Editor’s Pick

Bronx Community Board 7’s Holiday Tree Lighting event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. at Mosholu Parkway Lawn at the intersection of Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue. Come and enjoy this year’s Winter Wonderland where there will apple cider, hot chocolate, holiday activities & entertainment and of course, the tree lighting.

 

EVENTS 

Van Cortlandt House Museum is hosting a Cozy Community Campfire on Sunday, Dec. 5, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Gather together outdoors for a festive campfire, complete with free marshmallows and warm, mulled cider while supplies last. There will also be DIY s’mores kits available also for purchase ($5 each or 3/$12), a storyteller, an elf-house hunt, and other fun activities (depending on the weather).

 

There will be two campfire stations to help with social distancing. The event is best for children ages 5 and up and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Van Cortlandt House Museum and Gift Shop will be open. Entrance for both requires proof of vaccination and use of a mask. Last admission to the museum will be at 3 p.m.

 

CREATING UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY, Parkchester’s annual celebration of Kwanzaa will take place on Thursday, Dec. 30, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST at St. Helena Church, 1315 Olmstead Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462.  It will celebrate the fifth principle “Nia (Purpose) which is a commitment to the COLLECTIVE VOCATION of building, developing, and defending the community, its culture and history in order to regain its historical initiative and greatness.” Kwanzaa will also be live-streamed on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/272429704720549/ and on YouTube at:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKQFSUxPO9ez9f6i7EyP9rw. Click on the Kwanzaa link for more details.

 

Starting Nov. 24, 2021, discover NYBG GLOW at The New York Botanical Garden. Take in the beauty of the landmark landscapes after dark all breathtakingly illuminated with thousands of lights and whimsical installations. Tickets can be bought for Nov. 24, 26 and 27, Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, and Jan. 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22, each day between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. See NYBG’s iconic sights and buildings come to life as dramatic, glittering canvases with the Haupt Conservatory and Mertz Library Building as the centerpieces. Washes of brilliant color, thousands of dazzling LEDs, illuminated plant stories, and whimsical, picture-perfect installations reflect the surrounding gardens and collections—creating a spectacle not to be missed! Click here for more information.

 

An NYC Parks After-School Program is being held at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval E, Bronx, NY 10467, through June 10, 2022 from Monday to Friday, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. For more information, contact Debra Edwards at NYC Parks on (718) 430-1847 or email debra.edwards@parks.nyc.gov.

 

The Holiday Train Show® takes place at the New York Botanical Garden Round from Saturday, Nov. 20, to Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022. This beloved tradition returns for its 30th year with a miniature wonderland in the warmth of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Marvel at model trains zipping through an enchanting display of more than 175 famous New York landmarks. Imagine the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and other favorites each delightfully re-created from natural materials such as pine cones, acorns, and seeds. You’ll also discover a showcase of our very own New York Botanical Garden buildings such as the iconic Haupt Conservatory and, new for this year, the majestic LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building, both designated New York City landmarks. Enjoy a drink, hot cocoa, and a bite to eat at one of the onsite outdoor bars or the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-Up. Take in even more festive evening offerings with artistic ice sculpting and music around the Garden. Click here for more information.

 

Bronx Community Board 7’s Holiday Tree Lighting event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. See attached flyer below for more information.

 

 

Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition will be holding a Holiday Gathering on Thursday, Dec. 11, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Mary Mitchell Center, 2007 Mapes Avenue, Bronx NY 10460. Proof of vaccination or a negative test is required. For more information, email info@northwestbronx.org.

 

Northwest Bronx Indivisible is hosting a virtual event via ZOOM, entitled, “What Can I Do About Climate Change?” on Sunday, Dec. 5, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., with guest speakers, Victor Davila, Huntspoint activist and organizer, and Dr. Jack Gorman of the Climate Psychiatry Alliance. Contact Dan Guenzburger at dan3720@optonline.net or (718) 664-4222 for more information. Register for the event at http://tiny.cc/nwbi-dec.

 

A Wave Hill onsite Holiday Wreath Workshop will take place on Sat, December 4, 2021, 11AM–Noon or Sat, December 4, 2021, 12:30–1:30PM  or  Sat, December 4, 2021, 2–3PM. Tickets are $50, including admission to the grounds. Wave Hill members save 10 percent. Create your natural wreath using a grapevine base and fresh greens harvested by Wave Hill gardeners. Floral designer Hanako Shimamoto shares simple techniques for designing your own gorgeous, one-of-a-kind holiday decorations. No experience necessary. All materials provided. This session meets several times today, as well as on Sunday, December 5.

 

On Saturday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. in Wakefield, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark invites the community to join in a Tree Lighting for the Angels event. See attached flyer further below for further details.

 

 

ART & KIDS EVENTS

Residents have until Dec. 31 to sign up for free membership to the City’s various recreation centers. Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval E, Bronx, NY 10467, is holding a Night Art class of painting wine bottles on Friday, Dec. 17, from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. and a Winter Wonderland event on Saturday, Dec. 18, from noon to 2 p.m., where there will be arts & crafts, as well as a visit by Santa! All programs require proof of vaccination for people aged 12 and over. Masks must be worn inside.

