Up for Grabs: FREE Family Pass to MoMA and Three FREE Tickets to PS 1

A free Museum of Modern Art family pass (good for five people; valid through Sept. 1, 2009) and three FREE tickets to PS 1 MoMA (valid for one month from today) are available first come, first served. Please contact Nina Chan Jalowayski to claim!

Giveaway: 10 Passes to the Brooklyn Children's Museum!

Special offer! Nina Chan Jalowayski is giving away ten FREE guest passes (each for one adult/one child) to the newly re-opened Brooklyn Children's Museum. Passes will be given out on a first come, first served basis, and expire on November 30, 2008.  For larger families, the Museum is sponsoring a Grand Opening Celebration special admission price of $5 (regularly $7.50) per person above one year old, also until November 30, 2008. Contact Nina to claim a free pass!

2nd Annual Gowanus Harvest Festival - Saturday October 11th, 2008

Brooklyn! Fall! Brews! Bounty! Yes, it's that time of year again. The Yard is once again hosting a day of farm fresh food, live music, local vendors, delicious brews and other triumphs of sustainable urban living. Last year, over 1,000 people flocked to the banks of the Gowanus Canal. This year, with pony-rides, arts and crafts, pumpkin carving, pie bake-offs, urban chickens, raffle prizes, composting, transportation alternatives, voter education, and tons of surprises...it will be a day to remember. Best of all, proceeds from the Gowanus Harvest Festival will be donated to Just Food.

11am-9pm
$12, Children under 5 *FREE*
Advanced tickets available at www.TheYard.ad
The Yard // 388-400 Carroll St btw Bond and Nevins
Buy tickets HERE.

PS 29 Earns $800 at the Atlantic Antic!

With clouds giving way to sun, we lucked out for our tables at the Atlantic Antic today! PS 29 and neighborhood families kept our area jammed to capacity throughout the day. The kids had a great time, and the PTA earned $800 in profit!

Special thanks to Kathleen Cavalaro, with Providence Hogan, for co-chairing the event. Many families baked and donated dozens of cupcakes for the ever-popular cupcake decorating activity, and kids kept the face painting area bustling. One-of-a-kind necklaces were created specially for the event by Kathleen Cavalaro, who donated 100% of the proceeds. PS 29 merchandise (caps, tees, jackets, and canvas totes) and our own PS 29 fair-trade coffee also were bestsellers. Thanks to all of our families for the great turnout!

Annual Gowanus Artists Studio Tour

Save the date for the Annual Gowanus Artists Studio Tour (A.G.A.S.T.)!!

You're invited to the 12th Annual A.G.A.S.T. tour on Saturday and Sunday, October 18-19, 2008 from 1-6 p.m. Visitors to this free and open-to-the public tour have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the creators of photography, drawing, printmaking, mixed-media, video, ceramics, glass, installation, paintings, and sculpture, in their own working studio environment.

Bonnie Steinsnyder, the late Zander Toulouse's mom, will be among the many artists at the Open Studio Tour. Her studio is located at 267 Douglass Street, between 3rd Avenue and Nevins Street, on the 4th floor.  Check out Bonnie's site.

Artists' studios on the tour are located in large industrial buildings, garages, brownstones and warehouses along the Gowanus Canal. See the tour map. Pictured above: Zander by Bonnie Steinsnyder, oil on panels, mixed-media frame.

Kids Get Cooking!

Check out the lineup of FREE Kids Get Cooking! events, during the New York City Wine & Food Festival, October 9th-12th, and reserve space for your kids.

For parents, there's a panel called Beyond Chicken Nuggets: How to Raise a Healthy Eater, Friday, October 12th, 12:00-1:30 PM, featuring Rachel Ray, Jessica Seinfeld, and Alice Waters, in addition to several childhood health researchers, hosted by Tara Parker-Pope, the Well columnist for the New York Times. Tickets for the panel are $35 per person.

See Movies, Make Money for PS 29!

Looking for an alternative to blockbuster films for your internationally art-flick savvy kids? Experience the New York International Children's Film Festival, a Cannes- or Sundance-type festival just for kids and teens! Although the festival itself is not until February 2009, NYICFF has a very special fall line-up including premieres, short film collections and classics that you won't want to miss and won't find anywhere else. This weekend see Azur & Azmar at 11 AM Saturday and Sunday at IFC. Click the flyer for details!

