Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual celebration that uplifts the Hispanic community and recognizes the significant contributions and achievements of Hispanic Americans in the United States.
Originating in 1968 as a weeklong commemoration, it has since evolved into a month long fiesta observed between September 15th through October 15th. Unsure how to celebrate in NYC? We’ve got you covered! Here are the best events and happenings to honor Hispanic Heritage Month in NYC.
1. Support local Hispanic-owned restaurants and businesses
3. Join NYPL for dance classes, book discussions, film screenings and more
Source / NYPL
The NYPL is celebrating Hispanic Heritage month with a full calendar of free events. From movie screenings to trivia, salsa dancing to a writing workshop, you’ll want to explore their full programming on the NYPL website. Plus, don’t forget all of the amazing perks you get with your library card!
4. Explore the newest exhibitions at the Hispanic Museum & Library
Shutterstock / Here Now
New Yorkers can find the Hispanic Museum & Library located on the Upper West Side at 3741 Broadway. Here, art lovers can enjoy works from countries that predominately speak Spanish and Portuguese. Take a look at their current exhibitions now on view, in addition to highly-anticipated installations on the way, on its website. The Hispanic Museum & Library prides itself on accessibility as admission is free to the public.
5. Admire vibrant floats at the Hispanic Day Parade in Queens
Shutterstock / a katz
If you miss Staten Island’s Mexican Independence Day Parade, don’t fret! You can instead check out the Hispanic Day Parade in Queens on September 29th. The parade route follows along 37th Avenue and will run from
Home to the iconic New York City Ballet, the David H. Koch Theater epitomizes NYC’s long-standing passion for performing arts. The 13-story building, with several stories underground, and state-of-the-art facilities are a postmodern architectural marvel.
This cultural hotspot has witnessed countless groundbreaking performances, from consecutive world premieres of George Balanchine’s legendary ballets to iconic performances by Suzanne Farrell and Maria Tallchief. The theater is informally known as Lincoln Center’s Home for Dance. It is a popular venue for dance enthusiasts from across the globe.
Background on the David H. Koch Theater
Constructed in 1964, the theater was initially known as the New York State Theater. For several decades, the iconic venue also hosted the New York City Opera and the Music Theatre of Lincoln Center. In July 2008, billionaire David H. Koch pledged 100 million USD for the building’s renovation and upkeep. Thereon, the theater was renamed after the noted philanthropist.
The massive auditorium here can seat up to 2,586 patrons. There are five Opera-style viewing galleries with Orchestra-level seats below. Decked out with a gold-plated ceiling, ornamental lighting, and a dazzling central chandelier, the aura is one-of-a-kind. The building also houses a grand Promenade with elegant interiors and a gold-leaf ceiling. It is one the largest event-hosting spaces in NYC. Other spaces in the building include the Travelers Patron Lounge, the Boardroom, and Studio Spaces for rehearsals.
David H. Koch Theater
Where is the David H. Koch Theater, and how do you get there?
David H. Koch Theater is located at 20 Lincoln Centre Plaza, NYC. It is in the southern part of Lincoln Center Plaza, next to David Geffen Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House.
The Lincoln Center is a prominent landmark of the Upper West Side in Manhattan. It is at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street, 5 minutes from Central Park.
There are two bus stops within 2-5 minutes walking distance of the Lincoln Center.
The first is Columbus Avenue West 66th Street, plied by the M7, M11, and M66 buses. The second is Broadway West 66th Street, plied by the M5 and M104 buses.
The nearest subway station is Lincoln Center Station at 66th Street. Board the ‘1’ train to get here.
What can you expect when you visit the David H. Koch Theater?
Every show here has a curtain time before the actual performance begins. Ideally, you should arrive 30-45 minutes before the show. This allows time to navigate the enormous complex, collect your tickets, go through security checks, review the program, and soak in the ambiance. If you arrive after the curtain time, you will not be seated until a break or intermission.
Before heading to the auditorium, don’t forget to explore the lobby, which houses fascinating commissioned art pieces from across the globe. There are mythological figurines, metallic artifacts, wooden crafts, and ballet-themed artwork.
David H. Koch Theater
What else can you do when you visit?
Review the latest lineup of shows before booking your tickets:
Masters at Work, an animated and colorful ballerina performance.
Eclectic NYCB, a classic Balanchine show with soulful renditions.
Balanchine and Ratmansky, a perfect pairing of two signature ballets.
Coppelia, a romantic story of an inventor and his life-like doll.
