Battery Park City Parks Conservancy offers public programs and events for almost everyone. From May through October we sponsor music, dancing and storytelling, fishing days, bird watching and garden tours, art for all ages, sports, games and play programs. Our diverse programs aim to connect people with the parks as well as with each other. Everyone is encouraged to participate. All supplies are provided.

Some programs require a fee to participate. Please see the listings for specifics. Fees are collected to help offset the expense of materials and expert presenters. We take pride in the quality of every program and event. We appreciate your generosity and support in helping Battery Park City Parks Conservancy provide leisure time activities that are valuable, engaging and welcoming to all.

BPCPC programs aim to connect people with the parks as well as with each other. We encourage everyone to participate, regardless of age, gender, experience, or skill.

Seasonal Holidays with No Programs:
Memorial Day: May 31, 2010
Independence Day: July 5, 2010
Labor Day: September 6, 2010
Columbus Day: October 11, 2010


















Baby Yoga & Developmental Movement*
Tuesdays, 5/4-6/22, Fee: $135 or 9/14-11/30, Fee: $200. 9:30-10:15 am: 8 weeks old to precrawling; 10:30-11:15 am: crawling to standing, The Verdesian
For babies 8 weeks old through standing.
Gentle exercise class for baby and parent/
caregiver using song, yoga, massage and
breathwork. 5/4-6/22, Fee: $135 or 9/14-11/30, Fee: $200. 

Preschool Art
Thursdays, 10:30 am-noon, NRP
Very young artists are introduced to paper,
clay, wood, and paint with projects planned
by an art educator/artist. Dress for a mess! 

Preschool Play
Mondays (except 5/31, 7/5, 9/6 and 10/11), Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 10 am-noon, WP
Join other toddlers, parents and caregivers
for interactive play on a grassy lawn. Toys,
books and play equipment provided. 

Stories and Songs*
13 Mondays, Sept 13-Dec 13 (except
10/11) OR 13 Wednesdays, Sept 15-Dec 8, Please call for time. The Verdesian

For children 6 months to 4 years old and
accompanying adults. Musicians lead
interactive singing and music-making each
week. Fee: $210. 

Young Sprouts Gardening
Tuesdays, 3:15-3:45 pm, NRP
An introduction to simple organic gardening for children 3-5 years old with accompanying adults. Space is limited. First come, first served. 

Top of Page




Art+Games
Thursdays, 3:30-5:30 pm, NRP
Join other children for art and lawn games. For children 5 years and older. 

Children’s Basketball
Mondays (except 5/31, 7/5, 9/6, 10/11) AND Fridays (except 5/28, 7/2, 9/3 and 10/8), 5-6 year olds: 3:30-4:30 pm; 7 years and older: 4:30-5:30 pm, NRP
Basketball with adjustable height hoops for kids of all sizes, plus fun drills to improve your skills. 

Explorers’ Club*
Mondays, Sept 13-Oct 25 (except 10/11), 3:30-5 pm, NRP
Explore the natural world in the park. Discover orienteering and learn to make your own compass. For 1st-3rd graders. Fee: $70. 

Gardening Club*
Tuesdays, 4-5 pm, NRP
For children ages 6-10. Soil preparation, planting, watering, weeding, and composting introduce children to BPCPC’s innovative green practices. Fee: $80 per 2-month cycle or $210 for three seasons. 

Soccer
Tuesdays, 4 year olds: 2:30-3:15 pm; 5 to 8 year olds: 3:30-4:15 pm; 9 to 12 year olds: 4:30-5:30 pm, Ball Fields
Have fun learning to pass, shoot and dribble. 

Tour de Parc*
Saturday, Sept 25, 10 am, EP
Tricyclists, bicyclists and scooter riders 9 years old and younger show their pedal power in an "everyone wins" cycling tour. Helmets required. 

Wednesdays in Teardrop
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:30 pm, TDP
Join other kids for lawn games and art projects. 

Top of Page




Teen Drumming Circle
Tuesdays, June 1-Aug 10, 4-5:30 pm, NRP
Drop-in weekly drumming circle led by
Maguette Camara. Drums provided. A dancer will drop by each week. 

Top of Page




Drawing in the Park
Saturdays, (except 5/22, 7/3, 9/4, 10/9, and all of August), 10 am-noon, SC
Sketch and paint the river and parks with an artist/educator. Materials provided. 

Elements of Nature Drawing
Wednesdays, 11:30 am-1:30 pm, WP
Enjoy drawing in the parks and gardens with an artist/educator. Materials provided. 

Figure al Fresco
Wednesdays, 2:30-4:30 pm, SC
Learn figure drawing outdoors with a clothed model and an artist/educator. Materials provided. 

Garden Tours
Friday, May 7 and Mondays, May 17, June 7, Sept 13, Sept 20, Oct 18, 12:30-1:30 pm. Please call for locations.
Tour beautiful gardens with a horticulturist and learn about BPCPC’s innovations in organic gardening on a public scale. 

Tai Chi
Fridays (except all of May, 7/2, 9/3 and 10/8), 8:30-9:30 am, EP
Learn the ancient Chinese martial art with an expert. No experience necessary. 

Volleyball After Work
Wednesdays, June-Sept, 6-7:30 pm, EP
Join other adults for good-natured games of volleyball. Scorekeeper and balls provided. No experience necessary. 

