Spring for The Bronx
FUN GUIDE 2016
AN ENTIRE SEASON OF FAMILY-FUN ACTIVITIES PAGE 1
a publication of:
Olga Luz Tirado Executive Director Brendaliz Candelaria Deputy Director Annette Carrión Pastoriza Tourism & Administration 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 © 2016, 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. The Bronx Tourism Council is a division of The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation
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THEBXTOURISM
T
he warm weather is finally upon us making it a great time to SPRING FOR THE BRONX. There is an abundance of tantalizing, educational, and not to mention FUN things to see and do. Get back to nature (p. 7) at one of our beautiful parks or gardens or take a trolley tour (p. 8). Also, Bronx Week is May 5-15. We will have a calendar up soon. Visit www.ilovethebronx.com and subscribe to our eNewsletter for periodic updates. APR 1 - APR 30 | Free
APR 6 - Jun 26 | Free
VALERI LARKO EXHIBITION
Presented by The Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) and Bronx Council on the Arts. A celebration of our borough, and the influence and art of African cultures which strengthen and transform us as a city. The exhibition, on view all through April, focuses on the power of words, as they are written, illustrated and spoken. Words have power, words are power. Spoken word poetry has traditionally been a form of activism, the poetry of people who have been repressed, linked to feminist, anti-war and antidiscrimination movements throughout history.
Featuring 40 urban landscapes spanning 10 years of painting in The Bronx. Each site has its own story to tell and through patient observation acquired over months of painting on location, Larko brings that story to life and captures the visual poetry of those places.
Salt Marsh, Castle Hill Road, Bronx 2014. oil/linen 22” x 72”
Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse Museum hours: Wed—Sun 11am-6pm Admission is free www.bronxmuseum.org GET THERE: D or B trains to the 167 st. Exit at rear of station, walk south on Grand Concourse 2 blocks; Bx1 or Bx2 to 165 st. and Grand Concourse; BxM4A / BxM4B Express bus from Manhattan
Bronx Music Heritage Center, 1303 Louis Nine Blvd. Gallery Hours: Wed - Fri: 3:00 - 6:30 PM Sat: 12:00 - 5:00 PM www.bronxriverart.org GET THERE: 2 or 5 train to Freeman Street, or BX19 bus to Southern Boulevard & Freeman Street. Walk north on Southern Boulevard and make a left on Louis Nine Boulevard.
APR 9 - May 29 | Free Opening Reception: Apr 9 | 6pm-9pm
APR 5 - Jul 4 | Free with admission to grounds Opening Reception: Apr 10|2pm - 7:30pm
NINA ROBINSON | NOT FORGOTTEN AN ARKANSAS FAMILY ALBUM
(NOT SO) STILL LIFE
Presenting novel ways that contemporary artists are transforming the still life genre to engage with current culture. As a subject, the still life has remained popular since the early Renaissance, featuring compositions of natural and inanimate objects often presented with allegorical connotations. Today, artists are creating new variations by working in photography and sculpture to conflate interior space with landscape, or by using video and animation to convey still life in motion.
In 2014, Nina Robinson traveled to Dalark, Arkansas to document her grandmother's passing and her family's grieving process. She became engrossed in the often overlooked rural African American communities surrounding Dalark, communities whose members are mostly working and middle class landowners. Her visit turned into a two-year project, Not Forgotten: An Arkansas Family Album. Bronx Documentary Center 614 Courtlandt Ave. Gallery Hours: Thur—Fri 3-7pm Sat & Sun 1—5pm www.bronxdoc.org GET THERE: 2 or 5 train to 3rd Ave-149th Street stop (NOT 149th St.-Grand Concourse). Walk uphill one block on 149th st. & make a right on Courtlandt Ave. Walk two blocks to the mansion on the corner of 151st. BX6, BX13, BX32, BX41
Wave Hill, 675 w. 252nd st. www.wavehill.org GET THERE: take Metro North Hudson Line to Riverdale station (free shuttle available) or #1 train to last stop (242nd st.) Free shuttle on west side of Broadway in front of Burger King every hour at 10 minutes past the hour.
TAKE A BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES TROLLEY TOUR See Page 8 for more details PAGE 3
APR 10 - AUG 14 | free Opening Reception: Apr 10 | 1:30 - 3pm
RICHARD MCBEE: RELATIVE NARRATIVES Richard McBee draws equally from what is read and what is seen. Discussions of Jewish art often set these dualities—text and vision—in opposition. Eschewing such tropes, McBee has a rich and deep knowledge of the Bible and rabbinic commentaries (midrash) and of the history of art. Together they are the wellspring of his art and enrich contemporary viewers’ understanding of the difficult stories he sometimes chooses to represent in his paintings. Derfner Judaica Museum + The Art Collection Jacob Reingold Pavilion 5901 Palisade Avenue Gallery Hours: Sun—Thur 10:30am—4:30pm GET THERE: By car, take Henry Hudson Parkway to exit 22. Take West 254th street to Palisade Ave.