The Grand Musical ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ is also periodically showcased at the David H. Koch Theater. It is a riveting love saga with majestic sets, dazzling costumes, live music, and stunning choreography. Children’s Access Workshops, Autism-Friendly Workshops, Ballet Essentials Workshops, In-Motion Workshops, and Family Saturdays are occasionally held at the venue. You can enquire about the upcoming schedule and participate.
You can also visit the spectacular Fashion Galas held at the David H. Koch Theater every season. Also, check out the Lincoln Center Out of Doors, a beautiful outdoor venue for dance performances. Looking for a bite to eat? Dine at famousrestaurants nearby, like Flame and Maison Pickle. Central Park is also a few blocks from the venue, where you can enjoy NYC Horse Carriage Rides!
FAQs
What are the ticketing hours at the David H. Koch Theater?
The box office window at the theater lobby opens from 10 am to 8.30 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. It closes at 7.30 pm on Mondays, and it opens from 11.30 am to 7.30 pm on Sundays.
Are the tickets for shows at David H. Koch Theater refundable?
Once you purchase a ticket, it cannot be returned or exchanged.
Is there an age restriction for entry at the venue?
There is no formal age limit. All shows are suitable for ages 5 and up. However, keep in mind that the theater has strict policies regarding disturbances during a performance.
Hailed as the global center for ballet, the David H. Koch Theater is a testament to the philanthropic spirit of New York. Renovated and refurbished multiple times over the last five decades, the venue has shaped the landscape of modern dance.
With world-class production facilities and ample event space, this place also embodies the enticing cosmopolitan culture of NYC.
The world’s best choreographers, ballerinas, and contemporary dancers weave magic on the stage here. Visiting this iconic theater will leave you enchanted if you are a dance and music lover.
The synergy of movements, rhythm, and harmony is captivating beyond imagination!
If you’ve been wondering what all that construction along Manhattan’s East River Park has been about for the last few months, we have some answers.
Last week, the city unveiled two brand new ballfields and the Delancey Street pedestrian bridge in the area. The latter offers a much needed ADA-accessible connection from the Lower East Side to the East River Park, making all that traffic worth it.
If you think that the impressive-looking structure looks like something pulled out of a European country, that’s because it was actually manufactured in Italy. The $32 million bridge, which is 215 feet long and weighs 125 tons, will tower over FDR Drive and lead straight to the brand new ballfields, which boast an advanced integrated drainage system to absorb water and help mitigate flooding.
Other amenities you’ll soon see at the park include an amphitheater, more ballfields, soccer fields, tracks, basketball courts, playgrounds and more, according to 6 sq ft.
The completion of the pedestrian bridge and ballfields is just one stage of a $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project that aims to reduce flood risks in Lower Manhattan as climate change increases the threats of severe weather and flooding. The program also seeks to elevate parts of the land around the East River by 8 to 10 feet above sea level. The ambitious project kicked off in 2020 and is set to be completed by 2026.
“Today’s unveiling of the Delancey Street Pedestrian Bridge and East River Park Ballfields represents more than just new infrastructure; it stands as a testament to our commitment to resilience and community well-being,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue during a press event. “These projects not only provide crucial flood protection, but also create vibrant spaces for recreation, connecting our residents with their city and each other. They embody how integrating sustainability and innovative design can enhance our urban landscape and ensure a brighter, greener future for all New Yorkers.”
You can take a walk over the brand new pedestrian bridge between 7am and 5pm. From the bridge, you’ll be able to see more of the progress being made on the East Side Coastal Resiliency project, one of the most extensive and exciting climate-change fighting initiatives in recent memory.
For all of us mere mortals, successfully carving one jack-o’-lantern—even if it features a wobbly smile and a too-small nose—is a feat to pull off each Halloween season. But for the autumnal gods and goddesses who preside over The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, carving thousands of jack-o’-lanterns is a must.
Blaze, a Hudson Valley staple for two decades, presents dozens of jaw-dropping artistic displays—many made with real pumpkins. Michael Natiello, the creative director for The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, delights in the process. He sat down with Time Out New York—while carving a jack-o’-lantern, of course—to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the seasonal splendor that’s become a beloved tradition for many New Yorkers.
For Natiello and his team of artists, the work actually begins months before fun-size candy bars go on sale and giant Jack Skellingtons decorate stores. All year, they brainstorm, plan and design, coming up with imaginative new pumpkin creations. Natiello draws on his passion for historical illustration to come up with displays rooted in the past, a fitting tribute considering Blaze is a production of Historic Hudson Valley.
Photograph: Rossilynne Skena Culgan for Time Out New York
Then, as fall nears, the pumpkins start arriving. Nearly 10,000 pumpkins show up on flatbed trucks throughout the season, all sourced from Wallkill View Farm in New Paltz.
