decades. Known for fusing styles and putting a big-band spin on traditional Latin music, Tito Puente put Caribbean styles, including mambo, salsa, boogaloo, cha-cha-cha, rumba, guaracha and Afro-Cuban jazz, on the global map.
Performing alongside with Tito Puente’s son, Tito Puente Jr., will be world-class musicians, including Orestes Vilato, Nicky Marrero, Endel Dueño, Frankie Figueroa, Frankie Morales, John ‘Dandy’ Rodriguez, and Jose Madera. The ensemble will come together to honor Tito Puente’s enduring musical heritage at Lehman Center! Call the box office at (718) 960-8833 Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weekend hours vary)
Michael Spierman, founder/conductor of The Orchestra of The Bronx has announced the presentation of Handel’s Messiah, joined by The Bronx Opera Chorus and guest readers, on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. at the Lovinger Theater/Lehman College, located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. West. Texts are selected from biblical sources by Charles Jennens, and delivered by members of the Bronx Community.
The Revolution of Hip Hop exhibit at Bronx Terminal Market remains open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 7 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Visit the Universal Hip Hop Museum’s website at hhhm.org for more information. For more information on the development of the Universal Hip Hop museum building, check out our latest story.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468, presents the incredible Mariachi Herencia de México on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. Earlier this year, Mariachi Herencia de México’s 2022 album “Herederos” (Heirs) earned a Latin GRAMMY® nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album. Mariachi Herencia de México is began their 2023-2024 U.S. Herederos Tour in October.
To reserve tickets, call Lehman Center’s box office at (718) 960-8833 or en español on (718) 960-8835, or book online at https://www.lehmancenter.
As reported, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop with a number of events taking place throughout the City to celebrate this milestone. Click here for more information.
As also reported, a new Hip Hop show, KWIK2ROK, has premiered on BronxNet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop this year.
KIDS
Kids are invited to join the Kingsbridge branch of New York Public Library, located at291 W 231st Street, The Bronx, and Play Chess! Classes are open to beginners as well as experienced players. If you don’t know how to play, that’s all right: come and learn! Meet in person on Monday, November 13, 20 & 27 at 3.30 p.m.
Join the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval East in Norwood for Family Paint Night on Thursday, Nov. 16, from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Come along also for Winter Wonderland on Friday, Dec. 8, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. for lights, winter holidays, Santa, and games.
The Bronx Museum, located at 1040 Grand Concourse [at 165th Street], Bronx, NY 10456, is also hosting a Family Day: Winter Wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season! Join for an afternoon filled with free and festive wintry, art-making activities for the whole family.
The Bronx Children’s Museum has officially opened. See our latest story on the opening here. The museum recently welcomed its first children for a preview of the brand new facility with special guest, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. When asked how they enjoyed it, the children reportedly responded, “A-MAZ-ING!” The 2023 opening hours for the museum, located at 725 Exterior Street near Yankee Stadium along the Harlem River, as of Jan. 3, are now Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the museum’s website here.
The Nest Music Conservatory is a non-profit organization providing music education to youths in the Bronx through out-of-school programs. The organization is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment that contributes to the social and emotional growth of students, their families, and communities through classes, events, and concert series. The center, located at 3636 Holland Ave, The Bronx, NY 10467, USA is open daily, Monday to Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call (718) 994-6378 for more information.
SPOKEN WORD, STORY TELLING & LITERACY
Neighborhood Stories is a storytelling initiative by the NYC Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS) to gather and preserve the stories of NYC neighborhoods. Learn more about the project, and how to share memories of your neighborhood and community here.
NYC Veterans’ Veteran Voices Project records the stories of NYC’s veterans and preserves their legacy. Learn more at nyc.gov/vetvoices.
DYK? @nycveterans launched the Veteran Voices Project (VVP) to record the stories of NYC’s veterans and preserve their legacy.
🎙️ Learn more about this oral history initiative at https://t.co/k6d4WfIHIW#VeteransDay #NYCVeteransDay21 pic.twitter.com/FTKKjI2R0Z— NYC Consumer and Worker Protection (@helloDCWP) November 11, 2021
MOVEMENT
Various Fitness Programs ranging from Line Dancing to Cardio Strength to Hip Hop and from Zumba to Circuit Training are running at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval East in Norwood from Oct. 1 through Dec. 16, on various days at different times. Call (718) 543 8672 or email Victor.Campbell@parks.nyc.gov for more information.
For New Yorkers 60 years old and over, a Seniors Fitness program offers free twice weekly pickleball, tennis, yoga, and fitness walking classes across all five boroughs since April 2023. Participants of all levels are welcome to come out, have fun, and socialize. Visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/ or call (212) 360-1399 for more information.