SUN | APR 10 | 4 pm | $40/$35/$25 Children ages 12 and under
THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET THEATRE PERFORMS CINDERELLA The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s, when many of the great dancers and choreographers of the Soviet Union’s ballet institutions were exercising their newfound creative freedom by starting new, vibrant companies dedicated not only to the timeless tradition of classical Russian Ballet but to accept new developments in the dance from around the world. Lehman Center for the Performing Arts 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West www.lehmancenter.org GET THERE: Take 4 or D trains to Bedford Park Boulevard Station. From 4 train walk west 1 block. From D train, walk west 3 blocks. Buses: Bx 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12, 22, 26, 28, 32, or 34. Express Bus from Manhattan, BxM4A or BxM4B to Bedford Park Boulevard & Grand Concourse
THURS| APR 14 | 4:30 pm—7:00pm | Free
EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION
The exhibition is based on the Ferris-Doherty Collection, one of the largest and most historically important collections of The Bronx County Historical Society. It consists of photographs, documents, furnishings, textiles and personal memorabilia dating back over 300 years. These diverse examples of material culture shine a light not only the personal lives of the many generations in this family, but the history and heritage of the settlement of the Town of
Westchester, as well as of The Bronx, since its 17th century foundation. The Museum of Bronx History, 3266 Bainbridge Avenue. GET THERE: D Train to last stop (Norwood/Bainbridge.) or Take Bronx buses #10, #16, #28, and #38
FRI | APR 15 | 6:30 pm - 9:00pm | Free /cash bar
BRONX STORIES: BRONX WOMEN Celebrate all things women with an evening of storytelling, poetry and music inspired by the Bronx and the works of art on view at the Bronx Museum. Make your voice heard in our open mic! Hosted by Maria Aponte, and featuring performances by Nene Ali, Michele Carlo, Annie Lanzillotto, and Julissa Rodriguez. Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse Museum hours: Wed—Sun 11am-6pm Admission is free www.bronxmuseum.org GET THERE: D or B trains to 167 st. Exit at rear of station, walk south on Grand Concourse 2 blocks; Bx1 or Bx2 to 165 st. and Grand Concourse; BxM4A / BxM4B Express bus from Manhattan
SAT| APR 16 | 1pm | free
LECTURE: THE LEGACY OF WESTCHESTER SQUARE The area we now know as Westchester Square goes back in Bronx history more than 350 years. It was once the county seat for Westchester until an 18th century fire drove the capital to White Plains. Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan will provide a talk on the history of Westchester Square, its prominent families, and long-lasting legacy in NY history. Museum of Bronx History, 3266 Bainbridge Ave. GET THERE: 4 train to Moshulu Parkway Stop or D to last stop Norwood/Bainbridge Ave.
SAT| APR 16 | 7pm | free
SWINGIN’ JAZZ
Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with Maxine Sullivan Women in Jazz Series, an event focused on women’s contributions to the evolution of jazz. The event kicks off with a screening of The Girls in the Band, a film about the journeys of female jazz and big band musicians of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm from the late 1930’s to today. Bronx Music Heritage Center, 1303 Louis Nine Blvd. GET THERE: 2 or 5 train to Freeman St. or Bx19 to Southern Blvd. & Freeman st. Walk north on Southern Blvd. Make left on Louis Nine Blvd.
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SUN | APR 17 | 10AM | $10
A WALK IN THE COUNTRY – WOODLAWN’S RIVERDALE ESTATES Discover the histories of important movers and shakers and their country homes in Riverdale. This ambling 10mile walk will be led by Woodlawn tour guide Nestor Danyluk. Woodlawn Conservancy GET THERE: The tour guide will meet the group at the Riverdale Metro-North Station, attendees can arrive with the North-Bound 9:38am train, or the South-Bound 9:48am train. The walk will conclude at The Woodlawn Cemetery, which is situated close to the #4 subway line, and Metro-North train.
APR 20 - May 6 |$10
DRAWN AND QUARTERED Hostos Repertory Company presents Maggie Bofill’s Drawn and Quartered, an explosive reunion of a Latino couple that is full of accusations, recriminations, romantic overtures, hesitant withdrawals, heated rejections and a graphic recollection of a physical liaison immortalized in pigment. Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Councourse GET THERE: 2, 4, or 5 train to Grand Councourse.