From there, the process looks pretty similar to the traditional American pumpkin-carving method—except this operation is on steroids.
The process looks pretty similar to the traditional American pumpkin-carving method—except this operation is on steroids.
Take the carving instrument, for example. Instead of a common kitchen knife, the Blaze artists use a drywall saw to cut a hole from the bottom of the pumpkin. That’s a helpful tool when carving hundreds of pumpkins every day, Matiello tells me. Woodworking tools, keyhole saws and thin serrated knives are their tools of the trade.
The artists do special wrist stretches before they sink their saws into pumpkin after pumpkin. Like elite athletes, they load up on bananas to reduce cramping. Some people even wear braces to stabilize their joints. After a long day of pumpkin carving, many look forward to one particular task: Washing dishes to warm up their hands after touching cold pumpkins all day.
It’s not just a one-time carving bonanza. The artists stay on throughout the Halloween season, ready to carve fresh artwork when the heat and the rain take their toll on existing pumpkin displays.
More than a dozen carvers take on the Herculean task of carving thousands of pumpkins to make Blaze possible. Each year, Natiello hires specialized artists for the task, often looking for people with skills like engineering abilities.
Photograph: Angie Gaul | Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
For the past two decades, Natiello has been taking on this challenging job year after year.
He grew up in New Jersey carving more traditional jack-o’-lanterns as a kid, but he was entranced by the incredible jack-o’-lantern artistry he saw Martha Stewart create on TV. He’s always loved Halloween, with its feeling of “escaping from reality”—and now he’s made it a successful career.
When Historic Hudson Valley was looking for an artist for their Blaze concept, Natiello jumped at the chance as a way to combine his background in illustration, painting, religion, mythology and historical crafts. When he was hired, Natiello created storyboards with his concepts and even made a topographical map of the property, placing dots where each pumpkin would go. Blaze, which started at 18 nights, now offers 54 nights of all-ages fun with incredible lighting, audio and art.
My closest analogy is like going to a movie where you will be totally immersed.
“As artists we want to, in this case, make people happy and think a little bit—and forget about everyday life,” Natiello says. “I always say my closest analogy is like going to a movie where you will be totally immersed.”
When you visit Blaze, you might just spot Natiello in the crowd. He loves to see fans enjoying the work, especially at his favorite installation: “The Road to Infinity,” which makes a cool optical illusion that you have to see to believe.
Photograph: Rossilynne Skena Culgan for Time Out New York
Jack-o’-lantern tips from the pro
If you feel inspired to make your own artistic pumpkin creation this year, Natiello offers a few tricks of the trade.
Pick carefully. Choose a pumpkin that’s dark orange with a thick stem. You want something heavy, which indicates that it likely has thick walls. Think about what you want to create, too. For a Frankenstein pumpkin, a squarish shape would be perfect.
To scoop the seeds, try a spoon or an ice cream scoop.
Sketch out your design first with a Sharpie. You can wipe off the marks when you’re all done.
When carving, don’t try to push the thing you carved into the pumpkin. Instead, push it out from the inside.
During your carving process, be sure to start in the center and work your way out for stability.
To light it up, use a battery-operated candle instead of a real one. It’s safer and some even offer changing light colors.
Keep it cool. When your jack-o’-lantern is not on display, keep it somewhere cool, so it stays as fresh as possible.
Blaze: Hudson Valley runs at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County from September 13 through November 17. Blaze: Long Island runs at Old Bethpage Village Restoration in Old Bethpage, Long Island from October 4 through November 3. Tickets are on sale now with adult prices starting at $20.
“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose,” as the famous poem goes. But what about when a rose isn’t quite what it seems? The beautiful red roses at Cj Hendry’s Flower Market don’t have any thorns or a scent—and they feel fuzzy rather than smooth.
These roses, along with peonies, sunflowers, lilies and more, are plush creations made by artist Cj Hendry as part of a dazzling floral exhibition on Roosevelt Island. You can visit this weekend (September 13-15, 10am-4pm) for free—and even take a complimentary plush flower home with you. Be sure to register in advance here.
Contemporary artist Cj Hendry has transformed a massive white tent into a meadow complete with 100,000 flowers. Find it in Four Freedoms Park at the south end of the island. The installation is held in collaboration with beauty brand Clé de Peau Beauté; the plush flowers were inspired by the botanicals used in the brand’s products, especially radiant lily in The Serum. Each complimentary flower comes with a bottle of Clé de Peau Beauté’s The Serum.