 

“Bronx Calling: The Fifth AIM Biennial,” curated by Ian Cofre and Eva Mayhabal Davis, is a meditation on the practice of everyday life in uncertain times and runs from Nov. 10 through March 20, 2022. Featuring artworks by 68 artists who took part in the 2018 and 2019 cycles of the Bronx Museum’s AIM Fellowship program, the fifth edition of “Bronx Calling” finds artists responding to the conditions of contemporary life in manifold ways. Whether in traditional or new media, many of the works are recent creations, the result of processing multiple crises—of health, grief, the environment, and identity. The Biennial is part of a series of exhibitions and public programs celebrating the Museum’s 50th anniversary and legacy as an institution dedicated to social justice. For more information and to reserve your FREE ticket, go to: http://www.bronxmuseum.org/…/bronx-calling-the-fifth…

 

A number of tree lighting events and holiday parties are taking place throughout December. See attached flyers for more details.

 

 

MUSIC

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents Victoria Sanabria with Puerto Rico’s number one plena group, Plena Libre, on Saturday, Dec 4, at 8 p.m., with special guest, Prodigio Claudio. Altogether, the folkloric sounds of Puerto Rican music will be flowing through the halls of Lehman Center. Captivating and moving audiences over the course of a 26-year, 15-album career, Lehman Center officials say this fine-tuned ensemble of virtuoso musicians has only gotten better with age, as evidenced by their four recent GRAMMY® nominations and world-wide touring schedule. Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is located on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets can be purchased at (718) 960-8833 or online at www.LehmanCenter.org.

 

 

Mark your Calendar! Bronx Arts Ensemble (BAE) invites residents for a free celebration of “Joy and Love for the Holidays,” in December, featuring Linda Collazo and Pablo Zinger. BAE has partnered with two of its favorite venues to bring patrons the special event. Join Saturday, Dec. 11, at Bartow Pell Mansion Museum, located at 895 Shore Rd, Bronx, NY 10464 for a concert in Pelham Bay Park, and on Sunday, Dec. 12, for another at Woodlawn Cemetery, at 4199 Webster Ave, Bronx, NY 10470. For more information, visit bronxartsensemble.org.

 

The Nest Music Conservatory, a non-profit organization providing music education to youths in the Bronx through out-of-school programs, has reopened. The organization is dedicated to creating a nurturing environment that contributes to the social and emotional growth of students, their families, and our communities through classes, events, and concert series. The center suffered severe damages due to the recent hurricane, and had intended to be open for regular after school programs in time for the beginning of the school year but was delayed during repairs. The center, located at 3636 Holland Ave, The Bronx, NY 10467, USA will be open daily, Monday to Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call 718-994-6378 for more information. 

 

Film

Bronx Film 48, founded in 2019, the group behind the annual, 48-hour film challenge has announced a fundraising drive to raise $20,000 for the 2022 fiscal year, to expand its offerings. The team is looking to offer an outdoor summer film series, more networking events and the return of its annual, “48-hour film challenge: The Bronx.” The summer film series is aimed at hosting roof-top, drive-in, and outdoor film screenings of curated, independent films across the Bronx, from Orchard Beach to the Andrew Freedman Home.

 

The fundraising campaign will allow the group to connect Bronx filmmakers with one another and professionals in the field to help expand their skillsets and success within the industry. It will also allow for the creation of a screenwriting club, which will allow filmmakers to join together on a bi-weekly basis. Finally, it will also allow for the return of its 48-hour film challenge, in which participants write, create and shoot a film over the course of two days. Prizes are awarded by a jury of professionals and it will be the festival’s fourth year. Bronx Film 48 is a grassroots initiative based in the Bronx with a goal of elevating the cinema palette of the Bronx by increasing the number of films made here, as well as expanding the number of filmmakers. Its 2022 campaign video can be viewed above, and donations can be made here. (Cover photo courtesy of Bronx Film 48)

 

 

MOVEMENT

Williamsbridge Oval Park Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval E, Bronx, NY 10467, is open for the fall season, and registration is free. Go to https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/recreationcenters/X104 for more information on the various classes and activities on offer.

 

Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, located at 3225 Reservoir Oval E, Bronx, NY 10467, is holding an open dance floor event on Friday, Dec. 17 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Residents have until Dec. 31 to sign up for free membership. All programs require proof of vaccination for people aged 12 and over. Masks must be worn inside.

 

It’s that time of year again! Williamsbridge Oval need male and female quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and a defensive line for the upcoming Flag Football Season. Flag Football practice will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Games will be on Saturdays. This program is geared toward all youth from 9 to 14 years of age. The venue is the Williamsbridge Oval, 3225 Reservoir Oval, Bronx, New York 10467. Call (718) 543-8672 for more details.

