Back to the Weekend with the NYBG
Posted in Around the Garden, Holiday Train Show on December 9 2011, by Matt Newman
The weekend is just about here! I’m sure you’ve been anxious to see those words over the last couple of days (or the entire week). But if you don’t have any Saturday or Sunday plans just yet, might I make a suggestion? The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show is approaching peak weeks, and now is the best time to get in before the rest of the city realizes what it’s missing! It’s about to get busy here at the NYBG.
Our Saturday and Sunday events offer plenty of seasonal entertainment, but we’ll also be hosting several fun outdoor and educational activities to make your trip even more worthwhile. That’s why this weekend is the perfect time to hop a Metro-North train to the Bronx and drop by our 250-acre stretch of beauty. Prep your itinerary, because there’s quite a bit to do!
Saturday, December 10
Tree Care Train-the-Trainers with MillionTrees NYC — 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Watson Education Building, Room 302
Want to be a part of keeping New York City beautiful? It’s not just about adopting highways and sidewalks–street trees need care, too. Join our instructors for a workshop on how to keep urban foliage prim, proper, and (most importantly) healthy. This makes a great course for educators, block association members and other civic-minded individuals, all of whom are encouraged to pass on their newfound training to others. And the best part? We’ll even supply you with the tree-care tools to make it possible, free of charge–all you need to do is adopt one of NYC’s many street trees.
Registration is required; contact Sara Katz at skatz@nybg.org or call 718-817-8038 to reserve a spot. Learn more about MillionTrees NYC by visiting their website.
Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
Almost every Saturday, Debbie Becker leads a group of intrepid seekers on a trek across NYBG grounds, searching for the rare, the beautiful, and the positively fascinating. Their quarry? Birds, of course! Debbie has been the resident bird expert at the NYBG for over 25 years, and her weekly bird walks are one of our most popular activities. Bring your own binoculars or borrow one of the sets we have at the Visitor Center and you’re ready to start marking off your list as a birdwatcher (or “birder,” as they prefer to be called).
Last weekend’s birdwatchers happened to see a rare mid-air chase between two of our most impressive raptors–a hawk and an owl–so you never know what this Saturday will bring!
Holiday Film Festival
In the Ross Hall
The Holiday Train Show’s festival of film classics continues! Stop by in the afternoon for viewings of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and several beloved Thomas the Tank Engine titles. We’ll also be showing David Hartman’s PBS documentary on our twenty-year Holiday Train Show tradition. See the current schedule for Saturday showtimes.
Garden Highlights Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center.
Not everything is decked out in holly and wreaths! Join one of our knowledgeable Docents for a tour around the Garden’s 250 acres, visiting our beautiful and intriguing year-round collections.
Tour of Library Exhibition | A Forest in the City: Centuries of Sylvan Beauty — 2:30 p.m.
Meet in the Orchid Rotunda of the Library Building.
If you’re anything like me, you have a secret (or completely conspicuous) infatuation with rare books. There’s so much history between each page, no matter the subject! Join one of the NYBG’s Docents for a tour through the Rondina Gallery and you’ll be treated to the treasures of our own collection, highlighting the history of our 50-acre Forest with elusive books and folios from years past.
Bar Car Nights — 7 to 9 p.m.
In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
What better occasion for a cocktail than the Holiday Train Show? Our Bar Car Nights event continues Saturday night with a complimentary drink and a stroll under the lights of the Holiday Train Show. And the best part? No kids to lead around! This is a purely grown-up soirée.
You’ll need a special ticket to get into this event. We suggest you reserve one online to ensure entry.
Sunday, December 11
Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the entrance to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
Our century-old Conservatory is a New York City landmark, so naturally we take quite a lot of pride in what’s inside it! Visit this Sunday afternoon and spend some time with one of our Docents, touring the acre under glass through rainforests, deserts, and other stunning permanent exhibits. You won’t even realize all of this is thriving here in chilly New York City!
Holiday Film Festival
In the Ross Hall
The Holiday Train Show’s festival of film classics continues through Sunday with encore showings of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” David Hartman’s Holiday Train Show PBS special, and a few Thomas the Tank Engine favorites! Check our current schedule for showtimes.
Ongoing Programs
Gingerbread Adventures — 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Can you smell the sugar and spice? Not yet, but you will–I promise that much! Bring the kids along for a lesson on the natural, plant-based ingredients that go into every piece of candied holiday architecture. You’ll even see a few gingerbread houses from local New York bakeries. And when the kids are done grinding their own cinnamon and clove, they’ll get to the virtual cherry on this holiday sunday: decorating and frosting their own gingerbread cookies!
