The holiday season is surely a joyful time. But it can bring with it some pretty strong pressure points, too—family, work, friends, meals, gifts. (Stop already, right?) How fortunate that Wave Hill offers an experience that both expands our moments of joy and provides a buffer from all that pressure. It’s family time, whether it’s Grandma with her youngest grandson or you and a dearly loved uncle or just Mom and Dad with the kids. It’s time communing with Mother Nature in her most simple, elegant dress. It’s time listening, creating, relaxing. See you soon!
SAT, DECEMBER 13 FAMILY ART PROJECT: COLORFUL CANDLES AND WINTER BERRIES
Take a simple candlestick and, using colorful clay-like wax, mix and mold an inventive image of nature onto your candle. Add berries and boughs to decorate a candle holder and create a source of natural light for any occasion. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
SAT, DECEMBER 13 TAI CHI CHUAN
Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. In this hour-long class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. Sessions are held indoors in winter. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 WINTER BIRDING
The Hudson River valley hosts an impressive diversity of bird species, even during the winter months. Explore Wave Hill’s tranquil gardens and woodlands with naturalist Gabriel Willow to observe birds in their winter habitats. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Birders of all levels welcome! Severe weather cancels. Free with admission to the grounds. (NYC Audubon Members enjoy two-for-one admission.) Registration required, online at www.wavehill.org or at the Perkins Visitor Center.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 FAMILY ART PROJECT: COLORFUL CANDLES AND WINTER BERRIES
Take a simple candlestick and, using colorful clay-like wax, mix and mold an inventive image of nature onto your candle. Add berries and boughs to decorate a candle holder and create a source of natural light for any occasion. Free with admission to the grounds.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 HATHA YOGA
Reduce stress and increase your energy by focusing on your posture, breath and mind/body/spirit. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss Director Neem Dewji and other certified instructors, and last for an hour and a quarter. Ms. Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions are held indoors in winter. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 MEDITATION
Let nature inspire you to find your center and reconnect with your true self using guided mindfulness and other meditation practices. Each session includes instruction in simple techniques, followed by guided meditations. Led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors. Sessions are held indoors. All levels welcome. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $20/$10 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration offered online only and includes a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:45AM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 WINTER’S ADORNMENT FAMILY WALK
After the Family Art Project, continue exploring the theme on a family-friendly walk through the gardens or woodlands, led by naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow. Let winter surprise you with an adornment of color. Join us on a walk through the gardens and woodlands to investigate vibrant berries, colorful twigs and dazzling patterns. Ages six and older welcome with an adult.Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 1PM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 CONCERT: SOYEON KATE LEE & RAN DANK
Already Wave Hill favorites, pianists Soyeon Kate Lee and Ran Dank return to share the wonder of the holidays with a four-hand arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker Suite. The New York Times, describing the duo as a “tour de force…with such sensitivity and grace,” credits Ms. Lee with “a lively imagination and a firm sense of style” and Mr. Dank for a “muscular and virtuosic performance.” $28 general admission, $15 child (ages 8 to 18). $22 Wave Hill Member, $12 Wave Hill Member child. Registration required, online atwww.wavehill.org or at the Perkins Visitor Center. In addition to tickets for individual concerts, subscriptions are also available for any three performances in this 10-concert series, with a 10% discount, or any four performances, for a 15% discount.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 2PM
SUN, DECEMBER 14 GARDEN & CONSERVATORY HIGHLIGHTS WALK
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM
MON, DECEMBER 15
Closed to the public
A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.
HOURS Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM. Closes 5:30PM, March 15–October 31.
ADMISSION $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday andTuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.
PROGRAM FEES Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.
Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More athttp://mta.info/mnr/html/
DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.
Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.
