Museums and Playgrounds

Taino Dance Party at the National Museum of the American Indian

September 14, 2019 by Teresa Wang

TaÃno Dance Party

Kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with an evening dance party featuring live music by award-winning singer-songwriter Irka Mateo (Taíno). DJ Max “Drlacxos” Cueto will open and close the evening.

Date: Saturday, September 14th

Time: 6:00pm — 8:00pm

Location: One Bowling Green 1st Floor, Education Classroom (National Museum of the American Indian)

Age: All ages

Cost: Free

Fidi Insiders: While you’re there, swing by their ongoing imagiNATIONs Activity Center

For more information visit their website HERE!

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Bon Odori Festival Presented by Japan Performing Arts, Inc. on Governors Island

August 30, 2019 by Denise Courter

Japan Performing Arts, Inc. is bringing the Japanese summer experience of Bon Odori dances to Governors Island. During the Obon summer holiday every August, people dance Bon Odori at festivals all over Japan. This Governors Island event is notable for bringing Japan’s Big Three Bon Odori dances into one venue, including Nishimonai Bon Odori from Akita, Gujo Odori from Gifu, and Awa Odori from Tokushima. Governors Island visitors will have hands-on Bon Odori dance sessions and more Japanese summer festival experiences here in New York.

Sample Japanese specialties from vendors including:
T-Swirl Crepe (Crepes)
Fuji Yakisoba X Otafuku Foods (Fried Noodles &Okonomiyaki – “Japanese Pizza”)
VartexEducation (Shaved Ice)
Wasan Brookyn (Ramen)
Karlsballs (Takoyaki)

Festival Schedule – Saturday 8/31

Nolan Park
12:00 pm   Festival Starts – Greetings and Announcement
12:20 pm   Bon Odori – Awa Odori / Gujo Odori
12:30 pm Wanage Contest Registration at JPA Booth (Two contests, one for children up to 12 years old and one for 13 years old and above)
1:30 pm Wanage Contest
2:00 pm     Bon Odori – Nishimonai Bon Odori / Gujo Odori
2:40 pm     Watermelon Splitting Contest
3:00 pm     Sumo Match Registration at JPA Booth (13 years old or above only)
4:00 pm     Sumo Match
4:45 pm     Bon Odori – Nishimonai Bon Odori / Gujo Odori
5:15 pm     Watermelon Splitting Contest
*5:30 pm     Registration for free tickets to performance on Outlook Hill

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Bon Odori on Outlook Hill

Date: Saturday, August 31st

Time: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Location: Nolan Park from noon to *8:00 pm

For more information, please visit the website HERE.

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9/11 Tribute Museum Day of Service & Remembrance

August 30, 2019 by Denise Courter

On September 11th, the world will remember the victims and families affected by the tragic events that occurred 18 years ago in Lower Manhattan. Many individuals and companies launched a variety of campaigns to honor those victims with a day of service. Now is the time to donate to this fabulous effort for the 11th annual 9/11 National Day of Service & Remembrance, hosted by the 9/11 Tribute Museum, held at the Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center.

Volunteer teams and first responders will help assemble bicycles to donate to the children of active-duty United States military and fellow emergency service personnel. Last year, over 500 employees from companies directly impacted by 9/11 participated in the bike build in remembrance of loved ones, friends and colleagues, and to unite in the same remarkable way that the nation came together in the aftermath of the attacks of 9/11. As in years past, the NYPD, FDNY and PAPD will be present to support the 9/11 Tribute Museum in remembering and supporting our military and first responder families. Stop by the Oculus to watch the assembly of the bikes for well-deserving kids.

Date: Wednesday, September 25th

Time: 10:00 am – 3:30 pm

Location: Oculus at World Trade Center

Donate HERE

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Children’s Museum of the Arts at Today’s Hudson River Kids

August 26, 2019 by Teresa Wang

The CMA Launches Drawn to Language

Hudson RiverKids brings together hands-on learning and entertainment with a multitude of interactive programs and performances all made with kids especially in mind. Come join the fun – we take play seriously!

Date: Mondays, through September 16th

Time: 4:00 pm — 4:45 pm

Location: Pier 25, towards the end of the Pier, past the volleyball courts – Enter at West Side Highway & North Moore Street

Age(s): Recommended for ages up to 6 years old. All ages welcomed

Fee: Free!

For more information visit their website HERE.

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Fourth Annual Math Festival at 28 Liberty Plaza (FREE)

August 16, 2019 by Teresa Wang

Fosun Hosts Free Math Festival on 28 Liberty Plaza

FiDi Families welcomes the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) to 28 Liberty Plaza for the second annual New York City Math Festival.

The full day of mathematical fun will feature hands-on math exhibits, entertaining mathematical games, intriguing puzzles, brain teasers. Among other performances, educator John Chase will reveal the secrets of mathematics and demonstrate a juggler’s ability to anticipate the path of a ball or club in space and time.

The New York City Math Festival will also feature:

Performances by mathematical mimes, Tim and Tanya Chartier, in a series of fun vignettes that illustrate the concepts of estimation, tiling, and infinity
Group constructions of giant sculptures, including the amazing rainbow-colored hyberbolic Hilbert’s Rainbow with mathematician Chaim Goodman-Straus and the six-foot tall geometric structure Goldberg Variations with mathematician David Reimann. If you can thread a cable tie through a hole or count to six, you can help!
Formations of mathematical patterns using Math-on-a-Stick from the Minnesota State Fair with math educator, Chris Danielson
Engaging puzzles and brainteasers with the Julia Robinson Math Festival