As we celebrate the peak of the holiday season at the Garden, we thought it appropriate to ring in the winter solstice (it’s actually Tuesday, December 22, but who’s counting?) with a weekend performance suited to the nostalgic sights and sounds of the season. And what better group to fit the bill than an ensemble of cellos, violins, and flutes?
This Sunday, December 20, sit for a performance of selections by Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel during the last of Le Train Bleu’s 2015 Winter Harmonies concerts. With Ransom Wilson at the helm, you can be sure of a rousing take on these classic compositions. And it’s not just for adults, either—the ensemble set aside time for a kid-friendly performance at 2 p.m. that features introductions to each of the instruments being played. At 4 p.m., they’ll return with a concert geared toward adults. Learn more here, and don’t forget to grab these special tickets.
The Holiday Train Show continues throughout the month and into January, and because it’s late December, we’ll be open this coming Monday to accommodate everyone who’s out and about during this beautiful time of year. As a reminder to everyone out there who’s planning on joining us for Bar Car Nights, our events for this weekend—December 18 and 19 respectively—are both sold out as of today, so don’t sleep too long on tickets to upcoming nights!
It’s going to be a musical spectacle of a weekend, of that much I’m more than sure. See everything that’s happening below.
Nothing says holiday cheer quite like the Garden during this magical time of year. New York’s favorite tradition, the Holiday Train Show, is in full swing—and while you’re here to see the exhibition, enjoy the many festive activities throughout Garden grounds such as holiday a cappella singing your favorite carols and holiday film screenings in Ross Hall.
Take the kids to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden for Evergreen Express, where lively stations are set up offering something new to create and explore at every stop!
And for the adults, come to Bar Car Nights (special ticket required) and enjoy the Holiday Train Show after dark, where the exhibition twinkles against the night sky. Sip a complimentary drink and enjoy a beautiful evening filled with jazz, an ice sculpture demonstration, and a playful light show. Our next evenings are tonight, December 4, and this Saturday, December 5, and there’s still time to get the few remaining tickets!
Don’t wait—purchase tickets now and start your holiday season off right.
The grounds may be growing cooler as we near the start of winter, but that can only mean the art and music of the Garden are all the more present. Throughout the Holiday Train Show, NYBG plays host not only to a much-loved poetry walk and reading, but a series of classical concerts that define the sounds of the season.
The verse of Billy Collins, former U.S. Poet Laureate and a fixture in the lyric history of New York, returns to the Garden this year during our Holiday Train Show, filling the Perennial Garden and its surroundings with the poetry of our city, our landscapes, and the singular experience of living in the five boroughs. You can find his poetry boards on display throughout December and January. But if you’re looking for a more intimate experience, be sure to get seats for Collins’ live reading—here at NYBG’s Ross Hall—on Saturday, December 12.
Happy Thanksgiving from NYBG! We will be closed on Thursday, November 26, in observance of the holiday—but we will be open this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and for regular hours on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.—so consider walking off all that stuffing with a fall family outing to the Garden!
Admire the crisp autumn landscape, check out the Holiday Train Show®—newly opened in our Haupt Conservatory and bigger than ever before—and don’t miss out on this year’s kiku display in the Bourke-Sullivan Display House of the Nolen Greenhouses. These chrysanthemums will only be up until next Monday, November 29, so time is running out!
View the full schedule of weekend programs and tours below, and we’ll see you in the Garden.
After 24 years of delighting audiences with its cheerful collection of trains, tracks, and iconic New York City landmarks, the Holiday Train Show returned to NYBG this past weekend, November 21, with a bunch of new experiences in tow! Not only is this year’s exhibition the biggest it’s ever been, with 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, but it boasts new trains, bridges, and dining options for guests of all ages to enjoy.
Saturday’s grand opening saw people from all over the New York region stopping by the Garden to see the show, explore our 250-acre landscape in late fall, and try out tasty treats from Frosty’s Schnapps Haus and the Gingerbread Café, our latest dining additions alongside the Pine Tree Café and Hudson Garden Grill. And on Sunday, with an incredible sunset streaking the sky with pinks and purples overhead, city guests and visitors gathered near the Visitor Center for our annual holiday tree lighting.
This Saturday and Sunday mark the last of our Fall Forest Weekends, because while it’s still technically fall, we’ve got the Holiday Train Show on the horizon—and all the twinkling winter settings that come with it.