Photograph: courtesy Cj Hendry Studio
Plush white lilies are on display, alongside a dozen original drawings Hendry created for this exhibition. Among the other flowers on display are a bouquet inspired by the Roosevelt family: the yellow Eleanor Roosevelt Rose, tulips for the Roosevelt family’s Dutch heritage, red roses symbolizing the “Roosevelt” name (field of roses), and peonies, the signature flower of the Roosevelt farm.
Wandering the flower field in the beautiful setting of the Four Freedoms Park feels magical—especially on a sunny day like we’re expected to have all weekend. The flowers are so realistic, you have to touch them to know they’re actually plush. In addition to selecting one free flower to take home, you can purchase additional flowers for $5/stem. We even spotted Martha Stewart at a preview event picking out a beautiful bouquet!
Photograph: Antonio Ajam
“When the architect Louis Kahn designed this memorial, he said, ‘The garden is somehow a personal kind of control of nature.’ A lot of my work, and in this exhibition especially, is about manipulating my environments and building a space that takes participants out of their ordinary. I hope Flower Market inspires joy and beauty well after the greenhouse is empty, every time we see flowers—plush or otherwise,” Hendry said in a press release.
As an artist, Hendry is known for inspiring joy and beauty, and she’s graced New York City with her vision several times recently. Her Pink Chairs, a pair of concrete chairs popped up in Prospect Park earlier this year. And last year, her adult playground called PLAIDground delighted visitors in Brooklyn.
Photograph: courtesy Cj Hendry Studio
Now, all are invited to step into Hendry’s colorful world to stop smell the roses—metaphorically, that is.
The next steps for the country’s first all-electric high-speed train, Brightline West’s AP220, are underway with a new production facility set to take over Horseheads, New York.
Brightline West will travel at a speed of 220mph, covering 218 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada to Rancho Cucamonga, California in just two hours and 10 minutes—cutting the average driving time in half!
The eco-friendly train will revolutionize rail service in America, finally [competing] with the best [trains] in the world,” Michael Reininger, Brightline CEO told Travel + Leisure.
Brightline West
Though construction on the overall project broke ground last April, production at the New York facility is set to commence in 2026. It marks a $60 million investment by Siemens Mobility, taking over 300,000 square feet in Horseheads, New York. The new facility is expected to generate approximately 300 jobs in the community.
“Upstate New York is unmatched in rail car manufacturing capabilities, with a deep proud history pioneering the rail industry and a community that is excited to get to work building America’s future,” proudly said Senator Schumer.
New renderings of the train design feature chic interiors, with spacious seating. There will even be a luxurious “party car,” perfect for lounging around during the journey.
Brightline West
The company hopes to begin servicing Brightline West passengers by 2028. If all goes to plan, the AP 220 will aid in transportation during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Brightline already operates train service between Central and South Florida, only reaching a maximum speed of 125mph. With existing stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando, Brightline intends to expand into Stuart and Cocoa.
Shaver Hall is going to have quite a generous menu when all is said and done, so bring your appetite.
The forthcoming food hall will set up shop in the shuttered Lord & Taylor flagship at 424 5th Avenue, a sprawling 35,000 square foot space.
Amazon’s corporate offices (Hank) moved into the building last year. Now, the next chapter of the landmark is underway with the arrival of the culinary space — but not without paying homage to the rich history that preceded it.
The scoop on Shaver Hall
The e-retailer and The Food Hall Co., a Texas-based business, joined forces to conceptualize the venue in honor of Dorothy Shaver, the president of Lord & Taylor and the first woman to head a multimillion-dollar business.
“We can’t wait to introduce Shaver Hall to the vibrant culinary scene in Midtown Manhattan,” said Randy Dewitt, Co-Founder of The Food Hall Co. “We look forward to working with Amazon to create an experience that celebrates the diverse flavors and culinary talents of New York City while fostering a sense of community and connection within this iconic space.”
Shaver Hall is set to include two restaurants, 11 food stalls, two full-service bars, a carefully curated bodega, and a space for live entertainment. And it promises to provide some of the best pizza in NYC, as well as a taste of our favorite Korean restaurants in NYC, to name a few dining options.
F&F, a pizza hotspot in Caroll Gardens, as well as the Korean-inspired chicken of Chick Chick, and Taqueria Al Pastor are headed for Shaver Hall.
Other vendors have yet to be announced, but The Food Hall Co. says, “We are committed to celebrating the diverse flavors and culinary talents of New York City while fostering a sense of community and connection within this iconic space.”
You know what that means? Lunch in Midtown is going to get a whole lot more exciting.
