By Tracy Zwick
Let’s Weekend!
December 13 to 15, 2024
The Magic Flute – Holiday Presentation at the Metropolitan Opera; click here for dates, details, tickets, and pricing
A beloved Upper West Side holiday tradition, Mozart’s enchanting musical fairy tale is told in an abridged, English-language production by Tony-Award winner Julie Taymor, the director of Broadway’s “The Lion King.” It includes dazzling puppets, colorful scenery, and sensational music. At one hour and fifty-five minutes, this is one of the shortest performances you’ll find on the Met’s calendar. Suitable for all ages! This Saturday, Dec. 14th, the Met will host its annual Holiday Open House starting at 10:00 a.m. before the matinee performance, allowing families to take part in hands-on musical experiences and see behind-the-scenes demonstrations by Met musicians, actors, dancers, costumers, and other staff members. (Free for ticket holders for the Dec. 14th performance.)
Holiday Skating Show and Tree Lighting at Riverbank State Park, Riverside Drive and 145th Street; Saturday, Dec. 14th at 4:00 p.m.; Free
My WSR reporting on running clubs took me to beautiful Riverbank State Park this fall, with its excellent track and cool skating rink. I noted the rink and promised myself I’d get back up there to spend more time. This weekend is a perfect opportunity! Bring the whole family to see the professional Ice Theater of New York perform, along with community groups like Riverbank Figure Skating Club and Figure Skating Harlem. The skating show starts at 4:00. Around 4:45 Santa’s expected to make an appearance and the tree will be lit!
Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bakeoff 2024; Museum of the City of New York, Fifth Ave. at 103rd Street; open Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (but the museum will close at 5:00 p.m. this Saturday); pay-what-you-can for NYC residents
See iconic NYC landmarks made of gingerbread set in a snowy wonderland at the Museum of the City of New York just a short walk across Central Park from the UWS. It may be on the UES, but you can see a gingerbread version of the famous UWS apartment building The Dakota, along with Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center’s skating rink, and more. For this third annual exhibition, the museum invited bakers from all five boroughs to create gingerbread displays, this time on the theme of “Iconic New York.” The esteemed panel of NYC judges includes the UWS’s own Bobbie Lloyd, CEO and Chief Baking Officer at Magnolia Bakery. Visitors can vote on one final award, the “People’s Choice” after viewing the exhibition.
Cathedral Christmas Concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Saturday, Dec. 14th from 4:00. p.m to 5:30 p.m.; Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street; tickets here
The Cathedral’s annual Christmas concert features a program of family-friendly holiday tunes, like “Come all Ye Faithful,” “Silent Night,” and “Joy to the World”. This year’s event marks the much-anticipated return of the Great Organ. Built in 1910 and rebuilt in 1954, the Great Organ is a masterpiece of American pipe-building, but it’s been silent for three years while undergoing cleaning and conservation.
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