Magazine
Winter Issue 2020
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Dear Readers:
a publication of:
To say this year has been a challenge could be the understatement of the century. There may be some hope on the horizon, but we may have to hunker down just a little bit longer before we can see some light. The Bronx Tourism Council has stayed busy throughout this time, working closely with the Office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., as well as our cultural partners and local restaurants. We have been forced to pivot to virtual and socially distanced events but have done so successfully given the circumstances. We were not able to celebrate Bronx Week together, yet we were able to bring you the Best of Bronx Week directly to your homes via our media partnership with BronxNet. Though this year’s Tour de Bronx was much smaller in scale, we were able to do something just a little different (see page 4), we were able to collaborate with our friends at Transportation Alternatives and Ride with GPS® to provide routes for you to experience at your own pace, on your own time and with your own crew. In fact, we decided to keep the routes active for you to continue touring the borough as long as weather permits. We also launched a new podcast called Go Bronx Pod bringing Bronx history and Bronx voices to your ears. You can read about it on page 7. And feel free to follow us on our Social Media channels and give us feedback and suggestions. I look forward to getting together with you again sometime soon. Please know that this, too, shall pass. But in the meantime, on behalf of The Bronx Tourism Council team, please be safe, wash your hands, stay spiritually together, but physically distant and take care of your emotional and mental health. Bronxfully yours, Olga Luz Tirado Executive Director, The Bronx Tourism Council Publisher, Go Bronx Magazine Host, Go Bronx Pod
Winter 2020 Olga Luz Tirado Executive Director Sofia Thierfelder Grifoll Deputy Director
Anny Mariano Tourism Coordinator 851 Grand Concourse, Ste. 123 Bronx, NY 10451 718.590.3518 www.ilovethebronx.com This guide is a digital publication of The Bronx Tourism Council (BTC). Contents and design © 2020, all rights reserved. Reproduction or alterations without written permission is strictly prohibited. Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information in this guide as of press time. However, BTC assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions. BTC makes no endorsement, representation or warranty regarding the suitability, quality or availability of any goods or services advertised or listed in this publication. Listings and advertisements may have been provided by the subject companies and BTC shall not be responsible or liable for any inaccuracy, omission or infringement of any third party’s rights therein, or for personal injury or any other damage or injury whatsoever.
Table of Contents Winter Calendar of Events
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Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights
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The Bronx in Your Ears
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Save the Dates: 2021
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Holiday Edition All In
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Like us...follow us...connect with us... /TheBronxTourism
@TheBronxTourism
TheBXTourism PAGE 2
WINTER CALENDAR OF EVENTS — ONGOING EXHIBITS— GARDEN NAVIGATOR Garden Navigator allows you to find the plants, gardens, and exhibits that you want to see and explore thought our 250 acres. Discover our current and historic living collections, see photos, get detailed plant information, and see what’s blooming when at NYBG— right from your smartphone or desktop. Click here
— NOVEMBER 27 to JANUARY 9, 2021 — 10:00am –5:00pm |General Admission
NYBG GLOW The New York Botanical Garden is adding a splash of color to its holiday celebration. This year, the Bronx family attraction will host NYBG Glow, an outdoor light experience that will brighten up the grounds with Enid A. Haypt Conservatory at its center. Visitors can expect thousands of energy- efficient LED lights and festive installations- an ideal backdrop for a family holiday photo op. Plus, there will be dance performances, ice craving demonstrations and other seasonal activities to enjoy (at a distance). Tickets here New York Botanical Garden | 2900 Southern Blvd
BLACK BOTANY: THE NATURE OF BLACK EXPERIENCE Explore our online exhibit, Black Botany: The Nature of Black Experience, which seeks to acknowledge the complex relationship between enslaved Black people, nature, and the colonial environment and reconsider the conscious omission of Black knowledge of the natural world. The exhibit focuses on five plants—cotton, rice, the peacock flower, peanut, and vanilla orchid. The exhibit features several works from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library and Archival Collections of The New York Botanical Garden, along with plant specimens from the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium. Click here
— NOVEMBER 24 to JANUARY 31, 2021 — 10:00am –01:00pm |Must register
