Thanksgiving is special on the Upper West Side, if only because the first scene of Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters is set in an Upper West Side apartment on Thanksgiving (depicted above). Oh, and there’s also your family, turkey and the parade that starts on 77th Street and winds down Central Park West. We have lots of events below related to Thanksgiving, but also lots more that have nothing to do with it, including a cool-sounding free concert at Lincoln Center the night of Thanksgiving.

Email us at info at westsiderag dot com to let us know about upcoming events.

Please double-check times and prices with the event producer. Many venues offer special pricing for students, seniors and members.

Monday

All Day
Thousand Turkey Challenge The West Side Campaign Against Hunger is accepting frozen turkeys from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. to give away to hungry New Yorkers. You can also donate money to the cause (turkeys cost about $18). The WSCAH is at 263 W. 86th Street.

6 p.m.
Fighting For Change in the Age of Obama Join Nation Editor and Publisher Katrina Vanden Heuvel, author of The Change I Believe In: Fighting for Progress in the Age of Obama, and former New York Times columnist Bob Herbert, for a wide-ranging discussion on the fading promise of Barack Obama’s election, the influence of the Tea Party on the GOP, and the rise of Occupy Wall Street. At The Society for Ethical Culture. FREE.

6 p.m.
Upper West Side Townhall Meeting All the major local elected leaders will answer questions and talk. At the JCC on 76th Street. FREE.

7 p.m.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni Don Giovanni is the ultimate Mozart masterpiece, full of seduction attempts, heartache and tongue-in-cheek fun as Mozart casts the lead character down to hell for his unforgivable exploits. The opera is sung in Italian and presented uncut by Vocal Productions NYC. At Symphony Space. $20. $25 day of show.

8 p.m.
D’Ambrose Boyd & David Pearl Present Singers Space Come to Singers Space at Thalia Café, hosted by D’Ambrose Boyd with David Pearl at the piano. Where New York’s finest professional and aspiring singers go to sing their favorites and hear their peers perform before an intimate audience. The café offers cocktails, wine & beer, soups, salads, wraps and desserts. There’s no cover and no minimum. At Symphony Space. FREE.

Tuesday

All Day
Thousand Turkey Challenge The West Side Campaign Against Hunger is accepting frozen turkeys from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. to give away to hungry New Yorkers. You can also donate money to the cause (turkeys cost about $18). The WSCAH is at 263 W. 86th Street.

12 p.m.
Toe-Tappin’ Tuesdays – Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen The Gotham Jazzmen bring you all your old favorites and more on Tuesdays from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

7 p.m.
Gregory Sumner with Sidney Offit — Unstuck in Time: A Journey Through Kurt Vonnegut’s Life and Novels Gregory S. Sumner, author of Unstuck in Time, is joined by literary raconteur Sidney Offit for a conversation about the legendary novelist Kurt Vonnegut. At the 82nd Street Barnes & Noble. FREE.

7 p.m.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni Don Giovanni is the ultimate Mozart masterpiece, full of seduction attempts, heartache and tongue-in-cheek fun as Mozart casts the lead character down to hell for his unforgivable exploits. The opera is sung in Italian and presented uncut by Vocal Productions NYC. At Symphony Space. $20. $25 day of show.

8 p.m.
The Mannes Orchestra This concert will feature the Mannes Orchestra in a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Ben Ringer conducting; and Prokofiev’s Suite No. 1 from Romeo and Juliet, Esther Yoon conducting. At Symphony Space. FREE.

9:30 p.m.
Hiroshi Uenohara New York City based pianist/composer, Hiroshi Uenohara is one of the most versatile and inventive pianists working professionally in the U.S. and Japan today. A relentless explorer of improvisation and compositional form, he is building his fan base and repertoire simultaneously at prestigious venues and festivals internationally. His dense, unique style is a rich medley of bebop jazz and classical music executed effortlessly and with impeccable technique. At Symphony Space. FREE.

Wednesday

9 a.m.
Walk NYC Walk NYC is a program that encourages New Yorkers of all ages to get fit while enjoying the outdoors. Parks will staff locations throughout the city with trained walking instructors to lead one-hour walks. Meet at 83rd Street & Riverside Drive. FREE.

2 p.m.
Guitar Afternoon Enjoy free live music performed by jazz guitarist Bill Wurtzel and guest musicians each Wednesday from 2 to 3 pm. Folk Art Museum. FREE.

3 p.m. (until 10)
Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Blow-Up Head to Central Park West and 77th Street to watch parade organizers blow up the balloons. FREE.