And the best news is $2 OF EVERY TICKET YOU BUY GOES DIRECTLY TO OUR SCHOOL – THAT'S 20-30% OF EVERY PURCHASE!

Here's how:
Click here and select PS 29 John Harrigan School from the "Choose my participating school" drop-down menu. The rest is automatic!  Share the wealth! Be sure to print out the calendar below to share with family and friends. See you at the movies!

Brooklyn Monopoly

BK owns the family fun.

October KidFest on Roosevelt Island

Spend every Saturday in October on Roosevelt Island with the family!
Dance and sing to live musical performances by popular kids' bands - including PS 29 parent Audra Rox! - during Kidfest. Performances will be located on the lawn at Riverwalk Commons, located 5 minutes from midtown. Food, live music, fun rides, and exploration of Roosevelt Island!

Bands perform from 2pm to 4pm:
October 4th-The Deedle Deedle Dees
October 11th-Broadway Babies
October 18th-Uncle Rock & The Playthings
October 25th-Audra Rox (PS 29 parent!)

Transportation:
• F Train to Roosevelt Island
• or The Roosevelt Island Tram (only 4 minutes) at 60th St. & 2nd Ave.

Click here for more information.

SAVE THE DATE: PS 29 to Participate in Atlantic Antic '08, Sunday October 5th

SAVE THE DATE: PS 29 will have a table with face painting, PS 29 merchandise and more at the 34th Annual Atlantic Antic, on Sunday, October 5th! To volunteer, please contact co-chairs Kathleen Cavalaro and Providence Hogan. 

Spanning Atlantic Avenue, from Hicks St. to Fourth Avenue, the Antic is a great family-oriented festival, offering plenty of pony rides, face painting, balloon sculptures, live storytelling, music for kids and more! Ten live musical stages offer free performances all day. 

The New York Transit Museum's 15th Annual Bus Festival  also will coincide with the Antic, taking place at the midway point of the festival, on Boerum Place. A collection of vintage buses dating back to 1917 will be on display and ready to board, and visitors can  enjoy free admission to the museum, one block away on Schermerhorn Street.

The Antic features foods from around the world, from baklava and funnel cake, to grilled sardines and pulled pork sandwiches, to street fair favorites like fresh lemonade, fried mozzarella, and roasted corn.  

Atlantic Avenue's restaurants and boutiques along with a host of local vendors, craftspeople, and nonprofits offer fabulous merchandise, too. 

Please come support the PTA and have fun while you're at it!

FREE Family Art Workshops at MoMA This Fall

On weekends this fall, there will be several FREE Ford family art workshops at MoMA. Signups take place the second week of September, and workshops get sold out quickly, due to their small sizes. To make sure you get a spot, the museum recommends signing up for their e-newsletter to be notified when registration begins.

Carnegie Hall Family Concerts - Tix for First Concert Go on Sale on Tuesday!

Tuesday, September 2nd is not only the first day of school, but also the day tickets ($9 each) go on sale for the first concert of the 2008-2009 Carnegie Hall Family Concert series, recommended for children ages 5-12.

Carnegie Hall Family Concert: Bernstein Beat
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Michael Barrett, Conductor
Jamie Bernstein (son of the illustrious Leonard...), Host
Saturday, Nov 1, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage

Moxie Spot Back-to-School Celebration with Deedle Deedle Dees

The Moxie Spot (81-83 Atlantic Avenue, near Hicks St.) will hold a Back-to-School Celebration on Saturday, September 6th at 11 AM featuring the Deede Deedle Dees.

FREE DANCE CLASSES FOR ALL AGES at Mark Morris!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Mark Morris Dance School OPEN HOUSE
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2008
FREE DANCE CLASSES FOR ALL AGES,
LIVE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS, and MORE!

