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Pelham Bay Nature Center (in Pelham Bay Park) - 1:00 PM Pick
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Free Holiday Fun: Celebrate the New Season with Make Music Winter
At this time of year, it's very easy to get caught up in spending a lot of money on gifts for family and friends, or high-priced holiday events. But really, you don't have to part with a penny to enjoy the holidays in NYC. We've been telling you about all kinds of free fun like going to see Christmas trees and giant menorahs, or taking a family stroll past all of the department store windows. Now we have a brand-new no-cost celebration to add to our must-experience list: Make Music Winter.
Every year, Make Music sponsors more than 1,000 complimentary outdoor concerts on the first day of summer throughout NYC. For the first time, the organization will sponsor 12 free music parades to mark the start of winter on Wednesday, December 21. Families can watch or sometimes even join these processions as they travel throughout a dozen NYC neighborhoods. It sounds like a wonderful variation on traditional Christmas caroling that combines three of our favorite things: creativity, community and no-cost entertainment.
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The 12 Make Music Winter parades span various genres, and start and end at different times. Nine are in Manhattan, two are in Brooklyn and one is in Astoria, Queens. All take place on Wednesday, December 21.
While all of the parades are kid-appropriate, some seem more family-friendly than others, mainly due to starting time and skill level. Below are our top picks.
The Gaits: a High Line Soundwalk – Chelsea
Starts on the High Line at Gansevoort and Washington Streets at 5:15pm
Ends on the High Line at 30th Street and Tenth Avenue at 6:30pm
This one sounds particularly cool: Participants can download a free iPhone app that turns footsteps into "twinkling metallic sounds, electric guitar chords, dulcimer notes, water splashes, car horns and applause." Put your phone on speaker and march and you're making music.
Parranda – East Harlem
Starts at 5:15pm, ends at 10:30pm and makes multiple stops. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
The Puerto Rican musical group Los Pleneros de la 21 hits seven neighborhood hot spots to sing traditional Hispanic Christmas songs. If you know the words, sing along.
Pilgrimage – Upper East Side
Starts on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 6pm
Ends at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine at 7pm
Early music singers croon medieval melodies while carrying lanterns. Everyone's invited to join in, and you can even download the sheet music in advance.
Peregrine – Park Slope
Starts at Grand Army Plaza at 6:30pm
Ends at JJ Byrne Park at Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street at 7:15pm
Phil Kline, the avant-garde artist behind Unsilent Night, invites revelers to bring their boomboxes so they can participate in a moving sound sculpture. Cassettes will be distributed onsite.
Soho Gamelan Walk with Hubcap Parade – Soho
Starts at Sixth Avenue and Spring Street
End to be determined
Kids should love this one: Composer Daniel Goode will encourage participants to drum on various buildings with their hands, accompanied by a musical ensemble playing automobile hubcaps. Wear gloves (hopefully we didn't need to tell you that).
Bell By Bell Parade – East Village
Starts at Tompkins Square Park at 8pm
Ends at Allen and Rivington Streets at 9:15pm
FREE but RSVP required
Show up and you'll be handed one of 50 color-coded bells, one color per note. Leaders will wave corresponding colored flags to conduct the crowd.
Visit the website for a complete list of Make Music Winter parades.
For more seasonal fun, check out our Holiday Activity Guide.