4 p.m. (until 9)
Thanksgiving Eve Carnival The Anderson School will be hosting a Thanksgiving Eve Carnival in the schoolyard on Columbus Avenue, between 76th & 77th Streets – right across the street from the Macy’s Parade Balloon Inflation! From 3:30-4pm: Exclusive access for PS 334 & PS 452 families, and from 4-9pm: Open to the Public. There will be a Giant Inflatable Slide and a 62 Foot Long “Mega Thrill” Obstacle Course – fun for preschoolers, too! Carnival games, popcorn, Cracker Jack & more treats! In PS 334’s yard on Columbus and 77th. FREE. All rides & games tickets are $3 each or 4 for $10.

7 p.m.
Mozart’s Don Giovanni Don Giovanni is the ultimate Mozart masterpiece, full of seduction attempts, heartache and tongue-in-cheek fun as Mozart casts the lead character down to hell for his unforgivable exploits. The opera is sung in Italian and presented uncut by Vocal Productions NYC. At Symphony Space. $20. $25 day of show.

Thursday

9 a.m.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Parade runs from 77th Street and Central Park West to Macy’s store in Herald Square. FREE.

11 a.m.
Annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner All are welcome. Meals served from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Take Out Served at 11:30 a.m. At Trinity Lutheran Church, 164 W. 100 St. FREE.

8:30 p.m.
The Accidentals A unique mixed voice octet, The Accidentals are known for their sophisticated harmonies, off-beat sense of humor, and an eclectic repertoire of original songs and distinctive arrangements. Their many awards include MAC and Back Stage Bistro Awards for Best Vocal Group. They were also the 1995 National Champions of the Harmony Sweepstakes. The Accidentals’ CDs have won several Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, and their songs have been included in feature films and on television At the David Rubenstein Atrium. FREE.

Friday

8 a.m.
Walk NYC Walk NYC is a program that encourages New Yorkers of all ages to get fit while enjoying the outdoors. Parks will staff locations throughout the city with trained walking instructors to lead one-hour walks. Meet at 83rd Street & Riverside Drive. FREE.

8 a.m. (until 1 p.m.)
Green Market Choose from fresh produce & dairy, artisanal breads, baked goods, meats & poultry, honey, eggs. Clothing/textile recycling bin on-site. 97th Street and Columbus.

6 p.m.
Burning an Illusion/The Story of Lover’s Rock Double Feature and Q&A with Menelik Shabazz after the screenings followed by a catered reception. At Symphony Space. $35 (includes reception).

9 p.m.
Gerald Kelly Live on Broadway Gerald Kelly celebrates 20 years of comedy with a Live on Broadway evening. This event will be filmed for a Showtime TV comedy special. At Symphony Space. $20.

Saturday

All Day
African Diaspora Film Festival Part of the 19th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival. At Symphony Space. $11 per film.

2:30 p.m.
Seneca Village Tour Seneca Village was Manhattan’s first known community of African-American property owners, on land that would become Central Park. Learn about the history of the village, the property owners, and what New York City was like at the time. For directions, please call 212-772-0210. Inside the Park at 85th Street and Central Park West. FREE.

2:30 p.m.
The Dubin/Uchida Duo (Louise Dubin, cello; Reiko Uchida, piano) The Dubin/Uchida Duo explores the diversity of cello music written by composers who were part of the burgeoning Romantic music scene in early 19th-century Paris, including Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Franchomme. The program will also feature the world premiere of Roger Stubblefield’s Divertissement, written for Louise Dubin. At New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

6 p.m.
The Priests Multi-Platinum Irish singing priests rock secular and religious worlds. At The Society for Ethical Culture.

Sunday

All Day
African Diaspora Film Festival Part of the 19th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival. At Symphony Space. $11 per film.

8 a.m. (until 5)
79th Street Greenmarket Located on beautiful, tree-lined Columbus Avenue, this year-round market stretches from 77th St. to 80th St. each Sunday. Just behind the American Museum of Natural History, shoppers will find grass fed beef, goat cheese, fresh flowers, eggs, honey, baked goods, apple cider, and a large variety of fruit and vegetables. Columbus Avenue between 78th & 81st Streets.

2:30 p.m.
Benjamin Bradham, pianist Mr. Bradham will play works of Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, George Walker and Ravel. At the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium. FREE.

7 p.m.
Grupo Coco Rico Grupo Coco Rico is a community-based group. The group features singer the mezzo-soprano Alexandra Castaño, lead guitarist Luis Rodríguez, Percussionist Randy Sosa, bassist Joe Falcón and Guest artist Art Bennett On alto saxophone. Coco Rico explores the Latino-Caribbean song book of the romantic-nostalgic bolero music genre. This is slow and medium tempo music with deep roots in Latin American. The music is brought back to life through improvisation and interpretation. It pays homage to the creators of this enduring music. At Symphony Space. FREE.

Ongoing Events

Lincoln Center: American Ballet Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Society, NYC Ballet, War Horse

American Museum of Natural History: Ongoing Exhibits