See a full Open House schedule below, or visit the Mark Morris website.
10 - 10:45am
Creative Dance (ages 4-6)
Ballet Fundamentals (ages 8-11)
Yoga (adults)

11 - 11:45am
Modern Dance Fundamentals (ages 6-8)
Pilates (adults)
Modern Dance (adults and teens)
Advanced Ballet (adults - 11:30am - 1pm)

12 - 12:45pm
Creative Dance (ages 4-6)
Ballet Fundamentals (ages 6-8)
Modern Dance Fundamentals (ages 8-11)
Belly Dancing (adults and teens)

1 - 1:45pm
Tap Dance (ages 7-12)
Tango (adults and teens)
West African Dance (adults and teens)
Music & Singing (ages 6-12)

2 - 2:45pm
Salsa (adults and teens)
Tap Dance (adults and teens)
Intro to Ballet (adults and teens)

Cobble Hill Bike Ride - September 14th

From the Cobble Hill Association:

Come join the Cobble Hill Association and Brooklyn Greenway Initiative for the first ever…

COBBLE HILL BIKE RIDE

When: Sunday,September 14, 2008 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where:Cobble Hill Park
Cost: FREE, simply rsvp to cobblehillbikeride@gmail.com.

The Cobble Hill Association and Brooklyn Greenway Initiative are hosting a 12-mile casual bike ride that will start at Cobble Hill Park and pass through the Columbia Waterfront District, Red Hook, Park Slope, Prospect Park, and Gowanus, and loop back to Cobble Hill.

There will be several scenic rest stops as we ride along mostly calm streets with some light vehicular traffic. Several Bike Marshals will travel alongside as well as a mechanic for any urgent bike repairs needed. Light snacks and water will be provided, but riders should be prepared with sunblock, plenty of water, and ready for a light pace that will include some cobblestone streets in Red Hook and the 9th Street hill in Park Slope, with an option to also ride hill within Prospect Park’s car-free loop.

PTA Seeks Chairperson for Our Atlantic Antic Booth on October 5th

PS 29 will have a booth once again at the Atlantic Antic in the fall! In an effort to plan ahead, we're seeking a Chairperson for PS 29's fundraising, community-building efforts at the fair, which takes place Sunday, October 5th (10 AM- 6 PM).

Last year, we had shifts of volunteers helping to sell PS 29 merchandise and coffee, serving as face painters and overseeing the "decorate your own cupcake" activity (a big hit for the last couple of years!). If you can chair the event or can help on the day-of, please email us HERE! Thank you!

PS 29 PTA Earns Over $250 From Brooklyn PTA 5K Run

Our PTA earned over $250 from the recent Brooklyn PTA 5K Run, with the second largest enrollment of runners in this first-time event. The event raised over $3,000 for Brooklyn public schools. Stephanie Manske, chair of our SLT's Wellness Committee, organized the PS 29 contingent, and looks forward to rallying our runners (plus walkers and toddlers) for the 2009 race!

Free Junior Golf Center Opens in Brooklyn

The City Parks Foundation this month opened the CityParks Junior Golf Center, a state-of-the-art six-hole course, free of cost for all NYC youth ages 6-17, located next to the Dyker Beach public golf course in Bay Ridge. The CityParks Junior Golf Center is a new, state-of-the-art facility that offers free golf instruction to New York City children between the ages of 6-17.

Highlights include a 6-hole golf course, practice putting and chipping greens, covered driving range and clubhouse with classroom space.

Click here for complete details about the facility and for information about how kids can participate.

Swedish Midsummer Festival on Friday in Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park!

The 2008 Swedish Midsummmer Festival is this Friday, June 20th, starting at 5 PM, in Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park! Click the poster for details on the many child-friendly and FREE activities or go to the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy website.

Dymaxion Map Intergenerational Workshop: One Earth Island - One Earth Ocean

"Dymaxion Map Intergenerational Workshop: One Earth Island - One Earth Ocean" explores how interconnected we all are...on Buckminster Fuller's giant Dymaxion world map. For ages 9-99.
(Session I) Saturday, 06/28/2008, 11:00am–1:00pm RSVP
(Session II) Saturday, 06/28/2008, 2:00–4:00pm RSVP

Earth Voyage, an experiential education organization based in Asheville, North Carolina is a special project of the Buckminster Fuller Institute in New York. The Earth Voyage mission is to inspire people of all ages to experience the world with a new perspective. EV programs engage participants with multi-media environments, life-size educational tools, kinesthetic activities and service learning to cultivate a deep understanding of environmental and social interconnectedness, systems thinking, science literacy, and encourage active participation as global citizens.

Organized by: Center for Architecture and Center for Architecture Foundation with Earth Voyage
Sponsored by: Center for Architecture Foundation
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place (Directions)
Price: FREE!