APR 21, May 1, 19 & 29 | 7pm | $65 (use promo code CCB45 to get 45% off)
PAINT NITE AT CHELSEA CRAFT BREWING COMPANY
Paint and party with your friends in the newest brewery to hit The Bronx! Find your inner Picasso while sipping on a cocktail, wine, or a CCBC award-winning brew. Seats are limited. Buy your ticket now and use the above promo code for a discount. www.paintnite.com/events/1068805.html Chelsea Craft Brewing Company, 463 E. 173rd St. GET THERE: Metro North to Tremont Station or D train to 174th st. station.
band in a special performance. Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse, GET THERE: 2, 4, or 5 train to Grand Concourse.
MAY 4—22 | $15 advance tickets
SAT| APR 23 | 11am | $10
THE DESIRE OF THE ASTRONAUT WORLD PREMIERE OF THE Bronx County Historical Society guest tour guide and member Mike Kaplan will lead a 4.5-mile hike through LAST BORICUA IN SPACE THE BRONX DURING THE ICE AGE
Pelham Bay Park and Orchard Beach to discuss The Bronx during the Ice Age and how geologists look for such evidence. You’ll also learn about some human history of the park during the tour. Bronx County Historical Society GET THERE: This tour will start at the Pelham Bay #6 train station near the bottom of the stairs at Bruckner Boulevard. Take the #6 train to the last stop in The Bronx or take Bronx buses #5, #12, #23, or #24, BxM #7 or #8, or Q50. Please wear comfortable walking shoes.
SAT | APR 30 | $20
PAPO VAZQUEZ & THE MIGHTY PIRATES TROUBADORS
Welcome to the world of Puerto Rican astronaut Esteban Only! Stranded in the U.S. Wanderer, an old space station locked in orbit around Mars, Esteban’s only human contact —via intermittent, static-ridden radio communications— is fellow space mission veteran Emily Kinson, whom he hopes will help him find his way back home to Earth. Pregones Theater, 575 Walton Ave. |www.pregonesprtt.org GET THERE: #2, 4, or 5 train to Grand Concourse Stop. Walk east 1 block on 149th st.
SAT | MAY 7 | 10:30 am | $10
MARBLE HILL- WHOSE IS IT ANYWAYS?
Once the northernmost tip of Manhattan Island, the W/ SPECIAL GUESTS JERRY MEDINA & JOE LOCKE Marble Hill neighborhood is today claimed by both Celebrating his 40th anniversary as a Latin Jazz artist, Manhattan and The Bronx. Visit the sites of old toll the always ebullient trombonist Pap Vazquez leads his bridges, riverbeds, and train tracks, learn about a
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once-famous bicycle racing track, and a nevercompleted ballpark which might have hosted a World Series if it had been finished, and stroll down quiet, tree-lined streets with private homes and slate sidewalks. Bronx County Historical Society, 718.881.8900 GET THERE: This tour will start on the southeast corner of Broadway and West 225th Street, outside Chase Bank. Take the #1 train to West 225th Street or take Bronx bus #9 or Manhattan bus #7.
SAT| MAY 7 | 2pm | $10
THE GRAND CONCOURSE HISTORIC DISTRICT – ART DECO DELIGHTS Join Bronx Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan on a stroll through one of The Bronx’s noted designated historic districts – the Grand Concourse. Bronx County Historical Society, 718.881.8900 GET THERE: This tour will start on the southwest corner of the Grand Concourse and East 167th Street and will terminate at East 149th Street. Take the D train to East 167th and the Grand Concourse, or take the #4 to East 167th Street and walk two blocks east to the Grand Concourse. Bronx buses #1, #2, and #35 stop at the meeting location.
SAT | MAY 14 | $30/$25/$10
MAMBO MEMORIES
Cherish the memories of the Mambo era at the Palladium Ballroom with the music of Puente, Rodriguez, & Machito along with songs of La Lupe and Graciela among others. Don’t miss the unforgettable evening of Mambo. Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse, GET THERE: 2, 4, or 5 train to Grand Concourse.
WALKING TOURS DISCOVER THE GRAND CONCOURSE Contact Sam Goodman at 718.665.1124 or email at s800mg@aol.com SUSAN SEZ WALKABOUTS Find out more at www.susansez.com NOSH THE BRONX with NOSHWALKS visit www.noshwalks.com BRONX URBAN ART TOURS or ARTHUR AVENUE TOURS For more information go to www.bronxhistoricaltours.com THE BIRTHPLACE OF HIP HOP TOUR Visit Hush Tours at www.hushtours.com BIG APPLE GREETER Friendly Bronxites who are happy to share the borough they love. Go to www.bigapplegreeter.org
SUN| MAY 15 | 2pm | $25
MILES DAVIS TRIBUTE CONCERT WITH RON CARTER TRIO Miles Davis’ former band member, renowned bassist Ron Carter, performs at Woodlawn’s Jazz Corner for his former mentor’s 90th birthday anniversary. Woodlawn Cemetery, Limited availability, tickets released in April register at woodlawnconservancy.org GET THERE: Jerome Ave. entrance. #4 train to last stop (Woodlawn Station). Walk about ½ block north. Jerome Avenue entrance is on the right. Webster Ave. entrance #2 or #5 train to 233rd Street Station. Walk 3 blocks along 233rd, downhill. Cross over Webster Avenue. The cemetery entrance is on the left.