In the meantime, we’re still enjoying the fireworks of autumn, especially in the Forest. Stop in this weekend to join us for terrarium building demos, woodcarving with Ivan Braun, canoe trips on the Bronx River (the only freshwater river in New York City!) and all of the incredible color you’ve come to expect from this urban oasis.
Next weekend’s long-awaited Holiday Train Show grand opening will bring along all sorts of activities, whether you’re looking to explore with the whole family during the day or spend an evening at the Garden during Bar Car Nights. Tickets to the exhibition and the special events that come with it are available now, so don’t miss out on your preferred date!
We’re at 90% and counting! Our road to peak fall color has been a bit of a strange one, as this autumn heat wave has made for a slow changing of the leaves. But in a sense, it’s worked out for the best—we’re essentially seeing the best color of the year just as we head into Saturday, the kick-off of our first Fall Forest Weekend.
Join us all weekend (and next!) for fall activities among the trees, like live bird of prey demonstrations from expert raptor handlers, the woodcrafting artistry of Ivan Braun, and tree-climbing demos from our arborists. Or just enjoy the incredible sight of the forest, wandering its trails under a canopy of reds, oranges, and yellows.
This is one of the most incredible times of year to see the Garden in all its autumn finery, but the warm colors of the trees won’t last forever. Head below for the full schedule of events.
FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Lifeconcludes this weekend–if you have yet to catch the blockbuster exhibition, hurry and grab your tickets before it’s too late! And what better way to celebrate the great artist then by honoring her heritage with grand Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) festivities? Live performances from The Villalobos Brothers and Los Chinelos de Morelos can be seen on the Conservatory Lawn. The stilt-walkers of Los Zancudos de Zaachila, presented by Laura Anderson Barbata, will be roaming the grounds, surprising and delighting all. Inside the Conservatory, see a beautiful ofrenda, or altar, paying homage to Kahlo. Fun activities can be found throughout the grounds, such as face painting and a mask-making workshop!
And let’s not forget, it is Halloween weekend—come see North America’s largest pumpkin alongside other prize-winning gourds. Marvel at the intricate giant pumpkin carving of Ray Villafane and his team—based on a satirical illustration by Jose Guadalupe Posada in the 20th century.
This is the weekend to come if you haven’t seen Frida. And if you have, come again and celebrate the Dead of the Dead with us!
FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life goes out on a particularly high note in its closing weekends, with a bevy of exciting Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) activities! Live performances from Calpulli Danza Mexicana, Jarana Beat, and The Villalobos Brothers with Los Chinelos de Morelos dancers take over the Conservatory lawn and steps throughout the weekend. Giant skeletons, La Catrina puppets, and Los Zancudos de Zaachila stilt dancers will be roaming the Garden for all to enjoy. In addition see the Day of the Dead ofrenda, or altar, honoring Kahlo in the Conservatory, and Humberto Spíndola‘s The Two Fridas come alive (literally) in the Library Rotunda. You’ll also have fun with hands-on activities such as mask-making and face painting.
And because Halloween is right around the corner, we are pleased to welcome back master carver Ray Villafane, who will carve a giant pumpkin inspired by the Day of the Dead. Come watch, and enter for a chance to win a carving from the master himself.
Come to the Garden this weekend and celebrate a wonderful Mexican tradition with us!
This weekend NYBG is thrilled to welcome back the Master Carver himself, Ray Villafane, who will once again lead our annual Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend with a live demonstration of his remarkable skills and daily Q&A sessions with his team of carvers—with a special twist in honor of Día de los Muertos!
This year’s larger-than-life pumpkin tableau will represent this traditional holiday from Mexico and will remain on display alongside the largest pumpkins in North America—some weighing more than a ton—as part of the Giant Pumpkin Display from October 24 through November 1. It’s all part of the first Día de los Muertos Weekend on October 24 & 25! Click through to view details about this special weekend celebration and see more photos of the programs and activities to come.
As we celebrate the peak of the holiday season at the Garden, we thought it appropriate to ring in the winter solstice (it’s actually Tuesday, December 22, but who’s counting?) with a weekend performance suited to the nostalgic sights and sounds of the season. And what better group to fit the bill than an ensemble of cellos, violins, and flutes?
