Events

PUBLIC PROGRAMS, ART AND CULTURE

Visit the Greenmarket, held every Wednesday until 4 PM, year-round. Be sure to view the sculpture exhibit, which changes every three or four months. 

As the City opens up and recovers from the pandemic, we are working with the City and our local partners to facilitate events. The plaza offers an ideal outdoor arena for public programming. We welcome inquiries about how to make your event a success, and frequently partner with  organizations to bring new programs to the Plaza.

FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF HOW THE SEASONS UNFOLD UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. NO EVENTS WERE HELD IN 2020 DUE TO  THE PANDEMIC.

SPRING: Traditionally, we kick off the park season in April with Earth Day, followed by the Katharine Hepburn Garden Party in early May, which coincides with “Kate’s birthday” and National Wildflower Week. Also in May, Partnerships for Parks holds  It’s My Park Day to green up New York City.

SUMMER: June brings lots of garden planting and diverse outdoor activities: art shows,  dance, music and other cultural programs. In August, the park has long been the site of National Night Out Against Crime. Through our partnership with Rooftop Films,  movie nights were introduced to the Plaza.

FALL: In mid-September, the UN General Assembly meets, and the park is often cordoned off by NYPD  to secure passage for high officials and to accomodate  demonstrations. We avoid  scheduling events for this  two-week period when the park block may be in “lock-down” with little notice.

In early October, hundreds of families join our Oktoberfest, featuring  a children’s jamboree of pumpkin decorating and carnival games. Volunteers join in the city-wide  It’s My Park Day and the Daffodil Project,  also in October. As the days grow short, our gardeners  plant spring-flowering bulbs and put the garden to bed.

WINTER: The year ends with a holiday tree-lighting party followed by hot chocolate and cookie decorating for kids held in partnership with the neighboring Vanderbilt Y. During the winter months, we plan our budget and organize activities for the coming year.