Top of Page




Family Dances
Various times and locations. Please see description.
Energetic, joyful community dancing for all
ages. No partners or experience necessary. Dance callers lead the steps. 6:30-8 pm, EP

¥ May 8 Family Square Dance: The Carnegie Hill Band brings together
generations with traditional American folk
music for square dances, contra dances, and reels. Henry Chapin calls the dances.

¥ June 25 Swedish Family Dance at
Midsummer Festival with Daniel Dahlin and fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute of Minneapolis. Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park.

¥ July 17 Mexican Family Dance: Calpulli
Mexican Dance Company presents traditional regional dances of Mexico. Musicians accompany the vibrant dancing with coastal Mexican rhythms, Aztec drums, Mariachi music, and song.

¥ August 7 West African Family Dance:
Mane Kadang performs stirring music from
Senegal, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Dances are led by Kotchegna Dance Company. 

Go Fish
Select Saturdays, 10 am-2 pm, WP
Join experienced anglers for catch-and-release fishing and learn about life in the Hudson River. Art projects and music! 

Music Performances at Go Fish
Select Saturdays, 12:30 pm, WP
May 22 The Americana Family Jamboree plays acoustic music with guitars, fiddles, mandolins and banjo. Coincides with Hudson River Pageant, an ecological parade and performance art event:
www.earthcelebrations.com

June 12 Rene Collins and the Great Movement weave together folk, reggae, rock, and hip hop.

Sept 25 John Carlin and the Kids Music
Underground perform lively beats that will appeal to children and parents.

Oct 16 Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke perform
original songs with funny, memorable characters, and music from their CD,
Rise and Shine. 

Public Art Tours
Sat, 5/8, 6/19 and 10/23, Sun, 6/27 and 9/26.
Join contemporary art historian Dorothea Basile for an eye-opening tour of Battery Park City’s outstanding 20th century public art collection. Selections of art will be discussed at 2 pm on the following dates and locations:

Sat, May 8, Irish Hunger Memorial

Sat, June 19, Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park

Sun, June 27, Teardrop Park

Sun, Sep 26, The Real World, Rockefeller Park

Sat, Oct 23, Teardrop Park 

River Swims
May 29, June 12, Oct 16
Opportunities to swim in the Hudson. Co-sponsored by Manhattan Island Foundation. For information, please visit www.nycswim.org 

Stories For All Ages
Select Saturdays and Sundays, 11 am, RP & TDP
Master storytellers bring folk tales and fables to life.

Sunday, May 16 Running the Road, stories
from a Haitian childhood by Denize Lauture and The Monkey Who Asked for Misery by Nadage Fleurimond. A book signing follows the stories, along with tasting a Haitian dessert. Presented in partnership with Poets House and Mercy Corps Action Center to End World Hunger, TDP

Sunday, May 23 Poetrees: Painter and poet
Douglas Florian leads humorous rhyming and a painting workshop. A book signing follows. Co-sponsored by Poets House, TDP

Saturday, July 17 Perry Ground, a member of the Onondaga, Turtle Clan, tells The Fastest Animal in the Forest and other Native American stories of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), RP

Saturday, August 7 Krik? Krak! Haiti In Stories and RiddlesÉTold by Charlot Lucien and his helpers. Presented in partnership with Mercy Corps Action Center to End World Hunger, RP 

Sunset Jam on the Hudson
Fridays, July 9-Aug 27, 6:30-8:30 pm, WP
Join a drumming circle led by master drummers. Improvise on African, Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Drums provided or bring your own. 

The Family Music Festival at Battery Park City: Harmony on the Hudson
Sunday, Sept 19, 1-6 pm, Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
Enjoy a great day of music and fun. Musical performances for the entire family. Lawn
games, street games, and art activities. Food and beverages are available. Bring a picnic blanket and sunblock!

¥ Grammy award-winners Tom Chapin & Friends play original and traditional folk favorites.

¥ Harlem Renaissance Orchestra keeps the spirit of Big Band swing and jazz alive & well!

¥ Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could rocks with songs celebrating childhood.

¥ Bash the Trash jams with unique instruments made of recycled materials.
Make your own instrument and join
in a parade.

¥ Double Dutch Divas delight with rhythmic rope jumping. 

Walking Tours & Talks
Various times and locations. Please see description.
Green Fields, Green Visions: Irish Poetry and Nature, readings and discussion led by poet Jonathan Curley. Co-sponsored by Poets House. Sunday, May 23, 2 pm, PH

My River Chronicles, a talk by author Jessica DuLong, about being one of the world’s only female fi reboat engineers. A book signing of My River Chronicles: Rediscovering America on the Hudson, follows. Sunday, October 3, 2 pm, TDP

Twilight Nature Walks*
Join naturalists observing birds, insects, and other wildlife that become active just before nightfall. Fridays, June 4 and June 18, 6:30-7:30 pm and September 24 and October 1, 6-7 pm, WP

The Wisdom of Play*
An illustrated talk by Abby Ehrlich, director
of parks programming, Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, and NY Coalition for Play about the importance of play in a child’s cognitive, physical and emotional development.
Take home simple recipes for enhancing play. Sunday, September 26, 1 pm. The Verdesian. 

Top of Page




Top of Page