HOLIDAY TRAIN SHOW Fans of locomotives will delight in the New York Botanical Garden´s annual tradition. Take in the model trains as they loop through teensy versions of famous New York landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty. Note for 2020, the event will be available for NYBG Members and Community Partners only. Tickets here New York Botanical Garden | 2900 Southern Blvd PAGE 3
— NOVEMBER 27 to MARCH 31, 2021 —
— NOVEMBER 21 to MARCH 26, 2021 —
7:00pm - 8:30pm |Free Register
MY SISTER: HOW ONE SIBLING’S TRANSITION CHANGED US BOTH : by Selenis Levya and Marizol Leyva Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education invites our neighbors to come together and (re)spark a love of reading. Our vibrant community-focused book clubs will build a love of books. The book club meets Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:30pm and invites the community to come together and build conversations related to their Bronx lives. We will be holding book club meetings through ZOOM video conferencing until further notice. Click here
THE FOURTH NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN TRIENNIAL WITH THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BOTANICAL ARTISTS Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field celebrates the astonishing diversity and fascinating history of cultivated plants grown for clothing, healing, and most of all, for food. The subjects of these works were discovered on international travels, picked up at the farmer’s market, even plucked from artists’ own gardens. As the artists spent time with their chosen plants to ensure faithful depictions, they each learned about the history of cultivated varieties or the significance of wild relatives that played an important role in yielding the fruits and vegetables we know today. Online
— NOVEMBER 23/ 30 & DECEMBER 7, 2020 —
— DECEMBER 2, 2020 —
7:30pm |Free streaming
WHERE ART MEETS GREEN IN THE SOUTH BRONX We’re bringing SUMMER back and kicking off the holidays- Boogie Down style! Stage Garden Rumba — Where Art meets Green in the South Bronx— goes digital for three sizzling Monday nights in November and December! Presented in partnership with We Stay/Nos Quedamos since 2018, Stage Garden Rumba is an open invitation for all New Yorkers to experience the cultural riches, green spaces, and vibrant Casitas of the South Bronx! Online and Cable TV. 69 Optimum 2135 FIOS. Facebook Live and/or YouTube
— NOVEMBER 20 to JANUARY 10, 2021 — Thursdays—Sundays| Tickets are required
BRONX ZOO HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW. Enjoy the holiday season with our longtime favorite event, Holiday Lights. After a successful season last year we have adjust our program and are excited to welcome you back to the park for music, lights and holiday cheer. Tickets here are required and must be reserved in advance.
4:00pm | Free Virtual Event
ELASTICITY OF PLACE: TALK WITH JENNIFER McGREGOR Have you experienced an artwork or a performance at Wave Hill that stays with you or changes how you think of nature in the city? And wondered what is behind those provocative projects? In this talk, Wave Hill Senior Curator Jennifer McGregor shares insights into how she has evolved placebased curating at Wave Hill and discusses the strategies she has developed to deepen the connections between artists, the gardens and Wave Hill visitors. This virtual presentation will be hosted on ZOOM and will include opportunities to engage through a Q&A. click here — DECEMBER 3, 2020 — 12:00pm | Free Virtual Event
MUSIC IN COLOR: THE IMAGINATION OF ELEANOR ALBERGA. ORCHESTRA of St. LUKE’S (OSL) This fall, OSL’s Music in Color concert celebrates the music of Eleanor Alberga. Born in Jamaica and currently based in the UK, Alberga composes with a deeply emotional language and structural clarity that has drawn high praise on an international level. This virtual concert features imagery from NYC artists curated in response to Alberga's music. It opens December 3 and will be available through January 15, 2021. A Zoom discussion with Eleanor Alberga will take place Sunday, Dec 6 at 2 p.m. Free Online Event (Virtual Concert) by Hostos. Register
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— DECEMBER 3, 2020 — 5:30pm | Free Virtual Event
— DECEMBER 5, 2020 — 10:00am—11:00am | Online
Bronx Borough President RUBEN DIAZ JR. HOSTS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING The Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will host the borough’s annual Bronx Christmas tree lighting ceremony along with special holiday festivities. The evening will also include a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus. Lou Gehrig Plaza East 161st & Grand Concourse View on: @Facebook @Twitter @IG @Youtube
FAMILY ART PROJECT: STUFF OF STARS (VIRTUAL) Transport yourselves to the birth of a star. Stars are born, live and explode in vast clouds of gas and dust called nebulae. Learn about the stellar and spectacular life cycles of stars while using your own explosion of color in a process called monoprinting. Create unique prints of your own formation of stars with paint and upcycled frames. A link to access the program on Zoom will be emailed to you upon confirming your registration. Register here.
