This Weekend: January in the Tropics
Posted in Around the Garden on January 18 2013, by Matt Newman
It’s the first long weekend of the new year, and we’re not about to kick off 2013 on a lazy note. Just look at our schedule! Over the next three days, we’ll not only be packing in the holiday fun with the help of Thomas and Friends™, but welcoming an early summer in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory through Tropical Paradise, our homage to all things chill (in the kick-back-and-breathe sense, naturally). If you’ve got a camera handy, this is not something you’ll want to miss. So join us as we keep the season’s festivities afloat while shrugging off the winter cold!
Through January 27, Thomas and his buddies continue to spark young imaginations in the Ross Hall with an interactive, problem-solving singalong that will not only put smiles on your kids’ faces, but have them playing right along with the cast as they guide Thomas to his destination. The fun only continues after the show, with our Thomas-themed “Playstation” activities running throughout the weekend in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. There, you’ll find toys, tracks, and trains to keep the little ones occupied while you catch your breath. Just remember that tickets are extremely limited, so it’s best to register as early as possible.
And while you’re here, don’t forget to sign up for our Cancun vacation sweepstakes, courtesy of Thomas and the Hard Rock Cafe!
Over in our Conservatory, we’re moving beyond the holiday kerfuffle and into summer–just a little bit early, I admit, but who could blame us? From January 19 through February 24, Tropical Paradise celebrates the beauty and music of the tropics with a focus on the exotic plantlife of our permanent collection. Here, you’ll pick up facts about the healthful, edible, and unusual growing life of the islands, the rain forests, and elsewhere. You’ll also be welcome to join us for music from around the world, as well as our much-loved and hotly anticipated yearly photography contest.
If you’ve got a DSLR gathering dust on a shelf, or just hope to get your feet wet with iPhone photography, shutterbugs of all skill levels and mediums are welcome to submit their work for judging. All you need to do is join up with our Flickr account, head to the Conservatory, and hunt for great shots! For more on the rules and ongoing schedule, you can read Ann’s write-up of this high-energy competition. You might even decide to join one of our casual photography workshops (free with a Conservatory ticket), led by a local expert photographer and designed to help you along, no matter your level.
If you’re lucky, you’ve got three entire days ahead of you, perfect for adventuring in the city. And for those not heading south to D.C. for Monday’s inauguration, the NYBG will be open and ready for exploration–whether you’re learning about our collections, trying your hand at the photographer’s craft, or just looking to kick back and warm up in the Conservatory. Head below for the full (I mean it–we couldn’t fit any more if we tried) schedule of events!
Saturday, January 19 – Tropical Paradise Begins
All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ – 11 a.m., 1:30, and 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a fun-filled, sing-along, mini-performance adventure by helping Thomas find his way from Knapford Station to Brendam Docks using teamwork, friendship, and discovery. Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day! When guests purchase their ticket, they must select the Holiday Train Show ticket that specifies Thomas and reserve a mini-performance time. While the price of all Holiday Train Show tickets is the same, this is the only ticket type that allows access to Thomas.
Bird Walk – 11 a.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.
Tropical Paradise Tour with ASL interpreter – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Take refuge from winter by retreating to Tropical Paradise — a showcase of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s permanent collection, including orange-yellow crotons, fuchsia bromeliads, and more. Tour the many surprises in the Victorian-style glasshouse, where the harsh outdoor weather gives way to warm rain forest mists, soaring palm trees, and bright desert landscapes. You’ll feel like you are on vacation without leaving New York.
Sunday, January 20
All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ – 11 a.m., 1:30, and 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a fun-filled, sing-along, mini-performance adventure by helping Thomas find his way from Knapford Station to Brendam Docks using teamwork, friendship, and discovery. Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day! At today’s afternoon performances, pre-registered members of Kids Club THIRTEEN will participate in the fun and enjoy additional learning activities. When guests purchase their ticket, they must select the Holiday Train Showticket that specifies Thomas and reserve a mini-performance time. While the price of all Holiday Train Show tickets is the same, this is the only ticket type that allows access to Thomas.
Tropical Paradise Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Take refuge from winter by retreating to Tropical Paradise — a showcase of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s permanent collection, including orange-yellow crotons, fuchsia bromeliads, and more. Tour the many surprises in the Victorian-style glasshouse, where the harsh outdoor weather gives way to warm rain forest mists, soaring palm trees, and bright desert landscapes. You’ll feel like you are on vacation without leaving New York.
Photography Tips and Tricks – 1 to 3 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory Palms of the World Gallery
Join our expert on hand in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory to dispense garden photography tips, encouragement, and critique for budding photographers. Each week, participate in a photo contest, “Picturing Paradise,” for a chance to win a spot in a photography course given at the NYBG this coming spring. The contest is run through the Garden’s Group Pool on Flickr. For more information visit nybg.org/tropical/.
Monday, January 21
All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ – 11 a.m., 1:30, and 3:30 p.m.
In the Ross Hall
Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a fun-filled, sing-along, mini-performance adventure by helping Thomas find his way from Knapford Station to Brendam Docks using teamwork, friendship, and discovery. Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day! When guests purchase their ticket, they must select the Holiday Train Show ticket that specifies Thomas and reserve a mini-performance time. While the price of all Holiday Train Show tickets is the same, this is the only ticket type that allows access to Thomas.
Tropical Paradise Tour – 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Take refuge from winter by retreating to Tropical Paradise — a showcase of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s permanent collection, including orange-yellow crotons, fuchsia bromeliads, and more. Tour the many surprises in the Victorian-style glasshouse, where the harsh outdoor weather gives way to warm rain forest mists, soaring palm trees, and bright desert landscapes. You’ll feel like you are on vacation without leaving New York.
Ongoing Programming, January 19 – February 24
Adventures in Adaptation
A free scavenger hunt that leads you through the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Garden grounds
Welcome to Adventures in Adaptation! Using your powers of observation, search for Dr. Ed Apshon, one of our scientists who has been traveling all over the world for his research on plant adaptations. To help us find him, you must locate the plants he has recorded in his field notebook and determine where he has been–and where he’s going next!
Tropical Paradise Photography Contest
After viewing the award-winning photographs from the International Garden Photographer of the Year display, take a spin through the Conservatory and snap your own pictures for entering into the Tropical Paradise Photography Contest. This year’s contest is all about picturing paradise: find paradise in the natural beauty of the Conservatory, be inspired by the award-winning photographs from paradises around the world, and find inspiration to picture paradise in the community of your fellow photographers in the NYBG Flickr Group Pool.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Winter Fun
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, through January 18
Daily, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
After dashing through mazes and bouldering up massive rocks, step inside the warm Discovery Center where you can plant seeds to take home and create a field notebook to use while investigating the Garden. After warming up with some activities and a visit to the reading nook, head back into the Garden on a scavenger hunt to find the earliest signs of spring!
Thomas & Friends™ Playstation
In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
January 19 – 21, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Join us at the Station for Thomas & Friends™ playtime and crafts. With engines and tracks and toys aplenty, your little engineers are the conductors of their own adventure. Supported by Fisher-Price.
Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, January 19 through February 24
Weekends and Holiday Mondays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Weekdays, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Inside the cozy Discovery Center kids of all ages can take a closer look at the differences between tropical and temperate plants. Pot up a specimen plant to take home and compare its characteristics with foliage in your neighborhood. Make bark rubbings, count tree rings, and head back into the winter garden with a field notebook to discover the vital sparks of life that lie just below the surface of this quiet season.
