Two big reasons to plan ahead this weekend: It’s NYC Marathon weekend, and it’s the end of Daylight Savings Time. Clocks will switch back on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 a.m. – which means many folks will get an extra hour of sleep. Hopefully you're one of them!
If you plan to leave your apartment on Sunday morning, be warned that traffic might be a mess of marathon detours. Check the MTA’s Planned Service Changes, particularly if your plans involve taking a city bus.
There are some great reasons to venture out this weekend that have nothing to do with the marathon: ice skating, free dance performances, and free pumpkin smashing. If you can’t get on the pickleball train, maybe try petanque? An indoor venue is opening at Industry City in Brooklyn on Friday.
With temperatures predicted to hit the 70s and a dry forecast in the days ahead, it’s a good time to get outside if you can. Here are some ideas to get started.
Make your debut at Carnegie Hall
Do you know how to play the berimbau, agogo, or pandeiro? This weekend you can try, and at Carnegie Hall no less. It’s part of Fall Family Day: String Fling, where children ages 3-10 (and their grown-ups) are invited to learn about string instruments, play games, and “dance your heart out.” Megan Downes will call contradances and square dances. Afro Brazil Arts will lead an interactive capoeira performance. The free event takes place on Saturday, Nov. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Honor Native American Heritage
November is Native American Heritage Month. To mark the occasion, the Red Storm Drum and Dance Troupe will perform at the Staten Island Children’s Museum this Saturday, Nov. 5 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Club Carreau in Industry City will open indoor courts starting Friday, Nov. 4.
Play petanque
On Friday, Nov. 4, Carreau Club will open a 6,000 square-foot indoor venue with nine petanque courts in Industry City. Co-owner Aaron Weeks first discovered the game when he worked at the steakhouse M. Wells in Long Island City, Queens, and helped organize nearby staff tournaments. You can learn more and reserve your spot here.
Ice skating rinks across the city are open now.
Go ice skating
Many of the city’s rinks – in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island – are now open. You can learn more about hours and prices at the NYC Parks’ Ice Skating page. Prices, hours, and opening dates vary by location. All of the facilities are ADA accessible.
Fyütch, a Grammy-nominated rapper and social-justice activist, is performing a live show at BAM this weekend.
Take the whole family to a concert at BAM
Fyütch, a Grammy-nominated singer, rapper, and social justice activist, is performing a live show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music this weekend. BAM bills it as a concert to “educate, entertain, and empower the next generation.” Families are invited to come early to “sing, dance, and play” as a community with early childhood educator Miss Alex from Lavender Blues. Performances are 50 minutes long, and they run on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 10:30 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $10, and the show is recommended for those ages 5 and up.
Harlem Restaurant Week runs through Nov. 15. Pictured here is a dish from participating restaurant Au Jus.
Au JusTry the “best food you’ve never had” in Harlem
It’s Harlem Restaurant Week, billed as the city’s only “neighborhood-specific” restaurant week. You can get deals on dining (like $10 entrees or treats, $25 prix fixe lunch or a $35 prix fixe dinner) from new restaurants such as Musette Wine Bar and Bird in Hand. Plus, local favorites like Red Rooster Harlem and Sylvia’s will also participate. Check menus in advance, as some spots are offering the lunch deal only. Harlem Restaurant Week is on now and runs until Nov. 15.
“Fall Further” into dance in the Lower East Side
Six female-led companies will perform an evening of dance at Dixon Place’s 11th annual “Pentacle Presents: Fall Further” event. Guests are invited to see performances that are “introspective and derived from personal experience.” The show is Sunday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door.
New Yorkers are invited to use a bat or a hammer to smash their leftover pumpkins this Saturday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84.
Smash a pumpkin or two – for a good cause
New Yorkers are invited to use a bat, hammer, or shovel to “smash their leftover pumpkins into small pieces that will be repurposed as compost by park staff.” At last year’s event, more than 1,000 pounds of gourd scraps were collected for compost. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84.
Celebrate Chinese heritage through dance and music
For its second annual HOME Project, the Museum of Chinese in America and the New York Chinese Cultural Center commissioned new works in dance and music that celebrate the artists’ “heritage and identities as Chinese artists in New York City.” The shows are Saturday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. The events are free, but registration is encouraged.
This has been updated to include the New York Chinese Cultural Center’s participation in the HOME project.