— DECEMBER 3, 2020 — 7:00pm | Free Virtual Event
29th ANNUAL KWANZAA CELEBRATION Join us for a celebration of African-American culture, featuring the Harambee Dance Company. In Swahili, Harambee means “let us pull together,” and Harambee Dance pulls together the essence of African and AfricanAmerican dance and music – incorporating the traditional and contemporary to create an innovative and exciting contemporary style. View on Zoom View on Facebook: View on YouTube
— DECEMBER 6, 2020 — 3:30pm—4:30pm | Admission is Free CARLOS HENRIQUEZ & FRIENDS OUTDOOR POP UP CONCERT Join us for a special year-end treat: an outdoor concert with Carlos Henriquez & Friends playing music from the Jazz Greats of Woodlawn. Carlos was born in 1979 in the Bronx, New York. He studied music at a young age, played guitar through junior high school and took up the bass while enrolled in The Juilliard School’s Music Advancement Program. In 1998 he joined the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Woodlwan @ Jerome Avenue Gate More information HERE
— DECEMBER 4, 2020 — 11:00am-4:00pm
VAN CORTLANDT HOUSE—CHRISTMAS TREE Van Cortlandt House Museum has added an extra bit of holiday cheer for our visitors and neighbors. When you pass by the Museum, be sure to come around to the front of Van Cortlandt House to see the life 8 foot Christmas tree set up on the porch. We've created a festive vignette on the front porch perfect for holiday photos. There's also an Instagram frame donated by the Go Bronx Podcast. We will keep the Museum grounds open Tuesday - Sunday for photos.
— DECEMBER 10, 2020 — 7:30pm | Free Virtual Concert
— DECEMBER 4 & 5, 2020 — 5:30pm—7:00pm | Onsite must register
CONVERSACIONES MÚSICA: A CONVERSATION WITH VICKI SOLÁ AND JOSÉ CALDERÓN The third in our Conversaciones Música series features Vicki Solá, who, for nearly 40 years, has provided the New York metropolitan community with authentic Salsa and Latin jazz with her weekly radio show Que Viva La Música on WFDU 89.1 FM and online at wdfu.fm.
ILLUMINATED ANGELS TROLLEY TOUR 2020 Extraordinary statues and stained glass windows feature the supernatural beings that take us to heaven and protect us on earth. A special night time trolley ride will take you through Woodlawn to see the figures that were carved to replicate European treasures, guard Woodlawn’s lot owners, and inspire us to look up toward the sky. Meeting point at the Jerome Ave. entrance gate. Space is limited to 15 participants. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled departure. Tour is rain or shine. Free parking is available. 4199 Webster Avenue for more information click here. To Register: call (718) 408-5624
Using a combination of video clips and cameo guests, radio host José Calderón (The Mambo Machine, WKCR 89.9 FM), will speak with Vicki Solá about her dedication to the music and to the artists - both the famous and the lesser known. View on Zoom View on YouTube View on Facebook
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— DECEMBER 12, 2020 — 10am –11am| Free Virtual FAMILY ART PROJECT: WEATHERING A STORM Flurries, snowfalls, blizzards and ice storms—how do you weather such storms? Storms are a natural process, but can be frightening and have a big impact on our lives. Learn the art and science of forecasting a storm while creating your own weather snow globes, and swirl up scenes of what it would take to weather a storm. Give those old sauce jars a new life with found objects, cut-up papers and old photographs. Register here — DECEMBER 13, 2020 — 1:00pm—3:00pm | Guided Walking Tour
The Bronx Visitors Guide has a listing of Bronx institutions, attractions and dining options. Get your digital version here!