 

The NYPD, the Department of Youth and Community Development, the City’s five district attorneys’ offices and several City agency partners, community-based organizations and foundations launched the “Saturday Night Lights” program on July 10 and it continues all year long. The groups have opened 100 gyms across the City for free, high-quality sports programs for kids on Saturday nights, ensuring no indoor gyms will be closed on these nights – the time when they are needed most by kids in city communities.

 

Each Saturday evening, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., children from 11 to 18 years-of-age will be able to enjoy an array of indoor sports, including basketball, soccer, volleyball, dance, martial arts and more. According to the organizers, a key component of the program is bringing cops and kids together. Teams of Youth Coordination Officers from NYPD precincts will be at each of the 100 gymnasiums every Saturday night, helping to coach and participating with members of various Community Based Organizations to interact with young people and help make a lasting and positive impact in their lives. The Fordham Heights location is at 2255 Webster Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457. Click here for a full list of other venues.

NYC DOT has provided information to New Yorkers on riding E-bikes in NYC.  Click here to learn more about riding an e-bike and other micromobility options in NYC.

 

NYC Parks and the Madison Square Garden Company are teaming up to host citywide basketball clinics and leagues free for boys and girls, ages 7 through 17. The NYC Parks Junior Knicks Basketball Clinics and League uses the game of basketball to unite boys and girls from across New York City, providing a positive, structured environment for self-improvement, personal growth, and community development.

 

This year, more than 180 teams will participate in 8U Co-ed,10U Co-ed 12UBoys, 12 Girls, and 17 U Boys, 17 U Girls age divisions across the five boroughs. Instructional clinics are featured in each borough that will provide an opportunity regardless of skill leave an opportunity to have a positive basketball experience followed by a league in each borough. Teams will play intra-borough weekly round robin schedule and then compete in intra-borough tournaments culminating the program with a Citywide Championship. To be considered for the league, please select a program and submit your information using the online registration system. For more information in your borough please contact the Sports Coordinators for the Bronx: Dylan Santos on (718) 430-1824 or dylan.santos@parks.nyc.gov. Register today!

Clinics: November 2021- January 10, 2022
Leagues: January 10, 2022 – April 2, 2022
Citywide Championship: Saturday, April 9, 2022

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE BRONX

Friday, December 10, 2021

Adult/Senior Open Access 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Compost Collection and Awareness 8:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. at Starlight Park, Bronx

Fit Fun Fab 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Adult/Senior Open Access 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Adult/Senior Open Access 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Golden Hour 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.

Adult/Senior Open Access 1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Teen Open Access 2:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.

St. Mary’s ASP 2021-2022 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Hunts Point ASP 2021-2022 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

All Ages Open Access 3:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

WBO ASP 2021-2022 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Jump In 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

The Point News Reporters 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Creative Minds 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Upcycling: Transforming Trash into Treasure 5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

Teen Open Access 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

 

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Adult/Senior Open Access 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Mott Haven Street Tree Care 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Family Art Project: Create Your Year—Hello, 2022! 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at Sally and Gilbert Kerlin Learning Center, Wave Hill, Bronx

Jr. Knicks Clinics and Basketball League 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Recreation Center, St. Mary’s Park, Bronx

Strumming Guitar 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

Jr. Knicks Clinics and Basketball League 10:00 a.m.–11:45 a.m.

Stretch and Tone 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Upcycling: Transforming Trash into Treasure 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

Jr. Knicks Clinics and Basketball League 12:00 p.m.–1:30 p.m.

Seal Exploration 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Jr. Knicks Clinics and Basketball League 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.

Vogue 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.

Saturday Night Lights 4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. at Hunts Point Recreation Center, Bronx

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Winter Birding 9:30 a.m.–11:00 a.m. at Perkins Visitors Center, Wave Hill, Bronx

Family Art Project: Create Your Year—Hello, 2022! 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at Sally and Gilbert Kerlin Learning Center, Wave Hill, Bronx

Outdoor Skills: Fire Building 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. at Metcalf & Seward Avenues, Soundview Park, Bronx

Public Garden Highlights Walk 2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. at Perkins Visitors Center, Wave Hill, Bronx

Monday, December 13, 2021

Adult/Senior Open Access 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Chair Aerobics 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

Adult/Senior Open Access 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Drum Fit 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Performance Creative Movement 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

Intermediate Windows/MS Office 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Intro to Computers 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Adult/Senior Open Access 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Intro to Windows/MS Office 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m.

Adult/Senior Open Access 1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Adult/Senior Open Access 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Teen Open Access 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

Hunts Point ASP 2021-2022 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

St. Mary’s ASP 2021-2022 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

K-8 Digital Learning 3:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Victory Games 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

All Ages Open Access 3:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

WBO ASP 2021-2022 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.

Basketball Skills Academy 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Everyday Science 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

S.T.E.A.M 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. at Hunts Point Recreation Center, Bronx

Jr. Knicks Clinics and Basketball League 4:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m.

Art With Tatiyana 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Williamsbridge Oval, Bronx

Basketball Skills Academy 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.