This Weekend: At Summer’s Peak
Posted in Programs and Events on July 31 2015, by Matt Newman
With summer at its peak, there’s never been a better time to take a break from your sauna of a city apartment and head to NYBG—it’s a chance to get some walking in, stretch your legs, and enjoy the breezy shade!
The Garden right now is awash in greenery, from the swaying canopy of the Thain Family Forest to the wild abundance of Seasonal Walk. You’ll still find the Rose Garden blooming away, and the Perennial Garden is not only a place of poignant beauty, but of lyricism—our Poetry Walk features the writing of Octavio Paz in fine relief against the backdrop of flowers and foliage.
Not that the outdoor displays are all we have going on right now; FRIDA KAHLO: Art, Garden, Life continues to draw thousands of New Yorkers and travelers alike to our exhibition of horticulture, fine art, music, and dance, and now’s the season to experience it all—when the landscape so nearly matches the florid abundance of the artist’s paintings!
Saturday, August 1
Native Plant Garden Tour — 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Join a tour guide for an insider’s view of the newly designed Native Plant Garden. Enjoy a mosaic of nearly 100,000 native trees, wildflowers, ferns and grasses designed to flourish in every season.
Live Music & Dance — 1 p.m.
In Ross Hall
Mexico Beyond Mariachi’s performances form a bridge that connects audiences to the living traditions of Mexico through a musical journey that begins with the conquest and leads to the present day. The New York group has been seen by more than one million people over the last 10 years.
¡Cámara, Acción! Mexican Film Series — 3 p.m.
In Ross Hall
Every Saturday at 3 p.m., experience Frida Kahlo on the big screen with the Academy Award-winning film Frida, directed by Julie Taymor and starring Salma Hayek. On Sundays, a revolving series of compelling documentaries, shorts, and features takes you inside the vibrant culture of Mexico today, presented in partnership with Cinema Tropical.
Poetry for Every Season: Octavio Paz Poetry Walk
Adjacent to the Haupt Conservatory, the works of influential 20th-century Mexican poet Octavio Paz, many referencing native plants and flowers, will be displayed amid the seasonal beauty of the Garden’s own collections.
Sunday, August 2
Native Plant Garden Tour — 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Reflecting Pool at the Leon Levy Visitor Center
Join a tour guide for an insider’s view of the newly designed Native Plant Garden. Enjoy a mosaic of nearly 00,000 native trees, wildflowers, ferns and grasses designed to flourish in every season.
Live Music & Dance — 1 p.m.
In Ross Hall
Mexico Beyond Mariachi’s performances form a bridge that connects audiences to the living traditions of Mexico through a musical journey that begins with the conquest and leads to the present day. The New York group has been seen by more than one million people over the last 10 years.
¡Cámara, Acción! Mexican Film Series — 3 p.m.
In Ross Hall
On Sundays, a revolving series of compelling documentaries, shorts, and features takes you inside the vibrant culture of Mexico today, presented in partnership with Cinema Tropical.
Today’s Feature: Presunto Culpable/Presumed Guilty
(Roberto Hernandez & Geoffrey Smith, Mexico, 2010, 88 min. Not Rated)
In December 2005, Toño Zúñiga was picked up off the street in Mexico City, Mexico, and sentenced to 20 years for murder based on the testimony of a single, shaky eyewitness. The Emmy Award-winning documentary Presumed Guilty tells the heart-wrenching story of a man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A friend of Toño’s contacted two young lawyers, Roberto Hernández and Layda Negrete, who gained prominence in Mexico when they helped bring about the release of another innocent man from prison. Shot over three years with unprecedented access to the Mexican courts and prisons, this dramatic story is a searing indictment of a justice system that presumes guilt. Presumed Guilty became the highest-grossing documentary film in the history of Mexico.
Ongoing Children’s Programs
Mario Batali’s Kitchen Gardens — 1:30 p.m.–6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Garden beds are filled with plants featured in the favorite recipes of the chefs from Mario Batali’s restaurants. Kids can explore the gardens to solve Mario’s Menu Mystery game.
Dig! Plant! Grow! Pickle Me! — 1:30–6 p.m.
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Plants and imaginations grow at the Ruth Howell Family Garden, where kids are allowed!—no, encouraged!—to play in the dirt. Display gardens, such as the Global Gardens and the Bean Tunnel or Salad Bowl, and daily interactive gardening activities delight and inspire. Drop-in activities end at 5:30 p.m.
Cooking with Frida
In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden
Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays: 2 & 4 p.m.
Hands-on activities in the Edible Academy’s Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden bring together children and their families to experience the colors, textures, smells, and tastes of Frida Kahlo’s Mexican kitchen. Cooking demonstrations feature recipes inspired by those Frida served to family and friends, using nutritious, garden-based ingredients. Visitors can explore and tend to the plant staples of Mexican cuisine growing throughout the Family Garden: beans, tomatoes, peppers, chiles, herbs, and more!
Frida’s Flora and Fauna
Everett Children’s Adventure Garden
Weekdays; 1:30–5:30 p.m.
Weekends plus Holiday Mondays; 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Visit the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden to experience the inspiration Frida Kahlo found in the natural world that can be seen and appreciated in her artwork. Throughout the Adventure Garden investigate plants and animals growing and living in New York City, using your senses as well as scientific tools to discover your own creative muse.