DOROTHY PARKER AND THE TALK OF THE TOWN NEW YORKERS The newest boldface name to join the pantheon of great New Yorkers of Woodlawn Cemetery is the author, poet, and crusader, Dorothy Parker. After an odyssey beginning with her death in 1967, Parker’s cremains were interred beside her parents in August 2020. Woodlawn welcomes you to come on this new walking tour that will visit her gravesite along with notable artists, captains of industry, explorers, performers and writers. To Register: call us at (718) 408-5624 Ticket here. Refunds will not be issued. Free parking is available in the Woodlawn Cemetery. 4199 Webster Avenue
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n August of 2020, The Bronx Tourism Council (BTC) teamed up with Bronx-born Historian Angel Hernández to launch a podcast titled “Go Bronx Pod.” The duo was known for their entertaining tours which took place using the now-defunct Bronx Trolley. “Our Historic Homes and Gardens as well as Bronx Breweries and Distilleries Trolley Tours were epic,” says Olga Luz Tirado, Executive Director of BTC. They were able to combine history with humor and the chemistry between, not only the two of them, but the trolley driver, Fernando Garcia, made for often “sold out” tours. Unfortunately, the trolley’s engine finally gave way in late 2014 putting an end to ten years of service to The Bronx tourism community. In late pre-pandemic 2019, Hernández launched BronXcursions, a tour guide company, and he was fortunate enough to execute at least one tour just before the lockdown. Ms. Tirado adds, “we just really needed to continue to get the word out about some of the stuff we find fascinating about our borough. And there is a lot, trust me!” So Hernández and Tirado teamed up again to bring “Bronx history, Bronx people, Bronx stories, and Bronx voices” to those interested in knowing and learning about one of the most dynamic boroughs in New York City. Together they cover a wide range of compelling topics and conduct interviews with Bronx cultural leaders and notables. The show format is designed to be “edutaining” (educational and entertaining) and was born out of the idea that, though tourism during the current time of a pandemic has temporarily halted, one can still take audio tour of the borough and learn while physically distancing. Beginning with the first episode aptly titled “The Beginning,” the hosts talk about Jonas Bronck, the borough’s namesake. Subsequent episodes include topics
The Bronx in Your Ears! By Sophie T. Grifoll
The “glory days” of The Bronx Trolley 2014
like “The Dark Knight,” (episode 6) how Batman was created in The Bronx, and the legacy of Leonard Jerome (episode 7: Lenny From the Block.) The co-hosts even revived their old trolley tours in episodes 12 and 15: Historic Homes and Bronx Breweries respectively. Go Bronx Podcast is available on multiple platforms such as Podbean, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRADIO, Google Podcast, and Apple Podcasts. A new episode is featured every Wednesday and includes a lively Bronx trivia segment. Some episodes feature invited guests to speak on a variety of Bronx topics. To listen to Go Bronx Pod, click here. Follow @GoBxPod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The podcast is made possible by Empire BlueCross BlueShield with promotional support provided by NYC & Company Foundation.
Sophie T. Grifoll is the Deputy Director at The Bronx Tourism Council.
Go Bronx Podcast hosts Angel Hernandez and Olga Luz Tirado on location at the Van Cortlandt House Museum.
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2021 EVENTS: SAVE THE DATES The dates below are an approximation and are subject to change BRONX WEEK May 6th to the 16th
BRONX SALSA FEST July 15 to August 15th
FIREWORKS AT ORCHARD BEACH Thursday June 29th
TOUR DE BRONX Sunday, October 24th
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HOLIDAY EDITION
Tours: Citywide Where: Open - Limited Service/Capacity book @here HUSH HIP HOP TOURS Hush Hip Hop Tours aims to educate and entertain guests in the history of hip-hop, showing the evolution of a truly New York art form through the perspective of artists. Each journey to seminal locations of hiphop’s evolution is led by musicians involved with the genre's history; the guides share personal stories and anecdotes as only old-school rhyme masters could. The tours, which feature a classic hip-hop soundtrack, explore sites in Manhattan and the Bronx or Brooklyn and Queens.