Learn to Become a Lifeguard. Make summer happen for NYC! Becoming a lifeguard is a rewarding experience. You’ll work outdoors in some of New York City’s most iconic locations, playing a critical role in helping New Yorkers of all ages and abilities have safe access to beaches and pools. Click here for more details or see attached flyer below.
Flyer courtesy of NYC Parks
Van Cortlandt Park Nature Center is open every Saturday and Sunday. See attached flier below for more information.
Flier courtesy of NYC Parks
Exercise Classes in Cantonese
Visiting Nurses Services NY is inviting the public to virtual, exercise classes in Cantonese on Tuesdays, from 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. See attached flier below for more information.
Flier courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7 / VNSNY Choice
BronxWorks and Twin Parks West Older Adult Center, 355 East 183rd Street, Bronx, NY 10458, invites residents to come join some fun classes Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. See attached flier below for details.
Flier courtesy of BronxWorks courtesy of Bronx Community Board 7
Running group, Bronx Nomads, generally meet at the Bainbridge Avenue entrance to the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood on Mondays at 6.30 p.m. to run together safely. Founded 5 years ago, the group caters to those with different levels of fitness. You can follow Bronx Nomads on Instagram and Facebook or email the group at bronxnomads@gmail.com.
Elected officials, City agency partners, and community-based organizations continue to host the Saturday Night Lights citywide program to work together to keep 100 gyms across the City open for free, high-quality sports programs for kids on Saturday nights, ensuring no indoor gyms are closed on these nights – the time when they are needed most by kids in city communities. Click on the following link to watch a video extract of the Saturday Night Lights Relaunch, where Mayor Eric Adams can be seen observing some of the kids in action.
Each Saturday evening, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., children and youth, aged 11 to 18, are able to enjoy an array of indoor sports, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance, martial arts and more. According to the organizers, a key component of the program is bringing cops and kids together. Teams of youth coordination officers from NYPD precincts are at each of the 100 gymnasiums every Saturday night, helping to coach, and joining members of various community based organizations to interact with young people and help make a lasting and positive impact in their lives.
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, located at 3450 Dekalb Avenue, is the local venue for the program in Norwood, while the Fordham Heights program is run at 2255 Webster Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457. For a list of all venues, scan the QR code in the below flier. (If you cannot access the QR code from the attached flyer, click on this link.
As reported, an additional 25 city gyms and an additional $1.25 million investment in the Saturday Night Lights program was announced on July 9, 2022 to ensure public gyms will continue to remain open during the school year from September 10, 2022 through June 24, 2023. To find a gym near you, click here.
Flyer courtesy of the Bronx District Attorney’s Office
Gotham City Panthers is a new amateur basketball team founded by Eric King. Click on the link for more information.
Theory 9’s Rising Kings Basketball Club caters to different age groups in the Kingsbridge Heights neighborhood. Click here for more details.
Bronx Buccaneers football club meet on Saturdays in the Williamsbridge Oval, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval East, in Norwood from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Monday to Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Understanding there is more to football, the Buccaneers strive to develop the students/athletes, and the hope is that the players will use the program not only as a stepping stone to advance to upper level sports in High School and college, but also as a means to engage in positive behavior and as a healthy distraction from idleness which the group says can lead to poor decisions. The Buccaneers accept kids from any community, boys or girls, ages 6 to 14. Contact Tasha Andrews at (917) 662-3632 for further information.
Flier courtesy of Bronx Panthers
Bronx Panthers Youth Football & Cheer save lives through football, and are recruiting all age groups. Call the numbers in the attached flier, above, for more information.
Pilot Program to Allow E-Bikes in Parks
NYC Department of Parks & Creation launched a pilot program allowing e-bikes and light-weight e-scooters on Park drives and greenways, effective June 20. Officials said the pilot program allows the same bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters that are legal to operate on NYC streets to also operate on park drives, spaces where bicycles are already permitted in parks. They said Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes, as well as lighter-weight e-scooters, are already allowed to operate on NYC streets and in bike lanes and will be allowed in parks as part of the pilot program.
They said Parks has created a new webpage at nyc.gov/parks/ebikes, with a citywide map of parks showing greenways and drives that are part of the program, as well as a multilingual survey to both hear from and educate New Yorkers on electric micromobility. They said the pilot program does not allow e-bikes on pedestrian paths, and faster, heavier mopeds or motorcycles are not allowed anywhere in parks or on greenways. They said the latter are also precluded from bike lanes, and their drivers must hold a driver’s license. For more information
on micromobility devices, visit nyc.gov/ebikes.
NYC DOT previously provided information to New Yorkers on riding E-bikes in NYC. Click here to learn more about riding an e-bike and other micro-mobility options in NYC.
Flyer courtesy of NYC Department of Transportation
Editor’s Note: We will update this feature article as more events become available.
