Celebrate: Holiday Weekend Fun
Uptown or down in the great outdoors
When Fourth of July lands on a Thursday some of us take Friday off for a long Independence Day
weekend. For those who are in the midst of that, and everyone else, we've found some ways to keep the celebration going. If it's too late and you've missed the Thursday night fireworks, here are ways to enjoy the Great Outdoors right in your neighborhood.
Ramble Tour: Meet at the Belvedere Castle in Central Park, Saturday, July 6 at 10:30 a.m. to explore a maze of pathways in the 38-acre woodland area in the park. Be prepared for a route that covers hills and stairs during 60 minutes of rambling by streams and under arches. Volunteer guides from the Central Park Conservancy show you the way. Arrive early as the tour includes audio equipment and space is limited; register online or at the castle. Cost is $15; members $10. Belvedere Castle is located mid-park at 79th Street; 212-772-0288.
Stories at the Statue: In this great big city, there's been a tradition of storytelling at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Central Park for 57 years. This Saturday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to noon, Julia Della Torre and Ken Setterington will present an All Andersen Hour: Big Claus Little Claus as part of folktales and fairytales from throughout the world. The free program is funded by the Hans Christian Andersen Story Telling Center. Find the statue at 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
Governors Island: Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects is set to perform at the Officers' House #15 in Nolan Park with a cast of six, Saturday and Sunday, July 6 and 7. Shows are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 1, 2:30, 4, and 5:30 p.m. This is just one of the activities on Governors Island, 172 acres in New York's Harbor that can be reached by ferry departing the Battery Maritime Building, corner of South and Whitehall streets at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and every half hour thereafter. Governors Island hours Saturdays and Sundays are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Not into dance, try the futuristic miniature golf course or walking and bike tours.