PINK PRINNCESS NAILS PARTY BOUTIQUE When: Now- Dec 31, 2020. Paint Night is held each Friday at 5pm for kids ages 4 to 12. Where: Pink Princess Nails Party Boutique. 2616 E. Tremont Ave. Bronx, NY 10461 Contact: 347 719 3390 Price: The package costs $25 and includes all supplies for a canvas painting, pizza and juice. Each week features a different theme. @here
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN Save 20% on Garden Pass Tickets @ https:// www.nycgo.com/neighborhood-getaways/ browse/71986?borough=the-bronx When: Now- Jan 31, 2021 Where: New York Botanical Garden. 2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx, NY 10458
WAVE HILL—FREE GIFT WITH PURCHASE Where: Wave Hill 675 W. 252nd St. Bronx, NY 10471 When: Now- Jan 10, 2021 Receive a gift with any purchase when you mention this offer at The Shop at Wave Hill. The Shop offers a selection in keeping with Wave Hill's mission of connecting people with nature—educational toys, handcrafted bath and body products, garden-themed stationery, ceramics made by local artisans, glass and jewelry, seasonal plants, garden books and local honey.@here
THE BRONX BREWERY Discounted Pints & More Daily Specials @here When: Now- Dec 31, 2020 Where: 856 E 136th St, The Bronx, NY 10454 SEIS VECINOS 10% off Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner @here When: Now – Dec 31, 2020 Where: Seis Vecinos. 640 Prospect Ave.
BRONX HISTORICAL TOURS When: Now- Dec 31, 2020 Where: 4265 Webster Ave. @here Price: Save $15 on the Bronx Little Italy Experience Walking Tour (originally priced at $55). Description: Bronx Historical Tours is a Bronx-based sustainable organization specializing in local tours of the borough's historic and cultural sites and neighborhoods. The tours connect local communities with travelers who are looking for meaningful and authentic experiences, while helping put money back into the local economy by supporting cultural heritage and small businesses. contact: (646) 831-1078
The Bronx Beer Hall — Spend $20+, Save 10% @here When: Now – Dec 31, 2020 Where: The Bronx Beer Hall, 2344 Arthur Ave.
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The Boogie Down Grind Prix – Fixe Menu @here Visit the South Bronx café that calls itself the "hip-hop coffee shop" for specialty coffee and much more. The prix fixe includes any drink on the menu and any food item for $12. When: Now – Mar 1, 202 Where: The Boogie Down Grind. 868 Hunts Point Ave.
UNIVERSAL HIP HOP MUSEUM Buy One Ticket, Get One Free Celebrate the holiday season at the [R]Evolution of Hip Hop Experiences at the Bronx Terminal Market. Purchase a reserved ticket and bring along a friend or family member for free. Click here When: Now – Dec 19, 2020 Where: Bronx Terminal Market, 610 Exterior Street
#ALLINTHEBRONX
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Ride our;
Van Cortlandt House Museum and grounds have reopened! Self-guided house tours are available by advance reservations with slots available @11am, 12pm and 3pm. Museum grounds ONLY will be open from 11am-4pm Wednesday - Sunday Due to capacity restrictions, advance tickets are now required to tour Van Cortlandt House. Reserve your time and purchase tickets HERE
Photo: Joshua Bright
— DECEMBER 19, 2020 — 10am –11am| Free Virtual FAMILY ART PROJECT: WINTER SOLSTICE LANTERNS In the northern hemisphere Winter Solstice is celebrated on December 21, marking the longest night and the most hours of darkness in the year. Learn how Celtic, Chinese and Iranian traditions have celebrated this passage of time through storytelling and creative celebrations of night and day, light and dark. Just as seasons change based on Earth’s orientation to the sun, we’ll orient ourselves and our lanterns to the longitude and latitude lines that mark the winter solstice. Create your own papier-mâché recipe with flour and salt. Place a candle inside to illuminate your Winter Solstice. Register HERE
Celebrate the Holiday Season with create Holiday Magic! Visiting Santa is a treasured holiday tradition. Circumstances may be different this year, but the elves and I have arranged a live, personal Santa visit using the magic of your phone, computer, or tablet. Schedule your reservation today and invite loved ones to share. Create the Magic here; The Mall at Bay Plaza. Where: HERE Help Decorate the Bronx Terminal Market Virtual Holiday Tree! Your photo will appear on the tree. Take more than one with family and friends and invite loved ones to take pictures. Where: HERE
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