Subscribe to our eNewsletter to get the latest information on sights to see & things to do in one of the most dynamic boroughs in New York! PAGE 6
Getting back to Nature Birding in The Bronx SUN | APR 24 | 8am | $35 / members $24 WOODLAWN CEMETERY Join the New York City Audubon Society for an early morning walk through historic Woodlawn and discover a variety of bird species as they make the cemetery their home in the spring. Woodlawn Conservancy The tour meets at the Conservancy office next to the Jerome Avenue entrance. GET THERE: #4 train to last stop (Woodlawn)
EVERY SAT FROM MAY 7 - JUL 30 | 8am | Free VAN CORTLANDT PARK CONSERVANCY AND NYC AUDUBON SOCIETY Meet at the Van Cortlandt Nature Center located on the south end of the parade grounds; between the tennis courts & the Van Cortlandt House Museum.
SUN|APR 10 & MAY 8|9:30am|Free with admission to grounds WAVE HILL Welcome migratory birds back to Wave Hill this spring! Explore the gardens and woodlands on a quest to spot some of our favorite feathered friends as they return to the Hudson Highlands. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Severe weather cancels. NYC Audubon Members enjoy two-for-one admission. Wave Hill, West 249th & Independence GET THERE: take Metro North Hudson Line to Riverdale station or #1 train to last stop (242nd st.) Free shuttle available.
GET THERE: #1 train to last stop (242nd st)
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ALL ABOARD
THE BRONX
TROLLEY FRI | APR 1, MAY 6, JUN 3 | 5:30pm-9:30pm | FREE
SAT | MAY 7, JUN 11 | 10am-3:30pm | $30
FIRST FRIDAY'S SEASIDE TOUR
FOOD & FARM TOUR
Peruse City Island art Galleries. Visit the Nautical Museum. Eat at top seafood restaurants. Shop for gifts and listen to live music. Trolley picks up every hour on the 1/2 hour at the Pelham Bay Subway Station (last stop on the #6) www.cityislandchamber.org
Each month the trolley takes visitors on a different themed tour throughout community gardens and urban farms. The May tour will celebrate The Bronx during the annual Bronx Week series of events. In June, the them is Caribbean Culture. Trolley leaves from 161st & the Grand Concourse www.ilovethebronx.com
SUN|APR 3, MAY 1|11am| $15/$10 Seniors & Students
MAY 13, JUN 25 | 10am-3:30pm | $50 / $25 children 12 years and under.
WOODLAWN HIGHLIGHTS TOUR For everyone who's always wanted to tour Woodlawn, but didn't fancy the 1.5 mile walk. This newly designed tour route will take you from the rarely explored oldest section of the cemetery through all 150 years of Woodlawn's history. The tour meets at the Conservancy office next to the Jerome Avenue entrance. www.woodlawnconservancy.org SUN|APR 3, MAY 1|1pm | $15/$10 Seniors & Students
JAZZ HISTORY TOUR @ THE CEMETERY
The Woodlawn Musical Trolley Tour is back by popular demand! Explore Jazz History from WC Handy and King Oliver through to the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. This tour will visit the majority of Woodlawn’s Jazz Greats and will be accompanied with music by the artists whose memorials are visited. The tour meets at the Conservancy office next to the Jerome Avenue entrance. www.woodlawnconservancy.org WED | APR 6, MAY 4, JUN 1 | 5:30pm-7:30pm | FREE
FIRST WEDNESDAYS ARTS & CULTURE TOUR Visit the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos. Ride the trolley on the Grand Concourse Arts corridor and visit a museum and other arts spaces. Trolley picks up every hour on the 1/2 hour at Hostos Community College Campus, 450 Grand Concourse www.bronxarts.org
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Walk the garden where American author and humorist Mark Twain, worldfamous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini and President Theodore Roosevelt once lived. Tour the oldest house in The Bronx which served as the temporary headquarters of General George Washington. Visit a fieldstone farmhouse that was the site of six skirmishes between American troops and British forces. See where American writer Edgar Allan Poe penned some of his most memorable works. Experience a 17th century estate located in the largest park in New York City. Trolley leaves from 161st & the Grand Concourse www.ilovethebronx.com
MAY 6, JUN 11 | 11am-4:00 | $50 Ages 21 or over only. Take a tasting tour of award-winning craft beverage producers of The Bronx! Learn about the legacy of brewing in the borough which dates back to the late 1800s. Earn points toward a First Pint Free at local pubs when receiving a Savor The Bronx Craft Beverage Passport. Trolley leaves from 161st & the Grand Concourse www.ilovethebronx.com