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New York City Kids Weekend Events for November 21-22: Free & Cheap Art Events, Icky Festival, Scarecrow Contest & More

11/19/09 - By charlotte

I’ve always found the weekend before Thanksgiving to be exciting, since the whole family is starting to get in the holiday spirit and kids know vacations (and presents, of course) are coming. But before you start thinking about gifts or prepping food before the big cook-off, take some time to enjoy the pre-Rockefeller Tree-d city—it won’t look like this again until mid-January. This weekend there’s an incredible array of free and cheap art events, live music and food at El Museo del Barrio, a scarecrow making contest, circus fun, a gross (but awesome) icky festival and more.  

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All weekend: Free ice skating and skate rentals in Long Island City.

Saturday, November 21

IckyFest!—Crown Heights, Brooklyn
During this weekend-long festival, become a grossologist—a scientific expert on all things slimy, yucky, and downright disgusting! Create your own snotty slime, get acquainted with creepy crawlers, see a snake eat lunch, make mud masks, and more. Some highlights for Saturday: bubblemania,  make your own slime, snake feeding, owl pellet dissecting. $7.50/everyone over 1 yr

Vision Festival—LES, Manhattan
Art for Art is hosting a massive 28-hour non-stop art marathon, but we’re only concerned with 12-3pm on Saturday, when kids can interact and improvise with artists, gymnasts, dancers and musicians as part of this innovative art event. FREE

Super Sábado!—East Harlem, Manhatan
As part of the Target Free Third Saturday program, El Museo del Barrio is having an all day festival. In addition to the exhibitions on view, there will be live music from 97.9 FM, a merengue and bachata group, and a salsa band; empanadas and tamales for $1; an art making workshop; storytelling; concert by Face the Music; a two hour spoken-word workshop for teens and more. FREE

Family Activities—UWS, Manhattan
Each week the JCC offers free activities for families, and this week’s look especially cool. Plus, they serve free healthy snacks like pretzels and fresh fruit. Special guest performer Keith Lief will be putting on a juggling show at 2:30, followed by hula hooping, arts & crafts, rooftop playground fun (weather permitting), structured play, and circle games. FREE

Invent-Create-Imagine—Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Find some artistic inpiration. BRIC Contemporary Art is hosting an imaginative adventure in art-making this weekend. Inspired by their current exhibition Revelatory Tension, kids will create their own artwork using both unique and traditional materials, along with artist teacher Angela Earley. FREE

Cornucopia—Mid Island, Staten Island
All ages are invited to play at Clove Lakes Park this Saturday, but just don’t forget to bring clothes and any other items you deem necessary to enter the scarecrow making contest (hay is provided). There will also be games, crafts, pony rides, moon bounce and a canine contest, too, so bring your pooch along! We recommend not forgetting your camera, either. FREE

Sunday, November 22

The Urban Ballet Theater—LES, Manhattan
The Abrons Arts Center is opening its doors at 1:30pm to kids for a behind-the-scenes tour of the costumes and set decorations for “Nutcracker in the Lower,” its long-running holiday show. Your kids are sure to “ooh” and “ahh” at the funky take on Tchaikovsky’s original. FREE

IckyFest!—Crown Heights, Brooklyn
IckFest! continues from Saturday to Sunday for even more gross fun. Sunday highlights include: the magic of chemistry, slimy science, mud mask making, exploring sticky goo, and a surprise live animal encounter.

Fall Family Day—UES, Manhattan
Celebrate the Guggenheim’s  architecture and the artwork of Vasily Kandinsky, as the whole family engages in conversations, art-making activities, and storytelling. Recommended for families with kids 4–10; $15/ family.

More Ideas: Don’t miss out on any of the cool events going down this weekend, by visiting our calendar and seeing what’s happening in New Jersey and Long Island.

And here’s an MP tip: If you are planning for Thanksgiving and want to get the kids involved, consider bringing them along to the New Amsterdam Market this Sunday. There’s so many vendors and local foods to try; older children will have a blast while you pick fresh ingredients for your holiday feast. And if you’re headed to the Macy’s Parade, be sure to check out our Viewers Guide before you go!


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