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The Parent Loop
Because parenting is better when we share the good stuff.
September 18–20, 2026
Weekend Guide
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| Discover handpicked and budget-friendly happenings on the UWS, plus a couple of nearby highlights too good to skip — not everything happening, just the ones we'd text a friend about. Because "What should we do?" shouldn't be stressful. |
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Hi loopers,
Fall is properly settling in this week — sweater weather in the mornings, still warm enough for a park afternoon. It's also a meaningful weekend for a lot of families in the loop: Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Sunday, so an easy fast to everyone observing, and a gentler pace for the back half of the weekend if that's you.
As always, everything below is free unless noted, because "What should we do?" shouldn't turn into Saturday morning stress. Scroll down for this week's Ongoing events, Indoor favorites, and a few fall events worth bookmarking, in case the day-by-day picks below don't quite fit your plans.
Have a friend who wants to sign up? Share the link here and follow @theparentloopnyc for more. Quick tip: Click on the "Read online" (top right) so your reading view doesn't get trimmed. |
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Special UWS Giveaway: The Parent Loop x Muse Arts
Win three Music Together® classes for kids ages 0–5, with Muse Arts. A fun way to bond, build confidence, and meet other local parents. Must be used by end of year.
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| Friday - September 18 |
| Storytime @ Book Culture on Broadway (2915 Broadway at 114th St), 10:30 AM, young kids. |
| Open Playtime @ NYPL–Bloomingdale, 11 AM, ages 0–5. Unstructured play with toys and books, no registration needed. |
| Bring a Memory to Life: A See Memory Stop-Motion Animation Workshop @ NYPL–Riverside, 3 PM, kids. |
| Discovery Tank: Guided Gallery @ Pier 57, 3–6 PM, all ages. |
| Little New-Yorkers: Danza! Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México @ New-York Historical, 3:30–4:30 PM, all ages. Storytime and crafts. Museum admission required. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Birding Tour @ 120th St & Riverside Drive, 5:30–7 PM, all ages. |
| Illumination NYC: Light Art Festival @ Wagner Park, Battery Park City, 6 PM onward, all ages. A trek downtown, but a cool one — 10+ free light-art installations, DJs, and food trucks. Closing night is Saturday. |
| Uptown Film Center Pop-Up: In the Heights @ Lawn north of 96th St Courts, Riverside Park, 7:30 PM, all ages. |
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New Places on the Block
The Little Apple Toy Shoppe @ 2484 Broadway (between 92nd & 93rd), opening this month. A UWS mom of three opened this after the neighborhood lost West Side Kids following 35 years — open-ended imaginative-play toys, vintage kids' items and décor, a sticker wall, and affordable trinkets kids can buy with their own money, plus art supplies and crafting kits for older kids. The Parent Loop pick!
Trader Joe's @ 2073 Broadway (72nd St) reopened September 12 after being closed since May for a full renovation — new elevators, escalators, and refrigeration systems.
Mr. Byrdie's Joint @ 998 Amsterdam Ave (between 109th & 110th), now open. Casual sandwiches, wings, empanadas, coffee, and dessert — open late (until midnight Thu–Sat).
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| Saturday - September 19 |
| Central Park Model Yacht Club Races @ Conservatory Water, 10 AM–1 PM, all ages, weather permitting. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Affordable Art Fair Family Hours @ Starrett-Lehigh Building, 10 AM, all ages. Kid-friendly art-making activities and a scavenger hunt on the fair's closing weekend. Family ticket $60 for 2 adults + 2 kids. |
| Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling @ Central Park, 11 AM, all ages. Last one of the season. |
| Little Red's Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, 11 AM & 1 PM, ages 3–7. $10 children/$15 adults, advance online purchase only. |
| Fall Family Day @ Hudson Yards Public Square & Gardens, 11 AM–3 PM, free. Mozart for Munchkins concert, KIDZ BOP dance party, magic show, and face painting — plus 18th-century activities and crafts with New-York Historical from noon–3. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Discovery Tank: Guided Gallery @ Pier 57, 11 AM–5 PM, all ages. |
| Art Is Alive Festival Block Party @ MacDonough St, Bed-Stuy, 12–7 PM, all ages, free. Finale of the 10th-annual festival — free West African and Caribbean dance classes, live performance, food and artisan vendors. |
| Paws on Parade @ Bryant Park, 12–5 PM, free. AKC Museum of the Dog's dog parade with live music. |
| Morningside Lights Lantern Procession @ Morningside Park (116th St & Morningside Ave) → Columbia campus, gather 7 PM, procession 8 PM. A neighborhood tradition worth watching as a family — the lantern-building workshops beforehand skewed toward teens and adults, but the procession itself is public. |
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| Sunday - September 20 |
| Affordable Art Fair Family Hours @ Starrett-Lehigh Building, 10 AM, all ages. Kid-friendly art-making and a scavenger hunt on the fair's closing day. |
| Family Art Project: Sun Turning @ Wave Hill, 10 AM–1 PM, free with admission. Hands-on nature crafts — a trek to the Bronx, but a nice one. |
| Blow Paint Shofars & Peaceful Watercolor Painting @ Children's Museum of Manhattan, 10:30 AM–4:15 PM (times vary by activity), all ages. Museum admission required. |
| Little Red's Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, 11 AM & 1 PM, ages 3–7. $10/$15, advance purchase only. |
| EcoArts Festival @ Governors Island (The Climate Imaginarium), 11 AM–4 PM, all ages, free. Climate Week performances and interactive activities. |
| Sunday Story Time: Free to Learn @ New-York Historical, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM. Museum admission required. |
| Mommy Poppins Fall Fest @ Pier 57, 12–3 PM, free. Games, sports, arts and crafts. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Storytime @ Book Culture on Broadway, 1 PM, young kids. |
| Sun Gaze Sundays @ Pier I, 70th Street, 1–4 PM, all ages. Safe solar viewing. |
| Kids on the Move! Equilibrium for the Equinox @ Wave Hill, 1:30–2:30 PM, free with admission. |
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Volunteering
Urban Farm Volunteers
@ Randall's Island, Sundays 10 AM–1 PM (through mid-October). Help weed, compost, and keep the farm running — no experience or registration needed, just show up ready to get your hands dirty. Families welcome; volunteers are asked to stay at least two hours. |
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| Ongoing events |
| Juggling Lessons @ Bryant Park, Saturdays 11 AM–2 PM (weekdays noon–1 PM), all ages. Equipment provided. |
| Le Carrousel @ Bryant Park, daily 11 AM–8 PM, all ages. $5 per ride. |
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Governors Island: ferry free on weekends before 11 AM (otherwise $5 round-trip). Blazing Saddles Learn to Ride classes for beginners also on the island.
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Boating (first-come, first-served):
Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse @ Pier 2, Wed–Thu 5–7 PM, Sat 10 AM–3 PM.
Central Park Boathouse @ E 72nd St, rentals from ~$30/hour.
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| Indoor favorites for rainy or hot days |
| Discovery Room @ American Museum of Natural History, Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 AM–1:25 PM & 2:15–5:10 PM, ages 4–12. Included with admission; free timed passes, first come first served. |
| The 81st Street Studio @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sunday–Tuesday, Thursday–Saturday, 10 AM–5 PM (last entry 4 PM), ages 3–11. Free, no museum admission required. |
| Little Red's Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre — see Saturday and Sunday listings above. |
| Discovery Tank: Guided Gallery @ Pier 57 — see Friday and Saturday listings above; closed Sunday this week. |
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| Fall events worth bookmarking |
| Boo at the Zoo @ Bronx Zoo, Sept 26–Nov 1 (weekends, plus Monday Oct 12). Included with admission — advance reservation recommended. Puppet-led Wildlife Theater, a costume parade, hay maze, and pumpkin smash. |
| Bilingual Broadway En Vivo @ David Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, Sept 26, 11 AM, free. A relaxed, family-friendly performance of Broadway songs sung in Spanish. |
| Saturday Science: The City We Share @ Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, Sept 26, 1–4 PM, free, all ages. |
| Spooktober @ Prospect Park Zoo, weekends in October. A spooky trail and seasonal activities — exact dates and pricing weren't posted yet as of this week, worth checking closer to October. |
| Ascarium @ New York Aquarium, Oct 10–31 (weekends, plus Monday Oct 12), 11 AM–4 PM. Free with aquarium admission or membership. |
| Fall Harvest Festival @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Oct 24, 11 AM–5 PM, ticketed. Pumpkin decorating, a costume parade, and a cider garden. |
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Because parenting is better when we share the good stuff.
The Parent Loop
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| I'm always looking for great sponsors and partners. If your business would like to sponsor or connect with parents, contribute to a swap, or be part of a future The Parent Loop event, just reply here and let's grab coffee! |
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